Ships & Modules

The Ishtar is more or less designed just for this. Gila, Dominix, and Rattlesnake are all capable. The Myrmidon is no slouch at this point either but can only field 4. Proteus can do fine fielding 4 as well.

Once these changes go through this summer: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=219607&find=unread
the Navy Vexor may be in a very good place as a 5 drone, sentry boat. The 5% tracking per level will be pretty huge for damage application.

It depends greatly on your skills and what kind of drones are used.
Gardes II with max skills can exceed 700 DPS on a bonused ship with max skills and 3 DDAs. I'd just recommend you to pick up EFT/PYFA and check it out for your skills and ship/fit of choice.

Ok but what if I just had 5 wardens and no extra skill, just prereq's.

I would like to maximize their range. Or there too huge of a dps drawback to that? Are all sentries good or no?

This. Wardens have absurd range, Gardes have absurd damage. The others are in between. Notably, Curators are actually worthwhile, unlike all other Amarr drones.

Omnidirectional tracking links increase optimal and tracking of all drones, but are particularly useful for sentry drones.

Drone link augmentors are also critical with sentries (or at least with Wardens). These increase the range at which you can tell your drones to kill a target. With skills alone this caps out at 60km (20km base + 25km from Scout Drone Operation 5 + 15km from EWAR Drone Interfacing 5). The Ishtar's bonus can take this to 85km, but generally DLAs are needed beyond 60.

Drone damage amplifiers are, of course, very nice here.

If you're serious about this, plan to get T2 sentries sooner than later. They're way better than T1.

i have a navy domi, combine sentrys with a micro jump drive and you will be laughing as tank will be a minimal issue then, tho i dont suggest you go with out one :P

Wishing for tech 2 myrmidon hull still with 125 bandwidth

Drone Command Ships....I am liking this.

Would make sense for Astarte to keep resemblance to Brutix, and Eos to Myrm.

Resemblance, because I think they should really invest the manhours to come up with truly unique designs based on the T1 versions. Like Tristan/Nemesis.

800 DPS is the max (well max as far as any more wasted slots/rigs). (4) DDA's is actually more dps than a 3rd w/e else dmg module, meaning the normal 3 DDA / 3 MagStab (or 3 BCU for Rattlesnake). Forget the Sentry Rig unless you have no choice, it's very under powered compared to the Drone Damage Amplifier (Low slot Drone Upgrade). Due to the nature of the NPC AI now, Drone aggro is an issue. You have to actually pay attention to your Drones, where before you didn't at all. This is a good thing, too many players "play" the game AFK or try to, and really what's the point.

Also, with the correct setup and skills, your Guarde II's can take full aggro from a dozen or so NPCs including BS's (it requires you pay attention and have a RR in a high slot). BTW, at your low skills, T1 Sentries will be underwhelming. It really does take T2 Sentries for you to really see the carnage they can do.