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"My diagnosis? Acute lead poisoning."
Sam Stone[src]
 

The ASU 7 Automatic Sentry Unit is a stationary sentry weapon that is used by the Earth Defense Force to guard important and restricted areas that saw use during the Mental War. They appear in Serious Sam 3: BFE, Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope and Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE.

Overview[]

The ASU sentry turret was originally developed to cheaply secure remote properties on extraterrestrial colonies. These sentries soon became very popular weapons for Earth Defense Force infantry during the Mental War, and have been proven to be very effective against Mental's forces.[1] A heavy-duty servo mechanism enables the ASU to quickly refocus between two targets in the fraction of a second.

An infrared laser scanner can detect moving targets over an adjustable area of operation, usually about 15 to 20 meters. Unfortunately, the weapon's simple and robust aiming system cannot discern betweens friendlies or foes, so it shoots at anything that moves.[1] The ASU can accept a majority of weapons used by the EDF, but the XM214-A Minigun has proven to be the most popular primary weapon choice. The minigun's firepower and extremely high rate of fire can mow down large waves of smaller enemy forces without any assistance from the operator.[1]

The ASU cannot be destroyed by any weapons; the only way to disable them is to turn off the switch that powers the turret.

Appearances[]

The first ASU Sam encounters is seen in No Place to Hide. The first one the player encounters requires them to deactivate it to proceed, but they then must turn it back on, as a horde of Cloned Soldiers will appear. Many more ASUs are seen later throughout the level, and serve as a major obstacle for the player when traversing through the narrow and alien-infested streets. Another one is seen towards the beginning of Under the Iron Cloud, shortly before Sam blows up part of the highway with C-4.

After this level, ASUs are not seen again until The Dark Bride, which can be still seen defending the temple complex. The minigun attached to it can be picked up and used by the player.

Two ASUs make an appearance in the Jewel of the Nile DLC, in the level Together Forever, where they are seen guarding the entrance to an abandoned EDF military outpost. These turrets can be deactivated from the switches inside the base next to the entrance.

Application[]

ASUs saw heavy use during the Mental War. They were first used on extraterrestrial colonies, but after those were lost and the humans were forced to retreat back to Earth, the EDF began setting up ASUs to defend strategic points in combat zones, such as in the streets of Cairo.

Tactics[]

  • Since they cannot be destroyed by any weapons, the only way to shut them down is by switching the lever off to deactivate them.
  • Observe the sentry's laser movement and their position before making a move.
  • Avoid being detected by the turret at all costs. It can detect the player almost instantaneously, and is extremely dangerous. It can instantly kill a player in seconds, regardless of much how health and armor they have.
  • The player can also reactivate them back for the use to fend off large waves of enemies or for defending themselves.
  • The player can also use the sentries to save up their ammunition.
  • The turret the player encounters during The Dark Bride will shoot at Mental's forces. Do not pick up the minigun until the ASU has finished its assault, even if the secret minigun from The Silent Riddler was already obtained; otherwise, this will waste ammunition and the player will have to deal with the enemies themselves.

Trivia[]

  • It is unknown how the minigun never runs out of ammo after being activated for a long period of time. It's possible it is equipped with a techno-magical ammunition replenisher, which is used by Mental's forces.
  • It takes approximately 12 to 15 seconds for the turret to kill a Major Bio-mechanoid.
  • Like the Sandwhale, NETRICSA will automatically add a new entry and inform the player of the ASU, since they cannot "kill" it anyways.
  • As the ASU is treated as an enemy in the game, it has its own health which can be seen when the player aims their crosshairs at it.
  • The ASU shooting at both friendlies and foes can be explained by its alignment being set to "Hate all" in its character behavior file.
  • More sentry unit operators have been killed by the turret itself than Mental's forces.[2]
  • It is odd how the turret that appears in The Dark Bride does not have a switch. It is most likely powered by an internal or self-sufficient power supply. The only way to 'deactivate' it is by taking the minigun from the turret's weapon holder, which is achieved with the USE</code key.

Gallery[]

List of appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 NETRICSA description
  2. Serious Sam Fusion loading screen trivia
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