Comprehensive Vanguard Guide for DNF Duel: 5 Amazing Awakening, Combos, and Strategies

Looking for a Vanguard guide? Vanguard is a powerful all-round character who uses his spear to inflict tremendous damage. This character was officially announced on December 14, 2021, and is based on the Vanguard sub-class of Demonic Lancer in Dungeon Fighter Online. His long-range and repeated attack ability makes him different from the other 15 characters.

However, he is not a zoner, and his slow startup of some attacks sometimes becomes a thorn for his combat performance. Just like all other characters this character also has some merits as well as demerits which we will be discussing below.

Vanguard Guide

In this Vanguard guide, we’ll first be looking at the character itself. Vanguard is a character with standard battle type having an HP of 1100, Guard 1200, and MP Regen Rate 12. Despite his extended reach and ability to place intense pressure on his opponents, Vanguard is all-rounded, so we can say that even if he is not an expert in any single combat attribute, he can still tackle almost all circumstances within fights. One demerit of Vanguard is his poor defence. He mostly relies on Skills and Mana Skills for excellent gameplay.

Regardless of his apparent weaknesses, Vanguard remains a formidable opponent on the battlefield. His unmatched ability to combine long-ranged pokes into deadly combos allows him to create pressure by simply tossing out strikes to entice the opponent’s attention. Vanguard can also destroy his opponent’s Guard Gauge, allowing him to follow up with a cruel, high-damaging combo. 

Vanguard Guide: Special Moves

Next on our Vanguard guide, we’ll be covering his Special Moves. Vanguard depends mainly on his Special Moves (Skills) and MP Special Moves (Mana Skills) for inflicting heavy damage as well as maintaining a safe distance from opponents. However, some of his normal moves cannot be underestimated because they are building blocks of some useful combos. While playing this character, you must remember that Skills are strong attacks that lead to powerful Mana Skills. 

Side Slash Skill is most often employed to start combos, in addition, it may also be used to attack and beat your opponent. Side Slash can also be cancelled into Cleave: Upper, Cleave: Cut, and Cleave: Slash. Vanguard can chain together any of his Skills that haven’t already been used within the current attack chain and it’s possible because of his unique combo system. So, once you land a Special Move (Skill), remember that you may chain into all of his other Skills until you run out of Mana. An example of this can be 5S > 6S > 2S > 4S. However, using the same skill in a combination may result in its failure.

The Cleave: Upper has Vanguard fling its spear high into the sky, allowing for a decent anti-air if timed well, but an even more destructive combo starter. If Vanguard strikes a grounded opponent with Cleave: Upper, they will be launched in the air, allowing him to follow up with a variety of different actions, the finest of which is his Doom Glaive Mana Skill Cleave: Cut, which involves a violent cut with his spear. Because Vanguard moves forward when attacking, this attack is frequently utilised to cover ground on your opponent while completing a safe attack. 

Cleave: Slash Skill draws his opponent towards him, helps him to maintain pressure, and shrinks the space between himself and his opponent. Vanguard’s Impact Strike hits OTG, which makes it one of the most effective methods of prolonging combos. This Skill can be cancelled into any of his other Skills if they were not part of the previous attack chain.

Also Read: Beginner’s Guide to DNF Duel: Gameplay, Controls, Character Tips and More

Vanguard Guide: MP Special Moves

We’ll next be looking at MP Special Moves in this Vanguard guide. Vanguard has the standard five Mana Skills, but he also has access to four more Mana Skills with his Brandish Mana Skill action. Hence these 9 Skills make his playstyle unique as well as deadly as compared to other characters of the game. Vanguard’s Mana Skills are just like other characters that can be utilised to lengthen combos, finish combos, and chain into his ultra-powerful Awakening Skill.

Vanguard’s Brandish Skill forces him to perform a quick slash before stepping backwards and completing another slash, putting him in his Brandish position, and allowing him to follow up with unique Mana Skill. When Inferno Charge is activated, Vanguard charges forward with a deadly shoulder check. This move is excellent for establishing and sustaining pressure. During Crescent Slash, Vanguard performs a massive overhead slam with his spear, putting his opponent in a heavy knockout state and allowing him to continue his combo with Impact Strike, Earthshatter, and Doom Glaive.

Vanguard’s Lunge Strike needs 70MP to take effect. Vanguard thrusts his spear into the air at a certain angle. Lunge Strike is a great anti-air option, although it might be difficult for you to use against grounded opponents. The Vanguard’s Earthshatter skill is responsible for slamming his spear into the earth before completing a fast upward slash with it. Earthshatter is a great technique to cause damage and confirm other strikes. Earthshatter will also strike OTG, allowing you to lengthen combos.

During Doom Glaive, Vanguard performs a powerful slash while in mid-air before landing a deadly falling smash. This move hits OTG, which makes it a good option for long-lasting combos. Furthermore, if your opponent isn’t knocked down, Doom Glaive will put them in a hard knockdown condition on its usage, allowing you to use Impact Strike, Earthshatter, Doom Glaive, or Demonic Inferno on them to take them out.

Vanguard Guide: Awakening Skill and Effect

Vanguard, like every other fighter in DNF Duel, has an Awakening Skill and an Awakening Effect that is activated if the character’s health drops to 30% or below. In other words, we can say that his Awakening Skill is a tremendous assault with massive damage and an epic scenario. Awakening Skills improve the overall performance of your character.

Vanguard’s Awakening Skill Demonic Inferno deals with slamming his spear into the ground, generating a limited area of effect. If the smash strikes his opponent, Vanguard will launch into his amazing cinematic, inflicting intense damage. Due to low AoE, it’s recommended to use this as part of a combination. Vanguard’s Awakening Effect Demonic Lance Mastery allows him to inflict 50% more Guard Damage against opponents who are blocking, hence quickly destroying his opponent’s Guard Gauge, which can lead to deadly combinations that perform a major role in his win ratio of combat.

Also Read: Comprehensive Lost Warrior Guide for DNF Duel: Unlocking, Combos, and Strategies

Vanguard Guide: Pros and Cons of Choosing Vanguard

Every character in DNF Duel has some merits as well as demerits and so is the case with Vanguard. Some pros and cons of choosing this character are given below.

Vanguard has access to a plethora of powerful, long-range detached strikes, making him extremely tough to counter at extra ranges. Vanguard’s pressure stages tend to return him to a range where most characters are unable to fight him. Vanguard’s Clear Cube awakening passive grants him access to useful block string sequences that can ensure a Guard Crush. Vanguard does not need to put himself in danger or rely on standard combinations to threaten severe damage in these situations.

Vanguard’s A and B normals are slower and cannot be chained into Skills, unlike the other characters in the game. Most of Vanguard’s strikes have a significant degree of recovery, making him prone to dodge rolls when they are too predictable. Vanguard’s invincible reversal misses on properly spaced crouched opponents, putting him vulnerable to some low-profile tough hits. When combined with his slow close-range normals, he might find it tough to escape pressure. So, there you have it, the game’s best moves and combos in our Vanguard guide that will have you gaming like a pro in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Maximise Vanguard’s Potential in Combat?

Vanguard players can perform advanced techniques like cancelling normal attacks into special moves and creating extended combos for maximum damage output. Using charge attacks and precise timing is crucial to mastering Vanguard’s potential.

What Are Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Playing with Vanguard in DNF Duel?

Vanguard may have an edge against characters that are not good at close-range fighting, however, Vanguard players may also face difficulties while dealing with characters who have excellent zoning skills or mobility.

How Can I Master Vanguard in DNF Duel?

The key to mastering any Character in DNF Duel is practice, and Vanguard is not an exception. Observing different moves as well as different skills in different situations will boost the overall understanding of this character’s combat mechanism. With the passage of time, there will be a prominent change in your overall gameplay performance for this player.