Dreadmaker's Sentry Scenario of the Week I

[Dreadmaker]

Hey Folks!

There's been a lot of engie related posts lately, because, of course, we're going to be getting a new engineer update soon. So, I had an idea for some good, engie related fun. Here's the deal:

Dreadmaker's Sentry Scenario of the Week I​

I will post a picture of a space that you have to defend. As the only engineer on your team, you have to defend it as best you can with only 1 sentry. It will generally be a capture point or an intelligence room of a well known map.

There will be two versions of this picture. The first picture details where the enemies will come in, where the intelligence is, and where the metal spawns/resupply areas are (if there are any). This is for your observation only.

The Second picture is the same as the first, but totally blank. Your job is to copy that image, go into paint, or your preferred graphical editing software, and add a red dot where you think would be the best place for a sentry gun. Then, upload it to an external site, and put up the thumbnail or direct link so that it might be judged. Along with each picture, you should put up an explanation as to why your sentry location is the best one there.

At the end of the week, I will make a selection of which sentry location and explanation is the best, and I will award them 1000 casino cash. Call it an intellectual bounty, if you'd like.

Rules:
​

1. The scenario location is going to be a well known area in the game. I haven't named the areas on purpose, to make you think about the best area as opposed to going with old 'tried and true' locations. if you think you recognize the area, PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE IT IN YOUR ANSWER TO KEEP THE LOCATION AS ANONYMOUS AS POSSIBLE.

2. Make sure you include a picture AND an explanation.

3. Have fun!

This Week's Scenario​

The Observation picture (do not copy)


The Blank picture (use this one to place your sentry)

In all pictures, White is the area players can walk on, and in this case, build. Black is walls.


If you aren't sure about sentry placement, but you still want my cold, hard, casino cash, check out this thread. This is the engineering guide I posted recently, and it has a section dedicated specifically to sentry placement which just might help you here.

Remember:​

If someone has the same location as you, don't be discouraged! in the case of two locations that are the same, it will be the explanation that determines it. Also, if someone posts a location that is relatively inferior, but explains it better than people with better locations, they just might win. Remember, placement is only half of it. Reasoning is the other.

 

[crazyrockets]

Sentry positions
3 possible sentry positions and my reasoning for them (in assessment file)

 

[Jawneh]

X marks tha spot!

 

[ToiletPastries]

Is there a TL;DR somewhere?

 

[Jawneh]

tl;dr

1. Save picture
2. Put Sentry where you think it is the best
3. Explain why you think so
4. Win Casino Cash!

 

[ToiletPastries]

Trick question. I wouldn't build there. I'd build in either the courtyard or the front main entrance area. I take cash, check, hugs, or paypal.

 

[crazyrockets]

Trick question. I wouldn't build there. I'd build in either the courtyard or the front main entrance area. I take cash, check, hugs, or paypal.

Nonsense, you build on the floating palace in the sky! Its one way shield protects your sentry from all harm

 

[Jawneh]

You build it underground in front of the red spawn at Gravel Pit and let it kill everyone!

That was a pretty amusing map glitch. <.<

 

[Dreadmaker]

Crazyrockets: interesting placements, and good explanations, but you're going to have to pick ONE. which one of those is actually the best?

 

[Deadly Bunny]

Red sentry, blue dispenser, black you.

This placement is more of an offensive one. Sentries are rarely placed here, and it will add an element of surprise to any coming in. It can cover both entrances without allowing the enemies to push too far into the intel, making it easier for your teammates to catch them in the spiral/straight stairs. Standing to the left of the sentry means that people coming from the right can't hit you while you're repairing your gun, nor can they hit your dispenser. The enemies from the left will be an edging threat like anywhere else, but most of them won't check for a sentry before rounding that particular corner.

 

[xosniper]

Red sentry, blue dispenser, black you.

This placement is more of an offensive one. Sentries are rarely placed here, and it will add an element of surprise to any coming in. It can cover both entrances without allowing the enemies to push too far into the intel, making it easier for your teammates to catch them in the spiral/straight stairs. Standing to the left of the sentry means that people coming from the right can't hit you while you're repairing your gun, nor can they hit your dispenser. The enemies from the left will be an edging threat like anywhere else, but most of them won't check for a sentry before rounding that particular corner.

I could kill all your stuff from the top hallway, then run in and equalize your face.

 

[crazyrockets]

Crazyrockets: interesting placements, and good explanations, but you're going to have to pick ONE. which one of those is actually the best?

Sentry position 1 is the best overall. It gives the best protection and ease of repair, while still being difficult to destroy It can only be easily attacked from one direction (from the south) by demos and soldiers. From the west, they will have a hard time getting posioned to destroy the sentry. It is next to invulnerable from solo pyros, engineers, scouts, spies, medics, and heavies. As well, the fact that the different branches are out of sight of each other, it makes team actions more difficult. With a dispenser (and maybe a teleporter) set up in the south-west corner of the intel room proper, it is very safe for the engineer to wait in between repairing the sentry and hunting for enemies. Positions 1 and 2 both rely on having a dispenser as opposed to just the ammo spawn to get metal to repair the sentry.

Both the other positions are more effective if you have someone on your team helping to defend, but they are much more vulnerable if it is just the engineer down there (as one would expect if he is building in the intelligence room).


Edit: The reason why 3 isn't as preferable is because it has more corners that people can shoot around to aim at the sentry while being out of activation range. 2 has the problem of it allows the enemy to get pretty close before they have to be shot at. This might allow the enemy to get more of their fire on the sentry accuratly, which would destroy it quicker.

 

[crazyrockets]

I could kill all your stuff from the top hallway, then run in and equalize your face.

Why would you do that? just go in there as spy, decloak on the other side of the dispenser, de-disguise, and let the sentry kill the engineer . Then re-disguise and sap the sentry (or go for the taunt kill on the sentry and dispenser if they are close enough together. Wow, I am evil 3

 

[xosniper]

Why would you do that? just go in there as spy, decloak on the other side of the dispenser, de-disguise, and let the sentry kill the engineer . Then re-disguise and sap the sentry (or go for the taunt kill on the sentry and dispenser if they are close enough together. Wow, I am evil 3

Have you seen me play spy?

I would go in disguised as my own teams pyro, get wrenched, try to backstab the dispenser, then as I'm respawning try and sap our medic.

 

[SingularPoint]

View attachment 3185

The Red is sentry, blue square is dispenser and circle's are the teleporter

 

[FoeFighter]

eh too much work... but I'll enjoy looking at these pics :biggrin:

 

[DRaGZ]

Why would I build in the intel room?

The first sentry should ALWAYS be in the hayroom, facing the grate, with a line of sight to the straight stairs.

 

[Planeswalker]

My choice, personally.

Covers both entrances to the intel room, but neither entrance really lets the enemy hit you by sneaking around with a right-hand shot. Lefties pose a bit of a problem, but they seem rare in my experience .

Also serves as a good choke point to hunt down anyone else with a shotgun down the two narrow hallways. Scare them away.

 

[Dreadmaker]

Why would I build in the intel room?

Because it's a hypothetical scenario, and you aren't really supposed to know what map we're on. It's an exercise in sentry placement theory.

The first sentry should ALWAYS be in the hayroom, facing the grate, with a line of sight to the straight stairs.

The first sentry should never ALWAYS be anywhere. Predictability breeds frustration, because as soon as an enemy knows how to get that gun down (and I assure you, it's not hard), you don't have a hope in hell. I don't care what map you're on, I don't care where you are or what number of sentries already exist; what makes this game fun is that there are no definite ways to win. A sentry DOES NOT need to go 'here' or 'there' specifically on any map. There are good positions and not so good positions, but there are certainly NO CORRECT positions. If the first gun should ALWAYS be built in a certain place, then it's a terrible map, and in this case, I think we can agree that the map is fine.


The answers that have come in are all quite interesting. I haven't really decided which is best yet, because I'm waiting for more entrants (hopefully enough to go to the end of the week without the thread dying). However, they are all neat, and I'm looking forward to seeing more

 

[midget31394]

I dont stick with one lvl 3 SG the best defence is constantly moving lvl 1s with the engy roaming and shotgunning. Never give the enemies a chance to figure out a strategy to take one lvl 3 out. Constantly moving lvl 1s keep the enemy on their feet.