Best Ranged Sentinel

[oldskool]

I use Ninja Caltrops (renamed to something random, but it's still Caltrops) at my feet to discourage too friendly mobs and add still more slows and more -recharge. 

 

I chuckled at this.  Tashibishi as a name doesn't fit the action taken.  There is no singular word in Japanese for caltrop.  The terms used describe what it is.  Makibishi would have made more sense to me since that is an act of throwing/scattering tiny spikes intended to slowdown movement.  Other terms get very very specific as to the type of caltrop like ones made of iron, or ones designed like flower petals. 

 

It feels like the original designers looked up something from Blackbelt Magazine, which had advertisements for "Ninja Tashbibishi Caltrops", and then went from there. 

 

This just adds on to how Ninjitsu is spelled the way it is verse Ninjutsu or how all Katana users are left handed which isn't how classic Japanese swordplay is traditionally taught.  I have no problems with Ninja blade being left handed.  There are a lot of reasons why a ninja would do that. ANYWAY.

 

Kemuridama is one where I also laughed because it is accurate!!! It means smoke bomb, and that is what the power is! 

 

Another good laugh is the use of Bo Ryaku.  That word doesn't mean what I think they thought it means.  Also funny stuff.

 

Sorry to sidetrack but that comment was too funny to pass. 

 

I use caltrops on my DP/Nin, but I like playing close range.  The benefit for caltrops is it creates a nice buffer zone in which melee likes to run out and switch to range.  Worried about DDR in melee on Nin?  Toss out some caltrops and let those baddies back off a bit.  Then pick them off at mid-range.  Use it with a long-range character to create some chaos or slow them down.  It's so versatile.

[SmalltalkJava]

Water most exemplifies the strength of a Sentinel over the melee archetypes. It also at the same time showcases some of its weaknesses compared to a Blaster (though it also clearly shows how the drawbacks are overwhelmed by the advantages in practice). This is because Water is overwhelmingly AoE.

How many Scrappers can hit ten guys at a time in a 20ft radius? How many Brutes can take two guys 30ft apart out with a single melee cone? But the Sentinel can. Likewise, in large high level groups those target caps and lower base damage can make themselves rather felt. Hitting 2/3 of the enemies instead of all of them is still great, but you can't *not* notice it.

 

Beam's probably the other big Sentinel special, due to adding the Refractor beam where other Beam Rifle users have no such thing. The set handles spectacularly with the missing "ball" suddenly thrown in.

 

So are you saying that Beam Rifle works pretty well on a Sentinel?

[KaizenSoze]

Water most exemplifies the strength of a Sentinel over the melee archetypes. It also at the same time showcases some of its weaknesses compared to a Blaster (though it also clearly shows how the drawbacks are overwhelmed by the advantages in practice). This is because Water is overwhelmingly AoE.

How many Scrappers can hit ten guys at a time in a 20ft radius? How many Brutes can take two guys 30ft apart out with a single melee cone? But the Sentinel can. Likewise, in large high level groups those target caps and lower base damage can make themselves rather felt. Hitting 2/3 of the enemies instead of all of them is still great, but you can't *not* notice it.

 

I am no expert on water blast, but so far I have been very very happy with it on Sentinel. Water blast is an end hog and radiation has enough end buffs to keep shooting continuously. I can chain

TF->GS->WB->SS or TF->WB->SS->GS depending on recharge on every group. The soft control, KD, is good for the whole group.

 

I still contend that it is possible, that over an entire mission, some sentinels will out damage blasters or at least corrupters, because we can keep shooting w/o fear of getting killed. Hard to prove though.

 

I tried making a corrupter version, the damage appears to be better, but the lack of end buffs and sacrifices made for mezz protection are hurting. She is low level still, might get better.

 

Also, do underestimate the toughest aspect of Sentinels. Last night, yet again, 6/8 teammates down, just the tanker and myself left. I spent two minutes dog fighting with mobs while the group recovered. I rarely die.

 

We need a TF with a death cap, die three times are you're out. :)

[DocRadio]

You are wasting your time.  People do not come to this board to learn how the Sentinel works.  They come here for the express purpose of confirming their preconceived notion that sentinels are inferior, regardless of how ill formed those notions are.  Use of maths just confuses them.

 

Actually sentinels are balanced pretty well. Survivable enough to make up for their lower damage. And damaging enough to be formidable. I think they're my new favorite class.

[Murcielago]

I'm playing a ranged sentinel using archery/sr. Archery doesn't offer much in the way of control, it only has stunning shot which is a good single target stun but it doesn't last long but it has a ranged nuke in Rain of Arrows and knockback in explosive arrow. Between RoA, EA, and FFA you can clear a group easily and then pick off the rest.

 

I'd say pick a primary that has some control aspects to it e.g. dark (-to hit and a self heal), ice (slow and holds), water (a little bit of everything)

 

and pick a secondary that is self sufficient without needing enemies surrounding you to buff you and has multiple types of damage mitigation rather than just relying on one type of damage mitigation to save you.

[DocRadio]

Funny. My highest sentinel is fire/fiery aura and he has no control beyond blazing blasts fairly reliable knockback. As for mitigation, okay resists, a fast charging self heal, and a boost to regen. Of course that build pumps out raw damage so that in it self is pretty helpful. I'm going to try Fire/Atomic next.

[Murcielago]

Funny. My highest sentinel is fire/fiery aura and he has no control beyond blazing blasts fairly reliable knockback. As for mitigation, okay resists, a fast charging self heal, and a boost to regen. Of course that build pumps out raw damage so that in it self is pretty helpful. I'm going to try Fire/Atomic next.

That's definitely the kill first or be killed playstyle lol.

[Destlin]

Remember that sents actually get a giant radius on their ancillary control powers just in case anyone forgot. Might help a water sent keep everything in their whirlpool.

[FUBARczar]

 

 

So are you saying that Beam Rifle works pretty well on a Sentinel?

 

Oh yeah, Beam is great, if you aren't constrained by concept, or can add a rifle to your concept pick up Beam Rifle.

 

Sentinel Beam Rifle...

 

dps...check

-res...check

-regen...check

-def...check

some soft control...check

awesome ranged T9...check