[Build] You Shall Not Pass! - The Barricade Using Human Sentinel
Apr 6, 2017 14:05:32 GMT
SalMasRac, LemurFromTheId, and 18 more like this
Post by JRandall0308 on Apr 6, 2017 14:05:32 GMT
11 May 2017 - I need to update this for game patch 1.06. The good news it that combos are way more powerful now!
(This was already posted on reddit but I may as well post it here too.)
[Build] You Shall Not Pass! - The Barricade Using Human Sentinel
Build Summary
6/6/1/6/6
Weapons
Equalizer with Pistol Magazine and Pistol Scope (or Barrel)
Boosters
Disruptor Ammo (or Incendiary
)
Power Efficiency Mod
Equipment
Thermal Clip Storage
Who is the Human Sentinel?
This Human Sentinel build is a close range powers-and-weapons user with surprisingly good crowd control and the ability to prime and detonate multiple tech bursts in a short period of time.
Barricade 6 ranks
Barricade is the signature ability of the Human Sentinel and the most important power in this build. When you use it, the Sentinel throws down an orange energy grid that forms a small arc in front of your current position. The 12 second default duration is enough time for you to take cover and benefit from the 40% shield regen delay reduction, although that is the least interesting of the Barricade's effects.
As the Barricade's duration expires, it disappears from both sides. Once you learn to look for this, you'll know when it's about to drop.
Path: 4a (Duration) / 5a (Weapon Feedback) / 6b (Electric Defense)
4a (Duration) over 4b (Power Cells)
There are boosters that provide more Power Cells, so Duration is the obvious choice. Barricade now lasts for 16.8 seconds which is longer than your other two powers. This becomes important with Barricade rank 6b, as we shall see.
5a (Weapon Feedback) over 5b (Power Feedback)
Powers are pathetically weak in Mass Effect Andromeda (as of April 2017 when I'm writing this), so a +20% buff from 5b Power Feedback is irrelevant. The +15% weapon damage *and accuracy* buff from 5a Weapon Feedback is far superior.
Typically your allies won't be around to take advantage of the Barricade buffs, but it's worth mentioning to them what it does. Certain weapon users (including you) get a big benefit from accuracy boosts.
6b (Electric Defense) over 6a (Regeneration)
Completely negating the shield regen delay is a solid defensive ability, but offense beats defense for this Sentinel. Electric Defense changes the Barricade from a moderately useful defensive tool into an amazing source of repeated tech bursts.
Electric Defense primes any enemy who touches it, even briefly. An enemy who leaves the area and returns will be re-primed. In addition, Electric Defense has a chance to stun enemies -- this seems to process more on weaker enemies than bosses, as usual for 'chance to stun' powers. Once an enemy is primed by Electric Defense, you can quickly detonate them with one of your other two powers.
Electric Defense is fantastic for holding a position such as during a Hack, Upload, or Device objective. In particular, it will stop dogs (Adhi and Wraiths) from sneaking up on you while you work the objective.
Electric Defense also allows you to play the Sentinel aggressively, as discussed under Gameplay, below.
Energy Drain 6 ranks
Energy Drain starts off as one of your two combo detonators with the incidental benefit of restoring your shields. It evolves into another priming power with the incidental benefit of restoring everyone's shields. (Well, everyone nearby.)
Path: 4b (Recharge Speed) / 5a (Extended Drain) / 6b (Team Drain)
4b (Recharge Speed) over 4a (Effectiveness)
Recharge speeds are so painfully long in Mass Effect Andromeda that anything you can do to shorten them is welcome. The piddly extra damage from Effectiveness isn't worth it.
5a (Extended Drain) over 5b (Auxiliary Drain)
Extended Drain turns Energy Drain into a primer in addition to a detonator. That's fantastic, as it gives you another way to prime in addition to your Barricade's Electric Defense. Auxiliary Drain is a decent upgrade (zapping more enemies at once is nice) but it can't compete with having another priming power.
6b (Team Drain) over 6a (Damage)
Team Drain raises the 'shields restored' aspect of Energy Drain to 80% for you, and it also restores 50% of ally shields for allies within 8 meters. You shouldn't wait around to use Energy Drain / Team Drain just to restore ally shields, but it's a nice bonus when it happens. The extra Damage to shields from the Damage evolution might be necessary if there were any truly dangerous shielded enemies in the game, but for now, there aren't.
Throw 1 rank
Even at 1 rank, Throw is a solid detonator power. It can also be used to Throw enemies into walls (where they'll take 225 'world collision' damage) or even better, out of the map.
Weapon Training 6 ranks
The Sentinel's 'passives' tree makes our weapons more effective, which is what we need to complement our powers.
Path: 4a (Weapon Training) / 5a (Ammo and Targeting) / 6a (Weapon Specialist)
4a (Weapon Training) over 4b (Power Augmentation)
Both of these evolutions are feeble given how little damage guns and powers do in this game, but overall we'd rather eke out a bit more from our weapons (which do damage in the 500-1000 range) than our powers (which do damage in the 100-200 range).
5a (Ammo and Targeting) over 5b (Aerial Combat Training)
Hovering with Aerial Combat Training looks amazing, but you're not nearly beefy enough to do that safely. Ammo and Targeting instead gives a nice +20% headshot / weak point bonus, which is one of the few ways to make your guns feel effective.
6a (Weapon Specialist) over 6b (Power Specialist)
This is a close one and I wouldn't fault you for choosing either evolution. However, for the playstyle I recommend, go with Weapon Specialist for additional damage, accuracy, and stability. The accuracy bonus here combined with the one from Barricade 5a Weapon Feedback and from Tech Armor 5b Stability makes medium accuracy weapons good and makes high accuracy weapons lethal.
If you prefer to use your powers slightly more often (+15%) and to carry an additional Power Cell, then the Power Specialist evolution is a fine choice.
Tech Armor 6 ranks
Path: 4a (Protection) / 5b (Stabilization) / 6a (Shield Feedback)
4a (Protection) over 4b (Strength)
The melee damage bonus from the Strength evolution is completely worthless to us. The +50% weapon weight capacity would allow you to carry much heavier weapons, so if you happen to unlock something awesome but heavy, you could take Strength over Protection. Otherwise, a simple +20 DR is the obvious choice.
5b (Stabilization) over 5a (Protection)
More accuracy and stability! Plus some added accuracy while moving, which is one of the few ways you can pick this up in the game.
6a (Shield Feedback) over 6b (Reactive Armor)
Shield Feedback says that it gives you +50% shield regen and regen delay reduction after being hit, which sounds amazing. And in reality, it's pretty good, but I suspect there is some in-game limit on how frequently this can trigger. When you're being hosed down by a Destroyer's cannons you do not seem to have continuous +50% shield regen. Still, this is a very good defensive ability, and one I prefer over the alternative (especially as you're not going to be melee-ing anything so that boost from Reactive Armor would be useless).
Leveling Up
Weapons
One of the points of this build is to have a lot of accuracy and stability bonuses, so feel free to use weapons that would otherwise be spraying bullets all over the place.
Among Pistols (SMGs, really) the Charger is fine when you're starting out. Both the Hurricane and Equalizer are good guns made even better by improved accuracy.
The Revenant assault rifle benefits a lot from improved accuracy and stability. Other ARs like the Cyclone and the Thokin benefit from both improved accuracy / stability and from the extra ammo you get with Weapon Training 5a (Ammo and Targeting).
You can also use automatic sniper rifles such as the Raptor or Indra which benefit from bonus accuracy. Even single-shot SRs will benefit, although this leads to a slower paced playstyle.
Shotguns aren't your forte, but something like the Dhan can make a good complement for an automatic weapon.
Boosters
Disruptor or Incendiary Ammo will set up even more explosions for your two detonator powers (Throw and Energy Drain). Power Efficiency Mods can speed up your cooldowns. If you find yourself running short on Barricades, use Power Capacity Mods.
Equipment
Thermal Clip Storage for more rounds and less time running to ammo boxes. You're not melee-ing things so Juggernaut Shield isn't necessary.
Gameplay
Be aggressive. Run up to a group of enemies and throw down a Barricade which will prime them (and stun the weaker ones) thanks to 6b Electric Defense. Detonate with Energy Drain, then you can wait for the Barricade to re-prime the same enemy or look for another already primed enemy to detonate with Throw. Meanwhile, shoot from your Barricade's cover at any stunned enemies (from Barricade or Energy Drain) in their head or other weak points.
If you're quick and not lagging, you should be able to get off another Throw or Energy Drain before your Barricade expires. However, don't let yourself get torn up trying to do this -- better to reposition.
Because you're running around the map looking for enemies, you should be able to hit enough ammo boxes to keep your 3 Power Cells topped off. If you run out, or it isn't worth using a Barricade, a simple Energy Drain + Throw combo will detonate a Tech Combo, restore some shields, and can stun weaker enemies.
You have excellent synergy with any class that detonates combos, as you'll be priming clusters of enemies with Barricade.
Other cool uses for Barricade:
Alternate Build
Because rank 6 of Tech Armor is kind of lame either way, you could stop at Tech Armor 5b (Stabilization) and put the other points into Throw, bringing that power up to 3 ranks (meaning slightly faster recharge speed and damage / force).
(This was already posted on reddit but I may as well post it here too.)
[Build] You Shall Not Pass! - The Barricade Using Human Sentinel
Build Summary
6/6/1/6/6
- Barricade 4a / 5a / 6b
- Energy Drain 4b / 5a / 6b
- Throw 1 rank
- Weapon Training 4a / 5a / 6a
- Tech Armor 4a / 5b / 6a
Weapons
Equalizer with Pistol Magazine and Pistol Scope (or Barrel)
Boosters
Disruptor Ammo (or Incendiary
)
Power Efficiency Mod
Equipment
Thermal Clip Storage
Who is the Human Sentinel?
Tactical defense expert with sturdy tech armor and a versatile power set.
This Human Sentinel build is a close range powers-and-weapons user with surprisingly good crowd control and the ability to prime and detonate multiple tech bursts in a short period of time.
Barricade 6 ranks
Deploys a temporary energy barricade that boosts shield regen for everyone who takes cover behind it. Requires power cells.
Barricade is the signature ability of the Human Sentinel and the most important power in this build. When you use it, the Sentinel throws down an orange energy grid that forms a small arc in front of your current position. The 12 second default duration is enough time for you to take cover and benefit from the 40% shield regen delay reduction, although that is the least interesting of the Barricade's effects.
As the Barricade's duration expires, it disappears from both sides. Once you learn to look for this, you'll know when it's about to drop.
Path: 4a (Duration) / 5a (Weapon Feedback) / 6b (Electric Defense)
4a (Duration) over 4b (Power Cells)
There are boosters that provide more Power Cells, so Duration is the obvious choice. Barricade now lasts for 16.8 seconds which is longer than your other two powers. This becomes important with Barricade rank 6b, as we shall see.
5a (Weapon Feedback) over 5b (Power Feedback)
Powers are pathetically weak in Mass Effect Andromeda (as of April 2017 when I'm writing this), so a +20% buff from 5b Power Feedback is irrelevant. The +15% weapon damage *and accuracy* buff from 5a Weapon Feedback is far superior.
Typically your allies won't be around to take advantage of the Barricade buffs, but it's worth mentioning to them what it does. Certain weapon users (including you) get a big benefit from accuracy boosts.
6b (Electric Defense) over 6a (Regeneration)
Completely negating the shield regen delay is a solid defensive ability, but offense beats defense for this Sentinel. Electric Defense changes the Barricade from a moderately useful defensive tool into an amazing source of repeated tech bursts.
Electric Defense primes any enemy who touches it, even briefly. An enemy who leaves the area and returns will be re-primed. In addition, Electric Defense has a chance to stun enemies -- this seems to process more on weaker enemies than bosses, as usual for 'chance to stun' powers. Once an enemy is primed by Electric Defense, you can quickly detonate them with one of your other two powers.
Electric Defense is fantastic for holding a position such as during a Hack, Upload, or Device objective. In particular, it will stop dogs (Adhi and Wraiths) from sneaking up on you while you work the objective.
Electric Defense also allows you to play the Sentinel aggressively, as discussed under Gameplay, below.
Energy Drain 6 ranks
Restores shields by sapping energy around a target. Does bonus damage to shields and synthetic enemies. Detonates combo primers.
Energy Drain starts off as one of your two combo detonators with the incidental benefit of restoring your shields. It evolves into another priming power with the incidental benefit of restoring everyone's shields. (Well, everyone nearby.)
Path: 4b (Recharge Speed) / 5a (Extended Drain) / 6b (Team Drain)
4b (Recharge Speed) over 4a (Effectiveness)
Recharge speeds are so painfully long in Mass Effect Andromeda that anything you can do to shorten them is welcome. The piddly extra damage from Effectiveness isn't worth it.
5a (Extended Drain) over 5b (Auxiliary Drain)
Extended Drain turns Energy Drain into a primer in addition to a detonator. That's fantastic, as it gives you another way to prime in addition to your Barricade's Electric Defense. Auxiliary Drain is a decent upgrade (zapping more enemies at once is nice) but it can't compete with having another priming power.
6b (Team Drain) over 6a (Damage)
Team Drain raises the 'shields restored' aspect of Energy Drain to 80% for you, and it also restores 50% of ally shields for allies within 8 meters. You shouldn't wait around to use Energy Drain / Team Drain just to restore ally shields, but it's a nice bonus when it happens. The extra Damage to shields from the Damage evolution might be necessary if there were any truly dangerous shielded enemies in the game, but for now, there aren't.
Throw 1 rank
Hurls a gravity field projectile to throw unshielded and unarmored targets. Detonates combo primers.
Even at 1 rank, Throw is a solid detonator power. It can also be used to Throw enemies into walls (where they'll take 225 'world collision' damage) or even better, out of the map.
Weapon Training 6 ranks
Balanced offensive training available to combat-oriented APEX classes.
The Sentinel's 'passives' tree makes our weapons more effective, which is what we need to complement our powers.
Path: 4a (Weapon Training) / 5a (Ammo and Targeting) / 6a (Weapon Specialist)
4a (Weapon Training) over 4b (Power Augmentation)
Both of these evolutions are feeble given how little damage guns and powers do in this game, but overall we'd rather eke out a bit more from our weapons (which do damage in the 500-1000 range) than our powers (which do damage in the 100-200 range).
5a (Ammo and Targeting) over 5b (Aerial Combat Training)
Hovering with Aerial Combat Training looks amazing, but you're not nearly beefy enough to do that safely. Ammo and Targeting instead gives a nice +20% headshot / weak point bonus, which is one of the few ways to make your guns feel effective.
6a (Weapon Specialist) over 6b (Power Specialist)
This is a close one and I wouldn't fault you for choosing either evolution. However, for the playstyle I recommend, go with Weapon Specialist for additional damage, accuracy, and stability. The accuracy bonus here combined with the one from Barricade 5a Weapon Feedback and from Tech Armor 5b Stability makes medium accuracy weapons good and makes high accuracy weapons lethal.
If you prefer to use your powers slightly more often (+15%) and to carry an additional Power Cell, then the Power Specialist evolution is a fine choice.
Tech Armor 6 ranks
Project a suit of Omni-Tech armor around your body to absorb a portion of all damage received.
Path: 4a (Protection) / 5b (Stabilization) / 6a (Shield Feedback)
4a (Protection) over 4b (Strength)
The melee damage bonus from the Strength evolution is completely worthless to us. The +50% weapon weight capacity would allow you to carry much heavier weapons, so if you happen to unlock something awesome but heavy, you could take Strength over Protection. Otherwise, a simple +20 DR is the obvious choice.
5b (Stabilization) over 5a (Protection)
More accuracy and stability! Plus some added accuracy while moving, which is one of the few ways you can pick this up in the game.
6a (Shield Feedback) over 6b (Reactive Armor)
Shield Feedback says that it gives you +50% shield regen and regen delay reduction after being hit, which sounds amazing. And in reality, it's pretty good, but I suspect there is some in-game limit on how frequently this can trigger. When you're being hosed down by a Destroyer's cannons you do not seem to have continuous +50% shield regen. Still, this is a very good defensive ability, and one I prefer over the alternative (especially as you're not going to be melee-ing anything so that boost from Reactive Armor would be useless).
Leveling Up
- Barricade up to 6b (Electric Defense) ASAP. This is your signature power.
- Energy Drain up to 5a (Extended Drain), so you have another primer.
- Weapon Training up to 6a to make your guns more effective, or...
- Tech Armor up to 6a to make yourself more durable.
- Finally, finish out Energy Drain to 6b (Team Drain).
Weapons
One of the points of this build is to have a lot of accuracy and stability bonuses, so feel free to use weapons that would otherwise be spraying bullets all over the place.
Among Pistols (SMGs, really) the Charger is fine when you're starting out. Both the Hurricane and Equalizer are good guns made even better by improved accuracy.
The Revenant assault rifle benefits a lot from improved accuracy and stability. Other ARs like the Cyclone and the Thokin benefit from both improved accuracy / stability and from the extra ammo you get with Weapon Training 5a (Ammo and Targeting).
You can also use automatic sniper rifles such as the Raptor or Indra which benefit from bonus accuracy. Even single-shot SRs will benefit, although this leads to a slower paced playstyle.
Shotguns aren't your forte, but something like the Dhan can make a good complement for an automatic weapon.
Boosters
Disruptor or Incendiary Ammo will set up even more explosions for your two detonator powers (Throw and Energy Drain). Power Efficiency Mods can speed up your cooldowns. If you find yourself running short on Barricades, use Power Capacity Mods.
Equipment
Thermal Clip Storage for more rounds and less time running to ammo boxes. You're not melee-ing things so Juggernaut Shield isn't necessary.
Gameplay
Be aggressive. Run up to a group of enemies and throw down a Barricade which will prime them (and stun the weaker ones) thanks to 6b Electric Defense. Detonate with Energy Drain, then you can wait for the Barricade to re-prime the same enemy or look for another already primed enemy to detonate with Throw. Meanwhile, shoot from your Barricade's cover at any stunned enemies (from Barricade or Energy Drain) in their head or other weak points.
If you're quick and not lagging, you should be able to get off another Throw or Energy Drain before your Barricade expires. However, don't let yourself get torn up trying to do this -- better to reposition.
Because you're running around the map looking for enemies, you should be able to hit enough ammo boxes to keep your 3 Power Cells topped off. If you run out, or it isn't worth using a Barricade, a simple Energy Drain + Throw combo will detonate a Tech Combo, restore some shields, and can stun weaker enemies.
You have excellent synergy with any class that detonates combos, as you'll be priming clusters of enemies with Barricade.
Other cool uses for Barricade:
- Reviving someone? Barricade before you do so you're not interrupted.
- Devices? Barricade just outside the device activation area.
- Uploads? Barricades on one or both sides of the upload circle to keep enemies from interrupting you.
- Hack? Same thing.
- Barricade blocks enemy movement -- they cannot climb over it. So you can block doorways. (credit to /u/Buksey and /u/lefty929 for clarifying this)
Alternate Build
Because rank 6 of Tech Armor is kind of lame either way, you could stop at Tech Armor 5b (Stabilization) and put the other points into Throw, bringing that power up to 3 ranks (meaning slightly faster recharge speed and damage / force).
