Sentry VS M56D

[Banned User ID63]

M56D is really good at shattering marine pushes.

I see no reason why you shouldn't take it.

[JJG]

Two tile hallway = Sentry (assuming the fucking thing isn't bugged)
Anything wider = M56D

The Sentries keep bugging out randomly and will stop shooting. And no, turning them off and on doesn't fit it, stop suggesting it and work on fixing the bug.
They also have no target prioritization. If a crusher and a drone are within your line of sight you shoot the drone. Because it's way easier to kill. Yet the sentry will just pick some random target, even if it cant hit and then keep bursting.

The accuracy of the Sentry is also horrible. Couple with the low fire rate it just doesn't deliver the damage to really be threatening.

Also, you wouldn't believe how many turrets I have seen that have IFF off and are set to single fire....seriously, marines are retarded

[CABAL]

Two days ago I learned the power of Sentry.
Big red, north from LZ1 was breached, but caded. Two sentries hugging eachother. As single marine I menaged to lure runner and carrier. Using "runner tactics" gave both sentries enough time to kill both xenos. In the end I was combat hugged, but sentries were guarding me well. So well that mature hivelord just went right at them and died second later.

2 sentries > 1 M65D
1 M65D > 1 Sentry

[Chocolate_bickie]

Sentry IFF is inbuilt, it cannot be turned off. The safety works like a standard gun safety, it prevents the weapon firing at all. Turn the safety off and the sentry will work.

[TheBluez]

I'd pack the M56. Easy to move around. Heavy powered.

As for the Sentry, move of a tool used to care off Xenos away from the barricades for a few seconds.

[ThatOneDeveloper]

M56D, it's far more useful. Easier to transport, easier to set up on front lines, can kill an Empress in 3 Bursts.

The issue is It's not made for (most) FOBs due to their designs and the chance of marine FF.

If you have a marine dedicated to manning an M56D on the front lines, with an escort marine and a sandbag marine, you've got an instant win.

Basically this, my experience with being a squad engineer is that the M56D is a genuine threat to the xenos, whereas a sentry is at best a slight deterrent. When fighting xenos on the front lines, you want to inflict as much damage as possible, as fast as possible, because if you allow them to retreat and hide they can heal indefinitely. You also want to be able to stop a charge or push in its tracks. In both scenarios, the M56D performs much better, because of its much higher damage output, mobility, and ability to target high-priority xenos exclusively. I've never seen a sentry stop a charge singlehandedly; on the contrary, I've witnessed several times where a good player on the M56D singlehandely stopped Crusher charges or attempted pushes made by the xenos. Sentries are finicky, and can't reliably take out a single xeno by themselves.

As for the point about boiler gas, it's true that the M56D has that drawback: but on the front lines, where positions change quickly and boilers can run into trouble finding adequate space, boiler gas is less of a threat. When I'm an engineer, my logic is: FOB duty -> get sentry, otherwise get an M56D.

[Dolth]

EPIC RAP BATTLE OF HISTOORYYYYY!!!

M56D. Really.
Much more mobile and packs more power.

[Nimiety]

Well,
(GL Sentry users, Sentries dont see past acid)

This is outdated information.

[IMMASPACENINJA]

The safety works like a standard gun safety, it prevents the weapon firing at all. Turn the safety off and the sentry will work.

excuse me sir but i think you have the big dum dum

[Chocolate_bickie]

excuse me sir but i think you have the big dum dum

Hur dur pls teach me sensei

Seriously though, the wiki doesn't explain what the safety actually does. This is how I think the sentry works, I can't say 100% it's right or wrong.