As more characters are added to SWGoH, we cannot ignore how older characters are impacted and how the game continues to evolve. Today I start the Best Mods for Royal Guard, a tank whose value in Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes has fluctuated a lot over the years. During my time with Gaming Fans I started the “best mods” series of articles which turned out to be what put the site on the radar of the community and with EA Capital Games. While my days with Gaming Fans are well behind me, I have been writing mod guides like this one since the early days of mods when they were added to SWGoH in 2018. Fortunately, writing these mod guides continues to be a way for me to continue to enjoy Galaxy of Heroes now that I have been playing this game for over a decade. I will seek to keep the same high quality content going as I continue the “best mods in SWGoH” series today with the Best Mods for Royal Guard.
Today I’ll be reviewing mods for Royal Guard, one of the elite, faceless protectors who stand vigil at the side of Emperor Palpatine. Clad in striking crimson robes and sworn to absolute loyalty, the Emperor’s Royal Guards were hand-picked warriors in the Star Wars saga, trained in secret arts of combat and tasked with defending the Dark Lord of the Sith at all costs. Early in Galaxy of Heroes, Royal Guard was viewed as a key Empire tank thanks to his ability to disrupt arena battles and absorb heavy punishment, but as the game evolved, his value has been a bit of a roller coaster. With Lord Vader’s new clones, Royal Guard’s value has shifted from Lord Vader squads, and now with the addition of Darth Vader (Duel’s End) in 2026, Royal Guard regains some value. Let’s take a look at what we feel are the best mods to use on Royal Guard to maximize his effectiveness and squeeze as much utility as possible from this iconic Imperial defender.
Note that I have learned that I get a bit wordy in these Best Mods articles, so as a result the TL;DR on mods for Royal Guard is below. Also, I added a new(er) format on the recommendations below which I hope will help make these best mods articles easier to decipher.
Main Mod Stats to focus on…
When modding Royal Guard in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, the focus should be squarely on durability over speed. His unique ability, Unyielding Defender, grants him Turn Meter whenever an ally is hit and automatically triggers his Taunt whenever an ally falls below 50% Health. Because of this built-in Turn Meter gain and reactive Taunt mechanic, Royal Guard does not need high Speed to function effectively. In fact, since his Taunt only lasts one turn and can be triggered passively, investing heavily in Speed provides limited value compared to strengthening his ability to absorb damage.
Instead, prioritize survivability stats. Health, Protection, and Defense should form the foundation of your mod strategy. Royal Guard is designed to soak up punishment for the team, and the longer he stays standing, the more value he provides. His kit further reinforces this approach—he gains Health Up from his special ability and gains added Health and recovers Health through his unique—making Health an especially strong investment. Health sets paired with Defense or Protection-focused secondaries are ideal for maximizing his tanking potential, particularly at higher relic levels where scaling makes these stats even more impactful.
Beyond the core survivability stats, Tenacity and Potency both play meaningful supporting roles. Tenacity is crucial to prevent debuffs like Buff Immunity and Shock, which would otherwise stop him from gaining Taunt and fulfilling his primary role as a tank. After that, Potency becomes useful for helping him land the Stun and Speed Down effects on his basic ability, Force Pike. While these debuffs are not his primary job, successfully applying them can provide valuable control and disruption when opportunities arise.
In short, build Royal Guard to endure. Focus on Health first, then layer in Protection and Defense, add Tenacity to protect his Taunt mechanics, and sprinkle in Potency where possible. With the right modding approach, this Imperial tank can still carve out a durable and disruptive role on Empire squads.
Which Mod Sets to use & Dev Recommendations for Royal Guard
For Royal Guard, the plan is quite straightforward – make him super durable. The devs say Defense for the mod recommendations, but he is not even a Top 20 character in terms of Armor in 2026. With the importance of Health to his kit and the added Health from Emperor Palpatine’s leadership, the in-game dev recommendations prove to be outdated. As a result, here is a look at Royal Guard mods in SWGoH:
- Transmitter (Square) – The Transmitter mod always has a primary focus on offense.
- Recommended Mod Type: Health
- Recommended Secondary Stats: health, protection, defense and potency or speed
- Receiver (Arrow) – The Receiver mod can have a primary focus on several stats including speed, critical avoidance, accuracy, health, protection, defense and offense.
- Recommended Mod Type: Health mod, Health/Defense focus
- Recommended Secondary Stats: defense, health, protection and potency
- Processor (Diamond) – The Processor is always going to have a primary focus on defense.
- Recommended Mod Type: Defense
- Recommended Secondary Stats: health, defense and protection speed with potency or speed
- Holo-Array (Triangle) – The Holo-Array is a very specialized mod that can have a primary focus on critical chance, critical damage, health, protection, offense and defense.
- Recommended Mod Type: Defense mod, Health/Defense focus
- Recommended Secondary Stats: health, protection, defense and potency
- Data-Bus (Circle) – The Data-bus mod always has a primary focus on either health or protection.
- Recommended Mod Type: Health mod, Health focus
- Recommended Secondary Stats: health, protection, defense and potency or speed
- Multiplexer (Plus) – The Multiplexer (plus or cross) mod can have a primary focus on potency, tenacity, health, protection, defense or offense.
- Recommended Mod Type: Health mod, Health focus
- Recommended Secondary Stats: health, protection, defense and potency or speed
Royal Guard Mods TL;DR
- Square – Health mod with health, defense and protection
- Arrow – Health mod, Health focus with health, defense and protection
- Diamond – Defense mod with health, defense and protection
- Triangle – Defense mod, Defense focus with health, defense and protection
- Health – Health mod, Health focus with health, defense and protection
- Health – Health mod, Health focus with health, defense and protection