oldskool

Fun stuff. So, I run a frankenslotted setup in my attacks (Pistols, Suppressive Fire, Executioner's Shot) with +5 Acc/dmg, Acc/dmg/end, Dmg/end Thunderstrike sets. The other 3 slots are all procs of some kind. That combination there is really the only secret sauce that makes my build any different from those posted. I do push 5 purple sets (I have an Apocalypse mule in Dual Wield with no proc) to get my global recharge at 195%. The high recharge is only necessary to push Executioner's Shot availability when it is not slotted with recharge enhancement. Pistols + Suppressive Fire = 3.036 seconds of animation time on the Arcanatime scale. My Executioner's Shot with just global recharge refreshes every 3.36 seconds. Another option is to run Executioner's Shot + Pistols + Suppressive Fire + Pistols which can allow for Executioner's Shot to have a 4.224 second cooldown. Funny enough, that is also the same rate of time you'd want Piercing Rounds to recharge in order to make Piercing Rounds - Pistols - Executioner - Pistols gapless. However, the proc stacking of Suppressive Fire makes it a better choice for speedy pew-pew. I only take PR on my Defender and Corr to use the higher -resistance debuff due to their class modifiers. I don't run Tactics because I have a high level of accuracy and don't mind using a yellow inspire if I get debuffed on to-hit. I do get the convenience of having Gaussian's proc in that power, but the tick rate on solo play is very low. However, if you buff teammates with Tactics the proc will check for every member giving you a slightly inflated result. Watching the clip, I wonder the overall value of Decimation proc. I see it go off a couple of times, and it is possible one of those was a lucky Gaussian. However, it seems to add little value to me. I do currently run it, but I've been considering dropping it. Destiny-wise, I often run Rebirth for 98% of the content I play. It is an underrated power, but Barrier is also nice. Ageless is too, but I don't feel I need the endurance or the recharge.

I've been struggling with why folks complain about them in the manner they do for years. There are valid criticisms of the Sentinel's design. However, some of that does have a lot to do with current power creep. There was an intent in the AT to resolve some quality of life and make a new playstyle out of it. A lot of that work has been undone on HC for better and for worst. It is unfortunate that the Sentinel has not had a review yet, but it is on the HC dev team radar. They'll get to it when they get to it. The fact there hasn't been a huge rush to fix it should also indicate it isn't as broken in their eyes as people make it seem. All that said, the Sentinel is still perfectly viable for content even in this version of HC. Is it as strong as other DPS options? No, but you're not bringing your team down either unless said team is trying for something very specific (i.e., speed runs). I play Dual Pistols across the ATs that have it. I can assure you my Sentinel does better single target damage than the Corruptor and Defender blast set vs blast set. Both of those other ATs also have force multipliers in their support sets which help them out considerably. However, it is not a fair comparison to make that my Defender is reducing enemy resist by an additional 30% and stripping off 40% defense therefore the Sentinel sucks. [I should note that for Blasters, I prefer blapping with Dual Pistols vs full range. It becomes a hard comparison when my build is leveraging melee to the degree it does. Still, AoE is better on the Blaster and single-target isn't so far above my Sentinel it bothers me much.] This leads me to the last underlined comment there. I'm sorry you feel as concerned about your characters, of whom I hope you have fun playing, because of reading the toxic drivel in forums. Shame on us all for presenting something that should be a fun experience to outsiders looking in as some kind of "you're doing it wrong" try-hard approach. Criticisms are fair game, but when they get to a point people ask if they did something wrong it goes a bit too far. The reason for that is, you didn't do anything wrong picking a Sentinel and having fun with it. If you didn't do that fully solo, then you're grouping to help gain that experience and Incarnate material cache. It doesn't sound like anyone is kicking you out because of your choice. You may find some other ATs perform stronger in the intended role, but don't let forum posters here stop you from enjoying yourself.

There is a lot to unpack in both of those questions. 1) "Poor damage" is subjective and ill-defined. There is truth that there is a historic issue with balancing ranged powers vs melee powers. Melee powers often do more damage per hit than ranged ones do in the same tier. However, that's just single target. Also, ranged powers often have faster animation times which actually does help offset the disparity somewhat. Still, the primary focus of the ranged power set has historically been area of effect and the historic strength of melee has been single target. The lines here have gotten blurry over time. 2) Blasters are known for "good damage" due to a combination of things. One of those things is a tendency to overhype the AT on the verge of hyperbole. Is the Blaster good at range damage? Yes, if we're talking about AoE potential. That AoE potential is often driven by access to a multitude of powers not being just the primary as well as both Aim and Build-Up. The single-target melee powers in the Blaster's secondary more often than not do more damage than their primary alternative. Blasters are pretty good at range. They are better at it than other ATs due to higher base scalars, power accessibility, and even Defiance. However, the Blaster is not optimal at range only. It is viable, but not optimal. The Sentinel is an interesting case study in deconstructing power balance. The AT was an experiment post shutdown as noted many times in other threads. The changes it attempted to make had a certain spirit in mind but its execution falls apart due to a number of other factors. The Sentinel range sets had changes to single-target with what seems to be a spirit of improvement. Damage within the ranged sets was smoothed out a bit across a snipe change (which was a power category often skipped by players) and adding damage to CC powers. This actually would cause the Sentinel to do *more* single target damage at a baseline for any builds *not* using a snipe in the rotation. The snipe availability that exists now completely breaks this dynamic. Now, all blast sets or ATs with a snipe have access to a high damage-per-activation power with more reliability than they ever had. The Sentinel's quality of life change here became a moot point. Now, the increase of single-target damage to smooth out Sentinel design came with it a restriction on AoE potential. See how that original interplay between blast sets and melee sets had a design choice? That seems to have been replicated in the Sentinel. They were granted more single-target options and so they lost AoE potential. Of course, this concept of AoE potential kinda goes out the window now with the Tanker changes. The design change to reduce range doesn't seem to be a punishment. It was a design decision on compromise. The single-target damage seems intended to be a bit higher and the AoE reduced. In order to increase some risk the range was taken into consideration and reduced. However, some of the AoE cones were changed to compensate this. Not every single Sentinel cone was stepped on by this range change. Some powers are the same. Some of them have wider arcs by less engagement range. There was some thought to balance here. Anyway, those are my thoughts on addressing those questions. Be wary of hyperbolic statements casually flung around here. It probably isn't an attempt to mislead, but that is going to be a common outcome.

Poor Reed... I do understand how Benjie is viewed as the quintessential brick character (like, even literally) but good old Reed has a lot going for him that gets overlooked. 😞 Same with SusieQ. She's by far the most powerful character on the team and Reed is practically indestructible. Reed's physiology is such that his tensile strength when wrapping around an enraged Hulk can hold it for a time. Reed hasn't been cut by Adamantium when facing off against a mind controlled Wolverine either. Let Johnny and Ben take some spot lighting. Reed and Sue can quietly be super strong and hang out with the most powerful being in the Marvel Universe, their son Franklin. 😉

Fixed a little. 😉 I think Fire Blast is a good all around set. It has potential for AoE if you use Rain of Fire with an AoE immobilize. This is on top of Fire Ball which is a great AoE power. Rain of Fire and something like Fire Cages gets you 16 targets to hit. That may let you feel more like other ranged ATs with the same caps. Not many Sentinel primaries have this option. Furthermore, ones that do don't have the same baseline single target damage that Fire Blast does. Given that Fire Blast is a reasonably solid set, it doesn't hurt it (nearly as much) to go full sets for defense and resistance bonuses unlike many other sets. Where a lot of other sets can feel highly reliant on multiple procs for performance, Fire Blast doesn't. So the Fire Blast/Willpower combo can turn out to be a pretty strong character. You can potentially softcap Smashing/Lethal/Fire/Cold/Energy/Negative defense scores while also pushing resistances pretty hard. You get all of that backed by 600% to 700%+ regeneration on a character that can still fight from hover playing keep away. It can be surprisingly effective. Similar strategies with Fire Blast can be applied to just about every one of the Secondaries. Even the ones that may seem a bit subpar can be built up with the IO system without hindering FB too much. My own Fire Blast build runs with Energy Aura. Originally I wanted to go Fire/Fire/Fire, but the visuals didn't do it for me. Energy Aura has some customizable glows to it and with the right colors it looks a bit like burning embers falling around with an internal glow. I did something similar with Ice/EA that makes it look like snow.

Only lately? 😆 The Sentinel offered me an opportunity to explore ranged sets deeper than I had ever bothered to on Live. On Live, whenever I bothered with a ranged set it was an means to an end with a support AT like the Corruptor or Defender. I never liked the gameplay of the Blaster, and I still don't. The Sentinel was a compromise on mechanics while still allowing a freedom of expression I couldn't find elsewhere. The Sentinel is still a very fun AT to play for me regardless of common forum knowledge.

Well, it isn't new that is for sure. If anyone ever complains just do what I do and say... "It was Agatha all along!"

With or without that Gaussian's Proc in Aim running? Also, that doesn't look repeatable since Soul Storm has a 10 second cool down. Was this the Mids DPS projection? Also note, the two damage procs in Obscure Sustenance will have all of the drawbacks of a 35ft sphere AoE with none of the upsides. I had run some tests thinking this could use Theft of Essence and I was so disappointed in what I found. Anyway, other than those points the build itself is actually pretty sound. When I had a D3 Sentinel I had incorporated Smite from Darkness Mastery and Engulfing Darkness. I skipped Darkest Night due to its own costs and the resistance of to-hit by enemies. Smite mixed with Abyssal Gaze and Antumbral Beam was pretty satisfying.

You and a lot of other people. 🙂 "Good conversation" may be asking a bit much. The trend is often more off the rails hyperbole. That said, the DPS analysis is as easy as it looks on the surface. The winner is going to be the Blaster. Now, the gulf between the Blaster and the Sentinel is going to vary wildly depending on build and context. Going into every permutation just isn't reasonable. What is reasonable to note, is that the Blaster just has the advantage in the vast majority of cases. That's not hyperbole and it is very measurable. Ever since the fast snipe change, Moonbeam has become a more readily available single target option. That is exactly what Blaster Dark Blast was lacking on; a good heavy hitter. Now it has that in MB with allowable rotations like dark blast - moonbeam - dark blast - gloom or life drain. That particular rotational construction is possible and it does out perform what the Sentinel has access to. Before enhancement, the actual gap isn't that large. However, we have to take note that Defiance has higher uptime than Opportunity. Also, given the scalars, the Blaster gets a lot more out of Defiance than the Sentinel does out of Opportunity. Again, given the scalars, the Blaster can come out a head from enhancement level. That said, the murky part of building Sentinels and increasing damage has to come from procs. Blasters are in a good place with a high base damage that benefits from further enhancement. This can allow them to focus on heavy use of sets to shore up defenses. That whole argument of it is easier to build defense vs damage is accurate. Still, the Sentinel can raise their own bar a good bit, but it does come with a decision on gutting set bonuses for frankenslotting. That is the secret sauce in making chicken salad out of chicken poop (it isn't that bad, but the joke is still relevant). If DPS is all you care about, then definitely go Blaster. Dark Blast was one of those sets that benefited greatly from the fast snipe. Obscure Sustenance is a weird power and it really does take some understanding to make the most out of it. Obscure Sustenance has a 35ft radius where it can catch a target, but it does not do anything else in an AOE. It doesn't do AOE damage and it doesn't proc off multiple targets. It is in no way like Dark Regeneration and it really shouldn't be slotted with any expectation that it is. OS has ridiculously high base accuracy. It is so high that you probably do not need an accurate heal set there. I use some of the Preventative Medicine set and it really is just to drive down the recharge. Do note, that Mid's shows OS has all effects having 100% uptime. That isn't how this power works. The really high endurance benefit will only last 10 seconds. The power actually has layers and they drop off at set intervals. The entire endurance benefit runs some 30 seconds but the strongest parts only last around 20 seconds (with the highest being 10). The regeneration rate also does this but the full effect lasts 60 seconds (it is perma out the box). Think of the entire thing like a mini-version of an Incarnate Destiny power. You get a big benefit upfront and it tapers off over time. Building for resistance isn't a terrible idea. Building for some defense is also valid. It is incredibly difficult to push Dark Armor on Sentinels to the level it can get on Tankers or Brutes. I don't just mean capping resistances. I mean just the general efficiency of it. You could potentially layer it with Rune of Protection. Despite the nerfing of it, that is still a means to emulate a T9 resistance buff power. This can leap frog with Barrier Destiny to help offset some of the fragility later. OR you could go for Link Minds to build on more defense or any other variations in between. If you're not really planning on being in melee, then I'd question the value of Cloak of Fear in the first place. It is a large endurance drain but if you're in close is it really effective here? Yes, it can stack some more to-hit debuff, but is that worth the endurance cost to you? The fear is a bit negligible. Same question on Oppressive Gloom. Dark Blast doesn't really stack anything with it and so is it worth it here? (maybe, maybe not). I play a Water Blast/Dark Armor/Psychic Mastery Sentinel. She is constructed to make use of stuns which exist in her primary and in Psychic PBAoE power. These all stack with Oppressive Gloom to give pseudo-control. It is janky AF but it works for what I wanted. Conceptually, she would be just as good as a Water/Dark Miasma Corruptor and probably would have been better off. I was being stubborn when I made her and I still play her as-is on occasion. I guess that is a bit rambley and doesn't really answer the core question of what do you do with Dark Armor to make it better. Unfortunately, I don't have a great answer to this that doesn't break concept characters. I guess... that's the point though. ------ Anyway, I don't have a quick example to slap about as a build redo for what you have. My first question is... what are you hoping to accomplish with it? There is going to be a trade off on damage or survivability because it is hard to pull off both. I'd tried, more than once, and it really doesn't work out well. When it comes to DPS, how much are you hoping for? That last question is really easy to respond to right now. Your current build is showing that the Decimation Proc is up all the time so it makes it look like it is doing more damage than it really will. Without optimizing proc damage, the current build may feel disappointing. Anyhoo, help me help you. We'll see if something can be cobbled together that you like. Though, I think there is a build already around this subforum on Dark/Dark, and I doubt my opinion of it would change much (since Sentinels haven't been touched at all).

I actually feel the opposite. I feel Willpower suits me better on Tankers and Brutes over Invulnerability. However, on Sentinels, I feel the opposite. I feel Sentinel Invulnerability overshadows Sentinels Willpower. Both sets were adapted to the AT and both have changes. I feel the changes to Invul close some gaps but the changes to Willpower create/pronounce them. That said, depending on how one likes to build either option can be very durable sets. When it comes to "what pairs best...?" the answers are going to seem really shallow. The level of synergy just isn't that deep here making the real answer "anything". Though there are some merits on various sets already addressed. Due to Willpower's static regeneration and somewhat weak mitigation, a more ranged-oriented set allows the set to shine where it works best. You could still use sets with PBAoE powers in it, but there is a bit more risk making Willpower feel more fragile early on. Power sets with heals in them on the Sentinel are a bit overrated, in my opinion. Life Drain has a 10% heal associated with it on every AT that has that power, except for Sentinels. Sentinels get 7% of their max health which is a pretty 'meh' number to begin with. On top of that, Life Drain's overall damage isn't anything to write home about. So, enhancing it for healing is a huge waste of resources in my opinion as you only prolong combat vs shortening it. That said, LD can take a range of procs really pushing its value. Dehydrate in Water Blast can do the same thing but neither heal is going to pull you out the fire if you get in over your head. Either power can be nice to have, but the real impacts may not even be noticeable to some players. At least, it may not be noticeable to a degree where using a respite off your inspiration tray becomes a better use of your time. YMMV Dark Blast is the only set Sentinels have access to with direct analogs to defense in the form of the to-hit debuff. Blackstar's debuff is massive and the selling point of the whole set. However, Dark Blast suffers a bit on damage performance without abusing procs. The proc stacking strategy for maximizing damage is in conflict with making Willpower more durable. This is an issue that is less pronounced with Invulnerability. Anyway, the primary sets at large can offer some minor benefits to Willpower but really it isn't worth overthinking in my opinion. It is better to recognize what Willpower is good at and just build on that vs trying to find a set that somehow will close its gaps (because *that* doesn't actually exist).

I feel this is talking past my points to focus on something I'm not arguing. I'm not comparing the Sentinel inherent to the old ATs in the vacuum you suggest I am. I'm saying that the inherent of other ATs is not necessarily the focal part of the argument on identity discussions. However, for the Sentinel is the often the *only* focus and that focus can be stated to a hyperbolic degree. Let's look at it another way. Inherent powers are so taken for granted elsewhere that they are not a discussion topic. The inherent in the Sentinel is new, as is the whole AT, and so it gets unfortunate side comparisons. Sometimes, the comparisons are warranted, but a lot of the time they are not. The commentary here dovetails into some of your other points. I hope you understand, I agree with you. I think we're arguing similar things but expressing it differently. There are two different arguments that can exist here. Your argument is about concept. I don't see this as a problem right now. We can agree to disagree on that. This doesn't mean I don't think you have a point or that your thoughts aren't valid. They are. They just aren't on the same level of importance to me right now. OK, the other side to this train of thought is one of effectiveness. That is the majority argument when it comes to the Sentinel. Your conceptual "9/10 times, the most attractive looking option" gets appended with "to play for effectiveness" or even worse "to be invited to content, at all". It is the latter arguments that spiral out of control. I see your conceptualization of identity as pretty innocent. I see the other conceptualization of identity as invasive because it often is paired with total re-writes to characters I actively play. What makes that even worse is these arguments come from people that do not play the AT or even have an intent to play it (buff or not). They want others to conform to their whims, and F all if you don't like it.

Nah, not calling you out. If I really felt a need to critique something you wrote, I'd do so directly, PM you, or both. In retrospect, I can see why you would feel that way given your post with the title it has, but honestly it wasn't on my mind. Quite frankly, that post has some well thought considerations in it and whatever your subjective vision of the AT's identity is wasn't anything that "triggered" me. I could have chosen my words a bit better, but this really isn't about you. Sentinel identity arguments have been a dime a dozen for the past few years. I do not disagree that the perception and subjectivity of identity is an issue for some players. That isn't what I find tiring about the argument. The tiresome parts are the presentation. The degree to which the argument forms on Sentinels is such that it is often times merely a strawman of envy projection (this AT is not unique here either). I feel there are legitimate concerns on the performance of the AT. I may not always agree to the degree of those concerns, but I recognize they exist. However, more often than not the concept of "identity" is nothing more than a childish argument about how my vanilla ice cream isn't some other kids chocolate ice cream. Do note here that the merits of ice cream or their subjective flavor profiles aren't actually being discussed. I just don't have what that other person has and it pisses me off. *That's* 99% of the "identity" argument that pops up in each forum. The overlap issue has been there ever since CoV was allowed to co-exist with CoH. Also, people complain about MM's not having an identity. It is a topic on the Internet. People complain out everything. Sometimes there are well constructed ideas, but most of the time it is not that constructive. Maybe. However, the snipe changes help far more than just the Blaster AT. The Blaster AT was in a pretty good place for damage and defense already. They really didn't need extra damage, but they got it. To me, that is more collateral damage for a benefit increase to Corruptors, Defenders, Dominators, and any other AT with access to a snipe. The whole "all-range" idea of the Blaster has always been a subjective opinion of the AT. It is a widely popular one, but it wasn't the fundamental design goal. I'm not saying playing a Blaster at pure range is wrong. However, there is more to that AT than that. The Sentinel arguments on identity are polar opposite though most of the time. These arguments often begin with a position that the Sentinel *is* a support AT. It is a support AT because its inherent can mark a target for 15 seconds with one debuff type. Part of this argument also lies in subjective representation of damage metrics that conflict with actual reality. People feel like they do Defender-level damage and state it as fact with zero context behind it. This further drives the logic behind the lacking Sentinel "identity". I hope folks can forgive me for finding such a narrow-minded view of the AT as tiresome. The Scrapper is not a premier damage AT because it has a baseline critical chance. It is good at what it is for a range of reasons. The criticals in the inherent 100% play a role here, but that isn't the entire story. The SoA's get thrown around a lot too but most of the time folks find it totally fair to compare fully realized powers to the Sentinel's inherent. Venom Grenade is a better debuff. Well no kidding; it is a fully upgradeable power. SoA's grant defense buffs. You don't say? It's almost like they have an entire assortment of powers to do that. Do you see how ridiculous this train of thought gets? People do not see Blasters as being great for damage because Defiance. No, it is a host of reasons that involve basic damage scalars and then power combinations that facilitate builds. People do not argue identity of Controllers and Dominators because of their inherent powers (well, they do, but it isn't really the point). They compare the need for control itself. The Dominator can do damage AND control. The Controller has a watered down support set. The navel gazing of the Controller is often around personal damage because the meta is hyper focused on personal damage. It is easy to overlook the value of force multiplication. Is there some merit in the Controller vs Dominator debate? Sure, but that nuance is often ignored for some other superficial facet that exists in the game. Anyway, It is the Sentinel who's entire identity is distilled into just Opportunity and it is Opportunity that defines them as whatever role the presenter wants. That role is often to make the AT look worse (generally not on purpose, but people are often terrible at debate) in order to build an argument that doesn't actually exist. I'd also like to state that, I understand why people do this. Opportunity is not just a flashing target under enemies. It is a huge flashing target of why the AT itself has problems. So, it is reasonable that the inherent becomes a focal point on why the AT sits in the back seat of the struggle bus. My stance is that the argumentation often misses the forest for the trees though. That said, do I think there is merit in some identity discussion? Yes, I actually do. I know my original commentary doesn't appear that way, but I do get it. However, I do not feel the issue with the Sentinel's identity is as bad as it is often presented. I think the Sentinel already has an identity. It is a mostly ranged damage dealing AT. Yes, it has overlap with the Blaster and Corruptor in that role. Do I think the Sentinel is fully realized and successful in that identity? No, I don't. Do I think it needs an entirely new identity? No, I don't. Let's fix the basics first without completely tossing the whole thing out. Also, there is room for another niche style damage dealer. There are people that disagree, and they are entitled to that. It is OK to feel there is no reason to play a Sentinel. They don't have to play it at all. However, I don't see justification for those kinds of opinions to completely re-write characters I'm playing. Anyway, I'll stop because this topic makes me ramble and I'll likely misrepresent some of my thoughts further.

@Ch1ld0fEr0s the build looks like it checks a lot of basic boxes. So, good job! Kinetic Dampening has two open slots. You're missing the two 3% global defense IOs from Steadfast and Gladiator's Armor. That'll get you close to softcap for several damage types. Turning on Hover puts you in spitting distance to Smashing, Lethal, Fire, Cold (all around 44%), and 42% on Negative. Energy softcap easily with this set so that isn't a huge worry. You have some sets missing from Psychic Wail and Tornado. The world is your oyster here though. You're in the 150% global recharge range which is just a great place to be. So you could go for more two more purple sets to build up 20% more global recharge, if you want. You can also go for some cheaper sets like Obliteration and or Positron's Blast or even Bombardment. You get real cheeky if you want stuff procs in Psychic Wail instead or even Tornado for bursts of more AoE damage if you like. Entropy Shield doesn't need that many slots. It can't hold sets. You can run 1 endurance redux in there and do well. I'd add some extra slots into Energize just to confirm you can push that cooldown to 30 seconds or less. Power Drain is also whatever you want. You're at a point in the build where so much of the basics are covered that any additional tweaks will likely be some minor shifts here and there. If you're aiming to optimize it for something really specific, then that may require a different plan. However, what you have should perform pretty well within the confines of what the Sentinel can do.

#1 problem = the player base itself. HAHAHAHAAHAH.... sorry...not sorry. I'm kidding a little bit about that a little bit, but only a little bit. There is a degree of manufactured outrage coupled with legitimate concerns. The manufactured outrage gets amplified by hyperbole. Hell, in the suggestions forum someone chided you about how Sentinels have melee range buffs but work at range. Um, no? That's just a real clue that the person probably hasn't even played the AT beyond Atlas Park but is more than happy to spout an opinion about the AT. Sentinel armor sets aren't reliant on melee range unless you're playing Fiery Aura which still has some PBAoE stuff. Willpower's Rise to the Challenge variant and Invulnerability's Invincibility variant do not require targets, period. Then you get non-contextual belly aching about Blasters doing 60% more damage in all AoE situations because there is a rabid assumption all content in all situations has max aggro caps. It's bullshit and some folks know it but continue to spout bullshit. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK, real talk on my complaints: Identity is not my issue. That's someone else's but the navel gazing on class identity is tiring. Every AT has that kind of whining. Range limits? No. Target caps? No. A perception on player agency being pigeon holed into the T1 and T2 powers? YES. I say perception because even this argument is a bit flimsy, but it is a HUGE complaint across the board. I've never seen so much complaint about with Blasters and Defiance with their T1 and T2 for anti-mez play, but it is there for Sents. CoX is about player choice to build what you want. If folks feel they have to take the 1 and 2 power, then that needs to change. Opportunity is a weak mechanic AND it is clunky. Opportunity has this ideal sweet spot of 50% uptime with 50% downtime. That is from the HC devs. That is not reality. You can't touch 50% uptime while leveling. That just isn't how this works unless you're playing Sonic Blast. For all others you're going to be wondering what the inherent actually does and then feeling like you can't use it when you want. That too is a player agency issue. Furthermore more, Opportunity's modes don't scale. So, the timeframe of when they would be the most valuable (low levels) is gated by ridiculous needs of global recharge. By the time you can achieve the global recharge to have 50% uptime you no longer need the benefits of either effect. Opportunity's Offensive side doesn't scale with enhancement. Sentinel's have low-ish base damage. This looks weaker and weaker as you gain levels. Awesome, right? Opportunity's Defensive side has some niche moments to shine, but some Sentinel secondary sets have really good endurance management. That part of Defensive Opp just becomes a drop in the bucket. The healing part is not enough to save you from more difficult content. Again, it can have some niche use, but generally speaking it is not something that turns the tide of battle into your favor, ever. The best part of Opportunity is the -20% single target resistance debuff that lasts for 15 seconds. That's it. The HC devs seem to not care much for that mechanic. They took it from Tankers and they will likely take it from Sentinels. The ranged sets were normalized. There are some very nice winners in that (so it isn't all bad) but there are losers too. What kinda stinks here, more than the range/target issue, is that the base damage modifier compounds with a historic anti-range gameplay philosophy from the original devs. This awful design stance really looks bad with Sentinels because they don't have the ability to offset it like Corruptors or Defenders can with buff/debuff sets. Blasters can offset any damage gaps with their manipulation sets. The HC devs aren't idiots. They've recognized how bad ranged sets are. So, what did they do? They buffed snipe powers. It was a good change, but it was complete thumb in the eye to Sentinel design. Sentinel design skips snipes for replacement powers that are slightly weaker but more available by design. This was back when snipes were a decision to use with a gating behind massive to-hit benefits. That's gone. Now Blasters, Defenders, and Corruptors have access to an additional attack that often has pretty good DPA. It can have great DPA when you still push that to-hit. Sentinels? They got the short end of the stick due to that power creep. The Invention System. The Invention System really shows its heavy melee bias in Sentinels. Willpower is "amazing" on melee builds. Well, guess what? Willpower has a glaring hole in Smashing/Lethal defenses. Melee builds hemorrhage +S/L/M defense benefits. You can trip and fall into soft-cap defenses as long as you're not completely braindead making a build on melee. Sentinels? Dude, you have to work for that on multiple secondaries. Lack of player agency again. The narrow bandwidth of the IO system makes certain kinds of secondary sets disproportionately strong. By strong I mean, easy to build for harder content. High return on low investment. There are only a handful of sets like that. These make you less reliant on the utter BS that is the ranged + target AOE cesspool of sets. Targeted AOE has gotten some love, but it is not enough. So to sum up.... The game's innate bias on damage in melee vs range is really apparent in the AT. The IO system exacerbates it. The inherent is very weak for what it was conceptualized to do. Players feel limited in choice, and they are right. Arguments on range and target caps are totally valid for those that feel rubbed the wrong way. However, I feel like it is the wrong argument to have. There is so much to fix than those superficial conversation points. When I had argued before about fixing the inherent, folks wanted to see be all teamy support. Some folks have a thinking this would gloss over the 0.95 vs 1.125 damage scalar things. Except, it won't. If the Sentinel's inherent contributes 0 to damage. then you'd need the innate damage scale to go upwards beyond what Blasters and Scrappers have to just tread water/keep up. That is why I have presented criticals before as a solution. It gives an avenue to artificially inflate damage numbers while not going overboard on the base mechanics. I know a lot of folks hate it and feel it is uninspired. I look at it as just math. Still, I hope the HC devs do something creative that people will like. I'm going to keep playing my Sentinels either way. I can handle AVs by myself. I'm happy enough with that. Note, I'm focused very much on talking about just the primary power sets. I didn't even get into a ranting on the reliance of the post 35+ pools and how they warp the entire gameplay of the AT (or lock you into backloaded power gaming).

Oh hai, you must be new here. Yeah, that horse has been beaten pretty badly. Offensive and Defensive Opportunities don't really offer that much to the AT in the post 50 level range (especially so in Incarnate content). So having both go off at the same time is nice and all but it doesn't move the needle. I personally don't like the lack of player agency the current design suggests and so a change like that is 'meh' at best. Still, agency is always nice. As to the proposed solution of double damage in any form... it doesn't actually fix anything wrong with the Sentinel. Instead, it makes new problems. Do not recommend, but good use of creativity.

I agree with what follows but to be fair to Stalkers, they remain hidden a lot.

Batman? Batman you say? Nah, I think he's OK. Plus, he's about to have that mouse money from Thor 4. Poor Diggs played Brandt in Equilibrium and no one remembers... 😞

Some where in the sacred time stream a younger oldskool building a Rad/Rad Defender is asking this question. Here is a way to walk through some decisions. Having either 45% defense to one or more positional/types or 75% resistance to one or more types is a great thing to shoot for. The armor sets considered "really good" are the ones that have the easiest time doing this and may even do more. Easy sets can be ones like Invulnerability, Super Reflexes, Ninjutsu, Energy Aura, and Electric Armor. (These can check at least one box of either defense or resist) If a set has you searching for all the possible IO sets to raise either defense or resistance up, then the worst that set is going to feel. Hard to work for sets can be ones like Dark Armor, Regeneration, and even Willpower. (These have to work either a bit harder [Willpower] to a lot harder [Regeneration] to close some gaps) Some sets, like Bio Armor, Radiation Armor, and Fiery Aura, may be difficult to build comprehensive defenses on, but they come with additional damage. That additional damage is a consideration worth taking when picking an armor set. So you have offensive heavy sets (Bio Armor, etc.), and defense heavy sets (everything not Bio/Fiery/Rad). The easier the defensive set to deal with the better it is. Combos move from "good" to "great" when either side of the equation allows the other to close some gaps or really push a strength further. So like, in this pairing here for Radiation Blast you see my previously poo-pooing a bit on it for damage. That's just because I don't find the baseline damage all that great with full sets (something Regen wants). However, if you put procs in some attacks Radiation Blast's potential goes up really fast. Armor sets that enable that kind of build are going to be the easier ones. That's Invulnerability, Super Reflexes, and the like. Those sets are fairly self-contained and don't need much help from full set bonuses. The reverse of this is also true. Fire Blast can perform decently without procs, and it has few anyway, allowing you to build more full sets. That works really well for armor sets that need the mitigation help. So, for example, a Fire Blast/Willpower build could potentially soft-cap multiple types of damage while still having OK damage. This is not me saying that baseline Fire Blast with full sets compares identically to Radiation Blast with procs. That'd be stupid. This is more like baseline Fire Blast damage is higher than baseline Radiation Blast. Now, even if you want to build on full sets you could still push single target damage higher by using an Epic Pool hold with damage procs (so only one power needs it). That combined with a melee power (you need it to unlock the latter) can really push your DPS higher. Well, push it for single-target DPS at least. If you want more AoE options you can go that route instead. Anyway, this is not a simple question to answer even if Fire Blast or Electrical Blast combined with Bio Armor works out really well in hypotheticals. Some other combinations can still be really good, even great, if you're using one set to close gaps of the other. I guess the 500lb gorilla to the question is, does this limit build diversity? Yes, it does and it has a remarkably dramatic shift for Sentinels vs other ATs. All ATs have winners and loser combos, but I've never played an AT where the difference really punches you in the stomach like it can with Sentinels. That aspect of removing some player agency is a failure of the AT. Still, there are plenty of possible combinations that can be real gems to play even if you're not making Stalkers/Scrappers/Blasters blush with envy. Side note: None of my explanation is to say Rad/Regen is trash. It isn't. However, the combination is going to have a real hard time being the most uber defensive powerhouse (without some outside support) while doing the highest damage it is capable of. This is just a combination that doesn't do both (solo) so a player should pick one and go with it. Some combinations don't have such a stark difference in choice. Dual Pistols has to pay for its homage to Equilibrium. How else does Taye Diggs pay his rent?

Not sure what server you are on, but on Indom there is a dedicated TF LFG channel created by players. The server forums may have something similar. Those can be really nice to have. If I see someone making a TF team there, I can just say "me me" and off I go. I don't even have friends. 😛

I much prefer the Dark/Dark Controller vs the Dark/Dark Dominator. There are a lot of good powers to choose from and it can make slots really tight for the Dominator. The Controller is in a similar boat, but the Dark Miasma variant is so good it is hard to ignore. Plus, the Controller gets Dark Servant to compliment Haunt and Umbra Beast. It really has that whole shadow constructs vibe going for it. Dark/Dark Defenders are great too if not maybe a bit of overkill on to-hit debuffing. That is a combo I think can work for Corruptors where some of the AoE boost in Scourge may be worth the trade in debuff potential. Hard to go wrong with either though as Dark Miasma is just a great powerset no matter what AT it is on.

Thanks for the response. I've read over your works before and already have a good idea on how thorough you are. Maybe I should have opened with that. Anyway, you're essentially confirming to me you've already thought through what is available to you. Given the limitations of the Sentinel, as it currently is, I don't see space in your build for meaningful changes.

It looks like you accomplished all of your goals already. So, congrats! Just noting that the highlighted isn't a question and there is no context surrounding what this means. "Enough offense to kill mobs" is the goal. You've met that. You should be able to take out enemies with what you have. What isn't stated is how fast you want to do it. Your reasons against VS are sound. The question about PJ's DPA seems a bit silly given that you opted not to invest in the power at all. If you're happy with the utility, then I recommend you not stress about this further. Storm Elemental Lore pets may be the most thematic. For Reactive, I prefer the Radial vs Core. The resistance debuff is rather small and will be heavily resisted against any targets that matter. May as well go for the higher damage proc chance. Assault, I tend to prefer Radial for the damage proc effect. However, you have a lot of enhanced recharge so the +damage is probably better for your build. It may be worth testing on the Test Server to see which you prefer vs just relying on a spreadsheet. That's all I've got.

Welcome to a safe space where no one here is going to chastise you for not taking both the T1 and T2. The builds are heavily aligned towards defense which makes sense in the content. However, why pick Water Blast and skip Steam Spray? Why take this set with an AoE Immobilize and also skip Whirlpool? It seems like the answer is to stack more defensive measures,...

There might be a disconnect here. There are certainly conflicting goals in builds that need to be addressed to make sense of things. By things, I mean your combat logs and what people often ask for. The results are polar opposites. First off, let me address why at least I recommend Psionic Mastery as much as I do. There are few reasons. 1) I used to ask folks about what their target DPS goal was. I always was left without an answer. - People do not have a clear idea on how much damage they should be doing. They just want to do "the highest". 2) I try to understand context of #1. This is almost always due to someone struggling to take down a boss solo *and* wanting to push their character as far as they can. 3) Psionic Mastery is the best epic for this. So, that said I'll explain my position and then I want to point out some things from those parses. *Why* does Psionic Mastery excel so well? It has a lot do with animation and recharge times combined with baseline damage. You are 100% correct that Mind Probe is not the highest damage attack per hit. However, its per activation damage is on par with Havoc Punch and Knockout Blow. However, Mind Probe recharges in *half* the time that Knockout Blow does. Havoc Punch is close, but that mastery doesn't have a hold. Paralyzing Jolt is not on par with Dominate (though the combo isn't horrible). So Mind Probe has a benefit of fast animation and recharge while retaining a throughput in a level of other heavy hitters. That still makes Mind Probe a really solid power, but it doesn't become exceptional without procc'ed out Dominate. Dominate also has a fast acting animation AND recharge. Dominate's recharge is *half* that of Char and Netherworld Grasp. I consider both of those latter powers to be pretty good alternatives, but there is no discounting that Dominate is available *twice* as often while having nearly the same damage potential with identical slotting. So, all things considered (animation time, recharge time, etc.) it is no surprise Psychic Mastery can start pulling ahead in single-target damage options. Then on top of that it comes with Link Minds which is another potential source of +5% defense to everything that can be made permanent with high global recharge. When it comes to individual power comparisons like Power Burst and Dominate, it really isn't a wash when considering damage per activation. Dominate has a clear advantage and it isn't even close. Higher single-target DPA powers used consecutively over time will yield higher damage output in the end. So this too is why the combo is talked about so much. Yes, this kind of touches on the Pylon comment you raise. Now, I think there is a layer of absolute absurdity in the hyper focus on the highest possible DPS through the use of DPA like this (if that is your thought process, then I very much agree with you). You kind of touch on this by saying Mind Probe isn't the hardest hitter. There is value in taking bigger chunks of enemy life because enemies in this game are largely minions and their health total is smaller. Taking them out faster, even one-by-one, is a noticeable event vs trying to gain the highest DPS when facing a wall of hit points. It is the instant gratification effect. The other factor to consider is that Sentinels can layer multiple sources of resistance debuff which compounds high DPA powers and especially so with procs. So once again the ability to rapidly fire off Dominates twice as often as Char becomes a boon when stacking debuffs. However, this only really matters for enemies that can survive this. So I recommend Psychic Mastery for both Mind Probe + Dominate because it seems to be the best option out of all of them for the highest benefit of single-target damage. This is not to say I think the other sets are trash because I don't. This is a mixture of people not being clear in what they want and the current DPS meta being what it is. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OK, the parses. So, I just finished my commentary on the merits of Mind Probe + Dominate as being what I find to be an excellent choice for resolving a common single-target issue. Now, why is it that the Electrical Mastery parse had higher DPS than the Psionic Mastery one? Area of Effect and maybe style of play...? There is a lot to unpack in those parses. Edit: Changes based on a re-eval of the parses. I need to be more clear... What immediately stood out was the time in combat difference. The Psychic Mastery run spent more time in combat, but some of the activation metrics suggest something happened (pause, lack of positioning, etc.). The Electrical Mastery run appears FAR more aggressive than the other. Some of this is a little skewed by how often Chain Fences and Lightning Field contribute damage. Every instance of damage is recorded as an activation, but it is really unlikely Chain Fences was clicked on 519 times. Also, somewhat telling on the time difference is the usage of Energy Torrent and Explosive Blast. These are both very close in activation numbers. Since these powers are direct damage these are a bit more relatable to actual clicks/activations of the power. Even more interesting, is the Electrical Mastery run had both Energy Torrent and Explosive Blast contributing more damage per target than the other run. Their activation times were already really close but the increased damage per hit put them over the Psychic Mastery run despite slightly more activations. Furthermore, Ion Judgement was used one more time in a shorter combat period than Psionic Mastery was. There was enough time running to have used it more often, BUT circumstances may have prohibited this. That missed activation was a damage loss. There are far more uses of Mind Probe than there are of Havoc Punch. This suggests that the combination of AoE powers being used in the Electrical Mastery run *may* have reduced a need for a single target power. However, Psychic Mastery is an opposite power set, and Mind Probe by itself isn't really going to pull enough weight vs Havoc Punch in this build. It doesn't look like Dominate with procs was used. Dominate shows up in the list as 0 damage from the player and this is a power Rikti have. So the data here doesn't really tell a clear picture. It is biased information on AoE which is something the Electrical Mastery set is good at, but Psychic Mastery is weak against. This really isn't a big surprise. The parses are very interesting to read through though and I appreciate that they were shared. It isn't really conclusive that Electrical Mastery would be stronger for say, soloing an AV. The results between the two may have been different, but it is also important to remember that Havoc Punch and Mind Probe are very similar DPA-wise. Their cooldowns may make a difference, but the real strength in Psychic Mastery is leveraging both Mind Probe and Dominate. Not just one or the other.

If you're feeling swarmed due to the increased mob size, then maybe consider lowering the team count to 5 or 6. That will reduce enemies which means you aren't taking as many potential hits. You can then maybe explore raising the enemy level range up a bit if that is what you're going for. As you start building up more in the Incarantes +3 or +4 may start to be more comfortable. The /x# team size issue may always be there just because the more enemies there are the more chances they have to overwhelm your defense. There was a thread else where that was asking if not playing at +4/x8 was "doing it wrong". You'd be amazed at how many Blaster blow hard responded with playing at +2/x6 or some combination where they can total abuse the lower target count with their nukes. So don't be ashamed to lower the difficulty. There are plenty of posters that make people believe all AT combos are capable of doing the hardest possible content while blowing total bullshit.