Whenever your henchmen are set to Defensive&Follow, and are within 60 feet of you, the incoming damage to you is distributed across you and your henchmen. You take two parts of the damage, while each henchman takes one part. Thus, with 6 henchmen out, in range, and set to defensive&follow, you take 2/8 of the incoming damage, and each hench takes 1/8.
In my experience, you can survive two even con energy assassin strikes in bodyguard mode.
You can withstand Minx pounding on you in bodyguard mode. Its probably the easiest way to survive and destroy EBs that lack status effects (and high AoE damage).
"Well, they found my diary today.
They were appropriately appalled
at the discovery of the eight victims
They're now putting it all together.
Women wrapped in silk
with one leg missing
Eight legs, one body, silk,
spider, brilliant!"
That's cool to know, I didn't realise they had to be on follow. Also how does that 60ft figure compare to Supremacy? If they are within Supremacy are they also within bodyguard?
Almost always, which is why effects that make pets run away from you, like a distance attack; or move you away from your pets, like KB; are so dangerous.
TY for the info Weasel, of course it's rarely me that dies, but my minions, perhaps I'm just too used to putting the distance between a fight going pear-shaped and my low-HP hide 
.
hi can someone plz explain to me how bodyguard mode works
thanks