Tales of the Valiant Vanguard Guide

Introduction

The Vanguard is the Player's Guide 2 martial commander. It is not a spellcaster, not a passive armor pile, and not a class that waits for enemies to politely attack the right target. The Vanguard plants a War Banner, issues Stratagems, moves allies into better positions, fixes failed rolls, and turns a messy fight into a plan with boots.

The important correction: PG2 Vanguard is built around Born Leader, War Banner, Stratagems, Support Action, Multiattack, Superior Stratagems, Manifold Tactic, Valiant Commander, Battlefield Resolve, Banner Improvements, and Stand Together. If an older version of this guide described a different resource engine, that was stale content. The banner has been planted over the old draft.

Mechanically, Vanguard is a d12 martial with full armor, full weapon access, CON and CHA saves, and a strong reason to lead from the front. Your best turns are rarely "I attack twice and end." Your best turns are "I attack, replace an attack with a stratagem, move the Rogue, give the Fighter another swing, protect the Witch's save, and put the party under a banner that makes the enemy wonder why it showed up to a strategy meeting with only teeth."

Verdict: Vanguard is one of the most tactical martials in Tales of the Valiant. It rewards players who know the party's action economy, track battlefield position, and like being useful even when they are not the one rolling damage dice.

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Disclaimer

Ratings use colored dots to show how strong an option is for the Vanguard specifically. A red option here can still be great on a different class.

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Class Snapshot

Play pattern: choose the right banner for the encounter, use Support Action to stay useful with your bonus action, issue stratagems that turn ally positioning and action economy into wins, and keep enough personal martial pressure that enemies cannot treat you like a decorative officer.

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Class Features

Born Leader ●

At 1st level, choose the leadership quality that defines you.

Authority helps adjacent allies hit harder with weapon attacks and gives Intimidation proficiency or doubled PB if you already have it. This is the aggressive commander choice. It is best when your party has melee weapon users who start turns near you.

Community helps adjacent allies with saving throws and gives Persuasion proficiency or doubled PB if you already have it. This is the protective commander choice. It is best when the campaign throws charms, poison, fear, curses, and "everyone roll a save" moments at the party.

Hot take: Authority is more visible because damage is loud. Community is the one people remember when the Rogue survives the save that would have ended the plan.

War Banner ●

War Banner is the Vanguard's signature feature. In encounter gameplay, you plant a mystical banner in an unoccupied space near you. It lasts for 1 minute, affects creatures near it, and disappears if you become incapacitated, place a new banner, move too far away, or end it.

You begin with two banner effects.

Banner of Mercy gives the banner a pool of hit points and lets it absorb targeted damage against you or a friendly creature you can see within range. This is excellent against weapon attacks, single-target spells, and boss turns aimed at one ally. It does not solve area damage, which is fair. The banner is brave, not waterproof.

Black Flag lets you or a friendly creature reroll a missed attack against a creature you can see within the banner's range, with limits. This is the offense banner. It is best when the party has a Paladin, Rogue, Fighter, Ranger, Monk, or any martial who hates missing with a big turn.

At 6th level, Lucky Colors adds a Luck-sharing banner. Friendly creatures can add Luck to the banner, and allies in range can spend that Luck on rolls. This is quietly excellent because it turns scattered personal luck into a shared party bank.

Stratagems ●

At 2nd level, you learn stratagems: tactical commands that cost uses based on your CHA modifier. You start with two and learn more as you level. At 5th level, they refresh on a short or long rest, and action stratagems can replace one attack when you take the Attack action.

This is why CHA matters. A CHA 16 Vanguard has three uses. A CHA 20 Vanguard has five. More CHA is more commands, more saves rescued, more ally attacks created, and more battlefield nonsense converted into math.

Support Action ●

As a bonus action, you can Disengage, Help, or perform a weapon option. This keeps your turn active even when a stratagem is not the correct play.

Help as a bonus action is easy value. Disengage as a bonus action helps you reposition to the banner, swap lines, or move without giving enemies a free complaint in weapon form.

Multiattack ●

At 5th level, you make two attacks with the Attack action. This matters twice: you deal normal martial damage, and Superior Stratagems lets eligible action stratagems replace one of those attacks.

That means you can swing once and command once, which is exactly the class fantasy. You are not giving up being a martial to be a leader. You are doing both, because apparently the battlefield needed a manager and Human Resources was busy.

Superior Stratagems ●

Also at 5th level, stratagem uses refresh on a short or long rest, and action stratagems can replace one Multiattack attack.

This is the real tier-2 power bump. Before 5th, your stratagems are precious. After 5th, they are your normal fight language. Spend them. A Vanguard ending every encounter with full stratagem uses is leaving food on the table and then wondering why the party is hungry.

Manifold Tactic ●

At 9th level, you can use up to two different stratagems on your turn. This opens real command turns: move allies with Marching Orders, then give an ally a reaction attack with Marshal Tactics; or use Coordinated Strike and Tactical Reposition to turn one flank into a whole little parade of bad news.

Valiant Commander ●

At 13th level, your Born Leader choice improves.

Authority adds CHA to the extra weapon damage and gives a floor-10 effect on Intimidation checks.

Community expands the save bonus to all saves before the start of the ally's next turn and gives a floor-10 effect on Persuasion checks.

This is where the 1st-level choice starts feeling like a character thesis. Authority says "hit harder because I am here." Community says "survive because I am here." Both are excellent.

Battlefield Resolve ●

At 14th level, if you roll initiative with no stratagem uses, you regain some. You also recover a stratagem use when you roll a 20 on an attack roll or save.

This is a pressure valve, not a license to waste commands. It keeps you from entering a fight completely empty, and it makes high-level long days less punishing.

Banner Improvements ●

At 17th level, your banners reach 30 feet, and affected creatures no longer need to see the banner.

This is huge. Early Vanguard wants the party to fight around the banner. Late Vanguard makes the banner cover enough space that the party can act normally while still benefiting. The flag got a promotion.

Stand Together ●

At 18th level, you and friendly creatures near you gain cumulative bonuses to attack rolls and saves based on occupied spaces near you.

This rewards tight formations. It is strongest in hallway fights, shield-wall moments, boss surrounds, and parties with multiple melee allies. It is weaker when your party spreads across the map like someone dropped their miniatures.

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Heroic Boon

10th-Level Vanguard Feature - choose one:

Battle Standard ●

When initiative is rolled, you can plant a banner near your starting position without spending a use, as long as you are not surprised.

This is the cleanest pick for players who always want the banner online in round 1. It is especially good for Herald, because Herald cares deeply about banner placement and banner uptime.

Combat Ingenuity ●

Learn two additional stratagems that do not count against your known total, and you can replace them as you level.

This is the optimizer pick. More stratagems means more answers, and Vanguard is a class where having the exact right command matters. Take this if you often look at a turn and think, "I could solve this if I knew one more trick."

Force of Personality ●

When you make an ability check with a skill, tool, or vehicle you are proficient with, you can use CHA instead of the normal ability modifier.

This is excellent in social, exploration, vehicle, and downtime campaigns. It makes the CHA-first Vanguard useful outside initiative and turns the commander into the party's practical problem-solver.

Unwavering Resolve ●

Treat low rolls as 10 on checks and saves to avoid frightened or charmed, and checks to end those ongoing effects.

Strong when the campaign leans on fear and charm. Narrow otherwise. If the GM loves mind games, this is great. If the main villain is mostly axes and poor social boundaries, choose something broader.

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Epic Boon

20th-Level Vanguard Feature - choose one:

Strategist's Art ●

If you start your turn with no stratagem uses, you can recover a number equal to your CHA modifier once per long rest.

This is the default high-level pick. It refuels the actual class engine at the moment you are empty. The best Vanguard capstone is often "more Vanguard."

Warlord's Art ●

When you or an ally deal damage with an attack performed as part of a stratagem, the attack deals maximum damage and ignores resistance and immunity.

This is the dramatic pick for parties built around Marshal Tactics, Coordinated Strike, Counterstrike, and weapon allies. It turns command-generated attacks into problem deletion. Subtle? No. Effective? Also no, in the sense that there is no problem left.

Enduring Art ●

You can issue unlimited stratagems on your turn, but you still spend uses.

This is excellent when you have enough uses or recovery to support it, especially with Manifold Tactic turns that want to layer several commands. It is weaker if your table runs long days and your CHA is not maxed.

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Ability Scores

Charisma ●

Your most important stat. CHA sets stratagem uses and powers the class's social identity, Born Leader pressure, and several subclass payoffs. Start high and raise it.

Strength ●

You still need to hit things. STR supports melee weapons, Athletics, heavy armor life, and front-line credibility. A Vanguard with great commands and terrible attacks is still useful, but enemies should not feel safe ignoring your weapon.

Constitution ●

d12 hit die is excellent, but you are still a frontliner. CON also matches your saving throw proficiency, helps survival, and makes Marshal's Battlefield Vigor better.

Wisdom ●

Useful for Insight and common saves. Do not dump it unless your table enjoys watching the commander become the problem.

Dexterity ●

Useful for initiative and ranged builds, but heavy armor makes it less urgent for most Vanguards.

Intelligence ●

History is on your class list, but INT is not a class engine. Keep it if your concept is a military scholar; otherwise it is the safest dump.

Point Buy Recommendation

First goals: CHA 16+, STR 16+, CON 14+. Then push CHA toward 18 or 20 before over-optimizing damage.

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Lineage & Heritage

Use the lineage guides and heritage guide for the full origin matrix. Vanguard wants durability, CHA value, positioning tools, and party-facing utility.

Human ●

The extra talent is still premium. Start with Tactical Teamwork (Player's Guide 2), Shield Mastery, Polearm Mastery (Player's Guide 2), or Hardy (Player's Guide 2).

Orc ●

STR and durability fit the front-line version of Vanguard. Less social polish, more "the plan is standing right here and carrying a weapon."

Dwarf ●

CON, darkvision, poison defenses, and armor-wall flavor all work. Dwarf is especially good for Bulwark.

Smallfolk ●

Reroll support and defensive traits are great on a commander who cannot afford to fail key saves. The visual of a small battlefield officer ordering huge allies around is also very funny in the correct way.

Goblin (Player's Guide 2) ●

Bonus-action mobility is excellent for a class that cares about position. Goblin Vanguard is less classic shield-wall and more dirty battlefield coordinator who is somehow always in the square you needed.

Elemental Scion (Player's Guide 2) ●

Resistance and terrain adaptation help frontliners survive strange battlefields. Earthborn and Fireborn flavors both suit a durable commander.

Tosculi (Player's Guide 2) ●

Hive Mind and tactical identity fit Vanguard beautifully, especially Marshal. The class already thinks in formation; Tosculi just makes that literal.

Duergar (Player's Guide 2) ●

The enlarged underworld commander is a strong physical build. Great for Bulwark or Marshal frontliners.

Aberrant Syderean (Player's Guide 2) ●

Strange control flavor works, but the class wants straightforward leadership stats before weird side tech. Take it for a planar commander concept.

Ironwrought (Player's Guide 2) ●

The name alone understands the job. Take it for armored discipline, forge identity, and "I was built for the front line" energy.

Joymonger (Player's Guide 2) ●

Excellent for Community or Herald Vanguards who lead by morale, celebration, and refusing to let the party spiral into grim silence after every ambush.

Covenant (Player's Guide 2) ●

Good for oath-bound commanders, military orders, and characters whose leadership comes from a sworn bond rather than a rank.

Conflicted (Player's Guide 2) ●

Strong character hook. Best when the campaign gives you social and moral pressure, not just marching orders and initiative rolls.

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Skills

Vanguard chooses two from Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, and Persuasion.

Intimidation ●

The best Authority skill. CHA-forward, class-supported, and eventually floor-10 with Valiant Commander if you chose Authority.

Persuasion ●

The best Community skill. Also CHA-forward and eventually floor-10 with the Community Valiant Commander benefit.

Athletics ●

Still excellent for a STR frontliner. Grappling, climbing, jumping, shoving, swimming, and "I carry the unconscious Wizard out of here" checks all live here.

Insight ●

Good leaders read people. Also useful for avoiding obvious traps in social scenes, like trusting the villain because they had nice boots.

Medicine ●

Much better for Bulwark, which already leans into battlefield healing. Otherwise campaign-dependent.

Animal Handling ●

Good if mounts, pack animals, or the Wrangler (Player's Guide 2) talent matter. Skip in normal dungeon play.

History ●

Great for a noble military scholar, poor for most optimized builds because INT is probably low.

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Backgrounds

Courtier ●

The PG2 quick build points here for a reason. Courtier supports the social commander: Persuasion, court access, rank, diplomacy, and the ability to lead before swords come out.

Soldier ●

The obvious martial commander background. Use this for officers, mercenary captains, veteran sergeants, and anyone whose leadership style starts with "form up."

Guard ●

Great for urban protectors and bodyguards. Fits Community Vanguards who lead by duty instead of glory.

Noble ●

Excellent for Marshal and Herald concepts. The skills are not always perfect, but the social position fits the class.

Healer (Player's Guide 2) ●

Best for Bulwark. Medicine plus the subclass's battlefield healing turns you into the person who keeps people standing while loudly asking them to stop getting stabbed.

Chronicler (Player's Guide 2) ●

Fun for a Herald whose banner is also a symbol, legend, or public story. More style than raw power, but good campaign glue.

Smuggler (Player's Guide 2) ●

Good for a less formal commander: rebel captain, road boss, blockade runner, or "technically not a pirate" party lead.

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Talents

Tactical Teamwork (Player's Guide 2) ●

This is almost too on-theme. Reaction PB to an ally's missed weapon attack fits the Vanguard's job perfectly: turn someone else's almost into a hit.

Polearm Mastery (Player's Guide 2) ●

Reach control pairs beautifully with stratagem positioning. A spear, glaive, or similar reach setup lets you command space while commanding allies. Expect table attention because this can reshape enemy movement.

Shield Mastery ●

Still good because you have shield proficiency and often live up front. It is no longer the class engine, but it remains a strong defensive layer.

Staggering Strikes (Player's Guide 2) ●

Strong on STR melee Vanguards who want enemies to stay manageable. Removing reactions makes your repositioning stratagems cleaner.

Hard to Kill (Player's Guide 2) ●

Great on the character who expects to be in the danger square. It is not healing, but it can buy the one extra turn that matters.

Situational Awareness (Player's Guide 2) ●

Surprise protection and reaction repositioning are both excellent. Round 1 is when banners and formations matter most.

Hardy (Player's Guide 2) ●

Frontliners love not dropping. Exhaustion support is also valuable in travel-heavy campaigns.

Quick Recovery (Player's Guide 2) ●

Great for groups that short rest often. Vanguard resources care about rest cadence, and Bulwark especially likes attrition support.

Empathetic (Player's Guide 2) ●

Excellent for Community Vanguards and party faces. You already want CHA; this gives the social side more reliability.

Silver Tongued (Player's Guide 2) ●

For Courtier, Noble, Herald, and Marshal builds that expect negotiations to matter. A commander who cannot speak is just a heavily armored pointer.

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Subclasses

Bulwark (Player's Guide 2) ●

Bulwark is the battlefield medic and protector. It gets Battlefield Healer, Surgeon's Standard, Safeguard, Turn the Tide, and Bastion of Defense.

Why play it: You want to stabilize allies as a bonus action, heal through a banner, redirect attacks and single-target spells to yourself, and give nearby allies AC and area-damage protection.

Watch out: Bulwark is more defensive than explosive. It saves the party from losing, which is powerful, but it will not always produce flashy damage numbers.

Hot take: Bulwark is the subclass for players who know the most important damage number is sometimes the one that never gets written down.

Herald (Player's Guide 2) ●

Herald is the mobile symbol-bearer. It gets Color Guard, Stirring Sign, Regroup, Double Standard, and Flag Bearer.

Why play it: You want banner control. Moving the banner, removing sight/hearing friction, teleporting allies within the flag radius, combining two banner effects, and eventually using banners without normal limits all make Herald the best subclass at making War Banner feel like a living tactical object.

Watch out: Herald asks you to understand banner geometry. If your table runs loose theater-of-the-mind combat, some of the precision can become fuzzy.

Hot take: Herald is the subclass that turns "I plant a flag" from symbolism into logistics. It is weirdly elegant and extremely annoying for enemies with a plan.

Marshal (Player's Guide 2) ●

Marshal is the classic war leader. It gets Inspiring Leadership, Banner of Coordination, General's Gambit, Comrade in Arms, and Battlefield Vigor.

Why play it: You want ally advantage, attack bonuses, failed-roll rescue with Vanguard Hit Dice, extra damage for allies using your advantage, and self-healing when you are bloodied.

Watch out: Marshal is best with weapon allies. If your party is mostly spellcasters who do not make weapon attacks, the subclass loses some teeth.

Hot take: Marshal is the default strongest Vanguard because it turns everyone else into a better martial. It is the party's group project, except this time the group project is good.

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Stratagems

Bolster ●

Reaction save reroll plus CHA modifier for an ally within 30 feet. This is one of the best stratagems because failed saves lose fights. Take it early.

Raise Guard ●

Reaction AC bonus equal to CHA modifier for an ally who would be hit. Strong at every tier, especially when CHA reaches 18 or 20.

Marshal Tactics ●

Bonus action: an ally makes a weapon attack or casts a cantrip as a reaction. Incredible with Rogues, Paladins, Fighters, Rangers, Warlocks with strong cantrips, and any ally with one big hit.

Marching Orders ●

Move up to two allies without opportunity attacks from nearby creatures. Movement wins fights, and this fixes bad positioning without asking the squishy caster to pray while walking away.

Coordinated Strike ●

Make a weapon attack with CHA added, then direct an ally to move and attack. Excellent when you have a reliable weapon buddy.

Counterstrike ●

Reaction movement and attack when an enemy attacks an ally. Good for punishing enemies who ignore your line.

Tactical Reposition ●

Swap places with a nearby willing creature without provoking. This saves allies, fixes formation, and creates tactical comedy when the Wizard suddenly is not where the monster expected.

Close Ranks ●

Friendly creatures near you are immune to critical hits and forced movement until your next turn. Great against brutes, battlefield hazards, and enemies who love pushing people into terrible places.

Inspiring Bellow ●

Solid healing to one creature. Better for non-Bulwarks who still want emergency recovery.

Flank Position ●

Advantage support against one hostile creature. Strong with the right ally, but narrower than Marshal Tactics or Bolster.

Goading Strike ●

Attack with CHA added and impose disadvantage against nearby allies. Useful, but the target has to be positioned correctly.

Charge ●

Fun and cinematic. Strong for melee parties, weaker when your party does not want to rush the same target.

Rally ●

Temporary HP in a short radius. Good when the team is grouped, mediocre when everyone has scattered.

Surround ●

Speed control against a Huge or smaller creature near you. Good in melee-heavy parties; clunky otherwise.

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Weapons and Armor

Shield and One-Handed Weapon ●

The safest default. You have all armor and shield proficiency, so use them. A longsword, warhammer, spear, or battleaxe with a shield gives you durability while you command.

Reach Weapon ●

Excellent with Polearm Mastery (Player's Guide 2), Counterstrike, and formation play. The downside is usually losing the shield.

Heavy Weapon ●

Good for Marshal builds that want offense. Weaker for defensive Bulwarks and Heralds that want to stay sturdy.

Thrown Weapons ●

Useful backup. Better with Hurler (Player's Guide 2).

Plate and Shield ●

The durable default. You are expected to stand where problems happen. Dress accordingly.

Chain Mail ●

Good starting armor. Upgrade when money allows.

Half Plate ●

Good if your DEX is decent or plate is unavailable. Still sturdy with a shield.

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Magic Items

Magic Shield ●

Simple and excellent. More AC keeps the commander conscious, and conscious commanders keep banners and stratagems relevant.

Magic Weapon ●

You still attack. A reliable weapon matters, especially for Marshal and Authority builds.

Defensive Cloak or Ring ●

Saving throw and AC boosts stack well with your role. If you fail the wrong save, the banner is not going to plant itself.

Scorn Pouch (The Old Margeve) ●

Surprise protection is excellent because round 1 is where you place the banner and set the formation.

Half-Sword of the Margreve Knights (The Old Margeve) ●

A strong martial weapon option for sword-and-board Vanguards using Old Margeve material.

Adroit Attunement (Player's Guide 2) Support ●

Not a Vanguard-only item plan, but PG2's magic-item lineup makes rotating attunement more interesting. If the campaign uses many situational items, read the technical talents guide.

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Multiclassing

Vanguard wants class levels. Your best features scale through stratagems known, banner upgrades, subclass features, and high-level command tools. Leaving the class usually delays the reason you picked it.

Stay Vanguard ●

Best default. Every level gives more command depth, more stratagems, better banners, or subclass features.

Fighter Dip ●

Can add weapon support, but it delays Vanguard features. Only do this for a specific weapon plan.

Paladin Dip ●

CHA overlap is tempting, but spell and class progression costs are real. Consider only for a concept, not because Vanguard lacks support tools.

Rogue Dip ●

Mobility and skills can help a tactical commander, but it pulls away from heavy front-line play.

Full Caster Dip ●

Usually not worth it. Vanguard already has a complex action economy and wants STR/CON/CHA. Adding a spellcasting stat often turns the build into a committee meeting with no chair.

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Example Build

Marshal Banner Captain

• Lineage: Human
• Heritage: Ironwrought (Player's Guide 2) or Covenant (Player's Guide 2)
• Background: Courtier or Soldier
• 1st-level talent: Tactical Teamwork (Player's Guide 2)
• Born Leader: Community for defense, Authority for damage
• Subclass: Marshal
• Key stratagems: Bolster, Raise Guard, Marshal Tactics, Marching Orders, Coordinated Strike, Tactical Reposition

Playstyle: Plant the banner where the fight will happen, not where it already went wrong. Use Bolster and Raise Guard to prevent disasters, Marshal Tactics to turn the best ally into extra action economy, and Marching Orders or Tactical Reposition when the map gets ugly. Your weapon matters, but your real damage is the party doing better because you are there.

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Hot Takes

Hot Take: Vanguard is not a tank. It is a command class with armor. If you only stand in front and trade attacks, you are playing the least interesting version of it.

Hot Take: CHA is not optional. A low-CHA Vanguard is a general with no signal horn, no map, and a clipboard full of vibes.

Hot Take: Marshal is the default strongest subclass because parties win through action economy. Giving allies advantage, extra attacks, and damage riders is better than pretending your personal DPR is the whole story.

Hot Take: Herald is underrated. Moving banners, teleporting allies, and running double banner effects is the kind of tactical nonsense that looks modest until the GM realizes every enemy plan has to account for the flag.

Hot Take: Bulwark is not boring. It is just honest. Sometimes the strongest play is making the damage number smaller, healing the person who fell over, and letting the party keep acting.

Hot Take: Black Flag is the banner for tables that hate missing. Which is every table. Nobody roleplays their way into enjoying a natural 3.

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Final Notes

The Player's Guide 2 Vanguard is a martial commander, not a passive defender. Build CHA. Keep STR and CON respectable. Choose stratagems based on your party's actual turn patterns. Plant War Banner where allies can use it, and remember that banner placement is a tactical decision, not a decorative flourish.

Bulwark is the healer-bodyguard. Herald is the banner specialist. Marshal is the weapon-party amplifier. All three work, but they ask different questions: who needs saving, where should the fight happen, and whose attack should become everyone's problem?

Most importantly, do something every round that changes the fight for someone else. The Vanguard is at its best when the whole party feels like they got sharper because you were standing there with a plan and a flag.

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Related Guides

• Best Martial Talents in Tales of the Valiant
• Best Technical Talents in Tales of the Valiant
• Tales of the Valiant Lineage Guides
• Tales of the Valiant Heritage Guide

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Tales of the Valiant is published by Kobold Press. This guide is fan-made and not affiliated with or endorsed by Kobold Press.

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