What's the most recent build/set up that you've discovered?

Out of all the voluses, the VMS is the weakest in terms of offense, since the VA,VE and VPV have ways of amplifying their own damage output, whereas the VMS is stuck with a drone and decoy.

My personal opinion, why you'd ever pick up the VMS, would be to increase the teams overall survivability. He's a healer, backup damage dealer (Even though he's not great at it, it's better than being a shield boost spammer), and a master of misdirection.

Spec wise, I can respect that people who spec out of decoy, decoy is not everyone's cup of red sand tea. There are people who can make the VMS work successfully without having spec'd into decoy.

I like decoy even on reapers and collectors because it still offers some value, not to the same extent when fighting Geth, when you place down a decoy, all the Geth flock to it. Even for marauders and collector troopers, goddess forbid if they become possessed, the decoy is still useful there, and thanks to it's weird inaccurate hitbox, 9/10 times it'll survive the full duration. Don't ask me why 99% of the enemies in this game cannot accurately target a decoy, apart from enemies ignoring it obviously

You can troll a banshee with decoy as well, it can block a warp from a banshee, but you'd probably most of the time just shield boost whoever gets hit by it.

Again not to deter anyone who doesn't use decoy on the VMS.

HFA is godly, my go to Plat curry kit. Melee version is a riot too if you've never given that a try. Here's my melee build and here's my lolPCmustardrice no-radius because glitchy shockwave build.

I use CS on a troll build that focuses on staggering everything. You skip Marksman and go 6 points in both CS and Proxy Mine with a Falcon + Incendiary. Sucks at killing bosses but is very fun against Cerberus (fuck Cerberus) and Geth as most of their enemies literally can't move between CS, Proxy Mine and Falcon staggering everything

Gave the Drell Adept a try recently for the first time, so I've been alternating between having fun with that and dying constantly, depending on team synergy.

Recently, my new up and coming main that I've been spamming a lot, is the Volus Protector Vanguard. I didn't think I'd start using him, only because I only had a spontaneous thought thinking, "Oh maybe if I use him this way he might be serviceable off host" after having dropped him multiple times in the past. And it turned out pretty well, and now it's just a matter of me putting in the massive grind to be good with him. I honestly want him to be like my last amazing splash for ME3 MP before who's know when the servers will die out.

Build is not really interesting. Before anyone ask, why not cyclonic modulator, because I don't really wanna rely on it too much, and power efficiency is what I typically use. Biotic orbs to me I feel is not really necessary for me, it's either more health and shields or faster cooldowns with biotic orbs, or going half and half with rank 4 fitness and rank 4 biotic orbs. Radius on shield boost, because I feel like being a team player, it's not actually not so bad, means I can clip them with shield boost from a further distance.

Some thoughts about the volus vanguard. he's definitely a good damage dealer who can multi role as a healer on the side, has access to 4 ways of invincibility frames, from biotic charge, heavy melee, shield boost and ops pack usage, in my opinion not the most forgiving volus to learn because he's easy to die with from one bad biotic charge on top of being frail and not as lenient as the krogan vanguard with a similar build using the reegar

I feel like I've been making progress on him, the challenging part for me is the decision making part, like I ask myself "Do I wanna charge, or use shield boost?", "Is it safe to charge here, or charge later?".

The thing is for me, if I were to run full biotic orbs they'd just be stick and forget and go for cooldown and the +1 orb. I can just use biotic charge to detonate the FE, although granted with biotic orbs I can do it safer from afar. And not risk enemies idk collapsing on me bukkake style after a bad biotic charge.

I don't really like the lengthy cooldown on biotic orbs, I find it just easier to just have biotic charge and shield boost that are similar in cooldown. Don't see myself using biotic orbs offensively either, because I might find an enemy across the map that I've hit with a biotic orb, but the game decides not to let me biotic charge because off host, and I don't know if you also realise but biotic orbs as well in a similar vein to biotic charge, has delay on top of it because off host. I could charge and then use biotic orbs but I don't wanna waste seconds off the weapon synergy bonus to cast biotic orbs with the off host delay, and instead just kill whoever I charged to, outright with the reegar carbine.

With how I play the Volus Vanguard I get hit with a shit ton of damage, which is why I found fitness to make more sense than biotic orbs at least in the case of being off host, because I feel faster cooldowns isn't gonna matter much to me, if the game decides to deny me of shield boost ever working which is annoying for me, and even more so at the opportune time that I want shield boost to work and instead I just get the animation of shield boost but not the effect which ends up costing me a medi gel.

If I was playing as HOST than I would never have the above problems, with shield boost having a tendency to sometimes not work properly , delay with biotic charge and another delay with biotic orbs. Meaning for a lot of messy times with the volus vanguard, and why I stayed away from not using him as much as the other 3 voluses off host in the past.

And If I was playing as host instead of off host that I do play on 99% of the time, I don't think people would wanna suffer on horrible Australian internet.

I will say this much that, I was thinking of maybe putting on biotic orbs all for cooldown, when I feel comfortable enough on the Volus Vanguard that I don't need any fitness at all and just run AMIII on gold and plat.

Nice stuff, where s that challenge ?

...not the intent of mine to have added another convert to your crusade, so to speak, yet here we go  sigh. ah well. anyways... yrael , your comment sort of reminded me we have this thread for when one wants something different to try out. Also dis time to take it back to the frontpage again

Also going by my recent notes though i'd mention Katana Smashguard. Yeah silly and old news for most this might be. But i've had a pleasant very experience during the latest round of the challenges/points chase cycle. I normally scoff at the pure mention of cooldowns and all but in this case does make for a one power-spamming self-detonating no-elemental-ammo-necessary kind of vanguard. and that latter parts that is not very common. makes it quite fun to play. i suppose  the other lightweight shotties starting with the Talon are not a bad choice either but they're either not particularly lore frindly, except the Talon yet again, if you want or seem to cause an unexplained allergic reaction. i'm looking at you in particular Scimitar 

edit: oh and the build for those interested

editedit: how long does lash prime for exactly btw? is it in our librarry?

editeditedit: wonder if is possible to get the batguard to detonate at least on the redhealth consistenly in a similar fashion

The Katana doesn't get enough love. It's great for a common and seems to have a higher stagger % than other shotguns it seems (Disciple and obvious projectile shotguns aside), but why not go with warp ammo? You've got two primers in Smash and Lash, plus you get a nice damage bump vs. everything but shields. Also, why no HVB? It's glitchable, so why not? It's a super fun kit (a Vanguard that can self detonate? Hell yeah!) that can obliterate gold and I'd recommend the Wraith for Plat as it times well with the powers.

It's quick I know that, 3 seconds maybe?

Open to builds you say? Have a few:

Mantis HSol it's the same concept as the Claymore HSol, but with the Mantis. You can swap it for Javelin or Widow if you prefer those.

Falcon GE. It's super fun and, surprisingly, Plat viable. I've taken it by accident once and on purpose twice and it's still fun.

Trouble with melee you say? All hail Lord Venom! The Venom staggers everything that's not a boss. I recommend charging a shot, finding a group, and firing said charged shot into group before pimp slapping everything. I usually use an Adrenaline Mod because it makes the KroSent a very cracked out Krogan. Or soften them up with a Lift grenade! The choice is yours, but they will be helpless until they receive your backhand, and then they dead. FYI, You will OHK Phantoms with a Raged heavy melee.

Executioner on the Vorcha Engie is fun. But so is the Two shot Executioner build for the Destroyer.

Adas Salarian Engie is also fun, you can substitute the Scorpion for all the staggers if you prefer to be kind to your teammates ears.

I know I have used more...interesting builds, but they are goofy and very niche and it's good to have a good team for them because you'll need them for the inevitable revives that will happen since they [generally] aren't something you'll be carrying with.

EDIT: I forgot the Cryo Concussive HSol! This will carry Plat pretty easily, handicap yourself for gold. I recommend the Avenger as it's deadly on full auto Seriously though if you needwant a reason to use the Avenger, it works well with this kit.

I dont think it s tested somewhere, maybe digged though

Ok then fine. Since I'm not on mobile it'll be much easier now. Most are going to be melee kits (and probably neither interesting nor crazy ), and any melee kit with the Acolyte can be replaced with a Venom, Wraith, or Graal. I know you're a Cryo Ammo connoisseur so these should be right up your alley and I think I've posted some of these before, so here we go:

Cryo Tech Armor Exploding HM Valkyrie. Acolyte as you run in, heavy melee while things are stunned, Tech Armor anything left.

Melee Human Adept. We've all seen this one before, no explanation needed.

Cryo Falcon BatSent Stuns and staggers everything, heavy melee while things are stunned. HurrDurr is for bosses.

Double Dash Cabal No fitness, more staggers and stuns with Blades and DA on the Paladin, finish off with Poison Strike.

Melee DemoGirl I don't think this one is too wacky. I've wrecked even Trolls with her. The heavy melee is hilarious with what it does to non-bosses.

Melee Vorcha Engie Nothing too crazy and I'm sure most have used this. Very fun playing a cracked out, punch drunk crazy Vorcha.

Melee Trooper Same idea as the melee GI, but no cloak. Hit and run, HurrDurr for bosses.

Spitfire Volus! I almost forgot about this one! Teriyaki should've used this guy, screw the Scimitar! The Typhoon is also a fun setup (recommended by Voluptuous Volus ) and it's hilarious to use a tiny Spitfire/Typhoon. Bonus points if you run a Claymore VA too, that's also fun. That's all I have for now, I'll edit if I forgot anything.

EDIT: *Not ON mobile. My legs are working just fine