How to Build Guardian - Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core

Rock and Stone!

Today, we take a look at one of the 5 Miners from DRG Rogue Core, the Guardian.

Guardian is the more defensive character of the bunch, being centered around crowd control and healing armor for the team. He can easily soak agro from enemies, protect his allies, and still dish out a fair bit of damage while at it.

First, let's go over his abilities and go from there.

Other DRG Rogue Core Classes:

• Falconer
• Retcon
• Slicer
• Spotter

Guardian is a bit different compared to the other characters because the resource for his basic and secondary abilities is shared between them.

This means if you use his secondary ability, he can't use his primary, or if you use your primary, you can't use the secondary. You have 2 charges available at the start, which recharge over time. And while his primary ability only uses 1 charge, his secondary uses 2.

Primary Ability: Concussive Barage ( 20-second CD)

This ability shoots out 12 ammunition shots, which deal damage and stun the enemy for 6 seconds.

Keep in mind, bosses ARE NOT stunned by this.

Secondary Ability: Repulsion Field( 20-second CD)

You create a fear zone around you that lasts for 4 seconds. It's very handy for getting out of situations or resurrecting teammates.

Ultimate: Armor Beacon (120-second CD)

You place down a defensive zone in which armor is regenerated for you and allies up to 50%. Lasts for 15 seconds.

Guardian has some super solid bio booster upgrades.

From the protection deck, I recommend taking Defensive Stance or Sturdiness.

These upgrades make you a ton more durable and are better than the other upgrades available.

From the Devastation deck, the more aggressive of the 2, I recommend taking Tremmoring, Reach, or Aftermath. Mainly because Explosive Shot is very situational and niché.

Workbenches are mostly used to upgrade weapons, but they can be used to upgrade your character as well.

They are all solid but depend on the playstyle you prefer.

If you prefer being the tank and supporting the team, take Overclocked Stun Module, Pressure Waves, or Repulsion Field Booster.

If you like doing damage, Force Blast Amplifier or Salvo Augmentor

Every time you get enough experience to upgrade, an important choice awaits. Here are some of the types of upgrades you should prioritize.

• Armor should be your priority. You are a monster with a lot of armor, and dying becomes harder because of it.
• Extra HP makes you tankier as well and gives you a buffer to save allies should the need arise.
• If you see the priority, you should understand that abilities that scale with armor skyrocket in value as well.
• Any AOE, CC, or supportive upgrades are good too.

This shouldn't mean you can't take others, but from experience, I'd say these are the best upgrades.

Guardian can become a lot more tanky from artifacts with one specific combo that can make you immortal.

Here are his best Artifacts listed in order of priority:

• Bastion. Rarely do you get the chance to turn a tank into an actual tank when it comes to damage. Bastion makes you deal 50% extra damage and take 50% less damage when standing still. Guardian is one of the only characters that can do this because he is generally very tanky already, whereas other characters lack that.
• Symbiotic. When within 10 meters of an ally, you both gain 15% increased damage resistance. Very solid and good protective tool for allies.
• Frontline Medic. When everyone but you is down, you get 50% increased revive speed and +99 stone skin. This is a get out of jail free card for your entire team as long as you stay alive.
• Extreme Vigor. +50 Health Regeneration Threshold, -2s Health Regeneration Delay, +1000% health regeneration rate. This Artifact makes you into a drain tank, almost to the point of how tanky you can become. Especially if you get a second artifact and are allowed to combine it with the next artifact, it will make you immortal.
• Fountain of Youth. Recover +1 HP every 2 Seconds. Standalone, this perk is super strong, especially during boss fights. But combined with Extreme Vigor, this is arguably the strongest perk/artifact combo in the entire game. I will say you will very rarely get both, if even 1, but getting both can easily give you a win.
• Safety First! +50% max health. Just makes you very tanky.

Weapons don't matter as much as you think, since anybody can use anything, really.

Some stand out as better for Guardian because you are gonna be closer to enemies than your allies.

• Warthog Auto 210 is a close-range shotgun that can really complement your close-range playstyle.
• Jurry Rigged Boomstick is the same case as the Warthog, a close-range shotgun that complements Guardian well.
• Hammerhead 58MM is a very heavy fire gun that deals armor-penetrating damage. It feels like a sniper rifle combined with a shotgun.
• Cadna Field Projector is very different from the rest. It shoots out fields that shield allies from gunfire and deal damage to enemies, so more of a supportive gun and the only one like that out there.