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It was announced in a press release published by Square Enix earlier on today that the new Vanguard class for the Human faction of the free-to-play game Nosgoth is now available to play. The Vanguard himself is someone who wields powerful throwing weapons (axes) and a special shield that can block the special attacks from Vampires, and it’s boasted that “no Human class is better equipped for close quarter contact than the Vanguard.”

More specifically, as described on the official Nosgoth blog, the Vanguard’s shield has the ability to disrupt or disable enemies, while a secondary power allows him to either enhance or protect his team members. This new class can be unlocked by using an artifact, which is rewarded to players whenever they level up five times. Alternatively, he can be purchased for real-life money via Nosgoth’s in-game store – the price tag of which is currently discounted by 25 percent until Sunday, March 1st.

Referring to the press release, the Vanguard sports multiple weapons and abilities, both axe- and shield-based respectively. The class has four weapons to choose from: the Kama, the Waraxe, the Splitter Hatchet and the Impaler Axe. Though lightweight, the Kama is a powerful weapon that can be flung towards enemies rapidly. The Waraxe is a is just a  massive throwing axe that can deal a large amount of damage, but its fire rate is slower compared to other axes. The Splitter Hatchet divides into two separate axes when thrown, and the Impaler Axe is described as  “cruelly-barbed throwing axe that causes victims to bleed for additional damage over time.”

As for the Vanguard’s abilities, the class uses Shield Bash, Shield Charge, Judgement and Rousing Cry. Shield Bash is used to damage and disorient nearby enemies, while Shield Charge can be used to bolt towards and barge into an enemy with the Vanguard’s shield to knockdown and damage them. Judgement calls upon fallen allies to execute low-health enemies, which instantly kills them regardless of what defensives they have. Finally, Rousing Cry can “fortify nearby teammates, increasing their movement speed and life regeneration for a short time.” Further information on the new Human faction class can be read via the official Nosgoth blog.

Nosgoth’s Open Beta went live last month, back in mid January. The game is touted as a spin-off of the Legacy of Kain series, and features player-versus-player combat that takes place over two rounds during one match. There are two factions to choose from: Humans and Vampires, and players swap factions after each round. Humans are described to be designed around third-person combat, while Vampires are described to be more so designed around hack-and-slash combat. Nosgoth is currently in Early Access, and can be downloaded and played for free via Steam.