This binary and linear mode of unit interaction has led to force fields being almost universally despised, it makes timing pushes too strong, it makes Protoss unable to be assailed in the early game, but since Gateway units are weak, FF is absolutely necessary to allow Protoss to take cost effective trades against the other races.
Now with bigger maps, more aggressive expanding, and just more aggression in general, I feel that it is time for the Sentry to really get a good boost as FF is inherently weaker on bigger maps,
Sentrys are very slow, contribute very little DPS, and with Ravagers ability to break FF, it kind of makes you wonder, if there is an early game Zerg unit that can instantly kill this, why does it even exist? The Ravager ability is looking strong in ZvZ and at fighting Liberators, but that takes micro, skill, good control. Using them to kill FF is very easy as FF are obviously big and
very easy to target.
Also, with the Super Prisms being as good as they are, Force Field will be very underpowered immediately into the mid game because with Ravagers readily available to tear the FF down and with
Prisms being a far superior investment of money compared to having more Sentrys, the ability is just going to kind of suck.
Since Blizzard has made it clear with the last 2 community updates that they are serious about rebalancing Protoss by allowing them to multitask more for greater effect and toning down WG, I think
I have some decent ideas on how we can revamp the Sentry into a unit that will allow small groups of Gateway units to be more effective and to have more freedom to skirmish for incremental pieces of
map control by turning the Sentry into a more front line, offensively based "combat medic" of sorts.
Sentry
- Remove Force Field
- Replace with Plasma Transfer: Allow the Sentry to transfer energy for shield replenishment at a ratio of 1.5 to 1 (Merely a rough number they can always be adjusted)
- Buff DPS marginally
- Buff movement speed marginally
Brood War lovers will instantly recognize this as a shield battery battery, and that's good, because it is not a Terrain altering micro reducing ability like FF, this ability will make the Sentry
still a juicy priority target for the enemy and still a key early - mid game gateway unit for the Protoss. There will be just as if not more incentive to keep your Sentry alive and to start poking
and prodding because not only does it boost longevity of early game gateway units, the Sentry being able to move just a bit faster would allow for better micro plays and the boosted DPS would even
further inject some punch into roving packs of gateway units.
I'm a fan of simple changes that have dynamic implications, changes don't need to be complex to be good, look at old school WOL Roaches, at 3 range they were underpowered, at 4 range it changed
how the unit interacted in the game with everything. I realize that this is very simple and not nearly as well constructed of a post as others put up but what do you think?
Should FF be removed?
Should the Sentry be made into a more frontline Gateway unit? With abilities that lend themselves to offense?
I just think that while big Protoss changes are on the table, let's tackle multiple issues and make Protoss the awesome race it should very well be.