Guardian: the walking shield
Guardian is the class that makes a bad floor survivable. Nothing it does needs a headshot.
Use Repulsion Field to clear a doorway, not to escape. Concussive Barrage stuns for six seconds, which is long enough for the team to reload, and Armor Beacon only helps allies under half armour.
Guardian is the Reclaimer who keeps a floor survivable. Its gauntlet has two abilities on a shared charge, it carries an armour-refilling beacon, and none of it depends on hitting a small target while everything is on fire.
Hence the first-class recommendation. Not because it does the most damage, but because it is the only one whose mistakes are recoverable.
Kit at a glance
| Ability | Effect | Cooldown / duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concussive Barrage | Twelve minelets, 5 kinetic damage each, 6 second stun | Shares a 20 second charge |
| Repulsion Field | Six metre bubble that applies fear to enemies | 4 seconds, same shared charge |
| Armor Beacon | Refills armour for Reclaimers below 50% | 15 seconds |
Values from the official wiki, checked 2026-11-15. Guardian has two charges, both on 20 second cooldowns, shared between the two gauntlet abilities.
When he earns the slot
You want Guardian when the floor has one entrance and the swarm is coming through it. Repulsion Field turns that doorway into a wall for four seconds, which is enough for a reload, a revive, or a retreat.
You also want it when your team has no healer, because Armor Beacon is the closest thing to one. It restores up to 100% of armour since the November 11 patch, up from whatever the previous cap was, and it only needs a Reclaimer below half armour to trigger.
Guardian by depth
At Depth 1 and 2, Guardian is comfortable. Concussive Barrage stuns anything small for six seconds, which is longer than most fights last.
At Depth 3 the swarms get denser and the bubble stops being a luxury. Molaktula's spike turrets and homing shards make the fight about space, and Guardian is the class that creates it.
At Depth 4, Guardian is one of the two classes that holds up. Balgorath's patterns require movement, and the Corestone phase requires someone free to kill the tentacle; a Guardian who is not being chased can do that job.
Bubble rule
Use Repulsion Field to hold a position, not to escape. The bubble is four seconds and it applies fear inward, so enemies already inside keep coming. Popping it while surrounded and running spends a charge to stay surrounded.
The correct use is to plant it on the doorway your team is holding, or on the downed Reclaimer you are about to revive.
A concrete opener
On the first floor, take Concussive Barrage and open every swarm with it, not with your gun. Six seconds of stun on a group is worth more than the damage, and it teaches you the ability's range before the floor where it matters.