I have a healthy respect for the Sentinel. It isn’t my favorite sniper rifle, that title goes to the Charge Rifle; but, it has served me well in so many situations that I just can’t hate it. The Sentinel has often been described as a mini Kraber, and while there may be some truth in that, the guns are fairly different.
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The Sentinel aka The Mini Kraber
Ok, let’s discuss why it’s garnered a reputation for being a mini Kraber. For starters, both guns have a bolt-action firing mechanism. Both guns have egregious dispersion when fired from the hip. And, both should be used primarily at long range.
Now let’s take a look at their differences. For starters, the Sentinel has a faster firing rate than the Kraber. Much faster in fact, so if you miss a shot, it isn’t that bad. This first difference ties into the second difference. Because of its faster fire rate, even though the dispersion on both guns is horrible, the Sentinel is more forgiving if you fire it at close range; this leads to funny situations where you can outright beat an enemy with a faster-firing weapon if you get lucky with a shot. The last difference is that one is a regular weapon, while the other is a mythic weapon. This last point can be either a pro or a con, on one hand, the Kraber is outright superior to the Sentinel as a sniper rifle, but on the other hand, if you run out of ammunition – then that’s it!
The Stats of the Sentinel
Now let’s see what it can do.
| Target | Mods | DMG | 100 | 150 | 175 | 200 | 225 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head (2x) | – | 140 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Head | Lvl. 1 | 126 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Head | Lvl. 2 | 105 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Head | Lvl. 3/4 | 95 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Body | – | 70 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Body | Fort | 60 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Legs (0.9x) | – | 63 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Legs | Fort | 54 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
That is impressive for a non-mythic weapon. And if you use the gun’s unique mechanic and amp up your shot, then it becomes even more impressive. But, as I always say, a gun is as impressive as the attachments you can put on it, so let’s see what you can attach to it.
Attachments for the Sentinel
- Extended Sniper Mag
- Sniper Stock
- 1x HCOG “Classic”
- 1x Holo
- 2x HCOG “Bruiser”
- 1x-2x Variable Holo
- 6x Sniper
- 3x HCOG “Ranger”
- 2x-4x Variable AOG
- 4x-8x Variable Sniper
- 4x-10x Digital Sniper Threat
Pretty standard when it comes to sniper rifles, so, how should you go about equipping the Sentinel?
Ideal Sentinel Set-Up
Here’s how. First, you want to start by finding a Legendary Extended Sniper Mag. Follow that up with either a 4x-8x Variable Sniper or 4x-10x Digital Sniper Threat. A 6x Sniper can also be used but you should honestly hold on to it only until something better comes along. And finally, grab an Epic Sniper Stock.
The reason you’d want a legendary or at least an epic magazine upgrade is because of its mechanic. With 7 bullets in the magazine, you can practically use up all the amped-up shots without having to reload and lose time. The sniper stock is alright but not all that important, so pick it up whenever it comes up. The 4x-10x scope might be a bit hard to come by, but if you do happen to find it it’s too good not to pick up. One of the best counters to snipers is Bangalore’s smokes and Caustic’s traps, as they emit a gas that’s pretty hard to see through. With a digital threat scope, that problem is resolved.
How Competitive is the Sentinel Compared to Other Sniper Rifles?
In my honest opinion, the difference between the sniper rifles is much smaller than with any other weapon type. The assault rifles, for example, are notorious for having a large gap between options. In the choice between a Hemlok or a Flatline, the Flatline usually wins. The same goes for the choice between the Nemesis and the Havoc.
Thankfully, sniper rifles are different in that regard. The performance you will get out of the Sentinel is comparable to the Charge Rifle or the Longbow – if you use it correctly that is. The only notable difference that resides among the sniper rifles is how long it takes for the weapon to become viable. The Sentinel and the Charge Rifle honestly need just a scope and they’re good to go, while the Longbow needs a scope, a barrel stabilizer, and arguably a mag upgrade to be competitive.
Potential Balance Changes for the Sentinel in the Future
As it currently sits, the Sentinel is in an alright position, not too strong, not too weak. A rebalancing of its stats is unlikely, one thing that we could see however is the return of the Deadeye’s Tempo Hop-Up. However, that is only likely if the Bocek loses its Mythic status, which is unlikely.
