Dark Blast, need to skip some powers. Gloom or Life Drain?

[Gone]

This is my first sentinel and I'm having a very difficult time fitting in the powers I want to for my build, this AT seems to have a need for more primary/secondary powers than other AT's.

 

I've already settled on skipping the Cone (Umbral Torrent) which hurts, but I still need to drop one more power and it has to be either Gloom or Life Drain.  Gloom gives access to opportunity which is nice but unnecessary, and Life Drain gives a small heal which again is unnecessary.  Gloom is a DoT and Life Drain is frontloaded, and they have very similar damage numbers and recharge according to pines. I can't keep both no matter how I figure it, so this is a must-choose (I have enough recharge planned that one of them would be useless anyway and wouldn't fit into an attack chain).

 

Anyone with experience in this powerset on Sentinels have an opinion?  I'd like to finish up my build but as it stands this is a roadblock.

[Adeon Hawkwood]

What secondary do you have?

[Gone]

Energy.  Already have a heal and endurance management covered.

[Force Redux]

Energy.  Already have a heal and endurance management covered.

 

I have a Dark/Ninja sentinel, so same situation. I went with Gloom, all things being equal. When you exemplar down, you'll keep access to it, unlike Life Drain, where you may be too low level.

[oldskool]

Dark Blast (the T1 is also the name of the set), Gloom, Abyssal Gaze, and Antumbral Beam are your highest DPA picks in Sentinel Dark Blast.  That's even after taking into account the incorrect numbers in Pine's.  The scaling is off, but the DPA rates are correct. 

 

Just to note for the OP, while the numbers per shot may look similar, the devil is in the details.  Gloom animates faster and Life Drain is slower.  So as a damage per activation comparison (DPA), Gloom is stronger.  It's also stronger by just base numbers too.  Even though the T1 Dark Blast may look weak, because it animates faster (and thus allowing you to recover for another attack faster too) it out performs Life Drain.  However, that level of performance isn't a huge number on it's face.  The other major factor to consider is the Offensive Opportunity (which you seem to grasp already). 

 

The utility offered by Life Drain is the value it brings more so than the damage (which is just ok). 

 

Any Secondary with a self heal already will probably depreciate the heal in Life Drain.  Also worth noting, is that Sentinel's have lower defense values across the board.  Life Drain doesn't heal as much as other versions of it do.  Typically LD is around 10%+ (depending on AT).  For Sentinel's it is less. 

 

I'd say LD still has some value for sets without a heal, like Super Reflexes (which gets an absorb as an option, not a true heal).  Other sets make LD a preference pick and not a must have.

[Gone]

Thanks for all the info and experiences with the set.  Looks like it's settled, the general consensus is Gloom is the way to go, in this particular instance.  Appreciate the help!

[Force Redux]

Nicely stated Oldskool.

 

I skipped Abyssal Gaze, did not have room for it and my attack chain seems solid enough with Dark Blast, Gloom and Antumbral Beam. But is that a mistake? Am I missing something I've overlooked in consideration?

[oldskool]

Nicely stated Oldskool.

 

I skipped Abyssal Gaze, did not have room for it and my attack chain seems solid enough with Dark Blast, Gloom and Antumbral Beam. But is that a mistake? Am I missing something I've overlooked in consideration?

 

Gloom, Abyssal, and Antumbral do the most damage out of the 5 single target attacks but if you are comfortable with what you have no need to change.  I skip Life Drain, but that is it.

[Gone]

Nicely stated Oldskool.

 

I skipped Abyssal Gaze, did not have room for it and my attack chain seems solid enough with Dark Blast, Gloom and Antumbral Beam. But is that a mistake? Am I missing something I've overlooked in consideration?

 

I've been giving Abyssal a lot of use and it's definitely a strong performer.  Worth fitting in if you have space, but again Sentinels need so many powers sacrifices have to be made.