Sentinel Range Theory

[Tachstar]

I have a theory! Sentinels are nearsighted with astigmatism.

 

 

Actually, she might make it to 50. I've been playing some of my long-neglected sentinels a lot more over the past few days and it's been a lot of fun, so...

 

But yeah. The range thing. I really don't get why that's a thing, given the name of the archetype. /e more fuel on the fire

[biostem]

Of all the Sentinels I've rolled up, my pistol/radiation one is the most fun to play, and sticking with cryo ammo most of the time time I have the same range as blasters.  Still, I get your point, and that character's hilarious!

[Six-Six]

If you're referring to the shorter range Sentinels have, I think it makes sense. Sents were designed to be ranged tanks. So if you're a squad using ranged weapons and powers attacking a foe, the enemy (from my limited experience) will usually focus on the bigger threat or the first to get its attention. Hence, the Sentinel is forcibly put closer to the enemy with their shorter range to take the alpha and aggro while the rest of the squad does THEIR thing.

 

[biostem]

4 minutes ago, Six-Six said:

If you're referring to the shorter range Sentinels have, I think it makes sense. Sents were designed to be ranged tanks. So if you're a squad using ranged weapons and powers attacking a foe, the enemy (from my limited experience) will usually focus on the bigger threat or the first to get its attention. Hence, the Sentinel is forcibly put closer to the enemy with their shorter range to take the alpha and aggro while the rest of the squad does THEIR thing.

I suppose it depends upon your interpretation of things, but to me, the exclusion of any sort of taunt power or aura means to me that they are more intended to be a "stand your ground" ranged damage dealer than a blaster, that needs to leverage mobility.  It's funny - depending upon which primary and secondary selected, my sentinels either end up feeling super-durable or more vulnerable...

[Wavicle]

Armored short range damage dealers. Scrappers that trade some armor for range and trade crits for a target marker, soon to be long range. Passive +Perception and Tohit resistance may help with the astigmatism.

[Tachstar]

8 hours ago, biostem said:

Of all the Sentinels I've rolled up, my pistol/radiation one is the most fun to play, and sticking with cryo ammo most of the time time I have the same range as blasters.  Still, I get your point, and that character's hilarious!

 

I played a seismic/stone sent up to level 6 on the test server the other day and it felt pretty good. I didn't notice any range shortages, and at one point I even thought the cone attack's range was pretty darn, ah, rangey. Then I played a pistols/wp there and my immediate reaction was, why do I have to get so close to shoot these guys? I checked the numbers on both sets and they were the same, so it was entirely a perception thing on my part. 'These pistols are defective! Wait, maybe it's the bullets. Defective gunpowder! Yeah, that's the ticket.'

 

Anyway, I gradually bumped the pistols/wp sentinel up to level 50 and it turned out pretty good, even with just SOs. Added it to my roster of sentinels on the live servers -- highest level ones there being dark/bio and psi/dark, both at 21. I've also been using mostly cryo ammo on the pistols, as I feel the slow effect offers the most benefit vs big crowds.

[Erratic1]

What is this noise about short range?

 

 

Just how far back are you wanting to stand?

[Tachstar]

Farther! Further? Uh. MOAR!

[BazookaTwo]

Spit up one of the ATO sets, and you can triple stack a global range bonus. You're welcome. 

[Erratic1]

40 minutes ago, BazookaTwo said:

Spit up one of the ATO sets, and you can triple stack a global range bonus. You're welcome. 

 

That is what I have done, 😁

[BazookaTwo]

1 minute ago, Erratic1 said:

 

That is what I have done, 😁

 

Teams make funny faces when they see you at range like that and then in melee a few seconds later. 🤣