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In thisMass Effect Legendary Edition Build GuideI’m going to cover mySentinel BuildforMass Effect 1, which is aSentinelBuildthat is designed to dominate in mid-range encounters. I’ll be sharing the bestTalentsto prioritize, what it means to choose theMedic Specializationfor your Sentinel, the optimalWeapons,Armor, andModsto equip, and theSquadmatesto take with you onMissionsandAssignments. If you’ve been looking for a way to optimally play as a Sentinel then this Guide is for you.
TheSentinelClassspecializes in heavily supporting the Squad when it comes to employing Biotic and Tech Abilities. Combining the best of both Specialties allows them to debuff and to immobilize enemies with ease. Examples includeThrow,SabotageandOverload. With Throw, they can push targets as far away as possible to knock them down. With Sabotage and Overload, they prevent enemies from inflicting firepower damage and destroy portions of theirShields, respectively.
Compared to otherClasses, the Sentinel takes a while to get used to due to their lack of sufficient Weapon Talents. They don’t have thePistols Talent, and instead, gradual enhancements to this Weapon can be accessed via their Sentinel Class Talent. As such, ranking this up provides incremental accuracy and damage boosts, which are not enough to quickly kill enemies unless they constantly activate theMarksman Ability.
The Medic Sentinel Build provides additional support by reviving fallen Squadmates and restoring larger portions of their HP withFirst Aid. Additionally, this enhances the time by which enemies remain knocked out, making them highly vulnerable to incoming attacks.
Sentinel Talents and Abilities (Mass Effect 1)
In this section, I’ll talk about the differentBiotic,TechandCombatTalentsthat you should focus on to make the most out of your Medic Sentinel Build. Note that the number of Talent Points I’ve allocated is based on reaching Level 50 in Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition, or 25 if you’ve selected the Legendary Mode.
Biotic Talents and Abilities
There are 4 Biotic Talents that you’ll have to put sufficient points into in order to effectively control enemies. These areThrow,Lift,BarrierandStasis.
Throw is a remarkable Biotic Talent and Ability because it lets you push enemies from across the room while inflicting Force Damage. This is very important to the Sentinel because they have limited options when it comes to tackling enemies up close. At higher ranks, you can efficiently kill targets thanks to the Throw andLiftcombo by hurling them over ledges. Note that there are some creatures like theGeth Rocket DronesandGeth Armatures, which are immune to thisAbilitybecause of their airborne characteristic and sheer size.
Since the first few ranks of Throw are readily available, you have to immediately invest points into it. This Talent remains relevant at higher levels given that your Weapon Damage will not attain its maximum potential. You should aim to reach Master Throw at Rank 12 to hurl enemies farther away from you and to greatly boost Force Damage.
Lift is an AoE Ability, which suspends enemies in the air, rendering them useless while making them prone to more damage. What’s even better is that once the duration of this Ability expires, they take fall damage by hitting the ground. Just be careful to use Lift against enemies running towards you. This causes them to hover above you, thereby exerting extra effort in turning around before finishing them off.
At higher ranks, enemies are immobilized for a longer period of time. Since Throw will have to reach Rank 7 to unlock Lift, you’ll be allocating points into this Talent midway into the game. This shouldn’t be an issue since you have other Biotic and Tech Abilities at your disposal. I highly recommend gaining access to Master Lift at Rank 12 to widen its range, thereby impacting more enemies while lengthening the duration of staying afloat.
The Sentinel is the only Class that doesn’t have theBasic Armor Talentat the very least. As such, they don’t have theShield Boost Ability, which restores a portion of their depleted Shields. Because of this, they need to rely onBarrierfor their survivability especially in critical situations. Barrier enables them to absorb massive damage without impacting HP. However, remember that there are still someAmmo ModslikeProton Rounds, which can pierce through Shields and Barrier.
Regardless, I suggest investing points into this Talent as soon as possible to boost your durability since you can only wearLight Armor. You should aim to reach Rank 12 to unlock Master Barrier in order to maximize the strength of your Shields. Additionally at Rank 6, you unlock Stasis, which I’ll discuss next.
Stasislocks any type of enemy in place to prevent them from using any of their Weapons and Abilities against you. The drawback however, is that none of your Squad can damage them in this state, unless you choose theBastion Specializationfor your Sentinel. Because of this, I don’t recommend putting too many points into Stasis considering that we’re opting for theMedic Specialization. Allocating 4 points to unlock its corresponding Ability and to lengthen the duration should be enough to stun a powerful enemy for more than 12 seconds while your Squad eliminates the others.
Tech Talents and Abilities
There are 4 Tech Talents that you’ll have to put sufficient points into to effectively debilitate enemies and to improve the way you heal your Squad. These areDecryption,Electronics,First Aid, andMedicine. Every time you use the Sabotage and Overload Abilities specific to Decryption and Electronics, you throw a tech proximity mine, which detonates after a few seconds. The explosive damage this inflicts isn’t massive but it reduces the enemy’s HP.
Decryption has its benefits both in and out ofCombat. Immediately at Rank 1, you unlock Sabotage, which burns the enemy for a couple of seconds and makes their Weapon unusable due to overheating. Remember that this Ability will not work properly on enemies that don’t wield Weapons such asHusks.
To take advantage of Sabotage, you’ll have to use it once you see Synthetics or robotic enemies to halt their Weapon Attacks. This gives your Squad enough time to swoop in for the kill. You can also use this Ability to detonate fuel tanks in order to cause panic while fatally wounding to nearby targets.
Outside of combat, Decryption is used to unlock containers and objects to acquire upgraded versions ofEquipment. You also obtain more Omni-gel, which is useful in repairing the Mako’s damaged hull and in automatically bypassing security systems.
At the start, it’s best to invest a few points into Decryption with a total of 9 to unlock Master Sabotage. This improves the damage dealt by tech proximity mines. Moreover at Rank 4, you’re also granted the Electronics Talent.
Similar to Decryption, Electronics has its advantages in and out of combat. At Rank 1, you unlock Overload, which weakens the enemy’s Shields and makes them susceptible to extra damage. Once their defenses have been annihilated, you can easily eliminate them with yourPistol. This makes it necessary to allocate points into Electronics as soon as it becomes available.
Similar to Sabotage, you ought to activate Overload when you see enemies to deal massive damage to their Shields. In collaboration with Barrier, raising the ranks of this Talent enhances your Shield Strength, which improves durability. However, it’s still important to constantly hide behind covers to protect yourself from incoming attacks.
Outside of combat, you’re able to hack into secure computers and repair larger portions of your Mako’s damaged hull. The best rank to aim for is Rank 9 in order to fully upgrade Overload. With Master Overload, the damage inflicted on the enemy’s Shields are significantly boosted. You also maximize the explosion damage dealt by your tech proximity mines.
This Talent restores portions of your Squad’s HP. If you need to constantly heal, feel free to allot as many points as possible. But do note that reaching Rank 6 to unlock Advanced First Aid should be enough for the Sentinel. This already allows you to restore 100 HP perMedi-gelconsumption. At Rank 5, you also gain access to the Medicine Talent.
This Talent reduces First Aid’s recharge time, allowing you to heal your Squad more often. At Rank 1, you unlockNeural Shock, which temporarily paralyzes an Organic or live enemy while inflicting extra Toxic Damage. Since you’re going to get the Medic Specialization, it’s important to invest a total of 12 points into Medicine. This grants you Master Neural Shock to increase the duration of the enemy’s paralysis and to significantly boost Toxic Damage.
Combat Talent and Ability
There is 1Combat Talentto help boost the effectiveness of your Medic Sentinel Build and that isSpectre Training.
This Talent can be unlocked after you become a Spectre when you complete aCitadel Missionwithin 2 hours of playing. Spectre Training makes your character stronger by raising the accuracy and damage of your Pistol, improves your Abilities, and raises your max HP. At Rank 4, which is enough for the Sentinel, you gain access to theUnity Ability, which lets you revive dead Squadmates while restoring 30% HP and 50% of their Shields. This instantly makes them combat-ready.
Medic Specialization (Mass Effect 1)
In this section, I’m going to discuss the Unique Class Talent for this Build as well as its evolved form or Specialization upon completing a certain quest. The Sentinel Class Talent reduces the recharge times of all Biotic and Tech Abilities, improves the accuracy and damage of the Pistol, and grants the Marksman Ability. You can only allot a maximum of 6 Talent Points into it.
At Level 20 when you access the Galaxy Map, theAssignment UNC: Rogue VIonLunawill be given to you by Admiral Hackett. Upon completing this side quest, you will be able to choose between two Specializations, namely, Medic or Bastion. Either Specialization will increase the rank of your Sentinel Class Talent from 6 to 12. Note that the Talent Points you may have allotted to your Class Talent prior to unlocking your Specialization will carry over and you’ll be receiving the same bonuses from Ranks 7 to 12.
Medic is ideal if you want to employ offensive and defensive techniques to deal with enemies while helping your Squad recover faster. Conversely, Bastion enhances your durability and Stasis Ability. Between these two, I recommend choosing Medic so you can capitalize on supporting your squad even further. Because Neural Shock has been vastly improved, enemies will stay knocked out for a longer period of time while also receiving a higher amount of Toxic Damage. Meanwhile, First Aid allows you to restore more of your fallen Squadmates' HP with Medi-gel.
Squadmates (Mass Effect 1)
Every timeShepardexplores the different clusters of the Galaxy, you’ll be asked to select 2 Squadmates or Companions to bring with you. In Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition, there are a total of 6 to choose from, each with their own Combat, Tech and Biotic Specialties. Remember that their levels are the same as yours even for those who are left in the Normandy Ship. Since your Squadmates’ Talents are fewer than Shepard’s, they receive less Talent Points every time they level up.
Urdnot Wrex
In order to fully take advantage of employing additional Biotic Abilities in the battlefield, it’s best to bring Urdnot Wrex who is a Biotic and Combat Specialist. you may recruit him after completing the Citadel: Wrex Mission.
What makes him dependable are his other Biotic and Weapon Talents likeWarpandAssault Rifle.Warpacutely weakens the enemy’s Shields while inflicting damage over time. This can be used in combination with Throw to efficiently eliminate bigger targets. Additionally, Wrex is trained in wielding aShotgunandAssault Rifle, which deal great firepower damage at point-blank and mid-range distances, respectively. Lastly, he can also wearHeavy Armor, making him very resilient in combat.
Ashley Williams
Since you lack the Abilities necessary to deal better Weapon Damage, you’ll need another accomplished Combat Specialist like Ashley Williams. You can recruit her after completing theFind the Beacon – Continue to the Dig Site Mission.
Ashley’s forte includes shooting enemies from any distance due to her proficiency with all Weapon Types such as the Pistol, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, andSniper Rifle. Like Wrex, she can equip Heavy Armor, making it ideal for the both of them to take the lead in combat.
Sentinel Weapons and Mods (Mass Effect 1)
For the Medic Sentinel Build, you should equip the Pistol Spectre Gear. Note that this randomly appears in theC-SecandAlliance Requisition Officers’inventories located in the Citadel and Normandy, respectively, so you’ll have to check with them from time to time.
The best Pistol is theHMWP VII, which deals great damage compared to other Pistols from locked containers. This can be purchased for 150,000 credits. Moreover, you can fire numerous shots before this Weapon overheats.
Weapon Mods
For the Pistol Spectre Gear, you can add 2 Weapon Mods and 1 Ammo Mod. For Weapon Mods, I suggest choosingScram Rail XandCombat Optics X. Scram Rail greatly boosts your damage but it has a heat absorption penalty of 10%. Note that this becomes negligible at higher levels so it shouldn’t be an issue. Meanwhile, Combat Optics maximizes detection in combat since enemies will often jam your radar making it tough for you to spot their positions and total number. It also raises your Pistol’s max accuracy, which is necessary since you lack the Pistols Talent.
For Ammo Mods, I suggest switching betweenTungsten Rounds VIIandShredder Rounds VII, which deal extra 40% damage to Synthetics and Organics or live enemies, respectively. More often than not, you’ll be using Tungsten Rounds due to the high volume of Synthetics relative to Organics.
Occasionally, you’re able to also useCryo Rounds VIIto penetrate Shields to directly damage HP. Moreover, the accuracy of affected targets is also penalized, thereby increasing the chances of missing their shots.
Grenade Launcher Mod
For the Grenade Launcher Mod, I highly recommend equippingHigh Explosive Xbecause this maximizes the blast radius of your grenades, which is essential against enemies far away from you. Your Blast Damage and Weapons Force, or the force by which you knock down enemies, also increase notably. You can use this in combination with one of your Biotic and Tech Abilities as a finisher.
Sentinel Armor and Mods (Mass Effect 1)
As a Sentinel, you are only limited to wearing Light Armor. As such, the best Light Armor to have is theColossus X, which you can obtain by first purchasing theKassa FabricationLicensefrom the C-Sec Officer in the Citadel. You can then buy this Armor from the Alliance Requisition Officer if your Level is 50+. Note that Colossus X appears randomly in theMerchant’sstock so it’s not a guaranteed purchase. Alternatively, you can acquire it from locked containers but the drop rate is low.
What’s great about Colossus X is that it suits the Sentinel very well. This Armor’s Damage Protection is the best in the game and it also has commendable Shields and Tech/Biotic Protection. To raise both of these, I suggest equippingMedical Exoskeleton XandEnergized Plating XMods. Medical Exoskeleton automatically regenerates a portion of your HP per second, reduces the cooldown of Biotic and Tech Abilities, and boosts resistance against Toxic Damage, which is advantageous against enemies likeThorian Creepers. Meanwhile, Energized Plating further augments Damage Protection.
Final Tips
When selecting yourPre-Service HistoryandPsychological ProfileduringCharacter Creation, note that you can choose whatever you like since these only affect dialogue options and have no impact on your Build. Feel free to choose whatever suits the personality of the Shepard you wish to play.
Given that you’ll be facing different enemy types like Synthetics and Organics, remember to alternate your use of Ammo Mods, specifically Tungsten and Shredder Rounds to effectively eliminate them.
The weakness of Sentinels is they lack Abilities to deal deadly firepower damage. Because of this, you’ll need to utilize the strengths of your Squadmates like Wrex to help immobilize and control targets and Ashley to shoot and to eliminate enemies from any distance. Furthermore, you can command both of them to take charge in combat since they are highly durable.
Lastly, make sure to equip higher versions of Pistols if you don’t have access to the best Spectre Gear yet because these will help your Build succeed. TheKarpov VIIIis an excellent alternative due to its exceptional damage, Heatsink Capacity, and accuracy.
Another decent Light Armor is theMantis VIIIbecause of its substantial Shields and Tech/Biotic Protection. To raise your Damage Protection, simply add 2Ablative Coating VII Modsif you don’t have Energized Plating X yet. You can get this from locked containers.
Stay tuned for moreBuild Guides for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, and be sure to check out theMass Effect: Legendary Edition Wikiif you have questions about the game!
