IG sentinel

[Lord Azaghul]

My preferred set up is in pairs, 1 HF 1 multi-laser.

Outflank or set in reservers - its a threat to just about anything.

The individual set up is fine too, but only if you aren't taking any other fast attacks.

Plasma cannon on the Armours Sential is also a fantastic buy, especially for a solo unit.

[Kevlarshark]

The problem with Sentinals is that singly they lack the firepower to do any real damage. Groups is obviously the way to go, but then cost goes up and in the imperial guard codex there is almost always something else that does the same or similar job more effectively, often for less points.

Outflanking tank botherers?...Vendetta, even an Al'Rahem platoon.
Close combat?...Conscripts/rough riders/penal legion.
Plasma platform? Veterans/SW squads
Shooting? A chrimera has 2x heavy weapons, transport capacity, AV12 and only costs 55 points!

Sent's are the jack of all trades...you are paying a little extra for some CC ability, and the walker mobility.

What matters is the synergy with the rest of your list...
In a tank heavy list the little sentinals will often be ignored and given free reign till the big boys like russes are dealt with, so the can create some havoc.

In a pure footslogger list they could walk with your blob squads and provide some mobile HW fire...but they could be the only armour for your opponents anti-tank to shoot at...

In a mech/AV12 spam list they are useful just by putting more armour on the table and as distractions.

My advice, proxy a few different configs for a while and decide how you prefer to use them, see what works for you against your opponents.

[Root]

I run 2 lone armored sentinels with plasma cannons at 2k and they are awesome. I don't like the Scout version and I've found the lascannon option misses way more than mathematically plausible. Stick with plasma, multilaser, or flamer in squads of one. They are the Swiss army knife of the IG book. There are better tools for individual jobs, but darn if they don't have a million and one uses.

[Grenadier]

I use 6 sentinels in my army. 3 with plasma cannons, the others with lascannons. And while I disagree they make a nice fast attack these units always are worth it. A mobile heavy weapon platform on the cheap is always a good thing. If you kill one enemy tank they've made up for their points I think. And since they're cheap I consider all of mine to be expendable. Provided I've killed something to justify their presence.

So even one is worth taking (unless you can field something better in its place on the force organization chart.)

For example: if I took but one of mine armed with a plasma cannon and in a single blast it fried a few Space Marines or Terminators it's done a good thing. After all, those guys otherwise might well mince my troops up in hand to hand.

Or if I took a single one armed with a plasma cannon and somehow got a good hit in on a Landraider. Best case scenario I destroy it and forced the contents inside to disembark while they're still far away from assaulting me, thereby exposing them to shooting from my other units. Can't go wrong with that.

And remember, it's always better to have an enemy shooting at something even as seemingly worthless as a single Sentinel than at something much better right? That shot that blew apart your Sentinel might have otherwise popped a Leman Russ.

A single Sentinel is so cheap on points that if you can fit in it your list go for it. Often times in games I've learned there's always a small point gap between players. So fill it up with something if you can.

[Kevlarshark]

Or if I took a single one armed with a plasma cannon and somehow got a good hit in on a Landraider. Best case scenario I destroy it and forced the contents inside to disembark while they're still far away from assaulting me, thereby exposing them to shooting from my other units. Can't go wrong with that.

And remember, it's always better to have an enemy shooting at something even as seemingly worthless as a single Sentinel than at something much better right? That shot that blew apart your Sentinel might have otherwise popped a Leman Russ.

It would have to be a very lucky shot for a Plasma cannon to pop a Raider I believe you would have to roll a 7 to glance!? But the theory is sound, blast the transports before they get close.

Unless the sentinels are making a real pain of themselves then there are not too many people who will choose to shoot at one over a Russ. But your theory is again sound, you could wall your russ behind some sentinels to give it some cover or protect its flanks.

Its what works for you...

Personally...
75 pts like the plasma sentinel = a Hydra
70 pts like the lascannon sent = Infantry squad with melta and autocannon

The 50 point scout sent with lascannon is the cheapest way to get a lascannon into your army (perhaps any army).

I suggest playing a few games with some proxy sentinels against several opponents and see if they work for you. Try out both the scout and the armoured and a few wep configs, even ones you think will be rubbish.

Then make your call.

[SotonShades]

Personnally I love running a single Armoured Sentinel. Depending on points eith either with an autocannon or a missile launcher and hunter killer. Nowt fancy, don't expect it to do much but armour 12 means it will survive in assault for a good few turns against most infantry (unless they have more than 8 powerfist attacks per turn), which makes it great for holding dedicated assault units away from the rest of my lines.

I do tend to run an armoured company though, or at least a ton of russes in a normal codex list, so a lone sentinel, even with the potential to fire two missiles, really tends to fall quite low on most of my opponants' target priority lists.

[Grenadier]

I never waste a plasma cannon shot on very heavily armored vehicles. Only lightly armored transports if I must. Otherwise I zap infantry with them. To this end even a single Sentinel armed with a plasma cannon is worth its points if it kills some Marines. My army tends to be heavy on that lovely AP2 stuff since all I ever get to go against are Space Marines.

It would have to be a very lucky shot for a Plasma cannon to pop a Raider I believe you would have to roll a 7 to glance!? But the theory is sound, blast the transports before they get close.

Unless the sentinels are making a real pain of themselves then there are not too many people who will choose to shoot at one over a Russ. But your theory is again sound, you could wall your russ behind some sentinels to give it some cover or protect its flanks.

Its what works for you...

Personally...
75 pts like the plasma sentinel = a Hydra
70 pts like the lascannon sent = Infantry squad with melta and autocannon

The 50 point scout sent with lascannon is the cheapest way to get a lascannon into your army (perhaps any army).

I suggest playing a few games with some proxy sentinels against several opponents and see if they work for you. Try out both the scout and the armoured and a few wep configs, even ones you think will be rubbish.

Then make your call.

[entendre_entendre]

are there any circumstances that a single sentinel could be anything other than a pointless points-sink?

If so, what spec would it be, and how would you use it?

I enjoy using Scout sentinels with autocannons. Sort of a jack of all trades unit for 40 points a piece. 2 S7 shots at 48" at anything you don't like. Statistics say 1/2 hit so you should do something with those shots, but we all know those dice...

I almost always outflank them as to get any remaining armour on the table with side/rear armour shots or charge and enemy shooting unit to tarpit them. Charging a unit holding an objective like this is useful for winning Seize ground or Capture and Control missions. Keeping them in reserve is also useful for KP denial.

In 1500pts, I've had success with 2 individual ones outflanking and generally being annoying. Most people ignore them in favour of shooting the Manticore/Vendetta/Big Blob squad instead, which is just what I want. You could start them on the board, but that's only if you really need the extra shots, which my 1500 lists usually doesn't, but YMMV.

An Armoured Sentinel can help you against those heavy infantry, but including it depends on how much AP1/2 you have in your force. If all else fails, send it after a unit without a powerfist and tarpit fer dayz bra'.

[Mr. Pickles]

I think an armored Autocannon Sentinel would fit your spot perfectly. You cannot under estimate the value of two strength seven shots at 48 inches that can move up a flank every turn. Side armor shots starting turn two is a great thing.

My personal preference is running two plasma and one autocannon sentinel in a squad. That way they have (mostly) the same target priority and you allocate hits to the autocannon.

[Grenadier]

The autocanon is a great weapon I think. My Guard is full of them. And the Marines ought to make more use of them I believe.