What a year 2018 has been. TAW has had it's highs and lows, we've seen games come and go, we've seen staff be promoted, demoted, exploded....wait, hold up, noone exploded. Scratch that.
One this for sure, is that closing out 2018, Vanguard has gotten a facelift, with the most recent being DrFajitas returning as VG DC, but now, now our favorite monk has come back to Vanguard.
Not that monk, TAW's very own MadMonk has come back and will step into the position of Vanguard Division Officer. Madmonk comes back to Vanguard with plenty of time served in various leadership positions, including time as Vanguard LC.
Vanguard is looking forward to working with our new TFO's and kicking 2019 off with a bang. If you see MadMonk on, please take the time to welcome him back and congratulate him on his new role.
Very recently Vanguard had our Division Commander step down due to real life. We in Vanguard wish Natalino the best in his future endeavors and he will be missed.
With the leaving of VG DC, we had a huge hole to fill and we wanted to make sure we were choosing someone that fits well with the current VG Staff and could help lead the Horizon Teams to success. We found that person. Vanguard is happy to announce the new Division Commander of Horizon Division, DrFajitas
DrFajitas comes to us, with previous experience in TAW servant leadership and previous tenure as a VG DC. We gladly welcome him back into the fold and look forward to working with him again. If you see him in TS, please welcome him back.
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Trovians across the globe are finally getting their long anticipated U10 Crystal Update in just a couple short days, December 18th to be exact. This is HUGE for all Trovians, because it's not just the addition of the U10 content, there is so much more to get excited over.
Crystal Combat is the name of the December 18th update that have Trovians on the edge of the seat in anticipation, as they get ready to combat the forces of shadow. This is going to be a massive update which will allow the players to go on the offensive against the powerful shadowy invaders that have been wreaking havoc on Geode's surface.
Here's what we have to look forward to:
It's no wonder Trovians are excited for this update. If you'd like to be a part of the Trove Spin Up Team, they are still looking for a couple more DI's. Please contact Amathist or any of the Vanguard Staff.
Welcome to December’s Edition of On The Horizon. On The Horizon, is a monthly blog that focuses on select games Vanguard is interested in spinning up. As winter is now upon us, we are starting to see some frosty weather, but Vanguard is about to show you some hot titles. So grab that sunscreen and your shades, because we’re closing off 2018 with titles you’re gonna love.
If you would like see any of these games in TAW, or any other game not listed here please fill out the Future Game List.
Contact the Vanguard Staff if you have any questions about these games or any not on this list.
Atlas
As we start off this frostbitten month, we’re going to bring you an upcoming smokin hot game that takes to the high seas. Atlas is brought to you by the same developers who brought you ARK: Survival Evolved. Atlas is a first AND third person fantasy pirate adventure, which will host up to 40k players exploring the globe simultaneously with an unprecedented scale of cooperation and conflict.
Stake your claim in the endless open world as you conquer territories, plunder towns, assemble forts, construct ships, hire crew, and seek buried treasure. So batten down the hatches, hoist the main sails, and man the cannons as you take to the seas for some epic PvP battle and send your enemies to Davy Jones’s Locker. This game will be available on Steam December 19th 2018. If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or fill out the Vanguard Interest Form.
Path of Exile
We’re keeping things hot with Path of Exile. YOU are an exile, struggling to survive, as you fight to earn power and exact revenge in this RPG, set in a dark fantasy world.
Banished for your misdeeds to the dark and brutal world of Wraeclast, you play as a Duelist, Witch, Ranger, Templar, marauder, Shadow, or the Scion class. There is an amazing character customization with hundreds of unique skill combinations from tradeable itemized gems, and a giagantic passive skill tree.
If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or fill out the Vanguard Interest Form.
Rust
There’s only one goal in Rust, survive. To do this, you need to overcome some struggles such as hunger, thirst, cold, that salty and sneaky opponent who decides to try and smoke you when you’re not looking. Build yourself a shelter, fire, kill animals for meat. Create alliance with other players, and kill your enemies for meat (yay cannibalism).
Do whatever it takes, just survive! If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or fill out the Vanguard Interest Form.
Warframe
Warframe is the next game on our list this month as we take you from the high seas to a whole new world. Warframe is a cooperative Free To Play third person online action game set in an evolving sci fi world.
As you select and customize your Tenno character, you have over 30 options to choose from. Each will have their own unique abilities for you to create the perfect Warframe. There are over 300 diverse weapons which you can modify to your playstyle as you slice and dice through hordes of enemies or go in guns blazing, or...go in all stealth like, the choice is entirely yours. Explore, discover, fight and fly throughout the massive landscapes as you seamlessly leap, slide, and glide through capital ships and underground compounds If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or fill out the Vanguard Interest Form.
Eve Online
We continue our journey in space with a game which has withstood YEARS in space, since it’s 2003 release date to be exact. Eve Online is a community driven spaceship MMO where players can play free or pay a premium membership, choosing their own path from countless options. Players will experience the final frontier in space exploration, immense PVP and PvE battles, mining, industry and a thriving player economy in this ever expanding sandbox game.
History is written by the players in this universe of unrivaled beauty, depth, and opportunity. Become one with your ship, as you embark on a story of industry, exploration, and conquest as you weave your legend into the fabric of New Eden. So enlist now and join the TAW Corps in this game. If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or fill out the Vanguard Interest Form.
Stellaris
We close off 2018’s list with our final space game. Explore the vast galaxy full of wonder in the game known as Stellaris, which features a deep strategic gameplay, a rich and enormously diverse selection of alien races and emergent storytelling. Etch your name across the cosmos by forging a galactic empire in this game as you traverse thousands of planets, explore anomolies with your heroic science team and engage in some epic space battles. If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or fill out the Vanguard Interest Form.
The Vanguard staff will continue to keep a whether eye out on the horizon for new games for 2019, as we strive to always bring you an amazing selection of games, we also accept suggestions from people filling out the Vanguard Interest Form. From all of us in Vanguard, we wish you a Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas.
Destiny 2
Hello,
We will be having the Spin-up Meeting for Destiny 2 (DS) on Saturday 12/15/2018 @ 1500 EST/ 1900 gmt. Feel free to drop in the Spin-Up meeting channel under Vanguard Command. We will be having a general overview of the game and how the Destiny 2 staff will run mandatory events and when those events will be.
See ya there!
We will be having the Spin-up Meeting for Red Dead Redemption 2 (RD) on Saturday 12/15/2018 @ 1530 EST/ 1930 gmt. Feel free to drop in the Spin-Up meeting channel under Vanguard Command. We will be having a general overview of the game and how the Red Dead Redemption 2 staff will run mandatory events and when those events will be.
Vanguard is hosting an Eve Online interest meeting this Saturday at 4:30 pm est/ 9:30 pm gmt. The purpose of this meeting it to determine if we have enough member interest in bringing this game into TAW. You can show you support for this great game by attending or by filling out the Future games form.
Vanguard is hosting an interest meeting for Warframe. The purpose of this meeting is to decide if the time is right to bring this game back into TAW. You can show your support by showing up the event this Saturday at 4pm EST/ 9pm GMT, or by fill out the Future game forms.
Activision Blizzard has announced Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battle Edition, available on Battle.net, that features just the multiplayer and Blackout modes for the limited time price of $30.
The Battle Edition is compatible with the multiplayer and Blackout modes, and online lobbies of regular versions of the game on PC. December will also see the roll out of holiday events, free content, and new personalization items.
PC players can pick up Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battle Edition for $29.99 until January 6, 2019. The price will go up to $39.99 after that date.
Unlike the Standard Edition of the game, the Zombies mode and the 1,100 bonus Call of Duty points will not be included. Those add-ons, as well as the Deluxe Edition content, will be available to to purchase separately for Battle Edition owners.
If you pick up the game, be sure and join the Call of Duty (COD) unit located in the 7th Corps on Sunday evenings!
If you would like to see this game in TAW, please fill out the Vanguard Interest Form
In this very popular MMO RPG grab a couple friends and download this free game that has consistently contested for one of the top games in the steam charts. Best thing about it is it is FREE! With all the new game debs trying to bleed the gamer for money this game is refreshing as it delivers amazing expansions, frequent updates, and content additions for no extra cost. But if you are a money spender there is plenty of DLC Packs to help you establish your character and give you an edge over your enemies. Indulge solo or with your friends in this captivating environment and story as beautiful graphics and sounds surround you all while your character tears through enemies. Key Features
Warframes- Choose between many different types of characters to deploy on your journey and destroy your foes. Each have different abilities so each gamer can find their perfect character that matches their play style
Enemies- Fight against monsters and enemies like you have never seen, watch out for attacks on all sides of you as the AI try to flank and maneuver around you. If you play to your strengths, you may just survive
Weapons- Equip the most dangerous weapons in the arsenal, whether it be a melee sword or a ranged gun, use your skills to destroy your enemies and upgrade your weapons
Companions- Recruit the fiercest friendlies on the planet to help you obliterate your enemies, watch as everyone stares in awe when you and your companion show your skills on the battlefield
Gameplay- Experience all kinds of missions with main objectives and side quests to upgrade your loot and progress the story. Find your self in situations that only your skills in battlefield will be able to solve the problem at hand
Cosmetics- Upgrade your character to just be amazing in battlefield but to look the best! With constant updates with new cosmetics and outfits rock your best look
In-depth Details
Warframe has a very special MMO style that each player will feel as soon as they dive deep into Warframe's combat and encompassing environment. An additional plus of this game is the dedicated game developers who constantly update and create content to keep the game exciting.
To many times the MMO Gamer has been screwed over by developers abandoning or never adding extra content to their games causing that very special feeling of leveling up or finding new loot or learning new skills after hours of grinding. Very rarely an MMO is able to keep the combat exciting
but not overwhelming, in depth but not confusing, as well as keeping each fight new and refreshing. Every player is able to experience a unique fight with so many different types of AI and multiple ways to destroy them. Whether it be with a gun that fires bright lasers or a sharp katana or even a
deadly spell, kill your enemies in ways you didn't even know were possible. Offering new additions of content, a amazing environment, a developed team of developers, and a unique system for combat allows Warframe to be one of the top MMO's today. Plus the base game is completely...
FREE!
Vanguard Newsletter December 2018
The Vanguard Train is pulling into the station once again with all news everyone wants to know. As we enter the month of December, the hard working teams of Battlefield V, Fortnite, DC Universe, and Insurgency Sandstorm have all continued their hard work in Tier 2. Due to their hard work and dedication these teams have been able to achieve great success in TAW and continue their momentum forward, ever forward. As well Vanguard has expanded this month with the addition of some new games and staff.
If there is a game you would like to see in TAW please complete the VG Interest Form. Feel free to contact the Vanguard staff if you have any questions. We also have the game testing channel under the VG HQ. The games in this channel changes from week to week, but check it out and see if the game your playing in there. We use this channel to help us with identifying what games to bring in next. Hop in and find others playing the same games as you, and it shows your support to Vanguard. Make sure to keep up with the Vanguard blog and forum posts to stay updated on upcoming games!
Mandatory Event Times
EU: Sunday and Thursday 14:30 EST
NA: Sunday 20:30 EST
Optional Event Times
EU: TBA
NA: Tuesday 21:00 EST
November was a huge month for the BF Division as their game went live. This is potentially one of the best Battlefield games yet. The game delivers an emotional journey through the return of unseen single player War Stories, a deep multiplayer experience, Battle Royale, and more. During the past week, there were some game issues which were fixed to improve gameplay.
December will look promising to this growing division and they prepare for the first Tides of War drop, Chapter 1: Overture..
If anyone is interested in helping this team to be a success in TAW, contact Blwoods, sTim, or any of the Vanguard staff.
NA: Sunday 13:00 - 15:00 EST
EU: Sunday 17:00-19:00 GMT
NA: Thursday 18:00-20:00 EST
EU: Thursday 16:00-18:00 GMT
If you haven’t heard about this game yet, I have to question what rock you’ve been living under. This game is one of the OG’s of Battle Royal which is so popular right now. Streamers, news stations, and other media have created HUGE amounts of attention to this game and “almost” everyone knows of it. It always has fresh game play with new content dropping regularily, weapon buffs, nerfs, and more.
The Fortnite Division has remained steady in pushing recruiting and is looking into tournaments to show this game that TAW Fortnite Team is a force of nature. Despite the setbacks they have had, they will not let is disway them and continue to work hard. November was a time for promotions as 3 are worth mentioning. MooreTTV stepped into his new role as PIA for the Division to help gain the division more publicity. Befouronine has been promoted to HDI and is working hard at recruiting. Finally, Jackel stepped up to be the SO and is looking forward to helping this division succeed.
Season 6 is soon coming to a close and Season 7 will soon be upon us, so break out those wallets and treat yourself to an early Christmas gift.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff or Zwoggy.
NA: Sunday 20:00-21:00 CST
EU: Sunday 12:00-13:00 CST
NA/EU: Tuesday 14:00-15:00 CST/Thursday 14:00-15:00 CST/Saturday 14:00-15:00 CST
The DC Universe Online Team is still running smoothly, just like the Flash.
For those of you who don’t know about this game yet, it’s a MMORPG that allows you to create your own superhero or villan and play through a series of quests. The game is cross platform, but heads up, TeamSpeak will not work on your PSN as PSN does not support TeamSpeak. You can find the League Recruitment Post here. Run on over to Steam and pick up the game.
In November, the much anticipated expansion came out and it’s been a huge hit. The new area is absolutely fantastic filled with storyline twits and epic battles. The community as a whole, have come to this expansion with positive feedback.
Two promotions from the DCU Division are noteworthy this month. DestroyerPa received his “In Rank” Promotion to Major, and Igneel was recently promoted to the position of HDI and the rank of MGS to go with it. Feel free to give these two a Hoorah when you see them.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact Hemphop or any of the Vanguard staff.
NA: Sunday/Wednesday 21:00-22:00 EST
EU: Sunday 20:00-21:00 GMT+1
NA: Thursdays 21:00 EST
EU: Thursdays 20:00 GMT+1
Insurgency Sandstorm is off to a bit of a slow start, but the team isn’t letting that slow them down. Sandstorm is the newest installment in the Insurgency series and is absolutely amazing. A Tactical FPS game, which is similar to it’s predecessor, features a simple HUD. It’s gameplay is intense with weapons being extremely deadly with a high degree of realism. Players can choose the classes and variety of weapons at the beginning of the match and are separated into 2 teams: Insurgents and Security.
You may want to run over to Steam and pick it up as the game is on sale right now for 10% off with the Early Adopter bonus below available until December 12th.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact Triskalion or any of the Vanguard staff.
NA: Sunday 16:00-18:00 EST
EU: Sunday 16:00-18:00 EST
N/A
Trove was introduced to TAW a few months back, It combines the MMO world with Minecraft, allowing for a fully immersive world limited only to your imagination While the Trovians of TAW have hit a few speed bumps along the way, they are finishing off 2018 with the Club half way through level 4 and are pushing hard for level 5.
The team is currently looking for more solid members willing to step up and join this team and creating a world more interesting than Willy Wonka’s factory, so if you’d love to help out this Division or are interested in the game, make sure to hop up into their Team Speak channel because playing with fellow members is always better than playing alone.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact Amathist or any of the Vanguard Horizon staff.
SCUM is an open-world survival game with unprecedented levels of character customization, control, and progression. Knowledge and skill are your ultimate weapons for long-term survival. So if you ever wanted to walk on the “darker side” of life and not actually be incarcerated IRL, this might be a game to look into.
The character customization on this game is INSANE! It can be as basic as you like, or you can spend hours just choosing the right look and specs. While looking over the link already provided, there is so much information and entire blog post could be done on everything from “wetness” to sniping and camo. One thing you have to remember though, is keep an eye on your metabolism, so you gotta stay on that diet
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact OmenRash or any of the Vanguard staff.
NA: Saturday 17:00 EDT
EU: Saturday 20:00 CEST
NA: Wednesday 20:00 EDT & Sunday 20:00 EDT
EU: Wednesday 20:30 CEST & Sunday 20:30 CEST
If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to trek across a frozen tundra with people trying to kill you while racing down a snow capped mountain on a snowboard or hang glider, this is the game for you. The amount of gamers playing RoE on a daily basis, is peaking around 50k.
During the month of November, the long awaited (and heavily delayed) EU servers came one line and was a HUGE success. RoE has continued to push with recruiting being a primary focus and their sites locked in on moving to Tier 2. With this, they have been slowly cementing the command structure, but still have some open positions. They know the journey to Tier 2 is going to be hard work, but are up to the challenge. So strap in and prepare for what’s ahead.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact HKone or any of the Vanguard staff.
FallOut76 has their Spin Up meeting on December 1st to kick our month off. This game launched into TAW like a nuclear warhead going off.
FallOut has been a long standing series loved by many. Everywhere you look, someone is playing the game, but this installation is a new kind of beast as it’s adding multiplayer into the game for the first time ever. That’s right, you’ll be able to team up with your fell TAW members or grab some randoms and work on completing quests and causing mayhem.
During November, 2 of the current staff we replaced and it has made a positive difference. Hicalibre transferred in as the NA HDI and Mystweaver enlisted as an EU DI.
Despite some negative reviews and complaints from the Fallout Community, this game is very good. The community is slowly growing and working out some of the bugs so far (nothing game breaking, just don’t be surprised if you end up looking like Slenderman when you occasionally exit out of power armor).
All in all, the FO76 Team is having fun launching nukes and killing giant mutated bats. Feel free to join them up in the Horizon Division for some well needed anarchy.
Oh, we’re not finished yet. There’s still so much more, actually, we’ll just leave you with some of these tears that have been provided. Remember to Plan Your Character.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact Kronos or any of the Vanguard staff. Spin Up Meeting was a huge success.
Destiny 2 is one of our newer additions to Vanguard Horizon during the month of November. The DS Division enters in with a full starter team, lead by former CrossOut DO, Redbaby as the SUL. Destiny 2 is an amazing game which focuses on PVX. Whether your fighting your way through the storyline in PVE or going toe to to with other Guardians in PvE, this game has something for everyone. If you like paying a “tank” character, you’ll want to go with the Titan. Like picking your opponents off from afar, the “Hunter” is for you. And if you like healing quickly for both yourself and allies, check out the “Warlock”. Each of these classes have a variety of builds, some support and others offensive. So check it all out.
Right now, the DS Division is hard at work setting up their Discord Servers to aid in recruiting. This is just the start of the mass amounts of organization that they are already showing early. From event dates and times, preplanning badge system, what to do during mandatory events, pushing for in game clan missions for better clan bonuses, and helping get all members up to date in game, this division is hitting the ground running with determination that will shake the cosmos.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact Redbaby or any of the Vanguard staff. Also pay attention to the Vanguard blogs as the spin up meeting should be announced soon!
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the game that breaks our standardization as it’s only available on XBOX and PS4 right now.
Journey back to the wild west as your live the life of a bandit. This is not just your standard wild west game, you’ll actually have to make the decision on whether to shave or not, bathe, help others out or shoot them in the back. NPC’s react to you based on the choices you’ve made in game
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact Natalino or any of the Vanguard staff. Also pay attention to the Vanguard blogs as the spin up meeting should be announced soon!
Star Citizen has found it’s way back to TAW. Star Citizen is a massive multiplayer, space trading, combat game which has been out for a while. The game has had mixed reviews, but has enough interest that we’re giving it another shot. The Spin Up team is currently being put together and interviews have been completed. To give you a little preview of what you’ll be seeing on the screen, check out the gif below.
If anyone is interested in helping this team be a success in TAW, contact any of the Vanguard staff. Also pay attention to the Vanguard blogs as the spin up meeting should be announced soon!