Sentinels-worth it?

[Deleted]

Ok, I've played the Guard for to years and never fielded a Sentinel. Something about AV 10 all around makes me nervous. Clearly they are cheap, but are they durable? Just wanted to see what people think of them, so far I've never heard anything negative, but I'm still very reluctant to field such a vulnerable unit.

[ssgtdude (M.I.A)]

The vulnerablity of the unit is a sure thing. However, they can be very useful. Today while I didn't get to fire mine (Didn't make it past first round) the amount of fire it soaked up before being destroyed saved other units instead. I was actually surprised at what she took before she went down. I guess my opponents felt that the lone lascannon was a big enough threat that they had to kill her off even after the first volley of fire did end up disarming her.

Don't think that the tin foil armor isn't going to keep you from using them. In the 'Ard Boyz Tournament the same Sentinel took out Eldrad from the field as well. Got to love those lascannon shots when you are mobile enough to position yourself so that there is not other target to hit.

[mardaddy]

I love the Sentinel models. I bought me three of them waaaay back, and still have them. And yes - they are fragile.

I used them all the time with my "Daemonhunter w/IG Allies" list and they really did not accomplish much before being destroyed by the 2nd turn. I took my list another direction and do not field them anymore.

All that being said, I can still see where they are useful in a strictly-IG list. They will never, "rule the battlefield," but using the lascannon version as dedicated mobile anti-armor, or running up a heavy flamer into infiltrators in cover, they seem to have a niche I would think.

I still would not expect them to survive beyond the third turn, especially if you do not take tanks. Take some tanks to bluster and threaten and draw your enemy into using the inevitable anti-armor shots on them first and at least the Sentinels become priority #2 and you may actually do something with them before they are killed.

Or, bluff the opposite way, they are cheap, so field Sentinels and threaten and bluster with them to be a pain and attract anti-armor fire into them, allowing your tanks (and your real firepower) to survive longer...

In 40k, let's face it... Guards die. It is just a matter of fooling or bluffing the enemy to kill lesser effective units first, and having enough *umph* at the end of the game to carry you to victory.

[Deleted]

I haven't used sentinels that much, but why are the eldar war walkers cheaper than the sentinel? and better?

[ssgtdude (M.I.A)]

minus because the list is cheesy that is why. same reason when they suffer perils of the warp they get a save.

[Rolling Thunder]

Damn right.

[telecustom]

I use my sentinals all the time. Their Hunter Killers urine alot of people off and they last most of the game. It's all about placement on the field.

[Deleted]

Intresting all this
The sentinel is my favorite walker, but don't have any.
Is it worth takeing armoured crew department to it? I mean even a regular flamer could score two glancings on it, but that would make the cost go up with 40%

[mardaddy]

jankett, that would be a personal choice. Couple of points:

When you are talking about such a cheap unit to begin with, citing a 40% increase in cost is self-misleading - it is not as if you are citing extra armor for a Russ is like, 60pts.

Most of the time, the anti-armor weapons that armies field will be significant enough (and in enough volume) to punch through any bad initial rolls... BUT - that is MOSt of the time..... it's all in the odds and how lucky you may be feeling... I'd do it facing Orks, but would never take it if facing Eldar, Tau...

[Deleted]

When I play sentinals, i give them no upgrades to keep them cheap. I accept the fact that they will die quick and often not accomplish anything. However, they are cool models and are useful as mobile armoured units, for flanking or mobile fire support.

[sniperbob]

Im new and was wondering if i should get some, would you suggest them?

[twerd]

i'd suggest the killer hunter mislle upgrade to get off a first turn kill of somthing ;D

[telecustom]

I have actually put together a Sentinal Based 1500pt list. You can have a total of 12 Sentinals in one army. Use Stormtroopers as troops and the Sentinals as the fire power. It probbly won't win any battles, but for me it is more about the models anyway.

[sniperbob]

12 SENTINALS!! Holy crap, if you backed up like 100 shock troops you could do some real damage!!

[telecustom]

That is the idea.

[sammy1979]

people get confuse thinking sents are drednaughts or something, for me what a sent is, is a fast moving moving shooting heavy weapon team i'v 13 of the buggers and plan to get two drop dudes with the ole multi melta or missile launchers, making up my talon recon thing for apocolypse, and i will regular take 6 in a normal game. used well ie not trying to go toe to toe with a terminator or a assualt marine , you can leg it round the board shooting all his termies or armoured nobz to bits with auto cannons or multi lasers, i think the problem is people think as its a walker is should be able to stomp stuff good, instead of seeing it for what it is as i described, keep them out of CC keep them moving and your oponent will use all there hvy weapons to scrag it allowing your bassises and russes to go to town on them, just remeber there mobile heavy weapon teams not dreadnaughts

[Deleted]

thrice damn my interest in reading. i read the space wolf books all 5 of them and made a space wolf army and got a space wolf tat. i read the storm of steel book and became interested in the guard (long time ago) and now im reading desert raiders and i so badly want more sentinels.

they have a great model. (even though someone i know has bastardized them and made them into chicken walkers from star wars) they are cool and manage to give us another cheap mobile heavy weapon around that will take more damage than the average guard.

[Deleted]

I use a pair of sentinels with lascannons and camo nets. sometimes i might give one the improved comms upgrade for my drop troopers but rarely.
I try to keel them concealed and get some sneaky long ranged side and rear armour shots. If i can nail a tank or transport i have made the points back and then some. I have been thinking of taking a third and maybe fourth by splitting them between my hq slots and fast slots, although if i get an hq slot 1 it will probably be rigged with something more rapid firing as it will be a drop sentinel.

[ssgtdude (M.I.A)]

Ghostwalker has the tactic with Sentinels down. Keep the terrain to your advantage, utilize your force composition, and if you get the chance you can take out Eldrad like I managed to do in a tournament. While I didn't win that round of combat it was a great moral victory for the guard.

[Deleted]

How about this, against large mobs, like tyranids, orks and traitor guards you could give them the hardned fighter doctorine, and then go for a squad of three catachan sentinels.
You now have a useable close combat sentinel squad, with heavy flamers. BUT, I do not now if you may shoot with Heavy flamers and assault. If you can't that tactic would be useless. kind of anyway.

[Deleted]

A sentinel would not stand upto orks in combat, even three would be easy prey. the sentinel is a scout hunter, use its special move and terrain to keep it out of fire lines.

[Deleted]

actually they wouldnt have to fight them. three heavy flamers against an ork mob would decimate them then you could assault what few are left. orks, tyranids, guard, anyone else that will die under a heavy flamer.

[rhetoric]

i use 7 sentinels, and they are really handy.

first, because they act as mobile tank hunters (very mobile in fact, as they get a free scouts move at the start).

second, they are cheap (unupgraded) and distract the enemy by drawing lots of fire.

third, compare them to the equivaleny HVY weapons sqaud. 3 LC sentinels dont cost that much more a LC heavy weps team, so in some sense i see them as armoured HVY teams. i do the same with my chimera. for 70 odd points its almost like an armoured HB team.

[Deleted]

its only worth it if you have a lot

your screwed if you only have about 1-3 haha

[Commissar]

Armoured HB and ML and Stubber team hehehehe.
Chimerae are mobile pill boxes..