Build critique: DP/SR/Psy Sentinel

[Grimm2]

Looks like my lastest project is a dropout from Night Widow school. Amazingly, I've never given DP, SR, or Sentinel Psy mastery a fair shake, and was itching to make a new Sentinel. I've dug into the forums and made a build to aim for, using @oldskool's basic frame of Pistols/Suppressive/Executioner each with 3 Thunderstrikes and 3 procs. I ended up with something at Incarnate-defense levels, a hair off of perma-hasten, and...I dunno, tell me how it can be improved!

 

At level 40 so far and it's really, really fun to play. I think the endurance is OK, and I figure that 60% slow resist is probably fine what with defense dodging most attacks. More slow resist is a great quality-of-life, but I'm not sure I could improve it without giving up recharge or proc damage.

Sentinel (Dual Pistols - Super Reflexes) - psi mastery.mbd

[Grimm2]

The defense in this build looked way too high, and I only just now figured out what was wrong. Hail of Bullets was toggled on, oops. Without that error, the build is sitting at the def softcap, and Link Minds offers a comfortable buffer. Going to scour for other misleading toggles now...

[Lhanis]

Looks fantastic! Solid defenses, Great recovery, near-perma hasten, accuracy is covered well, pretty good slow resist... giving me ideas for my own _/SR/Psi. 

 

My nitpick would be that Link Minds is a great place to have the entire Reactive Defenses set sit, as you get quite a bit of goodies out of it and you're already having it take 5 slots there anyway. It'd push Hasten to Perma and let you get more DDR out of Dodge. But I'm not even sure you really need the End Redux and you lose a smidge of %Damage, so that's largely just personal preference I think.

 

Great setup, overall!

Edited December 10, 2023 by Lhanis

[StrikerFox]

Cool build! I would probably try to 4 slot Shield Wall into Focused Fighting, Focused Senses and Evasion. Just for the E/N +res. Spread out the LotG +7.5% to CJ, Link Minds, Enduring and/or Dodge so that no +rech is lost. Move the Winter's Gift to Combat TP. I don't know much about Sentinels but noticed the ATO2 was skipped. Maybe slot that in Hail of Bullets and put Armageddon in Psychic Shockwave. If endurance isn't an issue, scale it back. Drop the Performance Shifter procs for Power Transfer for some random heals. Maybe change Musculature Radial to Core. Add Numina's if it's less than ideal.

 

Sentinel (Dual Pistols - Super Reflexes) - psi mastery2.mbd

[Grimm2]

Awesome feedback @Lhanis and @StrikerFox, thank you! I incorporated suggestions from you both and ended up with improved recharge (perma-Hasten), HP, and e/n resist. I waffled on the Superior Opportunity Strikes set, as the proc is just OK, but extra range enhancement is always nice. As DP has cryo ammo which gives a constant 33% range buff, I'm leaning towards Armageddon in Hail of Bullets for the extra proc damage. Here's where it sits currently.

Sentinel (Dual Pistols - Super Reflexes) - psi mastery.mbd

[Lhanis]

Very nice! Should be a lot of fun to play, here's hoping!

[oldskool]

@Grimm2 I had looked at the build a couple of weeks ago, but figured now is as good a time to say something as any. 😉 

 

In the past, I used to weigh Pistols a bit heavier in my builds for a lot of nuanced reasons. One of those was in how I could make the use of old Opportunity as easy for me as possible while maximizing damage output in a scope of time (between 4 - 6 seconds; this helps when picking powers). 

 

Well, now that Opportunity is different, none of that older advice really matters anymore. So, this means when talking about heavy proc use Dual Wield can fit much, much, better into the discussion. DW was actually always a good alternative, and especially so with Homecoming's Ice Minstrel's Torment, but is basically even better now, in my opinion. 

 

That said, do you need a respec to change everything up to squeeze out maybe a bit more DPS? Probably not. I'm just bringing this up that there are other means to optimize Dual Pistols, within the context of keeping in the set itself, and other approaches are still pretty good. 

 

I don't play as much anymore, but I haven't seen a need to respec any of my Dual Wield characters since the last major patch. For the Sentinel, specifically, I run Dual Wield, Suppressive Fire, and Executioner's shot. I use two each of Gladiator's Javelin (Acc/Dmg, Toxic proc), a general damage IO +5, and then 3 more procs. The slotting of Executioner's shot is different as I leverage 2x Gladiator's, 2x Apocalypse (Damage +5, damage proc), and put Achilles' Heel here. All in all, each of these 3 powers has 4 procs and around 126%+ damage when Musculature Core Alpha can be used. 

[Grimm2]

On 12/26/2023 at 5:27 AM, oldskool said:

@Grimm2 I had looked at the build a couple of weeks ago, but figured now is as good a time to say something as any. 😉 

 

In the past, I used to weigh Pistols a bit heavier in my builds for a lot of nuanced reasons. One of those was in how I could make the use of old Opportunity as easy for me as possible while maximizing damage output in a scope of time (between 4 - 6 seconds; this helps when picking powers). 

 

Well, now that Opportunity is different, none of that older advice really matters anymore. So, this means when talking about heavy proc use Dual Wield can fit much, much, better into the discussion. DW was actually always a good alternative, and especially so with Homecoming's Ice Minstrel's Torment, but is basically even better now, in my opinion. 

 

That said, do you need a respec to change everything up to squeeze out maybe a bit more DPS? Probably not. I'm just bringing this up that there are other means to optimize Dual Pistols, within the context of keeping in the set itself, and other approaches are still pretty good. 

 

I don't play as much anymore, but I haven't seen a need to respec any of my Dual Wield characters since the last major patch. For the Sentinel, specifically, I run Dual Wield, Suppressive Fire, and Executioner's shot. I use two each of Gladiator's Javelin (Acc/Dmg, Toxic proc), a general damage IO +5, and then 3 more procs. The slotting of Executioner's shot is different as I leverage 2x Gladiator's, 2x Apocalypse (Damage +5, damage proc), and put Achilles' Heel here. All in all, each of these 3 powers has 4 procs and around 126%+ damage when Musculature Core Alpha can be used. 

@oldskool, it's so dope to hear from you, thanks for taking the time to respond! It's been a busy end of the year and I haven't played much myself, but I wanted to give a general update about this character.

 

I have been playing a slightly modified version of my last posted build, and it is a ton of fun. The procced single-target chain is very effective, and Sentinel SR is just fantastic. There are a few downsides/weak points I've identified.

 

I am endurance stable in the ST chain, but if I go too hard with AoE, then I hemorrhage endurance. Psychic Shockwave is the major culprit here. Mids has the incorrect damage value for this power, it hits for 37 base damage, at level 50. It is poo-poo, yucky poo-poo, as far as defeating foes goes. I manage to fit 3 dmg procs in it with 5 slots invested, and it is better, but I have to pace my useage of both Psychic Shockwave and Bullet Rain to be nice to the blue bar.

 

AoE damage is not the build's strong suit. I enjoy my elec/ea/elec Sentinel better on that front. On teams I launch my AoE chain to open, then look for bosses. It has AoE, it just doesn't...feel great, I guess.

 

Finally, I love your suggestions for slotting the 3 primary attacks, @oldskool. Attached is a build with the suggested changes, my 2 concerns are needing Link Minds to hit Ranged def softcap, and the aforementioned endurance instability. I wonder if endurance will be stable in the ST chain without endredux slotting in those 3 powers.

 

All feedback welcome!

Sentinel (Dual Pistols - Super Reflexes) - psi mastery.mbd

[Grimm2]

10 hours ago, Grimm2 said:

@oldskool, it's so dope to hear from you, thanks for taking the time to respond! It's been a busy end of the year and I haven't played much myself, but I wanted to give a general update about this character.

 

I have been playing a slightly modified version of my last posted build, and it is a ton of fun. The procced single-target chain is very effective, and Sentinel SR is just fantastic. There are a few downsides/weak points I've identified.

 

I am endurance stable in the ST chain, but if I go too hard with AoE, then I hemorrhage endurance. Psychic Shockwave is the major culprit here. Mids has the incorrect damage value for this power, it hits for 37 base damage, at level 50. It is poo-poo, yucky poo-poo, as far as defeating foes goes. I manage to fit 3 dmg procs in it with 5 slots invested, and it is better, but I have to pace my useage of both Psychic Shockwave and Bullet Rain to be nice to the blue bar.

 

AoE damage is not the build's strong suit. I enjoy my elec/ea/elec Sentinel better on that front. On teams I launch my AoE chain to open, then look for bosses. It has AoE, it just doesn't...feel great, I guess.

 

Finally, I love your suggestions for slotting the 3 primary attacks, @oldskool. Attached is a build with the suggested changes, my 2 concerns are needing Link Minds to hit Ranged def softcap, and the aforementioned endurance instability. I wonder if endurance will be stable in the ST chain without endredux slotting in those 3 powers.

 

All feedback welcome!

Sentinel (Dual Pistols - Super Reflexes) - psi mastery.mbd 44.5 kB · 0 downloads

Well I got a wild hair and respecced into the build above instead of going to bed on time 😛 So, I'll answer some of my own questions...

 

There are other toons I have that are better at AoE, but this guy isn't terrible. As long as I'm not hammering out Psy Shockwaves (which gives its procs some rest time so slower interval casts are more meaningful), endurance is still ok. Upkeep on Link Minds is ok with a handy keybind. 4-procced powers are very very nice!!!

 

Really cool build, do recommend, very fun to play and glad it's in my stable. 👍