Airblasting Sentry Busters

[Hoshimi Miyabi]

I was recently playing a match of Coaltown as a pyro. I airblasted the sentry busters when they came so they don't blow up the sentry. After a wave, one of the players got mad at me and told me not to airblast sentry busters since I was doing more damage than good. They explained that the sentry buster could detonate near all of us and kill us. They also said that the engy could take care of the buster himself.

I think that during intense waves, you should delay the buster since taking down your sentry to blow the sentry buster could make your team lose as your defence is weakened, allowing a scout to slip by and plant the bomb.

So is it really bad to airblast sentry busters?

[Hell-met]

It depends

if the engineer is good and knows his stuff, then let the buster go to him.

The only time you should push busters is

1. if they are close enough to death pits

2. the engineer is dead

3. a medic is trying to ubersaw one

4. if they are detonating early due to death or engi mistake and pose a threat to other people.

You should also know that if a buster is about to blow up a sentry, you can actually push it far away enough during its arming sequence to save the sentry (but you need to be very fast)

if nothing here applies, ignore busters.

[Eros]

there are good times and bad times of airblast....

[wux]

Originally posted by Jason Brody:

I think that during intense waves, you should delay the buster since taking down your sentry to blow the sentry buster could make your team lose as your defence is weakened, allowing a scout to slip by and plant the bomb.

So is it really bad to airblast sentry busters?

You could of been airblasting the scout that slipped past.

Having a pyro constantly slowing down busters is one of the most annoying things to put up with as an engi.

Realistically the only times in regular play you want to airblast it is if the engineer is dead and the blast could take out other people or if the engineer is bad and can't deal with them himself, the rest of the time you're almost certainly hindering the engineer not helping him.

/edit This also applies to scouts who feel the need to milk them constantly too.

[Radioactive Panda]

airblasting it messes up the timing of some engies who know the timing of the sentry busters. you should only airblast it when the engie is dead. also letting sentry buster blow up acts as a smoke screen for snipers on your team not to mention it could kill teammmates at the same time. let the engie lure it behind everyone and away from everyone

[N/A]

If the Engy's dead, or has another reason for being unable to rescue his sentry before the Buster reaches it, I don't see a problem with stalling its progress, but airblasting the Buster a few times before letting it slip by can make planning ahead for the Engineer frustrating.

I've never personally been mad at my teamates for stalling the buster for me, but, to each his own.

[aximili]

Playing engie for most of my mvm games I have to say, it is nice when a pyro wants to help but it is also the most frustrating thing in the world when you are holding your sentry and moving away from everyone, waiting for it to come to you and the pyro is holding it for 30 seconds at the front...what can happen in 30 second, he runs out of ammo, dies and a bunch of heavies, pyros, scouts or soldier come jogging up killing everyone and if you put your sentry down, it only targets the sentry buster so you risk death or running further back letting anything that shoots come closer trying to touch the sentry buster and put your sentry in a place that wont get destroyed instantly while looking in your kill window to see your dispenser is destroyed and everything has gone to hell...
As a few people have said, in some instances airblasting is great if the engie is dead but other than that just let him do what he knows best.
My advice, at the start of the tour, ask your engie if he is confident with dealing with them himself or does he need help

[FuzZFace]

Pyro should focus on Airblasting Spies at the Engie... Basics

[Jimmi Stixx]

If you can't kill the buster quickly then let it go.

[Festive Wind]

Originally posted by Jason Brody:

I was recently playing a match of Coaltown as a pyro. I airblasted the sentry busters when they came so they don't blow up the sentry. After a wave, one of the players got mad at me and told me not to airblast sentry busters since I was doing more damage than good. They explained that the sentry buster could detonate near all of us and kill us. They also said that the engy could take care of the buster himself.

I think that during intense waves, you should delay the buster since taking down your sentry to blow the sentry buster could make your team lose as your defence is weakened, allowing a scout to slip by and plant the bomb.

So is it really bad to airblast sentry busters?

Actually, whenever I play as engy in MvM, I just let the sentry destroy my own sentry (NOTE: I place it away from my other buildings) and then rebuild my sentry next to a dispenser with a jag with increased firing speed, use the upgrade buildings canteen, or simply just fight like a man and widowmaker my way through the rest of the wave.

[Radioactive Panda]

Originally posted by cheesellama:

Originally posted by Jason Brody:

I was recently playing a match of Coaltown as a pyro. I airblasted the sentry busters when they came so they don't blow up the sentry. After a wave, one of the players got mad at me and told me not to airblast sentry busters since I was doing more damage than good. They explained that the sentry buster could detonate near all of us and kill us. They also said that the engy could take care of the buster himself.

I think that during intense waves, you should delay the buster since taking down your sentry to blow the sentry buster could make your team lose as your defence is weakened, allowing a scout to slip by and plant the bomb.

So is it really bad to airblast sentry busters?

Actually, whenever I play as engy in MvM, I just let the sentry destroy my own sentry (NOTE: I place it away from my other buildings) and then rebuild my sentry next to a dispenser with a jag with increased firing speed, use the upgrade buildings canteen, or simply just fight like a man and widowmaker my way through the rest of the wave.

no^

[Hell-met]

letting the buster blow up your sentry is only a good idea if you know the waves by heart and know a long pause is coming up

[.#KimoSabbi]

The only time that a pyro should hold up the buster is if the engi is down and returning to sentry.

If you think that a scout could get past with the bomb, you'd be more help pushing that scout back instead.

[Trust me I am a frying Pan]

Originally posted by Hell-met:

It depends

if the engineer is good and knows his stuff, then let the buster go to him.

The only time you should push busters is

1. if they are close enough to death pits

2. the engineer is dead

3. a medic is trying to ubersaw one

4. if they are detonating early due to death or engi mistake and pose a threat to other people.

You should also know that if a buster is about to blow up a sentry, you can actually push it far away enough during its arming sequence to save the sentry (but you need to be very fast)

if nothing here applies, ignore busters.

best respose so far

[Ribbon]

Originally posted by cheesellama:

Actually, whenever I play as engy in MvM, I just let the sentry destroy my own sentry (NOTE: I place it away from my other buildings) and then rebuild my sentry next to a dispenser with a jag with increased firing speed, use the upgrade buildings canteen, or simply just fight like a man and widowmaker my way through the rest of the wave.

..Please.

Please tell me you're joking.

[Jethro Q.Walrustitty]

The sentry busters will repeatedly come out if the sentry has a high kill or damage count. If you get a buster appear and the engi saves it but immediately another appears, engi saves and another..... (we've all seen it happen). it is sometimes better to just let one of the busters get the sentry , but only if the engi has instant build canteens. That way you get minimal sentry busters and engi can rapidly build a new one. There are some other conditions which can cause the reappearance of busters, if i remember correctly one is placing the sentry directly in bot path within an certain distance of spawn, not sure about any others.