Kalran: Tales of the four nations/Vanguard

"Vanguard on standby"

-A vanguard exiting the barracks

Tactical analysis

 * Into the breach: The vanguard are the toughest infantry of the UCA. The Goliaths innate toughness and heavy armor allowing them to take severe punishment while locking down their enemy and razing structures with their thumper grenade launcher or bashing those who gets close with their shield
 * Eyes on me: In order to protect their allies the vanguard wears Svalinn scrambler which forces all weapons, whether laser or missile, to strike at them, but this also makes them easier to see through the map. And can overcharge it, increasing it's radius and buffing their defenses but will become immobilize. And if needed they can form a shieldwall, making them nearly indestructible and immoveable from the front, but won't be able to retaliate against flankers
 * A shield without a weapon prolongs the inevitable: But for all these defenses the vanguards damage is pretty lacking. While their grenades can stun infantry and damage light vehicles it lack of accuracy means it can't degarrison units and their pretty much useless against aircraft and tanks. And despite all of their defenses they can still be overwhelmed
 * Immoveable: Vanguards who have proven their skills in combat are allowed to swap their Svalinn and thumper grenade launcher mark 1 for the prototype mark 2. Which allows them to utilize the heavier concussion round, which also knock back infantry and stuns armor. Move, at a slower pace, when overclocking scrambler, and mounting a speaker system that buffs and heals surrounding infantry

History
"We fight not to destroy our foes. But to protect those we cherish behind."

-Captain Brent of the vanguard company telling his troops why they fight

When the UCA began reforming their military they began by integrating their allies races into their old doctrine. Starting with the Goliaths. Which, compared to their other allies, the Harpies and Skarnops, the Goliaths already had a military before they met them, having to fight off the wildlifes in the mountain.

The goliath vanguards came from the old mountain guard. Whose role was to protect their tribe with their heavy shield and warhammer. With the vanguard following that legacy, replacing their hammer with a grenade launcher and wearing heavy armor. One of the innovation the UCA gave then is a Svalinn scrambler unit, which composed a powerful radio scrambler modified with void magic and earth magic that causes all projectiles firing around them to target them, forcing their enemies to take them down first.