Difference between revisions of "Anti-Sentry Buster strategy"

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({{class link|Sniper}})
(Overhauled this page to make everything easier to read. Also removed a couple outdated or inaccurate points and added some others.)
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== General ==
 
== General ==
* Sentry busters are not a high priority target and most of the time shouldn't be focused over giant robots and sometimes regular robot unless you're an Engineer.
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* Sentry Busters are not a high priority target, and most of the time shouldn't be worried about over giant robots and sometimes regular robot, unless you're an [[Engineer]].
** Focus firing on the sentry buster can give the bomb carrier its chance to slip past your defense without anyone knowing and if you kill it right in the middle of a bunch of teammates it forces your teammates to stop what they're doing and run from the buster. In the worst case, more than half of your team will be instantly wiped by a single buster.
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** Focused fire on the Sentry Buster can give the bomb carrier a chance to slip past your defenses without anybody realizing, and if you detonate a Sentry Buster right in the middle of a bunch of teammates, it forces your teammates to stop what they're doing and run from the blast radius. In the worst case, more than half of your team will be instantly wiped out by a single Buster.
* You can attack the robot from afar, as well as with a melee weapon. It is only dangerous once it is killed or reaches its target Sentry Gun.
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* You can attack the robot from afar, as well as with a melee weapon. It is only dangerous once it arms itself, either through loss of health, or reaching its target Sentry Gun.
* Never let your guard down. It can use a detour to get to the [[Engineer]] buildings.
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* Never let your guard down. It can and will use detours to reach its destination faster, if allowed to do so.
 
* If a Sentry Buster begins to detonate, get as far away as possible. Note that at this point it cannot be affected by [[knockback]].
 
* If a Sentry Buster begins to detonate, get as far away as possible. Note that at this point it cannot be affected by [[knockback]].
* Blast resistance reduce the damage taken from the explosion and gave some possibility of surviving the blast in some cases if you're fortunate and unfortunate enough
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* Blast resistance reduce the damage taken from the explosion and gives you a possibility of surviving the blast in some cases, if you're fortunate and healthy enough.
** However, do not upgrade Blast resistance only for this purpose
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** However, do not upgrade Blast resistance only for this purpose. There are better things you can spend your money on most of the time, except for Scouts and money Spies.
* Always listen to the self-destructing sound. If you hear a very loud beeping sound, stop what you're doing and run away from the sound as soon as possible.  
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* Always listen to the sound of it arming itself. If you hear such a sound, stop what you're doing, find the Sentry Buster and if in its range, get away from it.
* The explosion of a Sentry Buster also kills its allies. Use this to your advantage if your team is having a hard time dealing with a horde of robot.
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* The explosion of a Sentry Buster also kills its allies. Use this to your advantage, if your team is having a hard time dealing with a horde of robots.
* Unlike giants and many other robots, sentry buster cannot pick up the bomb, runs faster than most of them, and cannot be body-blocked (An act of stopping a robot from progressing forward by standing in its path). Sentry buster simply walks through a player as if they were teammates.
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* Unlike giants and many other robots, Sentry Busters cannot pick up the bomb. However, they run faster than most robots and cannot be body-blocked (An act of stopping a robot from progressing forward by standing in its path); Sentry Busters simply walk through a player as if they were a teammate.
* There's a long lasting bug where sentry buster truly dies instead of exploding. The sentry buster simply disappears, plays a similar when a giant robot is destroyed (it sometimes plays the self-destructing sound along with the destruction sound, although there's no explosion after the beep). This is usually caused by the slowing effects of some weapons/items such as Mad Milk and rocket specialist upgrade. This makes the sentry buster dies harmlessly.
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* There's a long lasting bug where Sentry Busters truly vanish instead of exploding. It plays the sound cue when arming itself as well as the explosion, but neither arming animation nor explosion are triggered. This mostly happens if the Sentry Buster is being hit by weaponry with snare effects, such as Natascha or a Rocket Specialist Soldier.
  
 
=== {{class link|Scout}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Scout}} ===
* Sentry buster shouldn't be a big threat to the Scout. He can safely escape the buster's explosion with his speed. The Scout should only be dealing with the buster when there's no cash to collect and there's no robot to milk.
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* Sentry Busters shouldn't be a big threat to Scouts. You can safely escape the Buster's explosion radius with speed alone. The Scout should only be dealing with the Buster when there's no cash to collect and there's no robot to milk.
** However, stay alert where the sentry buster were, you may accidentally run into a self-destructing buster right when you're turning around a corner. This may result in you losing most of your overheal
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** However, keep an eye on where the Sentry Buster is, otherwise you may accidentally run into a self-destructing Buster, right when you're turning around a corner. If it doesn't flat-out kill you, it will result in you losing most, if not all of your overheal buff.
* Using the [[Force-A-Nature]] will knock back the Sentry Buster at close range and will knock you back if you are airborne.
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* Using the [[Force-A-Nature]] will knock back the Sentry Buster at close range and also knock you back, if you are airborne.
** Be aware of where you knock the Sentry Buster to. You don't want to knock it straight into your [[Engineer]]'s buildings and teammates.
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** Be aware of where you knock the Sentry Buster to. You don't want to knock it straight into your [[Engineer]]'s buildings, or your teammates.
* Sentry Busters are not affected by [[stun]]s from the [[Sandman]] since they're considered a giant robot, though you can upgrade it so players will do mini-crit damage.
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* Sentry Busters are not affected by [[stun]]s from the [[Sandman]], since they're considered a giant robot. You can however still upgrade it with the "Ball Marks Target" upgrade, so players will do mini-crit damage.
* [[Mad Milk]] will still affect the movement speed of a Sentry Buster if upgraded. A sentry buster coated in Mad Milk gives a maximum of 1500 health points to you and your teammates before dying. If there's no presence of a giant yet, milk the buster.
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* [[Mad Milk]] will still affect the movement speed of a Sentry Buster if upgraded. A Sentry Buster coated in Mad Milk gives a maximum of 1500 health points to you and your teammates before dying. If there's no presence of a giant robot yet, you can consider milking the Sentry Buster.
* The [[Fan O'War]] will allow you to tag the Sentry Buster for mini-crits. Use this to allow the rest of your team to focus down the Sentry Buster, but remember - only one target can be marked for death at any time and the mark will disappear after some time.
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* The [[Fan O'War]] will allow you to tag the Sentry Buster for mini-crits. Use this to allow the rest of your team to focus down the Sentry Buster, but remember - only one target can be marked for death at any time and the mark will disappear faster for giants.
* Sentry buster can give you boost for the [[Baby Face's Blaster]]. Shooting them can build your boost back up quickly. Do not, however, follow the buster just to gain boost.
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* Sentry Buster can give you boost for the [[Baby Face's Blaster]]. Shooting them can build your boost back up quickly. Don't over-commit to getting boost however, as it could arm itself without a moment's notice or leave you distracted from more important Scout jobs.
  
 
=== {{class link|Soldier}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Soldier}} ===
 
* If the Sentry Buster is too close to you and primed to detonate, you can [[rocket jump]] to do an emergency escape.
 
* If the Sentry Buster is too close to you and primed to detonate, you can [[rocket jump]] to do an emergency escape.
 
* If you have 160 HP or less use [[Escape Plan]] to escape faster from the explosion. Although you may take 35% more damage because of mark for death, it's better to take extra damage than losing all your health. Better safe than sorry.
 
* If you have 160 HP or less use [[Escape Plan]] to escape faster from the explosion. Although you may take 35% more damage because of mark for death, it's better to take extra damage than losing all your health. Better safe than sorry.
* If you have a lot of teammates, consider equipping the [[Buff Banner]], [[Battalion's Backup]], or [[Concheror]] since sentry buster provides a good source of damage to build up rage.  
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* If you have a lot of teammates, consider equipping the [[Buff Banner]], [[Battalion's Backup]], or [[Concheror]] since Sentry Buster provides a good source of damage to build up rage.  
* Your Rocket Specialist upgrade is very useful against Sentry Busters. The upgrade allows you to stun and deal maximum damage to it. Keep firing until it is dead, but watch out for its explosion.
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* Your Rocket Specialist upgrade is very useful against Sentry Busters. The upgrade allows you to stun and deal maximum damage to it. Keep firing until it is dead, but stay away from its blast.
  
 
=== {{class link|Pyro}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Pyro}} ===
* Your [[air blast]] is invaluable, so make sure to face the robot with full ammunition.
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* Your [[airblast]] is invaluable, so make sure to face the robot with full ammunition.
 
* An easy way to alert your teammates of a Sentry Buster’s presence is to [[Fire|light it on fire]] and make it more noticeable, as well as damage it.
 
* An easy way to alert your teammates of a Sentry Buster’s presence is to [[Fire|light it on fire]] and make it more noticeable, as well as damage it.
* Critical [[flare]]s shot from the [[Flare Gun]] or [[Detonator]] and [[Axtinguisher]] or [[Postal Pummeler]] hits do excruciating damage when used in combination with air blasting - but remember that air blasting is the greater priority.
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* Critical [[flare]]s shot from the [[Flare Gun]] or [[Detonator]], and [[Axtinguisher]] or [[Postal Pummeler]] hits do critical damage when used in combination with air blasting - but remember that air blasting is the greater priority.
 
* Max out the airblast force upgrade to push Sentry Busters back. If you can, you can knock them into an environmental hazard, such as a [[pitfall]].
 
* Max out the airblast force upgrade to push Sentry Busters back. If you can, you can knock them into an environmental hazard, such as a [[pitfall]].
* Although airblasts can save your teammate's lives and time, using them brainlessly creates more harm than helping.
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* Although airblasting can save your teammate's lives and time, using them brainlessly creates more harm than helping.
** Sometimes when sentry busters decided to self-destruct in mid-air it only plays the sound but doesn't play the self-destructing animation. This can be very confusing especially for new players and thus can create an unexpected death.
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** Sometimes when Sentry Busters decided to self-destruct in mid-air, it only plays the sound but doesn't play the self-destructing animation. This can be very confusing especially for new players and thus can create an unexpected death.
** Your team's Engineer should be ready to deal with the buster. Airblasting just to buy him time can ended up making him waste more time waiting for the buster to reach him.
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** Your team's Engineer should be ready to deal with the Buster. Airblasting just to buy him time can end up making him waste more time, waiting for the Buster to reach him.
** A bouncing robot is almost always harder to hit than a robot traveling in its predictable path. Overusing airblast can make it harder for teammates to deal with the buster and a living buster can accidentally block incoming fire for other robots.
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** A bouncing robot is almost always harder to hit than a robot traveling in its predictable path. Overusing airblast can make it harder for teammates to deal with the Buster and a living Buster can accidentally block incoming fire for other robots, as well as distract teammates from dealing with other threats.
* Due to the sentry buster's large health pool, you can get a considerable amount of Mmmph with the Phlogistinator. Chase them down to get as much Mmmph from them as you can when there's no other way of building Mmmph faster or engaging other robots to build Mmmph is too risky.  
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* Due to the Sentry Buster's large health pool, you can get a considerable amount of Mmmph with the Phlogistinator. Chase them down to get as much Mmmph from them as you can when there's no other way of building Mmmph faster or engaging other robots to build Mmmph is too risky.
  
 
=== {{class link|Demoman}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Demoman}} ===
* Demoman doesn't profit too much from the presence of the sentry buster and thus they should avoid shooting the buster when there's robots to kill.
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* Demoman doesn't profit too much from the presence of the Sentry Buster, and thus they should avoid shooting the Buster when there's other robots to take down.
* Shooting grenades at the feet of the Sentry Buster will knock it back.
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* With the [[Scottish Resistance]], you can plant extra stickies near an Engineer’s nest. If the Sentry Buster gets near, detonate them to weaken and hopefully kill it right away. Just make sure not to put them too close, that the robot will still be in range of the buildings.
* With the [[Scottish Resistance]], you can plant extra stickies near an Engineer’s nest. If the Sentry Buster gets near, detonate them to blast it back or kill it right away. Just make sure not to put them close enough that the robot can detonate.
 
 
* Use the [[Chargin' Targe]], [[Splendid Screen]], or [[Tide Turner]] to escape the explosion if you're caught right next to them.
 
* Use the [[Chargin' Targe]], [[Splendid Screen]], or [[Tide Turner]] to escape the explosion if you're caught right next to them.
  
 
=== {{class link|Heavy}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Heavy}} ===
 
* Stand on the Dispenser and help defend the [[Engineer]] with your Minigun.
 
* Stand on the Dispenser and help defend the [[Engineer]] with your Minigun.
* [[Natascha]] slows down Sentry Busters immensely
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* [[Natascha]] slows down Sentry Busters immensely. Use it if you have surplus time to keep the Sentry Buster pinned.
** The damage penalty can make killing other giant robots harder, however.
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** The damage penalty can make killing other robots harder, however.
* Sentry buster have a large health pool. You can build a considerable amount of rage from the buster.
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* Sentry Busters have a large health pool. You can build a considerable amount of rage from each one.
 
* The [[Gloves of Running Urgently]] can be used to escape the Sentry Buster if it detonates near you.
 
* The [[Gloves of Running Urgently]] can be used to escape the Sentry Buster if it detonates near you.
* The [[Fists of Steel]] may provide damage resistance against explosions, but even combining it with maxed out blast resistance barely gives you anymore chance of surviving the blast.
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* The [[Fists of Steel]] may provide damage resistance against explosions, but even combining it with maxed out blast resistance barely gives you much chance of surviving the blast.
* The [[Holiday Punch]]'s critical hit forces to sentry buster to taunt. The animation that the buster was playing was simply an idle buster standing still. This buys your teammate some time to shoot the buster. However, the sentry buster will detonate immediately after a set amount of time without giving any warning and can result in some players dying without them even knowing what happened.
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* The [[Holiday Punch]]'s critical hit forces the Sentry Buster to taunt. The animation that the Buster plays is simply an idle Buster standing still. This buys your teammate some time to shoot the Buster. However, the Sentry Buster will detonate immediately after a set amount of time without giving any warning, and can result in some players dying without them even knowing what happened.
** When this happens when you're playing as other classes, be sure to back away from the buster when you know it's going to detonate. It's usually enough time for the Medic to get one Ubersaw hit before it detonates without giving any warning sound and animation.
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** If you're playing as another class, simply keep your distance and allow the Heavy to work while you chip away at it.
  
 
=== {{class link|Engineer}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Engineer}} ===
* Sentry buster are there just because of you and it's mostly your job to deal with them, not your team.
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* Sentry Busters are there just because of you, and it's mostly your job to deal with them, not your team.
* It's not your teammates responsibility to kill the buster for you. Do not pick your sentry up and run around the map to buy your team some time to destroy it, most of the time they have more important things to do
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* It's not your team's responsibility to kill the Buster for you. Do not pick your Sentry up and run around the map, just to buy your team some time to destroy it. Most of the time, they have more important things to do and you not being at your post could be their undoing.
 
* Put your other buildings far away from your main Sentry Gun. This will allow them to stay intact even if your Sentry is destroyed.
 
* Put your other buildings far away from your main Sentry Gun. This will allow them to stay intact even if your Sentry is destroyed.
* As soon as the Sentry Buster comes to your Sentry and starts preparing to detonate, grab your Sentry and run as fast as you can. Note that grabbing a Sentry too late will cause you and your Sentry to be destroyed.
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* As soon as the Sentry Buster comes to your Sentry and starts preparing to detonate, grab your Sentry and run as fast as you can. Note that grabbing a Sentry too late will cause you and your Sentry to be destroyed. The [[Rescue Ranger]] reduces this risk, by allowing you to wait until the Sentry Buster approaches your Sentry Gun, then grabbing it from afar as it arms itself.
** Or if you have a bit of a "free time" you can simply grab your building, run to the sentry buster and touch it, then move away from the explosion. This saves you more time because you don't have to wait for the sentry buster to detonate to put the sentry down in your regular spot.
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** If you have a bit of free time, you can simply grab your Sentry, run to the Sentry Buster and touch it, then move away from the explosion. This saves you more time because you don't have to wait for the Sentry Buster to detonate to put the sentry down in your regular spot.
 
** If you are standing near an edge, try to fall off it with your Sentry Gun. Note that a horde of other robots may be under the cliff, so plan your retreat.
 
** If you are standing near an edge, try to fall off it with your Sentry Gun. Note that a horde of other robots may be under the cliff, so plan your retreat.
 
** If your Sentry was placed near a corner, pick up your Sentry and run around the corner once the Sentry Buster starts to detonate. The wall will protect you and your Sentry from the Sentry Buster’s explosion.
 
** If your Sentry was placed near a corner, pick up your Sentry and run around the corner once the Sentry Buster starts to detonate. The wall will protect you and your Sentry from the Sentry Buster’s explosion.
* The [[Rescue Ranger]] is a helpful weapon in combating Sentry Busters. Provided you have 130 [[metal]], you can easily get away from the Sentry Buster and grab your Sentry using the Ranger's alt-fire when it's arming.
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* There are locations on some maps where Sentry Busters will take a while to reach, as they cannot jump. Know those locations so you can stall the Sentry Buster and time your escape.
* There are locations in maps where Sentry Busters will take a while to reach, as they cannot jump. Know those locations so you can stall the Sentry Buster and time your escape.
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* If there is more than one Engineer on the map, you should refrain from Sentry Stacking (Placing your main Sentry Guns next to each other), to prevent a single Sentry Buster from destroying all of them.
* If there is more than one Engineer on the map, you should place your main Sentry Guns away from each other to prevent a single Sentry Buster from destroying all of them.
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* Having only 1 Engineer is advised because the appearance of multiple busters at once may confuse which Buster targets which Sentry Gun.
* Having only 1 Engineer is advised because the appearance of multiple busters at once may confuse which buster targets which Sentry Gun.
 
 
* [[Wrangler|Wrangling]] your Sentry will not shield it from the explosion.
 
* [[Wrangler|Wrangling]] your Sentry will not shield it from the explosion.
 
* Use your Übercharge Canteen to protect you and your Sentry from the explosion as a very last resort. Note that it will not protect your other buildings.
 
* Use your Übercharge Canteen to protect you and your Sentry from the explosion as a very last resort. Note that it will not protect your other buildings.
* Make sure your buildings are not in the way of the path of the Sentry Buster, otherwise they will get destroyed as the Sentry Buster can simply walk through them and trample them no matter how much health they have.
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* Make sure your buildings are not in the way of the path of the Sentry Buster, otherwise they will get destroyed since the Sentry Buster can simply walk through them and trample them, no matter how much health they have.
* When dealing with sentry busters, make sure you detonate them behind the team's defense and not in the middle of a bunch of teammates. Pick up your sentry and let the buster self destruct behind the front line.
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* When dealing with Sentry Busters, make sure you detonate them behind the team's defense and not in the middle of a bunch of teammates. Pick up your Sentry and let the Buster self-destruct away from the front line.
  
 
=== {{class link|Medic}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Medic}} ===
* Because the [[Ubersaw]] gives you 25% charge when you score a successful hit against a sentry buster, experienced medics can gain a large amount of charge with a single buster and charge his teammates with uber/crit/mega-heal/resistance quickly. Thus, if dealt with correctly, the sentry buster can benefit the Medic way more than harming him.
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* Because the [[Übersaw]] gives you 25% charge when you score a successful hit against a Sentry Buster, experienced Medics can gain a large amount of charge with a single Buster and charge his teammates with uber/crit/mega-heal/resistance more often. Thus, if dealt with correctly, the Sentry Buster can benefit the Medic way more than harming him.
** However, do not chase the buster if you have to risk dying to do it. Remember, dying drops all your charge.
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** However, do not chase the Buster if you or your team have to risk dying, due to your moving away from your section. Remember, dead teammates will weaken your defensive line, and dying yourself destroys all your charge unless using the [[Vita-Saw]], which will salvage 19% of it.
 
** It is advised not to attempt this when you already have a shield deployed. Switching away from your Medi Gun disables the shield and it cannot be reactivated until the shield meter completely empties. Balance out the cost to decide whether to build your charge or keep your shield running. Remember, keeping the shield running can save many of your teammate's lives and thus benefits your team more when there's a swarming amounts of incoming projectiles.
 
** It is advised not to attempt this when you already have a shield deployed. Switching away from your Medi Gun disables the shield and it cannot be reactivated until the shield meter completely empties. Balance out the cost to decide whether to build your charge or keep your shield running. Remember, keeping the shield running can save many of your teammate's lives and thus benefits your team more when there's a swarming amounts of incoming projectiles.
 
* If you're using the [[Vaccinator]] don’t hesitate to use your resistance in dangerous situations on the [[Engineer]] or yourself.
 
* If you're using the [[Vaccinator]] don’t hesitate to use your resistance in dangerous situations on the [[Engineer]] or yourself.
* If you caught the sentry buster right next to you and it's about to explode, popping your uber (canteen if you're using the Quick-Fix or Kritzkrieg) can save you from dying and losing all your charge.
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* If you're caught with the Sentry Buster right next to you and it's about to explode, popping your Übercharge (Or Über canteen, if you're using the Quick-Fix,  Kritzkrieg, or Vaccinator) can save you from dying and losing all your charge. Pop it, don't drop it.
  
 
=== {{class link|Sniper}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Sniper}} ===
[[Image:SentryBusterHitboxes.png|thumb|150x150px|The [[hitscan]] hitboxes of a Sentry Buster, based off of that of the Demoman.]]
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[[Image:SentryBusterHitboxes.png|thumb|150x150px|The hitboxes of a Sentry Buster.]]
* While it doesn't look like it, Sentry Busters do have head hitboxes that are sensitive to [[headshot]]s.
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* While it doesn't look like it, Sentry Busters do have head hitboxes that are sensitive to [[headshot]]s. Hitting the very topmost pin of the Sentry Buster will do headshot damage.
** Upgrading explosive headshot slows the buster if you score a successful headshot. More points in the upgrade means the buster will be slowed more and the slow effect last longer. It will also damage robots around the buster.
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** Upgrading explosive headshot slows the buster if you score a successful headshot. More points in the upgrade means the Buster will be slowed more, you will hit more nearby robots, and the slow effect last longer. It will also damage robots around the Buster.
** They're one of the hardest robots to score headshots with due to their incredible speed and their "invisible" head. Focus on slower robots if you're not confident about your aim. Pretend the Sentry Buster is a Demoman, and aim for where its head would be. This is right at the top edge of the Sentry Buster's "bomb" part.
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** They're one of the hardest robots to score headshots with due to their incredible speed and their "invisible" head. Focus your shots carefully or target other threats, if you have no time to work on it.
* The best and most effective means of helping your team would be to throw [[Jarate]] on a Sentry Buster. With slowdown upgrade, you can reduce the buster's speed to a crawl and it makes scoring headshots with them far more easier.
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* The best and most effective means of helping your team would be to throw [[Jarate]] on a Sentry Buster. With slowdown upgrade, you can reduce the Buster's speed to a crawl and make scoring headshots on them far more easier.
** In particular, the [[Bushwacka]] can wreak havoc on a Jarated Sentry Buster.  
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** In particular, the [[Bushwacka]] can wreak havoc on a Jarate'd Sentry Buster. Though again, worry about other threats, if they're present.
* If you're equipped with the [[Huntsman]], remember that you can stun the Sentry Buster with the [[Skewer]] taunt but make sure to time the taunt at the right moment. It's more effective if the sentry buster is coated with Jarate with slow-down upgrade.
 
  
 
=== {{class link|Spy}} ===
 
=== {{class link|Spy}} ===
* [[Sap]]ping the Sentry Buster kills most of their speed for a short period of time. Make sure to sap it as soon as your teammates can attack it effectively. Otherwise, save it to sap higher priority targets such as uber medics.
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* [[Sap]]ping the Sentry Buster kills most of their speed for a short period of time. Make sure to sap it as soon as your teammates can attack it effectively. Otherwise, save it to sap higher priority targets such as Über medics.
* [[Backstab]]bing the Sentry Buster can be done only with the Armor Penetration, as they are considered giant robots.
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** Working with a Medic, you can sap the Sentry Buster and then signal the Medic to use his Übersaw on it to gain charge, if he is lacking a full charge.
* Remember, the Sentry Buster will explode when its health runs out, so give yourself time to get clear of the blast.
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** Sapping a Sentry Buster can buy the Engineer more time to either pick off more robots before dealing with the Sentry Buster, or to reach his Sentry Gun to pick it up, if he is not close enough or respawning.
* [[Dead Ringer]] can save you from death by the sentry buster's explosion.
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* Sentry Busters cannot be backstabbed, as made obvious by the lack of a back ''to'' stab. They can still be headshot with the [[Ambassador]] if you hit the top pin, like a Sniper.
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* Remember, the Sentry Buster will explode when its health runs out, so give yourself time to get clear of the blast. If that isn't possible, the [[Dead Ringer]] can save you from death by the Sentry Buster's explosion, though this should only be used as a last resort, as it means you will have to get it recharged before going back to work on the robots.
  
 
{{Class Strategy Nav}}
 
{{Class Strategy Nav}}

Revision as of 15:19, 31 March 2015

I will send every damn one of you back to robot hell!
The Engineer avenging his Sentry.
Sentry Buster

This article is about Community Anti-Sentry Buster strategy.

General

  • Sentry Busters are not a high priority target, and most of the time shouldn't be worried about over giant robots and sometimes regular robot, unless you're an Engineer.
    • Focused fire on the Sentry Buster can give the bomb carrier a chance to slip past your defenses without anybody realizing, and if you detonate a Sentry Buster right in the middle of a bunch of teammates, it forces your teammates to stop what they're doing and run from the blast radius. In the worst case, more than half of your team will be instantly wiped out by a single Buster.
  • You can attack the robot from afar, as well as with a melee weapon. It is only dangerous once it arms itself, either through loss of health, or reaching its target Sentry Gun.
  • Never let your guard down. It can and will use detours to reach its destination faster, if allowed to do so.
  • If a Sentry Buster begins to detonate, get as far away as possible. Note that at this point it cannot be affected by knockback.
  • Blast resistance reduce the damage taken from the explosion and gives you a possibility of surviving the blast in some cases, if you're fortunate and healthy enough.
    • However, do not upgrade Blast resistance only for this purpose. There are better things you can spend your money on most of the time, except for Scouts and money Spies.
  • Always listen to the sound of it arming itself. If you hear such a sound, stop what you're doing, find the Sentry Buster and if in its range, get away from it.
  • The explosion of a Sentry Buster also kills its allies. Use this to your advantage, if your team is having a hard time dealing with a horde of robots.
  • Unlike giants and many other robots, Sentry Busters cannot pick up the bomb. However, they run faster than most robots and cannot be body-blocked (An act of stopping a robot from progressing forward by standing in its path); Sentry Busters simply walk through a player as if they were a teammate.
  • There's a long lasting bug where Sentry Busters truly vanish instead of exploding. It plays the sound cue when arming itself as well as the explosion, but neither arming animation nor explosion are triggered. This mostly happens if the Sentry Buster is being hit by weaponry with snare effects, such as Natascha or a Rocket Specialist Soldier.

Leaderboard class scout.png Scout

  • Sentry Busters shouldn't be a big threat to Scouts. You can safely escape the Buster's explosion radius with speed alone. The Scout should only be dealing with the Buster when there's no cash to collect and there's no robot to milk.
    • However, keep an eye on where the Sentry Buster is, otherwise you may accidentally run into a self-destructing Buster, right when you're turning around a corner. If it doesn't flat-out kill you, it will result in you losing most, if not all of your overheal buff.
  • Using the Force-A-Nature will knock back the Sentry Buster at close range and also knock you back, if you are airborne.
    • Be aware of where you knock the Sentry Buster to. You don't want to knock it straight into your Engineer's buildings, or your teammates.
  • Sentry Busters are not affected by stuns from the Sandman, since they're considered a giant robot. You can however still upgrade it with the "Ball Marks Target" upgrade, so players will do mini-crit damage.
  • Mad Milk will still affect the movement speed of a Sentry Buster if upgraded. A Sentry Buster coated in Mad Milk gives a maximum of 1500 health points to you and your teammates before dying. If there's no presence of a giant robot yet, you can consider milking the Sentry Buster.
  • The Fan O'War will allow you to tag the Sentry Buster for mini-crits. Use this to allow the rest of your team to focus down the Sentry Buster, but remember - only one target can be marked for death at any time and the mark will disappear faster for giants.
  • Sentry Buster can give you boost for the Baby Face's Blaster. Shooting them can build your boost back up quickly. Don't over-commit to getting boost however, as it could arm itself without a moment's notice or leave you distracted from more important Scout jobs.

Leaderboard class soldier.png Soldier

  • If the Sentry Buster is too close to you and primed to detonate, you can rocket jump to do an emergency escape.
  • If you have 160 HP or less use Escape Plan to escape faster from the explosion. Although you may take 35% more damage because of mark for death, it's better to take extra damage than losing all your health. Better safe than sorry.
  • If you have a lot of teammates, consider equipping the Buff Banner, Battalion's Backup, or Concheror since Sentry Buster provides a good source of damage to build up rage.
  • Your Rocket Specialist upgrade is very useful against Sentry Busters. The upgrade allows you to stun and deal maximum damage to it. Keep firing until it is dead, but stay away from its blast.

Leaderboard class pyro.png Pyro

  • Your airblast is invaluable, so make sure to face the robot with full ammunition.
  • An easy way to alert your teammates of a Sentry Buster’s presence is to light it on fire and make it more noticeable, as well as damage it.
  • Critical flares shot from the Flare Gun or Detonator, and Axtinguisher or Postal Pummeler hits do critical damage when used in combination with air blasting - but remember that air blasting is the greater priority.
  • Max out the airblast force upgrade to push Sentry Busters back. If you can, you can knock them into an environmental hazard, such as a pitfall.
  • Although airblasting can save your teammate's lives and time, using them brainlessly creates more harm than helping.
    • Sometimes when Sentry Busters decided to self-destruct in mid-air, it only plays the sound but doesn't play the self-destructing animation. This can be very confusing especially for new players and thus can create an unexpected death.
    • Your team's Engineer should be ready to deal with the Buster. Airblasting just to buy him time can end up making him waste more time, waiting for the Buster to reach him.
    • A bouncing robot is almost always harder to hit than a robot traveling in its predictable path. Overusing airblast can make it harder for teammates to deal with the Buster and a living Buster can accidentally block incoming fire for other robots, as well as distract teammates from dealing with other threats.
  • Due to the Sentry Buster's large health pool, you can get a considerable amount of Mmmph with the Phlogistinator. Chase them down to get as much Mmmph from them as you can when there's no other way of building Mmmph faster or engaging other robots to build Mmmph is too risky.

Leaderboard class demoman.png Demoman

  • Demoman doesn't profit too much from the presence of the Sentry Buster, and thus they should avoid shooting the Buster when there's other robots to take down.
  • With the Scottish Resistance, you can plant extra stickies near an Engineer’s nest. If the Sentry Buster gets near, detonate them to weaken and hopefully kill it right away. Just make sure not to put them too close, that the robot will still be in range of the buildings.
  • Use the Chargin' Targe, Splendid Screen, or Tide Turner to escape the explosion if you're caught right next to them.

Leaderboard class heavy.png Heavy

  • Stand on the Dispenser and help defend the Engineer with your Minigun.
  • Natascha slows down Sentry Busters immensely. Use it if you have surplus time to keep the Sentry Buster pinned.
    • The damage penalty can make killing other robots harder, however.
  • Sentry Busters have a large health pool. You can build a considerable amount of rage from each one.
  • The Gloves of Running Urgently can be used to escape the Sentry Buster if it detonates near you.
  • The Fists of Steel may provide damage resistance against explosions, but even combining it with maxed out blast resistance barely gives you much chance of surviving the blast.
  • The Holiday Punch's critical hit forces the Sentry Buster to taunt. The animation that the Buster plays is simply an idle Buster standing still. This buys your teammate some time to shoot the Buster. However, the Sentry Buster will detonate immediately after a set amount of time without giving any warning, and can result in some players dying without them even knowing what happened.
    • If you're playing as another class, simply keep your distance and allow the Heavy to work while you chip away at it.

Leaderboard class engineer.png Engineer

  • Sentry Busters are there just because of you, and it's mostly your job to deal with them, not your team.
  • It's not your team's responsibility to kill the Buster for you. Do not pick your Sentry up and run around the map, just to buy your team some time to destroy it. Most of the time, they have more important things to do and you not being at your post could be their undoing.
  • Put your other buildings far away from your main Sentry Gun. This will allow them to stay intact even if your Sentry is destroyed.
  • As soon as the Sentry Buster comes to your Sentry and starts preparing to detonate, grab your Sentry and run as fast as you can. Note that grabbing a Sentry too late will cause you and your Sentry to be destroyed. The Rescue Ranger reduces this risk, by allowing you to wait until the Sentry Buster approaches your Sentry Gun, then grabbing it from afar as it arms itself.
    • If you have a bit of free time, you can simply grab your Sentry, run to the Sentry Buster and touch it, then move away from the explosion. This saves you more time because you don't have to wait for the Sentry Buster to detonate to put the sentry down in your regular spot.
    • If you are standing near an edge, try to fall off it with your Sentry Gun. Note that a horde of other robots may be under the cliff, so plan your retreat.
    • If your Sentry was placed near a corner, pick up your Sentry and run around the corner once the Sentry Buster starts to detonate. The wall will protect you and your Sentry from the Sentry Buster’s explosion.
  • There are locations on some maps where Sentry Busters will take a while to reach, as they cannot jump. Know those locations so you can stall the Sentry Buster and time your escape.
  • If there is more than one Engineer on the map, you should refrain from Sentry Stacking (Placing your main Sentry Guns next to each other), to prevent a single Sentry Buster from destroying all of them.
  • Having only 1 Engineer is advised because the appearance of multiple busters at once may confuse which Buster targets which Sentry Gun.
  • Wrangling your Sentry will not shield it from the explosion.
  • Use your Übercharge Canteen to protect you and your Sentry from the explosion as a very last resort. Note that it will not protect your other buildings.
  • Make sure your buildings are not in the way of the path of the Sentry Buster, otherwise they will get destroyed since the Sentry Buster can simply walk through them and trample them, no matter how much health they have.
  • When dealing with Sentry Busters, make sure you detonate them behind the team's defense and not in the middle of a bunch of teammates. Pick up your Sentry and let the Buster self-destruct away from the front line.

Leaderboard class medic.png Medic

  • Because the Übersaw gives you 25% charge when you score a successful hit against a Sentry Buster, experienced Medics can gain a large amount of charge with a single Buster and charge his teammates with uber/crit/mega-heal/resistance more often. Thus, if dealt with correctly, the Sentry Buster can benefit the Medic way more than harming him.
    • However, do not chase the Buster if you or your team have to risk dying, due to your moving away from your section. Remember, dead teammates will weaken your defensive line, and dying yourself destroys all your charge unless using the Vita-Saw, which will salvage 19% of it.
    • It is advised not to attempt this when you already have a shield deployed. Switching away from your Medi Gun disables the shield and it cannot be reactivated until the shield meter completely empties. Balance out the cost to decide whether to build your charge or keep your shield running. Remember, keeping the shield running can save many of your teammate's lives and thus benefits your team more when there's a swarming amounts of incoming projectiles.
  • If you're using the Vaccinator don’t hesitate to use your resistance in dangerous situations on the Engineer or yourself.
  • If you're caught with the Sentry Buster right next to you and it's about to explode, popping your Übercharge (Or Über canteen, if you're using the Quick-Fix, Kritzkrieg, or Vaccinator) can save you from dying and losing all your charge. Pop it, don't drop it.

Leaderboard class sniper.png Sniper

The hitboxes of a Sentry Buster.
  • While it doesn't look like it, Sentry Busters do have head hitboxes that are sensitive to headshots. Hitting the very topmost pin of the Sentry Buster will do headshot damage.
    • Upgrading explosive headshot slows the buster if you score a successful headshot. More points in the upgrade means the Buster will be slowed more, you will hit more nearby robots, and the slow effect last longer. It will also damage robots around the Buster.
    • They're one of the hardest robots to score headshots with due to their incredible speed and their "invisible" head. Focus your shots carefully or target other threats, if you have no time to work on it.
  • The best and most effective means of helping your team would be to throw Jarate on a Sentry Buster. With slowdown upgrade, you can reduce the Buster's speed to a crawl and make scoring headshots on them far more easier.
    • In particular, the Bushwacka can wreak havoc on a Jarate'd Sentry Buster. Though again, worry about other threats, if they're present.

Leaderboard class spy.png Spy

  • Sapping the Sentry Buster kills most of their speed for a short period of time. Make sure to sap it as soon as your teammates can attack it effectively. Otherwise, save it to sap higher priority targets such as Über medics.
    • Working with a Medic, you can sap the Sentry Buster and then signal the Medic to use his Übersaw on it to gain charge, if he is lacking a full charge.
    • Sapping a Sentry Buster can buy the Engineer more time to either pick off more robots before dealing with the Sentry Buster, or to reach his Sentry Gun to pick it up, if he is not close enough or respawning.
  • Sentry Busters cannot be backstabbed, as made obvious by the lack of a back to stab. They can still be headshot with the Ambassador if you hit the top pin, like a Sniper.
  • Remember, the Sentry Buster will explode when its health runs out, so give yourself time to get clear of the blast. If that isn't possible, the Dead Ringer can save you from death by the Sentry Buster's explosion, though this should only be used as a last resort, as it means you will have to get it recharged before going back to work on the robots.