The Vanguard excels at keeping others safe. Vanguards usually rise up out of those who see themselves head first into danger. They are at home at the frontline, becoming the target of crowds of opponents while advancing steadily but work well for the backline too as a protector of more fragile members of a party. Vanguards learn how protect with their Vanguard Stance, by sacrificing the offensive they become nigh-unstoppable. Many fighters who become Vanguards can be seen as reliable allies who will do everything to protect.

Vanguard Stance

3rd-level Vanguard feature

You can use an action to strengthen your stance and focus on protecting allies around you. Granting you and allies within 5 feet of you AC equal to half your proficiency rounded up until the start of your next turn or until you’re incapacitated. An ally only benefits from the AC bonus as long as they're within 5 feet of you. 

Your Vanguard Stance gives you the following abilities:

• Any creature that misses you with a melee attack must make a Strength saving throw of 8 + your proficiency modifier + your Strength modifier or be knocked back 5 feet and knocked prone.
• Once per round while Vanguard Stance is active you can force an attack that targets an ally within 5 feet of you to target you instead. You can declare this before or after the attack is rolled. If the creature has Multiattack then all following attack against that ally will be redirected towards you.
• When a creature misses you with a Melee Attack and is knocked back, you may use you Reaction to make a single Melee attack against that creature.

Immovable

7th-level Vanguard feature

You can use your Vanguard Stance to firmly stand your ground when met with strong forces. While in Vanguard Stance you gain advantage on Strength Saving Throws. If you are required to make a Dexterity Saving Throw, you can use your Strength Saving Throw bonus instead, without the advantage gained from this feature.

Protector

10th-level Vanguard feature

You can bolster yourself and allies near you. As a bonus action you and allies within 5 feet of you gain Temporary Hitpoints equal to twice your fighter level and have resistance against the first attack that hits them. The temporary hitpoints and resistance last for the encounter or until used up.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Mobile Fortress

15th-level Vanguard feature

Your eye for danger in the battlefield is nigh unrivaled. While in Vanguard Stance, when an ally of yours within 20 feet of you is attacked, you can use your reaction to move to within 5 feet of them and become the target of that attack instead. All effects of Vanguard Stance apply for this attack.

One-man Phalanx

18th-level Vanguard feature

Your Vanguard Stance is improved greatly gaining the following benefits:

•  You can now redirect up to two attackers to target you instead.
•  When entering Vanguard Stance you gain resistance to bludgeoning piercing and slashing damage.
•  While Vanguard Stance is active, ranged attacks and ranged spell attacks have disadvantage against you and any ally within 5 feet of you.