M56D vs sentries

[Szunti]

It looks to me that sentries are better in every way. Sentries

• have IFF
• automatic firing
• faster to deploy if already built
• you can drag it with one hand while the M56D needs both your hands, one for the mount, one for the gun
• can be repaired
• orderable, so you can still reuse the extra ammo if it's destroyed

I think damage is the same or comparable. Do I miss anything?

The other problem with M56D is that it looks bad with the gunner, because the optimal place to man it is from the side. If you go behind it, you lose another cell of range.

[immaspaceninja]

Yeah, M56D needs a buff for sure.
First thing, it should be either orderable or marines should get an ability to make tripods to replace the ones they lose when a gun gets destroyed.
It should be easier to transport. Maybe let us grab it with both hands and carry it around as well as just pull it, intead of having to deconstruct it every time.
Also, there should be a better way to protect a gunner against boiler's acid bombs other than just spamming baricades.

M56D should become a more mobile alternative to a sentry gun with a drawback of having to fire it manually.

[Dolth]

The M56D is faster to deploy but has lower damage output, lower accuracy, higher speed, higher rof.

And, the sentry is automatic, requires a battery, BUT used manually : has an even higher range than auto, better rof and still 100% accuracy with a tiny spread. Oh. And IFF.

So far my word is sentry is from far better, but needs a bino and manual use. Btw don't underestimate 360. It's perfect when you are harassed.

[Szunti]

I think the gun should be tanky and repairable and vision should center a couple tiles forward of the gun, independent of the marines position when manned.

Instead of this (max vision range, both gun and marine protected from slashing through barricades):

M _ |
> _ |
_ _ |

It could look like this (doesn't matter from where you man it for vision, but behind you are protected from slashing, gun don't need the protection, because tanky enough):

- - |
M > |
- - |

[MrJJJ]

I remember when M56D was good and wasn't shite even against fucking runners...

Seriously, its damage is far too low for a SMARTGUN EMPLACEMENT

[Szunti]

The M56D is faster to deploy

Isn't it drag the sentry in place, screwdriver(takes time, I think), turn it on vs deploy tripod, wrench(takes time), put gun in, screwdriver(takes time)? I have to admit I always take the M56D nowadays because I want to find out how is it equal to the sentry, but if I remember correctly the sentry process is roughly the same time or even faster.

[Karmac]

Sentries are defensive, the M56D is an offensive option, more useful for securing a beachhead in an assault, so say some boilers or spitters are keeping you stuck at the river, plop down a sentry gun and lay down some supressing fire, then the moment it looks like you've scared them off, move the men up, then the sentry. It's basically just an easy way to add more dakka to a fight you aren't winning but aren't really losing either and actually make a difference.

That said, the sentry gun is comparitively infinitely better, simply because it's better at fending off xenos when marines cant, like speedy runners and hunter attempting to flank you, or shooting up that crusher when he tries to slash up your cades while under the cover of a boiler glob.

[caleeb101]

Maybe it can have armor piercing ammo? That'll at least make it way more useful against the runner evolution line. And 1-2 shots from it to a marine seems to be enough to break bone already anyways. So it wouldn't make much of a difference with FF on the marines side.

[Dolth]

Sentry is only screwdriver yes. But you have to drag it. That slows you down. Then you have to struggle in menus to shut the power off before screwing it off.

I disagree on the offensive capabilities. The M56D has a high dps -if you can land everything- which is unlikely. The only advantage regarding firepower would be suppressing (but aliens just heal over after taking 2 shots.

No so far sentry is better in almost everything.

[Simo94]

IMO all the M56D needs is IFF, when I use it im always paranoid of hitting marines offscreen in front of me, maybe some more zoom wouldnt hurt.

[HKO20006]

Sentry is shit now, why?
Sentry is only good if used like in the movie: place in a dead end corridor with no way to be flank. But such corridor don't exist except like SD.
So anywhere else and unguarded, they will all be flanked and slashed down. So you place it with the marines. Then their firepower is way worse than M56D, only useful to scare off T1/2, they miss more than hit, unless they are standing. The delay between burst is so bad sentry rarely run out ammo now (vs they often do in the past).
Sentry can't be screeched down but they are no longer effective against Queen, and again only useful to scare off T1/2.
So other than Queen, M56D is better.

Edit: kind of brining up an old thread but I don't wanna open a new thread so ya.

[Telegnats]

Dude this is from like 8 months ago.

[Dolth]

Make sentry shoots through gas/smoke.
That is all.

[Heckenshutze]

I, personally, prefer the m56. Because you can RP with it too, you and the engineer.

[solidfury7]

Manning a M56D is probably my favorite thing to do as an engineer.

I don't mind sentries but I think they need a tincy bit more love in some kind of way to become more viable. (I'd probably say more ammo per mag)

I do think they should have some binoculars however.

[HKO20006]

Manning a M56D is probably my favorite thing to do as an engineer.

I don't mind sentries but I think they need a tincy bit more love in some kind of way to become more viable. (I'd probably say more ammo per mag)

I do think they should have some binoculars however.

Can you use binoculars when maning M56D (or vice versa)?

[Nickvr628]

Giving the m56D a view increase like the drop ship variant would be all we need IMO. That would make it great for defending positions and make it a proper heavy machine gun.

[solidfury7]

Can you use binoculars when maning M56D (or vice versa)?

No, however you can quickly view the binoculars and then reman the turret.

However it's far more effecient to have a spotter working with you,

[Cry of Wolves]

I hate the M56D. It is the one thing that I believe should have never existed. Aliens was all about advance systems, sentries that absolutely shredded everything in its line of sight. Now it's just a peashooter that can't even hit a target two tiles away.

Get rid of that MG, we have Smartgunners for that reason.

[caleeb101]

I hate the M56D. It is the one thing that I believe should have never existed. Aliens was all about advance systems, sentries that absolutely shredded everything in its line of sight. Now it's just a peashooter that can't even hit a target two tiles away.

Get rid of that MG, we have Smartgunners for that reason.

It's not a peashooter, it's a Queen killer. The M56D is great but like most things in CM, it all depends on the user. Shit user and you'll have a shit experience.

Could use a bit of a sight extension though.

[Jonesome]

what they did to the beloved comrade sentry is simply a crime

[xMotta]

M56D all the way in, sentries are peashooters.

[Water Bird]

Yesterday I played a game with this awesome LZ FOB on Big Red with 3 or 4 M65D's dispersed around the perimeter of the 3 layers of barricades. But like always the engineers put them slightly back so they wouldn't get slashed and like always marines stood in front of the M65Ds. And then command ordered us to fallback anyway despite not having any serious breaches in the FOB. It annoys me so much that engineers spend all this time and metal to make a cool ass FOB only for everyone to evac when the first screech lands. But I digress.
So in my opinion this is the real reason why M65D's are not worth it. A sentry will put down consistent firepower that will dissuade queens. Make a 2 layer thick barricade that is 6 wide with 3 marines manning it and one sentry, and it is really unlikely to fall so long as you keep the barricades in good repair. Make the same barricades with an M65D and you will lose all the barricades and the m65D. It just isn't worth it.

I even tried to get a machinegunner team (which is the foundation of real world infantry squads as far as I understood it) working where I had a PFC with a screwdriver and wrench following me around so that he would cover me while I'd have both hands holding the M65D, then either of us could assemble the M65D while I put up barricades. When it works it's great and you can almost hold off a series of barricades on your own and will absolutely destroy the xenos. But as soon as the marines show up it's time to pack up and move elsewhere.

[HKO20006]

Just gonna leave a png and two videos here.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KMxXX_vadM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE3ra8jm16o

[Chaznoodles]

The M65D is currently superior in every single way. Devs nerfed the sentry into the ground HARD. It'll hit one shot every ten and do minimal damage at that. As evidenced by the above video, one secure marine in a chokepoint can slam xenos all day with a M65D as long as his flanks are covered.