Sentinel Beam

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The Sentinel Beam is a Forerunner Direct Energy weapon that is equipped on a Sentinel.

Introduction

The Sentinel Beam is a Forerunner weapon connected to Sentinels to control outbreaks of The Flood. It appears as an orange beam of energy that can cut through the Flood parasite. The blue Sentinel beam is a stronger, more efficient version of the common orange Sentinel Beam, however it overheats more quickly. In Multiplayer, the Sentinel Beam appears by default in the bases on Backwash and on Desolation.

Combat Usage

A Sentinel firing a Sentinel Beam

The Sentinel Beam is not player-usable in Halo: Combat Evolved. However, it is player-usable in Halo 2 and Halo 3. The blue version is not available in Halo 3.

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

A continuous hit from a Sentinel Beam can be devastating against any opponent.

The beam used by the Sentinels at Onyx were evidently a golden color and, while they took significantly longer to charge, were thought at one point to be capable of destroying a fully shielded Spartan. It may be worth noting that there were some other differences between the sentinels on Onyx and the ones in the games, as was pointed out by the character Dr. Halsey.

In 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 Beams reticule is also reasonably centered, providing quick centering of targets. The melee attack is about as strong as that of rocket launchers. Two variants of the Sentinel Beam are seen in the campaign: The usual grey colored one that fires a orange laser, and a gold colored one that fires a blue laser. The gold colored one is more powerful, but rare.

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It reappears in Halo 3 with few Graphical upgrades but several technical ones. It first appears on the Ark. The gun can be gained by destroying one of these guardians, or picked up in piles of rubble. Unlike it's 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 on Flood, cutting down any form if the beam is trained on the target and scoring instant kill shots if you pierce the infection form (with the case of combat forms) or the red tentacles at the mouth (in the case of pure forms) with the tip of the beam. The latter makes this weapon invaluable against Tank Forms. It does not spawn on any multiplayer maps using the standard weapon spawn settings, and players cannot spawn with them in any gametype, custom or otherwise, but the weapon can be added through Forge.

Also the Monitor 343 Guilty Spark has a version of this beam that he uses to destroy a Flood Combat Form, mortally wound Johnson and fight off the Master Chief and the Arbiter before the Master Chief kills and destroys him with some help from Johnson. The beam he fires is more powerful, twice as thick as the usual Sentinel Beam, and is bright red rather than orange.

Character Compatibility

• Elites
• Spartans
• Brutes (Have animation, but not used)
• Flood Combat Form (Human)
• Flood Combat Form (Elite)
• Flood Combat Form (Brute)
• Sentinels
• Monitors

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 gametypes, 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 SB is effective but hard to aim. Only use it if you have advantages over other players such as experience, 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 headshots. This is partially true. Like the Magnum, Battle Rifle, Carbine, Sniper Rifle, and Beam Rifle, it can get headshots, but only if you are already aiming at the head when first shoot - i.e., it will not work if you sweep the beam to the target's head.
• The beam is accurate to any distance within its range.

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 is 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 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.

Trivia

• This is the only known wieldable Forerunner Weapon.
• It is possible to say that the Automated Turret uses the Sentinel Major beam.
• 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.
• In Halo 3, there are sparks that come off of the laser when fired.
• In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Sentinel beam's temperature has been recorded as high as 15,000 degrees Kelvin.

Related Links

• Sentinels