Sentinel Waterblast/EA Critique

[serxiom]

I just comeout with this build. I know can be improved with some purples but i dont want to be crazy expensive. Open to some ideas if you want to chip in.

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.962
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Fogtastic: Level 50 Magic Sentinel
Primary Power Set: Water Blast
Secondary Power Set: Energy Aura
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Hydro Blast

• (A) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage
• (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance
• (5) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge
• (7) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (7) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (15) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 1: Kinetic Shield

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (3) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (27) Red Fortune - Defense
• (29) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (29) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (31) Red Fortune - Endurance
  

Level 2: Water Burst

• (A) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage
• (9) Annihilation - Damage/RechargeTime
• (9) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• (11) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (11) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (40) Annihilation - Chance for Res Debuff
  

Level 4: Power Shield

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (31) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
• (34) Red Fortune - Defense/Recharge
• (36) Red Fortune - Endurance
• (36) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
• (37) Red Fortune - Defense
  

Level 6: Dehydrate

• (A) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• (17) Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge
• (17) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
• (25) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
  

Level 8: Super Jump

• (A) Empty
  

Level 10: Energize

• (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal
• (19) Doctored Wounds - Recharge
• (37) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
• (37) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
• (39) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
  

Level 12: Kinetic Dampening

• (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance
• (13) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
• (13) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
• (15) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge
  

Level 14: Tidal Forces

• (A) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff/Recharge
• (19) Rectified Reticle - To Hit Buff
  

Level 16: Entropy Shield

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

Level 18: Aqua Bolt

• (A) Entropic Chaos - Chance of Heal Self
  

Level 20: Water Jet

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
• (21) Devastation - Chance of Hold
• (21) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
• (27) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
• (40) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
• (40) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
  

Level 22: Power Armor

• (A) Reactive Armor - Resistance
• (23) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance
• (23) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
• (25) Reactive Armor - Resistance/Recharge
  

Level 24: Whirlpool

• (A) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff
• (31) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Defense Debuff
• (45) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Recharge
• (45) Shield Breaker - Defense Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
• (45) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
• (48) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage
  

Level 26: Steam Spray

• (A) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage
• (39) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Damage/RechargeTime
• (46) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/RechargeTime
• (46) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
• (46) Superior Sentinel's Ward - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/RechargeTime
• (48) Superior Sentinel's Ward - RechargeTime/Chance for +Absorb
  

Level 28: Repelling Force

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 30: Kick

• (A) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge
  

Level 32: Geyser

• (A) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Recharge
• (33) Razzle Dazzle - Endurance/Stun
• (33) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Endurance
• (33) Razzle Dazzle - Stun/Range
• (34) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge
• (34) Razzle Dazzle - Chance of Immobilize
  

Level 35: Tough

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
• (36) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
• (39) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance
  

Level 38: Weave

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (42) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (48) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 41: Power Drain

• (A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod
• (42) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge
• (42) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge
• (43) Efficacy Adaptor - Accuracy/Recharge
• (43) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy
• (43) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Endurance
  

Level 44: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 47: Combat Jumping

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

Level 49: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Empty
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run 

Level 2: Swift

 

http://www.cohplanner.com/mids/download.php?uc=1442&c=664&a=1328&f=HEX&dc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

[SwitchFade]

You've gutted your dmaage output. Geyser, Whirlpool and dehydrate are huge damage output.

 

You have hasten at 49, this will be a very painfully slow crawl to 49, even at +0

 

Tons of wasted slots in power drain, you can solve end issues other ways.

 

For starters.

[SwitchFade]

Annihilation is better off in whirlpool. Tough, weave have good set bonus potential, look to 5 slot this at least. Tidal forces is way under slotted, you'll hit this and then geyser, you want them on the same recharge timer.

[oldskool]

I'll have to load the data chunk later to see some of the more granular details, but in the meantime I'll toss my 2 influence about set choice. 

 

The Sentinel is a damage dealing archetype.  As a damage dealing archetype it has reduced effectiveness in any secondary "support" effects.  Effects like defense debuff, resistance debuff, negative to-hit, self healing, and so on.  You're never going to bolster your powers through enhancement in the manner that at Defender or Corruptor can.  It's just not going to happen.  Both of those ATs can, and will, run circles around you in their debuff potential.  When you take an archetype like the Sentinel and try to convert it into a jury-rigged Defender, then said Defender can also run circles around you on damage too. 

This is one of the few times I will ever say that a Defender will out damage a Sentinel.  Generally it is hyperbole, but in cases like this you really are better off playing an entirely different AT if the goal is push secondary support in your attacks.  A Defender will out perform your debuffs in their primary power set alone.  Then, if said Defender even remotely specs into damage their second will still out perform this build in debuffs while also doing more damage too. 

I'd recommend leaning into what the Sentinel's role is, damage.  Use damage sets in powers like Whirlpool, Geyser, Dehydrate, and so on.  This looks like a build aiming for less expensive sets, and that's totally fine.  Go for what you can afford, but don't sacrifice damage for other things.  Sentinels are already pretty durable by default and if pushing to soft cap defenses with a budget build is going to gut your damage don't do it.  The return on investment just isn't there.

 

I see you have only the Sentinel Ward set in Steam Spray.  That set has great bonuses but the proc is hot garbage.  The absorb shield is disappointing in practice since it does quirky things like get effected by enemy level which will grant you something like 15 pts of absorb against a level 54 enemy.  I'm not criticizing the placement of this set.  Honestly, it is fine in Steam Spray.  I'm just letting you know how the proc works in practice to temper expectations.  

 

I do not see the Opportunity Strikes ATO at all.  The Opportunity Strikes ATO justifiably gets a bad reputation because that proc too is underwhelming, most of time.  There are a small number of attack sets that can make good use of that set though.  Water Blast is one of those exceptions.  The Opportunity Strikes set can work very well in Whirlpool, Geyser, Water Burst, or even Water Jet.  Generally I prefer something else in Water Jet, but due to its interaction with Tidal Forces its worth mentioning. 

 

I also agree that if you are going to bother with the Annihilation set at all, then Whirlpool is the best spot for it.  I also agree with the above that Power Drain is over slotted.  You can even skip that power if you like.

[SwitchFade]

Had a little more time to look,

 

That FF io in kick is a waste of cash, as you're not gonna be using the power.

 

It looks like you're going for high recharge, which is good, but you may be missing the easiest sources of it in sets. Shoot for a recharge on both your nuke and tidal forces at 23-27 seconds as this is your primary damage output.

 

 

[Underfyre]

My turn!

Alright, so first thing I noticed was that you had Rectified Reticle in Tidal Forces. Like Switch said, you want more recharge in it for 1, but for 2, you slotted for the defense bonus you didn't need. You're already at 49% S/L, 4% over softcap. I mean if you're not going to put Gaussian's in there, at least just double slot it for recharge. Eek out 2% damage from Adjusted Targeting. Just... something else. An IO recharge and a Guassian's would nearly sync it up with Geyser's recharge.

 

None of your powers are PBAE. If you were already going to be in the thick of it to justify Power Drain, go for it, but otherwise it's not really worth it. Energize is a pretty nice endurance discount, so you won't really be end starved.

 

It's been said, but slot Whirlpool/Geyser for damage. If you're looking for budget, go ahead and slot Annihilation again, you'll probably never have so much uptime on the debuff that it'll be wasted. Geyser would have a 71% chance to proc on a 27 second recharge, which ain't bad. Realistically your opener will be Tidal Forces into Geyser, even on a single target, so that's almost a guarantee for a moderate damage boost. I understand you're chasing defense with Shield Breaker in Whirlpool, but once again it's completely superfluous. Losing that will still keep you over softcap and put some teeth into one of your highest DPA abilities. Personally I'd 5 slot Positron in there and tack an Achilles Heel for the 6th slot, but you can slot whatever you want in there, proc wise.

 

If you're not going to slot Aqua Bolt, then don't waste a proc on it. That's needless money spent.

 

Rather than 6 slotting Devastation, 5 slot it and tack a damage proc on it. The hold isn't stellar and the Psionic defense is putting a bandaid on a gaping wound anyway.

 

Same goes for putting that Aegis Psionic resist into Tough. Is 5% resistance going to be saving any lives? Take that out and 6 slot Preventative Medicine into Energize.

 

If you take out Power Drain, maybe drop in Assault and put your freed up slots into Dehydrate. You already have a heal, but if you really want to slot Dehydrate for healing, go for it. It's DPA isn't much to write home about compared to your main attack abilities anyway. There is a whole array of procs you can slot it with, so you can frankenslot it a bit, but even that barely brings it in line with your current slotting of Hydro Blast.

 

Anyway, that's all I see for running a budget build.

 

Edit: all of my recommended changes will keep you over softcap for S/L/F/C/E.

Edited February 14, 2020 by underfyre

[SwitchFade]

Also, my water/Sr didn't take the T1 attack, that triggers opportunity offense. The increase in damage is pitiful. I only use the t2, which procs healing. Basically all my attacks heal me for a bit, plus dehydrate heals too. Surprisingly it keeps me at full health even after take a shot or two. Most build you see will drop the T1 attack by lvl 30.