Sentinel Guide (Mass Effect 3)

Master of nothing but proficient in everything, the Sentinel often ends up the one everyone relies on to draw enemy fire.

Overview
Transitioning from Mass Effect 2 to 3 we see a lot of changes in the Sentinels play style. The first thing a player will notice is that the Tech Armor will not automatically detonate after the shields go down. Instead, the armor will last through the shield and the health bar. The best advice is to wear the armor at all times and invest in defense. The second thing is the new weapon weight system. This will allow Shepard to focus on heavier weapon load-outs or rely on powers.

These changes will allow for players to play the game as they see fit.

Tech Armour forces two distinct ways of playing ME3 on the sentinel as it has a significant recharge penalty, meaning that it actively inhibits power use.

The first way is as an orthodox FPS, using Tech Armour and Fitness to make yourself as hard to kill as possible, ignore weight restrictions, and gun everyone down. Even compared to the Soldier this is low maintainace as you don't need to spam Adrenaline Rush. Due to limits on power points this way works best with a fresh ME3 character rather than one imported from a previous game as the number of power points granted to a high level ME3 character is high enough that you can maximise at least some of your powers.

The second way is to, in Mass Effect 1 style, realise you have a broader range of powers than any other class - and simply not use Tech Armour. Unfortunately although you have a broad range of powers, you have a significant problem dealing with armoured Reaper targets as Overload deals with shields and health and you don't have two biotic powers to combine for a biotic explosion against armour (thus forcing your bonus power choice into Reave or Dark Channel. This means you can either kill light enemies with a neural shock specced overload or by chaining Warp and Throw.  But if you're going to do the first then you might as well be an Engineer (using Incinerate to crack armour) and the second you might as well be an Adept (with Warp and Shockwave for your biotic explosions against armoured targets, and the faster Pull or Singularity and Throw combo).

Tech Armor
As stated above, Tech armor no longer detonates automatically. This allows for players to play more defensively with heavier armor choices or more offensive by increasing the knock-back and damage. The big disadvantage to Tech Armor is that when equipped powers cool down 80% slower; use weapon load-outs and other advanced powers to counter.

Due to the changes in the basic functionality of tech armor (damage reduction rather than extra shields, increased power recharge time while active, etc.), one can choose to reset their powers and do away with tech armor altogether; more closely resembling the Sentinel from Mass Effect 1. This build choice suits players who prefer to use powers often and wish to take advantage of the Sentinel's mix of biotic and tech powers at the expense of durability.

Throw
As in Mass Effect 2, throw is best used as a offensive knock-back tool to dislodge enemies from cover and to set off biotic charges like warp. The Recharge Combo evolution is very useful for Sentinels, as it mitigates the cooldown penalty from Tech Armor. With this evolution and a biotic squadmate, Throw becomes a power that can be used liberally.

Warp
Warp in Mass Effect 3 has been changed in that it does not remove barriers like in Mass Effect 2. It is still potent against armor and it can be set off in a biotic explosion with throw.

Warp's later upgrades can increase the amount of damage the target takes for fifteen seconds or so afterwards. This makes it a great tool against enemies such as Atlas Mechs and Brutes--Warp it and then focus-fire.

Cryo Blast
Cryo Blast is a nice tool in that it slows enemies and might even freeze the target. That said, this power should just be upgraded to Tier 2 and points should be spent on other powers.

Overload
Overload has gained a few nice abilities since Mass Effect 2. For starters, it is now the main tool for taking down barriers and shields. Upgraded it gains the ability to jump from multiple enemies, making it a great crowd control weapon.

It also can create a Tech Burst when the same enemy is hit by a Warp.

Lift Grenade
Lift grenades for players transferring from Mass Effect 2 will be relativity useless as Throw can be used unlimited amount of times and can be useful in dislodging enemies. Upgrade to Tier 2 for the 4th grenade and use the points for other powers.

Alternatively, the upgraded grenade can do a significant amount of damage over a large radius, making it a useful offensive power in its own right.

Fitness
Other than the usual improvement in shield, health and melee damage, the Sentinel's Fitness ability is capable of increasing squadmate health and shield by 30% in its 5th upgrade, making them significantly more durable.

Weapons and Equipment
The typical weapon load-out for a Sentinel would be an Assault Rifle and a Pistol. For stronger power recharge using a SMG instead of a Assault Rifle. For a stronger weapon load-out, replace the Pistol with a Shotgun or the Talon. For armor, use pieces that enhances shield strength and power recharge speed.

Using an upgraded Mattock or a Raptor will make the Sentinel more of a marksmen while keeping the power cool-down tolerable. Adding close range weapons like an SMG or a light shotgun, like the Disciple or the Talon Pistol, will make the Sentinel an all around combat class without too much additional cool-down penalty.

Using a high rate of fire weapon like the Revenant or the Geth Pulse Rifle and an extremely light weapon like a SMG with lightweight materials mod will turn the Sentinel into a squad-support class. Taking the Armor Piercing perk will allow you to take down any enemy with sustained fire.

Alternatively a weapon-heavy no cooldown approach can be taken. By investing in tech armor, lift grenades, defensive bonus powers, passive trees and possibly taking advantage of throw's ability to not have a cooldown when used to react with another power. You are free to load up as many weapons as you like, ignoring cooldowns almost entirely besides the odd tech armor explosion or other protective power's cooldowns. This at the cost of ignoring other powers the class has to offer.

Combat Guide
As a Sentinel, you are a very versatile and can adapt to any situation. You can load up an assault load-out one mission, a CQC load-out the next, then a marksmen load-out the mission after.

The main deciding factor is how you load up your Tech Armor. A focus on defense can make you walking tank and act as a support class, working in the back and managing your squad-mates. Choosing a more offensive Tech Armor will allow you to play as a more aggressive class, with your squad-mates supporting you.

Squad Members
The Sentinel is a very versatile class that can combine well with a lot of squadmates. Bringing Liara T'Soni will allow you to set up powerful biotic detonations, in particular, the warp/throw detonation combo can deal heavy damage to tough, armored enemies such as the Atlas Mech, Banshee and Brute. Bringing EDI allows you to set up a powerful tech burst with your overload and her incinerate. Even on hardcore and insanity, a fully evolved overload and incinerate will very quickly destroy shielded enemies such as the Centurion, Marauder and deal heavy damage to Phantoms.

Bringing Ashley Williams, James Vega or Garrus Vakarian allows you to have a powerful combatant on your team and gives you access to their grenades and ammo powers.