| 1up's Starcraft 2 Terran units preview
I would give my life for Aiur. I guess that makes me a card carrying member of Protoss Anonymous, but the hands-on time I recently spent with Starcraft II was exceptionally revealing, and I can't wait to pass this information on to my psionic brethren. Cloaked in the finest stealth camouflage, I found purchase high atop a grassy outcropping, perched just above a Terran base that was simply buzzing with activity. From my lofty vantage point, I was able to take measure of the latest Terran machinations, and the results were compelling. Our fleshy neighbors are never lacking in ideas, it seems.
Planetary Fortress
Their Command Center, once a leaden behemoth that made for an easy, aerial target whenever it took flight, is now swifter in lift-off, landing and propulsion speed. Not enough, perhaps, to save it from a dedicated attack force, but certainly more mobile than before. Of specific interest is the new upgrade which transforms the Command Center into a Planetary Fortress, which is now capable of firing on ground-based enemies, unlike the previous sitting duck.
Factory
Barracks
The Factory, as always, manufactures Terran vehicles at a consistent -- if unspectacular -- rate. It must be quite frustrating to have to erect so many supply depots in order to maintain their resource-intensive forces, but that's their problem, not ours. What's interesting, though, is the synergy it shares with the Terran Barracks. The Barracks themselves now boast add-ons, namely the Tech Lab which is responsible for producing high-tech infantry units, as well as a Nuclear Reactor. Where this becomes especially intriguing is in how the Terran Barracks and Factories are interchangeable with the two add-ons, requiring little more than a lift-off and touchdown, enabling each structure to create entirely different units. This also saves on space and crystal and gas resources, as the Terrans no longer need to build dedicated, specialized buildings of each type.
Tech Lab
Nuclear Reactor
Of note: Certain unit dimensions, like that of Forges (and others) have been redesigned and no longer conform to our previous data on Terran units. It appears that the highly territorial race have retooled their structures to better fill in the small gaps and crevices that we (and those wretched Zerg) would previously exploit while infiltrating their defenses. Now, if approaching Terran installations by land, it will no doubt have to be a head-on assault.
Sensor Dome
The highly-predictable lynchpin of any Terran front-line defense configuration was always the infernal Bunker. Those soft, paunchy Terrans -- no match for our psionic blades -- would always hide behind their armor, and within their armor cower in their metal entrenchments. The Bunkers -- as the winds the drift across the plains -- exist today as they did yesterday, but now the Terrans have another trick up their sleeve. The Sensor Dome is a new contraption that allows the Terrans to detect enemy forces that are approaching in the fog of war. Unlike the radar they frequently employ to expose uncharted areas, the Sensor Domes don't actually lift the fog. Instead they highlight and mark incoming forces so that the Terrans can anticipate their approach and see them coming. This may be problematic, as it may affect even cloaked Protoss units. We'll see.
A new revelation: Mineral fields still offer up the standard 8 crystals per cycle, but a new mutated strain of resource has also emerged, a High Yield Mineral Field which, while limited, produces 12 crystal units per cycle, making it imperative that we claim these fields as quickly as possible, thanks to the high return on investment. The downside to seeking out and securing these High Yield areas is that it will thin out our forces, occasionally leaving us vulnerable to attack by patrolling Terran or Zerg forces.
YOUR WARRIORS HAVE ENGAGED THE ENEMY
Where there are Terran structures -- inefficient and bulky as they are -- there are also a seemingly never-ending phalanx of Terran units, some familiar, some altogether new. Battlecruisers, the pride of the Terran airfleet, have been seen in the field using what seems to be a form of Plasma Torpedo. The disturbing thing is that this only seems to be one of many possible upgrades for the giant ship.
Note to self: Keep an eye on further developments in Battlecruiser technology.
Viking Assault
Viking Fighter
Another airship the Terrans have deployed in their expanding fleet is the vertical take-off and landing unit called the Viking. This machination is suitable for both land and air combat. It is extremely powerful in air-to-air confrontations, so extended conflicts with a group of Vikings in the skies is not recommended. It's unsure whether Vikings can target ground units from the air, so that may be a potential weakness to exploit, but while the ship is effective against certain ground units when configured in its 'assault' mode -- chain guns blazing -- the Viking is exceptionally weak in combat with dedicated ground units, like the Terrans own Siege Tanks, as I witnessed while observing some Terran field tests. I'm inclined to think that a pack of Reavers (fully loaded) could achieve similar results.
Banshee
It seems as if the Terrans have been paying close attention to our success on the battlefield, having no doubt been on the receiving end of a fleet of cloaked Carriers at one point or another. They've managed to emulate what our Arbiters have been doing for years with their new Banshee air units. The difference here is that Banshees can cloak only themselves, and are dedicated anti-ground units that attack from the skies. For whatever reason, the Terrans have failed to equip this ship with any sort of air-to-air attack. As with the Viking field tests I mentioned earlier, the Terrans also put some Banshees through their paces in some off-site wargames, and my observations reveal that this airship is also weak to dedicated anti-air defenses, like Missile Turrets and, presumably, Photon Cannons.
Reaper
As we've seen prior to this report, one of the key new Terran combat units is the Reaper; that highly mobile, highly irritating Terran soldier, that will make it difficult for our Zealots (even with their new 'Charge' move) to land an attack on them. While we have measures and counter-measures for nearly any battlefield scenario, these Reapers could be problematic, especially during communications with other Protoss commanders, who may mistake 'Reaper' for 'Reavers,' causing undue confusion in times where clarity is key. A new development with the Reapers, however, is worth paying close attention to. Now it appears as if these units can plant special, timed explosive charges. Unlike the Spider Mines frequently employed by those annoying Vultures, these timed explosives can be used in a more strategic fashion, such as a demolition capacity or in more conventional hit-and-run scenarios.
Thor
In terms of heavy munitions, the Terrans have spent considerable time developing a new, highly inefficient, hulking monstrosity that will no doubt deliver a high-impact punch on the battlefield. If Terran ingenuity ever catches up to their ability to create inelegant combat units, then we should avoid at all costs a war of attrition. After all, who would want to go toe to toe with a Terran army complete with a massive Thor unit at the rear of their assault? This mobile assault mech is so huge that it cannot be built inside a conventional unit like a Factory, and must be assembled outside, much like a Command Center. The Thor has the ability to attack both air and ground forces, but has a slow turning radius, which makes it difficult to retaliate against fast-moving units. And since it has an enormous supply of hit points, we would have to devote too much in the way of resources in order to erode its defenses. The primary problem that the Thor poses is its long-range bombardment ability. It can pummel a Nexus out of existence, out of the reach of our Photon Cannon defenses, and it can crush a wave of Reavers before the Reavers get close enough to unleash their Scarabs. I will watch the development of this weapon closely.
Cobra
Although we don't expect to see too many Terran vs. Terran conflicts taking place, you never know when allegiances will switch sides, or when the winds of ill-fortune will blow upon you. The Terrans are a treacherous breed, and it was hardly a surprise when the Terrans unleashed a counter-measure to the Thor in their wargame simulations. The Cobra is a hovertank which can circle a slow-moving enemy like the Thor, and take advantage of its sluggish turning radius. Like a flock of crows circling a carcass on the battlefield, the Cobras whittle away their enemy from above, their attacks effective against both ground and air units.
Ghost
It's worth noting that the Terrans haven't been borrowing ideas purely from Protoss technology, as their dreaded Ghost and its penchant for nuclear strikes has been equipped with an ability not unlike what the Zerg achieve with their Nydus Canals. The Ghosts are now more powerful than before, with a faster re-fire rate and greater mobility and endurance than previous generations suggested the unit was capable of. But with the new, improved Ghost, the Terran becomes a viable threat at almost any location on the battlefield, thanks to the 'Drop Pods' the Ghost uses his laser-sight to create. Anywhere a Drop Pod appears, so too do fresh supplies of Terran units, and with it a greater threat to Protoss civilization. While the Ghosts we've encountered thus far appear to be male, we've seen things that suggest the Terrans may be employing the females of their species in the role as well. More on this as I observe it.  |
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