Stunned at how BAD Vangaurd is.

[HexCaliber]

Vanguard is fine, it will not output massive dps, so you can ignore those that claim otherwise, as they clearly A) don't play the class, B) are still relatively low level, or C) have only played vanguard and have nothing to compare it with.

 

However, you are not going to tank as well as you can unless you spec into shield specialist AND only use ion cell. With those two and Dorne healing you, you can solo champions or two elites and will walk away with little to no damage at the end, that is until you hit late 30's 40 onwards. From there on you will take more damage from elites etc, but should still have no problems staying up.

 

For those claiming vanguard does massive dps may I suggest you play until at least 40, by which time dmg scaling has tailed off, then go and play commando, sentinel or either smuggler tree to a similar level and come back and tell us how much damage vanguard specced for dps does by comparison. I do not claim the class is gimped, quite the opposite, but regardless, dps will not compare with classes that cannot equip a shield in their off hand, their damage output is significantly higher, and quite rightly, as things would become unbalanced if you could do both.

 

My vanguard is now level 42, and by 23-24 my commando could hit harder with many of its abilities, it's now level 39 and hits like a damn truck. The same is true of my 38 sentinel, it will burn through the same mobs solo at about 3 times the speed of the vanguard, frankly it has to it has nowhere near the survivability.