Absolutely! Here is a very lengthy and detailed post on how to play Vanguard in Diablo Immortal, with a step-by-step guide, headings, and a FAQ section.
Master the Chaos: A Comprehensive Guide to Conquering Vanguard in Diablo Immortal
Greetings, wanderer! Have you felt the gnawing torment of the angelic sword El'druin, yet find yourself unable to wield its full power? The darkness that has seeped into your being from the shattered Worldstone shards is the very thing that the Sword of Justice rejects. To cleanse yourself and unlock your true potential, you must join the ranks of the Vanguard.
This new co-op activity is more than just a dungeon crawl; it's a test of teamwork, strategy, and resilience. Are you ready to cull the endless hordes of demons alongside your allies and prove your worth? Then let's begin this journey together.
Step 1: Your First Steps into the Vanguard
First things first, let's get you in the door. Before you can even think about becoming a Vanguard champion, you need to meet a couple of key requirements. Don't worry, they're not too difficult to achieve if you've been playing the game for a while.
Unlock Hell I Difficulty: You must have completed the main questline to unlock Hell I difficulty. This is a fundamental prerequisite for accessing Vanguard.
Reach Paragon Level 30: While some reports suggest you can access it after completing the main quest in the Southern Dreadlands, reaching Paragon Level 30 ensures you're ready for the challenges that await.
Once you have these under your belt, it's time to find the portal. Where, you ask? Simple! Head to Deckard Cain's basement in Westmarch. You know, the dusty, old, and very magical basement where all the important things happen. Inside, you'll find a Vanguard portal. Interact with it, and you're ready to start your journey. You can either bring your own four-person party or use the matchmaking feature to find eager allies.
Step 2: Understanding the Vanguard System
Now that you're at the portal, let's break down the core components of the Vanguard system. It's not just about killing monsters; it's about strategy and progression.
Sub-heading: Vanguard Difficulty Tiers
Vanguard has several increasing difficulty tiers, from Tier 1 to Tier 4 and beyond, with each tier unlocking new challenges and objectives. The higher the difficulty, the greater the rewards. The objectives can vary, from escorting a Guardian Spirit to felling a Helliquary Boss. You'll need to work together with your party to succeed.
Sub-heading: The Power of Vanguard Charms
This is where the real game-changer comes in. You won't just be using your regular gear and skills. Vanguard has its own set of mode-specific skills that you can acquire from Vanguard Charms. These charms are your key to success.
How to get them: You earn Vanguard Charms from successful Vanguard runs.
How to upgrade them: You can use other charms to upgrade your existing ones, up to a maximum of Level 20.
Skill Categories: There are four main categories of Vanguard skills, each with two unique skills:
Might: These skills boost your offensive power.
Valor's Call: Increases the Critical Hit Chance for you and nearby allies. Excellent for DPS-heavy parties.
Broadside: Empowers primary attacks for you and nearby allies with piercing attacks.
Defense: These skills are all about survivability.
Aegis: Grants a shield to you and nearby allies, absorbing a significant amount of damage. Crucial for higher difficulty tiers.
Martyr: Binds you to nearby allies, taking a portion of the damage they receive.
Heal: As the name suggests, these skills keep you and your team alive.
Healing Field: Conjures a field that continuously heals allies within it.
Mending Orb: A mobile orb that follows and heals allies.
Bane: These skills debuff enemies and increase the damage they take.
Warpstrike: Deals damage and reduces the attack and movement speed of enemies.
Blight Orb: An orb that follows enemies, increasing the damage they take. A must-have for maximizing DPS.
Step 3: Building a Vanguard-Ready Character
While Vanguard Charms are essential, your regular build still matters. You need a solid foundation to succeed.
Sub-heading: Choosing Your Vanguard Charm
The charm you equip will depend on your playstyle and the needs of your party. Are you a Crusader who wants to protect your team? Go for a Defense or Heal charm. A Barbarian who wants to tear through enemies? Might is your best friend. A Necromancer who can summon hordes of minions? A Bane charm will make them even more lethal. You can also mix and match your charm and your class to create unique and powerful synergies.
For example, a Crusader with the Lofty Light essence for Shield Glare, which provides 100% uptime blinding, combined with a Broadside charm, can create a continuous AoE damage and crowd control machine.
Sub-heading: Gear and Legendary Gems
Your gear and legendary gems still play a massive role. The goal is to create a build that can handle both the continuous waves of enemies and the powerful bosses.
Set Items: The Vitus 6-piece set, which provides increased attack speed and a powerful defensive buff, is a popular choice for Vanguard.
Legendary Gems: Gems like Everlasting Torment, Seeping Bile, and Void Spark are excellent for their damage-over-time and area-of-effect capabilities. For survivability, gems like Phoenix Ashes are invaluable.
Reforging: Don't forget to reforge your gear for stats like Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Damage, and Attack Speed to maximize your output.
Sub-heading: Paragon Trees
For Vanguard, the Slinger Paragon tree is highly recommended for its damage-boosting nodes. Don't be afraid to experiment with other trees, but for pure damage, Slinger is a top contender.
Step 4: The Vanguard Run: A Walkthrough
You're geared up and ready to go. You've found your party, and you're at the Vanguard portal. What happens now?
Select Your Difficulty: Choose a difficulty tier that is appropriate for your team's Combat Rating and charm levels. Don't be too ambitious at first; it's better to succeed at a lower level than fail repeatedly at a higher one.
Start the Run: Once you enter the portal, you'll be faced with a variety of objectives.
Execute the Objective: Work together to complete the objective. For example, if you're escorting a Guardian Spirit, make sure to clear the path and protect it from harm. If it's a boss fight, focus your damage and use your charm skills at the right time.
Manage Your Corruption: A key mechanic in Vanguard is Corruption Overflow. As you play, you will accumulate corruption. At certain thresholds, you'll take a burst of damage. This is a core mechanic and not a bug! You can mitigate this with shields, immunity, and healing from your teammates.
Extract and Claim Rewards: Upon successfully completing the run, you'll exit through an extraction portal. This is where you'll earn your final rewards, including gold, scrap, and most importantly, Vanguard Charms and Champion's Commendations.
Step 5: Maximizing Your Rewards
The grind is real, and it's all about getting the best rewards.
Weekly Resets: There are weekly and daily Vanguard challenges that reset, so make sure you complete them for Battle Pass points, gold, scrap, and dust.
Champion's Commendations: The commendations you earn can be exchanged for valuable rewards like Telluric Pearls, Bound Legendary Crests, and more.
Leveling Your Charms: Focus on leveling up your Vanguard Charms. A high-level charm can make a huge difference in your ability to clear higher difficulty tiers. It can take a long time to get a charm to rank 20, but the effort is worth it.
How to FAQ: Your Quick Guide to Vanguard
Here are 10 quick answers to your most pressing Vanguard questions:
How to Unlock Vanguard? You need to be in Hell I difficulty and have completed the main questline that leads to the Crucible of Justice update. The portal is in Deckard Cain's basement in Westmarch.
How to Get Vanguard Charms? Vanguard Charms are a reward for successfully completing a Vanguard run.
How to Level Up Vanguard Charms? You can use other Vanguard Charms you've collected to upgrade an existing charm.
How to Beat Vanguard Tier 4? You'll need a well-coordinated party with high-level charms (at least rank 12 or higher is recommended) and a balanced team composition with a mix of DPS, defense, and healing charms.
How to Deal with Corruption Overflow? Use defensive skills, shields from Aegis charms, immunity skills from your class, and healing from Healing Field or Mending Orb charms to survive the damage bursts.
How to Choose the Best Vanguard Charm? It depends on your class and playstyle. Might charms are for DPS, Defense for survivability, Heal for support, and Bane for debuffs. Choose what complements your role in the party.
How to Get the Best Vanguard Rewards? Complete your weekly and daily Vanguard challenges to earn Champion's Commendations, which can be exchanged for valuable items.
How to Find a Party for Vanguard? You can use the in-game matchmaking feature at the Vanguard portal, or you can use the world chat to find a party and form a group.
How to Use Vanguard Skills? Vanguard skills are tied to the charm you have equipped. They will be active during the run and provide powerful buffs to you and your allies.
How to See My Charm's Level? When you are at the Vanguard portal and in a party, you can see your own charm and its level, but a common issue is not being able to see your party members' charm levels, which is why forming groups via chat is a common practice.