Sentinel beam

The Sentinel Beam is a Forerunner Directed Energy weapon that is equipped on a Sentinel and can use the beam with deadly accuracy.

Introduction

The Sentinel Beam is a Forerunner weapon that is an integral part of Sentinels, who use it to control outbreaks of The Flood. It is manifested as an orange beam of energy that can efficiently cut through the hordes of parasites that the Sentinels have to deal with regularly. The blue Sentinel beam is a stronger, more efficient version of the common orange Sentinel Beam, but it overheats more quickly. In Multiplayer, the Sentinel Beam appears as a default weapon in the bases on Backwash and on Desolation.

Combat Usage

File:Sentinel Firing.jpg

A Sentinel firing a Sentinel Beam

The Sentinel Beam is not player-usable in Halo: Combat Evolved, but it is usable in Halo 2 and Halo 3. The more powerful blue version of the beam is not available in any of the Halo games.

The Sentinel Beam runs on an non-rechargeable battery with a maximum charge of 100%. Like the Covenant's Plasma weapons, it can temporarily overheat if 23% of the battery is used up in one continuous stream. It is effective against the Flood and Sentinels, and can be used to deplete shields like plasma weapons.

Continuous contact from a Sentinel Beam can be devastating against any opponent.

The beam used by the Sentinels at Onyx was evidently a golden color and, while it took significantly longer to charge, is thought to have been capable of destroying a fully shielded Spartan. It may be worth noting that there were some other differences between the Sentinels of Onyx and the ones that appear on the Halo Installations; these were pointed out by Dr. Halsey.

In the Halo 2 campaign, the Sentinel Beam is a fearsome, all-around good weapon. It sports a high rate of fire, amazing accuracy, and great damage against both shielded and unshielded opponents. The beam's targeting reticule is also reasonably centered, providing a better aim. The weapon's melee attack is about as strong as that of the Rocket Launcher's, and is likewise considerably slow. Two variants of the Sentinel Beam are seen in the campaign: the standard yellow-orange one in the silver housing, and the more powerful blue beam, which is encased in a gold housing. While the blue version is more powerful, it also quite rare and will overheat faster than the standard beam.

The beam makes another appearance in Halo 3, with a few graphical upgrades and several technical fixes. It first appears on the Ark, where it can be gained by destroying one of the Sentinels patroling the area. Unlike its Halo 2 counterpart, the weapon now has virtually infinite range and fires a much stronger beam that, if held consistently on an enemy, can destroy them within a few seconds. It is, obviously enough, extremely effective when used against Flood, and will cut down any form, including the vaunted Pure Forms, if aimed properly. The beam does not spawn on any multiplayer maps using the standard weapons settings, and players cannot spawn with them in any game type, custom or otherwise. However, the weapon may be added to a map through the Forge editor.

Also worth noting is the version of the beam that the Monitor 343 Guilty Spark makes use of. In Halo 3, the construct uses the integrated weapon to destroy a Flood Combat Form, mortally wound Sergeant Avery Johnson and fight off the Master Chief and the Arbiter. The beam he fires is more powerful, twice as thick as the usual Sentinel Beam, and is bright red in color rather than orange.

Character Compatibility

• Elites
• Spartans
• Sentinels
• Monitors
• Flood(Halo 2 Humans)
• Flood(Halo 2 Elites)

Multiplayer

A Spartan firing the weapon from the passenger seat of a Warthog. Note the single handed wielding.

The sentinel weapon is a rarity in multiplayer games, and if available, it should be your weapon of choice. In Halo 2, the Sentinel Beam is useful, but in Halo 3 it is one of the best weapons in the game. On many Infection game types, when zombies have instant death, the sentinel beam is ridiculously powerful, allowing a player to sweep an area at any range, killing all foes in said area. The sentinel beam is one of the few weapons that is wielded in both hands on foot, and in one hand in a vehicle.

Other tips

Halo 2

• The weapon can actually make it harder for enemy player to see if it is aimed at their head but should only be done at close to medium range.
• This is best used in a small map like Warlock. Also good for Headlong as long as you have other strong weapons with you.
• If the Sentinel Beam (SB) is the only weapon you have, conserve ammo and rely on melee as much as possible. The SB has a greatly effective and quick melee. Only fire the weapon when your target is far away, because ammo goes fast. Melee in CQB, and avoid deadly crossfire. Replace as often as possible.
• If you have other weapons on the map, use those. The Sentinel Beam is effective, but hard to aim. Only use it if you have advantages over other players such as better aim, etc.
• Use grenades! A Sentinel Beam is horrendously useful against flesh, so a quick grenade toss is all that is needed to take down the opponent's shields and seal the deal.
• A widely reputed myth about this weapon is that it can score head shots. This is partially true. Like the Magnum, Battle Rifle, Carbine, Sniper Rifle, and Beam Rifle, it can get head shots, but only if you are already aiming at the head when you start shooting- i.e., it will not work if you sweep the beam to the target's head.
• The beam is accurate to any distance.
• It is the best weapon (except for the M90 Shotgun) for destroying sentinels

Halo 3

• During a game of Infection, the Sentinel Beam is an effective way to rid yourself of chasing zombies. But take care on where you aim. Since the laser is easy to spot and is likely to give your position away if the shot goes astray.
• When loading up vehicles, a Sentinel beam in the passenger seat is an incredibly deadly tool. The most flexible location is in the back seat of a Mongoose, although the passenger seat of a warthog is also useful. The advantage of vehicle bound Sentinel Beams are that it can clothesline foes.
• If a head shot does not work, try aiming it at the stomach area.
• Steady shots can make the Sentinel Beam the ultimate sniper weapon. Fire at a target, then sweep the area. You will eventually meet your target, and they will have a difficult time evading the beam.
• The Sentinel Beam has an extremely large power consumption rate, about 5%/second, so always carry a backup weapon and try to save the Beam for emergencies.
• The Sentinel Beam is also very useful for taking down Brute Armor quickly.
• Insanely fun on an instant-kill game of infection with infinite ammo, just get on the back of a mongoose and your guaranteed a win, unless zombies can attack from a range.

Trivia

• This is the only Forerunner Weapon wieldable in the Halo Trilogy.
• It is possible to say that the Automated Turret uses the Sentinel Major beam from Halo 2.
• In Halo:CE, when a Sentinel is destroyed, the part that in Halo 2 and 3 where it will be used as a Sentinel Beam is blue like in Halo 3, not reddish-orange.
• In Halo 2 when a Sentinel Major's Sentinel Beam is dropped it had the steel color of a Minor's but when picked up is colored gold.
• In Halo 2, there are two versions of the Sentinel Beam, one being red, the other blue. The blue is more powerful and overheats more easily.
• In Halo 3, there are sparks that come off of the laser when fired.
• The Sentinels on Onyx have Sentinel beam's with temperatures as high as 15,000 degrees Kelvin. In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.
• As of right now, the Sentinel Beam is not available by default on any Halo 3 map. This might change, when Bungie releases the Legendary Map Pack.
• The sentinel beam also has unlimited range.
• Some have speculated that the Spartan Laser was based on the Sentinel Beam. This is plausible as humans are alledged to have discovered Forerunner structures before meeting the covenant.

Video

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Related Links

• Sentinels

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