Stellaris Sentry Array Guide

Vuk Radulovic
Sentry Array
Sentry Array is a Stellaris Megastructure first introduced in Utopia DLC. It is considered one of the most powerful, yet simplest structures in Stellaris. Basically what you get is a gigantic Listening Post which you can use to spy on the entire Galaxy once fully upgraded. Not only that, but you will be able to see the enemy fleet composition and movement long before they come anywhere near the borders of your empire. But first things first – let’s take a deeper look at how to build this Megastrucutre and what are some ways in which it influences Stellaris gameplay.

How to build Sentry Array in Stellaris?


Image Credits: Paradox Interactive, Stellaris

Sentry Array is, generally speaking, a late-stage game Megastructure. The reason for that is the fact that you need Galactic Wonders Ascension Perk in order to build it. We talked about this perk already since it’s the same one that is required for Ring World as well – another late-stage megastructure. To sum up what we explained in detail in our Orbital Ring article, in order to get Galactic Wonders you need to research Mega-Engineering first and then repair or build another megastructure. After that, you will be able to research Sentry Array tech and start building it.

Stellaris Sentry Array is a multi-stage Megastructure meaning that you start with building a Sentry Array Site and then you can upgrade it 4 times. Note that Sentry Array must be built around a star in a system that you control and can’t be built around the Ring World. Take a closer look at the Sentry Array building stages:

  • Phase 1: Sentry Site (5 000 Alloys, 2500 Unity) no effect 
  • Phase 2: Sentry Hub (10 000 Alloys, 2500 Unity) +10 base intel, +20 Hyperlane detection range
  • Phase 3: Sentry Spire (10 000 Alloys, 2500 Unity) +20 base intel, +40 Hyperlane detection range
  • Phase 4: Sentry Aerials (10 000 Alloys, 2500 Unity) +30 base intel, +60 Hyperlane detection range
  • Phase 5: Sentry Array (completed) (10 000 Alloys, 2500 Unity) +40 base intel, Galaxy-wide detection range

As you can see, in total, building a complete Sentry Array will cost you 45 000 Alloys and 12 500 Unity – but this is the base cost. You can decrease it in many ways, presumably the best one being taking Master Builders Ascension Perk before taking Galactic Wonders.

When it comes to the building spot, generally speaking, you should build the Sentry Array in a secure location as the range is huge anyway, and you will be able to see most of the Galaxy even before you fully upgrade it. The good thing is that it can be built in star systems with Orbital Ring around a planet (because it’s built around a star). So, the best thing to do is to build it around a heavily defended Orbital Ring if you want to max its defenses. Remember, this is one of your key strategic advantages in the late game and you don’t want the enemy to grab it easily – keep it safe, keep it hidden.

What’s the best way to use this Megastructure?

Sentry Array type humanoid
Image Credits: Paradox Interactive, Stellaris

As we said earlier, Sentry Array is a giant Listening Post. As you upgrade it, you will get more intel and more parts of the Galaxy will be visible to you. So the real question is – how do you exploit this? Well, the first thing that you want to do is to monitor enemy movement and identify the choke points in their Hyperlane network. You also want to keep an eye on Gateways that they might be using as the last thing you want to happen is for the enemy fleet to backdoor you. You will also be able to analyze their fleet composition and the enemy ship design.

However, the greatest benefit of having a fully upgraded Sentry Array comes when dealing with the End-game Crisis. Seeing their Doomsday fleet stack is an enormous advantage, and some players even complained that it’s so OP that it actually makes the game too easy. As soon as the vanguard of the Crisis appears, you will be able to spot it and head toward it. Furthermore, you will be able to deal with their fleets one by one as you will have the full vision of the galaxy.

Final thoughts on Stellaris Sentry Array

Sentry Array type 3
Image Credits: Paradox Interactive, Stellaris

Sentry Array will allow you to see the entire Galaxy – and even further as you can actually see the compositions of enemy fleets. This offers a great tactical advantage and providing that the cost is not an issue, you should go for it. However, if you are in a very late stage of the game and are confident that you can predict the movement of end-game crisis, or have enough Gateways to cover distant parts of the galaxy, then you should invest your resources into something else. Thank you for reading and good luck in becoming space NSA!

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