The new soldier AI behavior in Astral Lords, overhauled in the recent Celestial Forge update, is a complete game-changer. It replaces the clumsy, passive legacy AI with the proactive Vanguard System, which introduces distinct tactical stances, a granular Target Priority Matrix, and intelligent ability synergies. Understanding how to command this new system is no longer optional—it's the single most important factor for surviving endgame content like Abyssal Rifts and high-tier Starforged anomalies.
Forget everything you knew about your companions. They are no longer just mobile turrets that occasionally draw aggro. They are now adaptive tactical assets that can flank, defend, prioritize, and combo with your abilities. This guide breaks down exactly how the Vanguard AI works and how you can leverage it to dominate the battlefield.
What Actually Changed with Soldier AI?
The jump from the old system to the Vanguard AI in Patch 3.5 is less of an update and more of a total rewrite. The foundational logic governing your AI companions has been rebuilt from the ground up, addressing years of player feedback regarding their passivity and poor decision-making in complex fights.
From Passive Bodyguards to Proactive Strikers
The biggest change is the shift from a reactive to a proactive engagement model. Previously, your soldiers would typically only attack enemies that had already damaged them or the player, and they would often stick rigidly to your side regardless of the tactical situation. They were, in essence, glorified bodyguards.
Now, the Vanguard AI encourages them to actively seek and neutralize threats based on their assigned Stance. A soldier in Harrier Stance, for example, will automatically break formation to flank a suppressed enemy position, while an Executioner will bypass closer, weaker enemies to engage a high-value target like a Goliath Nullifier at the backline. This proactivity means you spend less time babysitting your squad and more time executing your own strategy, confident that your team is making intelligent choices.
The End of Bad Pathfinding and Wasted Abilities
Another critical improvement is in resource management and environmental awareness. The legacy AI was notorious for getting stuck on geometry, firing powerful abilities into walls, or deploying defensive skills like the Kinetic Warden's "Bastion Wall" in completely useless locations. The Celestial Forge update implemented a far more sophisticated pathfinding algorithm and a situational awareness layer.
This means your soldiers now understand cover, lines of sight, and ability impact zones. A Cryo-Lancer won't waste its "Stasis Grenade" on a single, weak Scuttler. A Void Gunner will reposition to a better vantage point before using its powerful "Overload Burst." The AI is now resource-efficient and tactically sound, making your entire squad feel more responsive and lethal.
Astral Lords in-game screenshot
The Three Vanguard Stances: How to Command Your Squad
The core of the new system is the three tactical Stances you can assign to each soldier via the command wheel. Each Stance dictates a soldier's fundamental behavior, engagement range, and priority system. Swapping these on the fly is essential for adapting to the flow of battle.
| Stance | Primary Behavior & Role | Ideal Units | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegis | Guardian / Defensive. Protects the player and other squadmates. | Kinetic Warden, Bulwark Servitor | - Stays within 10 meters of the player.<br>- Prioritizes enemies attacking the player directly.<br>- Uses defensive and crowd-control abilities proactively.<br>- Will physically intercept projectiles aimed at a low-health player. |
| Harrier | Flanker / Aggressive. Seeks out advantageous positions and harasses enemies. | Void Gunner, Phase Striker | - Operates at a 25-40 meter engagement range.<br>- Actively seeks flanking routes and high ground.<br>- Prioritizes suppressed or unarmored targets.<br>- Uses abilities to disrupt and disorient enemy formations. |
| Executioner | Hunter / High-Value Target Elimination. Focuses down priority threats. | Cryo-Lancer, Railgunner | - Ignores "fodder" enemies like Scuttlers.<br>- Prioritizes targets designated in the Priority Matrix (e.g., Healers, Snipers).<br>- Saves high-damage abilities for high-threat targets.<br>- Will maintain line-of-sight on its designated target, repositioning as needed. |
Bold is the most crucial takeaway here: You should never leave all your soldiers on the default Stance. A balanced squad, such as one Kinetic Warden on Aegis and two Void Gunners on Harrier, is exponentially more effective than three units all performing the same role.
Mastering the Target Priority Matrix
For players who want ultimate control, the Vanguard System includes a new menu screen: the Target Priority Matrix. While the Stances provide broad behavioral instructions, the Matrix lets you fine-tune exactly which enemies your Executioner-stance soldiers should hunt down first. This is where you transform a good AI squad into a perfectly optimized killing machine.
Astral Lords in-game screenshot
Setting Your Priorities: From "Closest" to "Highest Threat"
By default, the AI prioritizes targets based on a simple threat calculation (damage output + distance). The Matrix allows you to override this with your own rules. You can create a ranked list of enemy types. For example, you can tell your soldiers to always target a Phase Weaver (a dangerous support unit) over any other enemy in range, regardless of how close a common Scuttler might be.
This is done through a simple drag-and-drop interface where you rank enemy archetypes: Healer, Sniper, Tank, Melee, etc. You can set this globally or create specific profiles for different activities, like one for fighting the robotic automatons of the Meridian Concordance and another for the biological horrors of the Void Swarm.
A Practical Example: Prioritizing Phase Weavers
Imagine you enter a room with three Scuttlers, a Goliath Nullifier, and a Phase Weaver. The Phase Weaver hangs back, shielding the Goliath and healing it. With the default AI, your squad might waste time shooting the immune Goliath or clearing the weak Scuttlers. But with your Priority Matrix set to rank "Support" units at the top, any soldier in Executioner Stance will immediately ignore the frontline and focus all fire on the Phase Weaver. Once it's down, the rest of the encounter becomes trivial. This level of control was simply impossible before.
Unlocking True Potential: AI-Driven Ability Synergies
The final layer of the Vanguard AI is its most brilliant: the ability for soldiers to recognize and capitalize on status effects applied by you and their squadmates. This creates powerful ability combos that can turn the tide of a fight.
Astral Lords in-game screenshot
The system works by having the AI constantly scan targets for specific debuffs. When it detects one it can exploit, it will attempt to use a corresponding synergistic ability. A few examples of these powerful combos include:
- Player applies Stasis: A Cryo-Lancer AI will use its "Shatter Lance" ability, which deals 300% bonus damage to frozen targets.
- Kinetic Warden deploys Bastion Wall: A Void Gunner AI will recognize the wall as hard cover and gain the "Fortified Position" buff, increasing its accuracy and fire rate while behind it.
- Player uses an EMP grenade on a robotic foe: A Railgunner AI will prioritize that target for its "Armor Piercing Shot," which gains a significant damage multiplier against enemies suffering from electronic disruption.
These synergies are not guaranteed to happen every time—they depend on ability cooldowns and tactical positioning—but the fact that they happen at all makes your squad feel like a cohesive, thinking unit rather than a collection of independent bots.
Frequently Asked Questions about Soldier AI
Do I need to manually set stances for every fight?
No, but it's highly recommended. You can set a default Stance for each soldier in your loadout screen. However, skilled players will open the command wheel mid-fight to switch a Harrier to Aegis if they come under heavy fire, or switch everyone to Executioner to burn down a boss during a damage phase.
Which soldier types benefit most from the new AI?
While all soldiers are improved, ability-heavy specialists like the Cryo-Lancer and support units like the Kinetic Warden see the biggest gains. Their effectiveness was previously crippled by poor ability usage, a problem the Vanguard System directly solves.
Can the AI use environmental objects for cover?
Yes. This is one of the major upgrades in the Celestial Forge update. The AI now recognizes destructible and non-destructible cover and will actively use it to break enemy line-of-sight, especially when their shields are down.
How does the new soldier AI behavior in Astral Lords affect difficulty?
It makes lower difficulties easier, as the AI is more self-sufficient. However, it raises the skill ceiling on higher difficulties. Endgame content is now designed with the expectation that you are actively managing your squad's Stances and priorities to overcome complex enemy compositions.
The Verdict: A Tactical Revolution
The Vanguard AI system is, without exaggeration, one of the best updates Astral Lords has ever received. It transforms companions from a liability into a core tactical element of your build. It rewards preparation, battlefield awareness, and active command. Take the time to learn the Stances, configure your Priority Matrix, and watch for synergy opportunities. Your soldiers are finally the elite warriors they were always meant to be.