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Space Marine 2 Vanguard Class Guide

The Vanguard lives on the grapple. Close distance, finish what the squad softens, and never stand still. A breakdown of the class that turns mobility into kills.

6 min read

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The grapple is the whole kit

The Vanguard’s grappling hook is not a movement toy. It is the class’s primary way to reach a Majoris enemy, yank a ranged unit into melee, or escape a swarm that has surrounded you. The grapple armor page covers the gear that supports this, but the habit that matters is using the hook on cooldown to stay mobile rather than trading blows in place. The classes overview places Vanguard as a melee skirmisher. That label is correct, and it means your job is to delete priority targets, not to hold a line.

Melee execution is your damage spike

Vanguard thrives on executions. Pull a softened enemy close, execute for the health return and the team damage window, and move on. The perks guide shows which perks extend this loop, but the base truth is that a Vanguard who executes often is a Vanguard the squad can follow. Standing and swinging at full-health enemies is how a Vanguard dies. The hook gets you to wounded targets; the execution ends them.

Use mobility to control aggro

Because you can leave any fight, you should be the one who pulls aggro off the Heavy and the Bulwark, then breaks contact. A Vanguard who holds threat and kites it away gives the ranged classes room to work. This is a team role, not a solo one. Players who grapple in and then stay get surrounded. Grapple in, execute, grapple out is the rhythm that keeps you alive through a long Operation.

Vanguard struggles against swarms

Minoris hordes are your weak matchup, because they limit where you can grapple and punish isolation. When the screen is full of small enemies, fall back toward the squad and let area damage thin them before you re-engage. The class is built to answer elites and Extremis, not to clear chaff. Know which fight is yours and let the others handle the rest.

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Related Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Guides

Space Marine 2 Assault Class Guide

The Assault class turns the jump pack into a weapon. Drop from above, ground-pound the cluster, and clear the air. A guide to the most aggressive class in the game.

Space Marine 2 Bulwark Class Guide

The Bulwark is the wall the squad hides behind. Shield up, banner down, and the line holds. A guide to the class built for survival and team support.

Space Marine 2 Heavy Class: The Gun That Never Stops

The Heavy trades mobility for sustained fire. Where to stand, when to brace, and why overheating is a positioning problem.

Space Marine 2 Perks: How to Pick Without Wasting Currency

Perks come in Core, Team and Signature tiers and each one costs Requisition to activate. Pick by what your squad is missing, not by the perk list order.

Space Marine 2 Sniper Class Guide

The Sniper removes threats before they reach the line. Cloak, weak-point marks, and a rifle that ends Extremis at range. A guide to playing the longest sightline.

Space Marine 2 Sniper: The Cloak Is a Reset Button

Camo Cloak conceals you until your next attack, which makes it a threat reset rather than a damage buff. How to play the priority-target class.

Sources & References

This guide is verified against the game's own data and official communications. For patch notes, current balance, and authoritative specifics, consult the references below. Where a precise number cannot be verified, we explain the mechanic rather than invent a figure.