After retrieving the Weathered Mechanism crafting material in Remnant 2 The Dark Horizon DLC, you should head directly to Ward 13 and ask Wallace to craft the Warden Archetype. I have tried a powerful, shield-focused build for this character and can say you'll enjoy using it.
Best Warden Build in Remnant 2
- Archetype
- Prime - Warden
Secondary - Engineer
- Prime - Warden
- Skills
- Prime - Drone: Shield
Secondary - Heavy Weapon: Vulcan
- Prime - Drone: Shield
- Weapons
- Long Gun - Plasma Cutter or Monorail
- Hand Gun - Enigma or Repair Tool
- Melee - Harvester Scythe
- Armor
- Nanoplated Set
- Relic
- Salvaged Heart
- Amulet
- Energy Diverter
- Rings
- Ring of Ordnance
- Mechanics Cog
- A'Taerii Booster
- Custodian'd Bastion
- Trait
- Barrier
- Perks
- Galvanize Damage Perk
- Safeguard Team Perk
- Contingency Utility Perk
- Energize Relic Perk
Archetype
Because it's a Warden build, the Prime Archetype is going to be the Warden that you've unlocked by collecting the required item from the Withered Necropolis region of N'Erud. Warden's Prime Perk—Dynamic—regenerates shield automatically and increases the Energy Reserves for N'Erud tech (i.e., Drone and Turret) by 50%. Therefore, it's best to pair this character with Engineer as the Secondary Archetype so the turret gets a complimentary boost.
Skills
As you level up the character, you'll get the option to use Heal or Combat Drones, but Warden truly shines when you use Shield Drone as the Prime Skill because of its compatibility with the perks. The drone follows and protects you or the selected teammate (warded target) until the shield is full and decreases incoming damage by 10%. Use this with the Engineer's Vulcan Turret that automatically targets the enemies and shoots until it runs out of ammo.
Weapons
The weapons you want to use with the Warden Archetype in Remnant 2 are up to you, but I have some good recommendations. For the Long Gun, I went with the Plasma Cutter as it's one of the best weapons in the game thanks to its superb fire rate. Having said that, I suggest you give the new Monorail a try, especially if you're looking for a chargeable one-shot weapon.
Enigma is everyone's go-to choice for the Hand Gun in Remnant 2, but the new Repair Tool is something that caught my eye. It can kill enemies, heal allies, and replenish Energy Reserves for N'Erudian tech. Finally, equip the Harvester Scythe melee that was specially designed for the Warden Archetype for The Dark Horizon DLC. If you haven't obtained it yet, you can use the Krell Axe or Spectral Blade instead as these two are very powerful.
Relic
Salvaged Heart is one of the best Relics one can use in Remnant 2. Upon using it on a grey health bar, your HP bar will be restored entirely. Furthermore, its application is fast with a 50% use speed bonus.
Armor
To perfect the Warden build, I had to get the new Nanoplated Armor Set as it completes the look. It can be obtained from a hanging body in the Withered Necropolis region of N'Erud. The Nanoplated Set is a light armor that allows you to dodge quicker and consumes less stamina, but you can swap some parts based on your requirements.
Amulet
Energy Diverter is one of the best Amulets to combine with this shield-focused Warden build. It grants 10 Critical Chance and 15% to all damage when a shield is active, which will be as you'll be using the Shield Drone. Another good option is the Zero Dividie Amulet, which grants infinite ammo and increases ranged damage by 15%.
Rings
The rings I've used mainly benefit the Engineer's Vulcan Turret except for Custodian'd Bastion, which was added in the recent update:
- Ring of Ordnance: Replenishes heavy weapon ammo gradually while carrying or in turret mode and doubles the stowed heavy weapon ammo regeneration rate.
- Mechanics Cog: Gives 15% movement speed buff and one stack of BULWARK (damage reduction) while carrying the Engineer's turret.
- A'Taerii Booster: Adds 10% damage and critical chance to heavy weapons in carry and turret modes.
- Custodian'd Bastion: Increases armor by 1 per 2% of active shield and the maximum bonus armor you gain is 100.
Trait
The Barrier Trait has been added in Remnant 2 for the Warden Archetype, therefore, it's a must-have for this build. It increases the effectiveness of the user's shields such that you'll receive the boost even when the warded target is your ally. By leveling up the Archetype, Warden's shield amount can be increased to +15% by reaching max level 10.
Perks
In addition to the Dynamic Prime Perk, here are the four base Perks for Warden you can equip by ranking up:
- Galvanize Damage Perk: Increase damage by 2.5%, which can be increased further by leveling up.
- Safeguard Team Perk: The drone grants one stack of BULWARK to the warded target and strengthens incoming healing effectiveness by 10%.
- Contingency Utility Perk: Grants a shield for 25.8% of max HP when your health drops below 25%. This effect lasts for 10 seconds and the perk only activates once every 30 seconds. As a bonus, your movement speed is also boosted by 15%.
- Energize Relic Perk: Grants a shield for 25.8% of max HP when you use the Relic (Salvaged Heart in this build). The perk doesn't stack and lasts 10 seconds or until the shield is destroyed. Companions (drone and turret) don't use N'Erudian Energy Reserves when Energize is active.
For more on The Dark Horizon DLC, check out Remnant 2 Boss Rush Guide – Rewards & Buffs on Pro Game Guides.