Kave_JohnsonbrownymasterActually, it goes to full HP on deploy (unless it was changed). Meaning any damage done to it during construction is instantly healed.
Source here if you care:
http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Sentry_Gun#Combat_Mini-Sentry_Gun
So please get your facts straight before trying to dispute mine at least.
Okay.
I'll do facts.
If you hit it within the first 1/10 of its deploy time and do not hit it within the rest of its deployment, then it takes 3 rockets. Hate to break it to you, but that's fucking slow.
Almost always, Soldiers two-shot minis even while they are building because they do not regenerate fast enough.
If you hit a minisentry within the first 1/10th of the deploy I'm calling hacks. Only DH would hit that fast or you're at point blank, in which you'll probably be killing the engy fast enough so it's not an issue in that scenario. 1/10th of the deploy time is .25 seconds. Rockets travel 1100 units a second, max sentry radius is about 1024, so average it .5 seconds to hit. Even if you could always get the two rockets out on time (aka you're soloing the engineer or something) that's a huge advantage to the engineer, being able to force soldiers down two rockets. But anyways, most of the time people would splash onto the sentry which does dirt damage and ends up costing you time and extra rockets. Minisentries in actually play rarely will be the OMG focus and direct hitted twice, plus they can be laid down before the soldier turns the corner and is left in a position where he's suppose to just wait so he wastes less rockets. Either way, the minisentries need some revision before people would ever want to play with them again.
Also, if you use the stationary object excuse, try shooting stickies with hitscans with a large crosshair. Things are so relatively small compared the the rest of the action it's easy to misjudge and miss a direct hit. I mean sure it'd increase the precision skill ceiling on other classes, but reduce the overall skill of engineer (place sentry reap rewards).