The Vanguard is a combat physical class that is first introduced in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Originally the promoted form of the Hero class and exclusive to Ike in Radiant Dawn, the Vanguard class wields Swords and Axes as its weapons of choice.
Contents
History in the Series
In its original inception in Radiant Dawn, the Vanguard class is the promoted form of the Hero class and is the personal class of Ike. Proficient in both the Sword and the Axe, the Vanguard class is able to master the powerful Aether skill when the necessary requirements are met.
The class is absent in subsequent titles until the onset of Fates, where it is the base class of the Ike amiibo. The Vanguard class can be accessed by any male character through the use of DLC-exclusive Vanguard Brands.
In-Game
Base Stats
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov | Con | Wt | Wlv | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FE10 | 53 | 19 | 3 | 23 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 15 |  S  A |
| FE14 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 6 | - | - |  E  E |
Maximum Stats
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov | Con | Wt | Wlv | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FE10 | 65 | 37 | 15 | 40 | 37 | 30 | 32 | 23 | 7 | 12 | 15 | SS SS |
| FE14 | 65 | 36 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 6 | - | - | A B |
Growth Rates
| HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mov | Con | Wt | Wlv | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FE10 | 80% | 50% | 10% | 70% | 40% | 30% | 40% | 15% | - | - | - | - |
| FE14 | 20% | 20% | 0% | 5% | 5% | 10% | 15% | 0% | - | - | - | - |
Class Skills
| Skill | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| FE10 |  Shove Aether | Base skill of all foot units. Mastery skill of the Vanguard class. |
| FE14 |  Heavy Blade Veteran Intuition Aether Strengthtaker | Learned at Level 1 and above. Learned at Level 10 and above. Learned at Level 25 and above. Learned at Level 35 and above. |
Promotions
| Base Class | Promotion Method | Promoted Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FE10 |  Hero | At the end of Chapter 3-E. |  Vanguard |
| FE14 | (Any male character) | Use a  Vanguard Brand. |  Vanguard |
Notable Vanguards
Radiant Dawn
- Ike - Fearless leader of the Greil Mercenaries.
Fates
Trivia
- In the Japanese version, the alternative name for the Vanguard class is literally Divine General, which is similar to the title of the Eight Legends of Elibe.
- Despite the Vanguard class being a male-only class in Fates, female units can be taught all of the Vanguard's skills (besides Aether for Great Lords, which is exclusive to them) through skill books.
- Despite being Ike's class in Fates, his character model and portrait depict him in his Radiant Dawn Hero class. This is because it was how he was modeled in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS & Wii U.
Etymology
In traditional divisions of medieval militaries, the vanguard refers to the group of soldiers that was deployed first in any given battle.
