Starcraft 2 Sentry: A Beginners Guide

Starcraft 2 Sentry: A Beginners Guide
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Starcraft 2 Sentry - The Basics

The Protoss multiplayer guide for Starcraft 2 continues with a look at the Sentry unit.

One of the most vital units in the entire Protoss arsenal, the Sentry is crucial to negating enemy advantage in numbers during the early stages of a Starcraft 2 multiplayer match. These robotic drones can provide defensive cover for your ground troops and structures, as well as enabling you to dictate the flow of your opponent’s hordes. In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the essentials of the Protoss Sentry in SC2, as well as using their unique abilities to maximum effect.

For a more detailed discussion of the Protoss, visit our Protoss Strategy guide and Protoss Build Orders articles.

SC2 Protoss Sentry Vital Stats

Production and Properties:

  • Minerals: 50
  • Gas: 100
  • Supply: 2
  • Build Time: 42 secs
  • Produced By: Gateway
  • Requires: Cybernetics Core
  • Hotkey:E
  • Max Energy:200

Movement and Protection:

  • Speed: 2.25
  • Acceleration: 1,000
  • Hit Points: 40
  • Shields: 40
  • Armor: 1
  • Armor Type: Mechanical, Psionic, Light

Weaponry:

Disruption Beams

  • Ground/Air Attack
  • Attacks: 1
  • Range: 5
  • Damage: 6

SC2 Protoss Sentry Upgrades and Abilities

Shields 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Protoss units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 200, Gas: 200, Time: 140 secs)

  • Level 2: (Minerals: 300, Gas: 300, Time: 170 secs)

  • Level 3: (Minerals: 400, Gas: 400, Time: 200 secs)

  • Required: Twilight Council

Ground Weapons 1-3 (Upgrade for all Protoss ground units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 170 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 200 secs)
  • Required: Twilight Council

Ground Armor 1-3 (Upgrade for all Protoss ground units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)

  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 170 secs)

  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 200 secs)

  • Required: Twilight Council

Hallucination

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 110 secs)

Abilities:

  • Hallucination: Sentry creates hallucinations of units that last for 60 secs, cannot do any damage and die relatively easy. Hallucinations can be revealed by enemy detectors.
  • Type: Command
  • Energy: 100
  • Duration: 60 secs
  • Force Field: The Sentry can create a Force Field to prevents the movement of enemy ground units. Force Fields can be destroyed by enemy Massive units.
  • Type: Command
  • Range: 3
  • Energy: 50
  • Duration: 15 secs
  • Guardian Shield: The Sentry can produce a protective shield that reduces incoming damage to units by 2.
  • Type: Command
  • Range: 4
  • Energy:75
  • Duration: 15 secs

Starcraft 2 Sentry Strategy Tips and Tricks

Starcraft 2 Sentry

Strong Against:

Vulnerable To:

Protoss vs Protoss

The Protoss Sentry is a vital compliment to your formations of Zealots, using their Guardian Shield to protect them from ranged attacks while closing the distance. Every Zealot squad should have a Sentry attached. Watch out for your opponent employing Stalkers with the Blink ability to negate the advantage of your force fields and teleport on top of your Sentry and other units.

Protoss vs Terran

Use your Sentries as a way to control and inhibit your more numerous Terran opposition. Use your Force Field ability to break up and divert Marine squads, and employ the Warp Gate to keep tactical command of the terrain across the breadth of the battlefield. Protoss Sentries are very vulnerable to Reapers, so steer clear wherever possible, and be careful of ranged attacks from Siege Tanks.

Protoss vs Zerg

Build a decent compliment of Sentries early to protect your valuable units and Protoss structures from a Zerg rush. If your opponent does go for this classic early game strategy, tactically employ the Force Field to break up large compliments of Zerglings into more smaller more manageable groups and pick them off at your leisure. Be aware of the Burrow Move upgrade available to the Roach, and its ability to get under and bypass Force Fields.

Conclusion

For any Protoss build, a healthy collection of Starcraft 2 Sentry units is vital. Used well, the Sentry can help you exert control over the movement of your enemies, allowing you to choose when and where to fight, as well as their extremely important defensive duties. When facing the more numerous, cheaper units of the Terran and Zerg factions early on in a Starcraft 2 multiplayer match, a good allocation of Protoss Sentries can make all the difference, giving your forces time to exert their technical superiority.