While all Havoc Squad Vanguards are equipped with state-of-the-art shielding technology, those who enter the advanced school of Shield Specialist emphasize the defensive aspects of the Vanguard shielding technology and focus on them to the point of obsession. When the Republic has experimental shield-tech that they need to test in the field it’s the Shield Specialist that rises to the challenge.

Shield Specialists are veritable mobile fortresses, able to withstand immense amounts of punishment to see their missions through to completion. Superior shield recyclers and advanced ceramic armor braces enable the Vanguard Shield Specialist to increase the efficiency and flow of power through their armor’s energy cells. Through brilliant design this allows the Shield Specialist to re-route power for not only defense, but for close range attacks in the form of ion and energy blasts and bursts.

Role: Tank
Skill Focus: Advanced survival, damage mitigation and short-range energy attacks

Shield Specialist Skill Tree (Vanguard) – The Complete List

Tier 1

Brutal Impact
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: None
Effect: Increases the damage of High Impact Bolt by 3/6 percent.

Intimidation
Passive
Ranks: 3
Prerequisites: None
Effect: Increases damage done by elemental attacks by 2/4/6 percent.

Static Field
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: None
Effect: Ion Pulse and Explosive Surge spawn a static field, lowering the target’s damage dealt by 2/4 percent for 15 seconds.

Tier 2

Ion Overload
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 5 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Stockstrike now has a 50/100 percent chance to trigger your Ion Cell. In addition, when Ion Cell deals damage, it has a 50 percent chance to shock the target for 125 additional energy damage over 6 seconds.

Neural Overload
Passive
Ranks: 1
Prerequisites: 5 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Ion Cell damage now lowers the movement speed of the target by 50 percent for 2 seconds.

Rebraced Armor
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 5 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Increases armor rating by 8/16 percent.

Steely Resolve
Passive
Ranks: 3
Prerequisites: 5 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Increases Aim by 3/6/9 percent.

Tier 3

Ceramic Plating
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 10 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Increases absorption by 3/6 percent and reduces he cooldown of Adrenaline Rush by 15/30 seconds.

Shield Cycler
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 10 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Increases the shield chance by 1/2 percent. In addition shielding an attack has a 50/100 percent chance to generate 1 energy cell. This effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds.

Smoke Grenade
Activated
Ranks: 1
Prerequisites: 10 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Throws a smoke grenade at your feet that releases a large cloud of smoke, causing nearby enemies to have their accuracy with ranged and melee attacks lowered by 20 percent for 18 seconds.

Ability – Smoke Grenade
Ammo: None
Activation Time: Instant
Range: Personal
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Effect: Throws a smoke grenade at your feet that releases a large cloud of smoke, causing nearby enemies to have their accuracy with ranged and melee attacks lowered by 20 percent for 18 seconds.

Tier 4

Defensive Measures
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 15 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Harpoon has a 50/100 percent chance to immobilize the target for 3 seconds. In addition your stealth scan has a 50/100 percent chance to immobilize targets it reveals for 3 seconds.

Ion Shield
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 15 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Further increases damage reduction by 1/2 percent while Ion Cell is active.

Static Shield
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 15 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Increases the critical chance of Stockstrike and Explosive Surge by 15/30 percent. In addition shielding an attack has a 50/100 percent chance to finish the cooldown on Stockstrike. This effect cannot occur more than once every 4.5 seconds.

Supercharged Ion Cell
Passive
Ranks: 1
Prerequisites: 15 points in the Shield Specialist tree and 2 points in Ion Overload
Effect: Increases the damage dealt by Ion Cell by 25 percent and increases its shock duration by 3 seconds.

Tier 5

Charge!
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 20 points in the Shield Specialist tree and 1 point in Storm
Effect: Storm has a 50/100 percent chance to increase your movement speed by 30 percent for 4 seconds.

Static Surge
Passive
Ranks: 2
Prerequisites: 20 points in the Shield Specialist tree and 2 points in Static Shield
Effect: Increases the critical strike bonus damage of Stockstrike and Explosive Surge by 15/30 percent.

Storm
Activated
Ranks: 1
Prerequisites: 20 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Storms up to a distant target, dealing 764 kinetic damage, interrupting the target’s current action and immobilizing the target for 3 seconds. Cannot be used against targets in cover.

Ability – Storm
Ammo: None
Activation Time: Instant
Range: 30 meters
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Effect: Storms up to a distant target, dealing 764 kinetic damage, interrupting the target’s current action and immobilizing the target for 3 seconds. Cannot be used against targets in cover.

Tier 6

Counterattack
Passive
Ranks: 5
Prerequisites: 25 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Increases the shield chance by 2/4/6/8/10 percent.

Tier 7

Energy Blast
Activated
Ranks: 1
Prerequisites: 30 points in the Shield Specialist tree
Effect: Fires a shot that deals 702 – 813 elemental damage and generates 1 energy cell.

Ability – Energy Blast
Ammo: None
Activation Time: Instant
Range: 4 meters
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Effect: Fires a shot that deals 702 – 813 elemental damage and generates 1 energy cell.