Vanguard

Vanguard is an item purchasable at the Base Shop, under Armor. However, it requires an item from the Secret Shop to be completed.

Vanguard

A powerful shield that defends its wielder from even the most vicious of attacks.

Additional Information

The proc chances of all sources of Damage Block work independently from each other.
When multiple sources of Damage Block proc on the same attack, only the one with the highest blocked damage value takes effect.

Passive

Affects

Self

Grants the wielder a chance to block a fixed portion of physical attack damage.

Proc Chance: 60%

Blocked Damage: 50

Ranged wielders block less damage with the same proc chance.

Blocked Damage: 25

Damage Block uses pseudo-random distribution and has the following properties:
- When multiple different sources proc on the same attack, the one with a higher value takes priority. However, multiple sources of the same value stack multiplicatively.
- Does not work against damage from wards sources (e.g. Death Ward etc.).
- Does not reduce physical damage from abilities, except for these abilities.

Axe

Grants a large amount of health and protection from attacks, works well with Berserker's Call.

Bristleback

Compliments well with Bristleback's Bristleback, and grants a large amount of health.

Mars

Effective to block the attack damage from summoned units and illusions (except from Phantasm illusions which applies full damage and proc crit).
It is especially useful with tanky frontline heroes that need to survive much damage, i.e. Bristleback, Spectre, Centaur Warrunner or Axe, with units that overall take amplified damage, like illusions, and against low damage abilities i.e. Focus Fire, or Phantom Lancer's illusions, which hit often but not hard, causing many block procs that block attacks entirely or almost entirely.
On the other hand, the item less useful for heroes with high armor, i.e. Dragon Knight or Sven.
It can be purchased over a lifesteal item to jungle with a melee hero.
Because it is less effective in late game, it is often disassembled into a Heart of Tarrasque or Lotus Orb.
On a melee hero with low amount of HP it can be more effective than magic resistance items to tank both spells and physical damages.