Struggling with Sentinels in No Man's Sky? Learn the best ways to take down Drones, Quads, and Walkers, plus what loot they drop and how to escape.
Alright, so you've run into some trouble with those pesky Sentinels in No Man's Sky, huh? Don't worry, it happens to everyone, especially when you start getting deeper into the game and might even be building up your base. If you're progressing through the early missions, you might end up hiring an armorer, which can feel like a direct path to some of the tougher Sentinel encounters. But here's the good news: doing so will get you better weapons and upgrades that make fighting them way easier, so it's totally worth pushing through!
Now, there are definitely ways to avoid them most of the time – like digging a quick tunnel with your Terrain Manipulator and hiding underground until they lose interest. But sometimes, whether it's for a mission or to grab a specific resource, you're just going to have to face them head-on and blast them to bits.
Sentinels come in a few different flavors, and not all of them hit as hard as others. The basic little drones are pretty easy to deal with – a few shots from your Boltcaster or Scatter Blaster should do the trick. But their bigger buddies? They've got weak spots you'll want to aim for first.
Sentinel Types and How to Fight Them
Drones
You probably won't one-shot these guys, but with a decent blaster, you can take them down pretty quickly. Honestly, they're more of a nuisance while you're dealing with the tougher ones.
Quads
These Sentinels look a bit like those robotic dogs you might have seen from Boston Dynamics. While they might look cool, they can't exactly spin around on a dime. Your best bet here is to try and get behind them. Circle around them and keep firing – they'll have a hard time keeping up. Just make sure you finish them off completely! If you leave a Quad with low health and move on, the little drones can actually repair them back to full health, which is super annoying. So, finish the job!
Walkers
Okay, these are the real pain. Walkers are the toughest Sentinels to take down, and sometimes you'll even have quests that require you to loot a Walker's Head. You can't avoid them forever. The good news is they have a pretty obvious weak spot: their legs. Since they're literally 'Walkers,' hitting them in the legs is a major design flaw you can exploit. Blast those legs, and you'll eventually bring the whole thing down, including its head.
What Do Sentinels Drop?
Taking down Sentinels is rewarding! They drop canisters labeled 'Combat Supplies.' Inside, you might find all sorts of useful goodies like Walker Brains or Quad Servos. Plus, breaking open these canisters actually restores a bit of your shield. So, if you're in the middle of a tough fight and need a quick boost, pop one open!
How to Escape Sentinels
Getting away from Sentinels has gotten a bit trickier with recent updates. While digging a tunnel or ducking into a building might make them go into 'Search' mode, they're pretty persistent. You might be tempted to jump in your starship and blast off into space, but be warned: the Sentinels will call in their own starship reinforcements, and then you've got a whole new problem on your hands.
There used to be a trick where staying within the planet's atmosphere would prevent them from calling in ships, but they've patched that. Now, they'll chase you into space no matter what. If you're not feeling up for a dogfight, the best way to lose them is to summon The Anomaly. Once it's there, make a beeline for it, land quickly, and you should be able to lose them in the crowd.
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