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20100718.144024
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T E R R A N S
Terrans are probably the easiest race for beginners to start with, and are very similar to most styles of other RTS games. Certain buildings build certain units, and other buildings are needed for upgrades and better buildings or units. Simple, right? But, the Terrans must also build addons for certain buildings, which can really be a pain. You must build an addon to each building to get its effects, one addon doesnt mean addon bonues for every other building. Plus, Terran buildings are quite big, and addons just take up more space. Regardless, you should pick Terrans if you like 2 things: Easy expandability, and better living through firepower.
Pros:
All units and buildings can be healed or repaired to full health with medics/scvs
Buildings can be built anywhere if the terrain allows buildings
Certain buildings can fly to new locations
Comsat gives instant, but temporary, detection abilities
All units have ranged attacks
Most long range attackers, some with the longest ranged attacks in game
Great defensive capabilities
Most versatile units and defensive structure
No morphing or evolving from basic units to make advanced units required
Instant Cloaking for some units
Nukes
Cons:
Buildings are very bulky and have a tendancy to trap SCVs
Buildings will burn down if baddly damaged and not repaired
Ground defensive structure requires infantry to function
SCVS are vunerable to attacks while building, halting the building process
Units dont heal automatically, healing costs mana, repairs cost minerals (and gas for units)
Some units deal concussive damage
Units are generally weak in constitution
Detector Unit is expensive, slow to build, and comes late in game
Spell casters have limited spells
Terran Infantry:
Terran infantry, while not being the strongest or fastest, are the most resorceful. You'll find that each of the infantry have both great offensive and defensive capabilities, and will be useful for the entire game.
Marine:
Hit Points: 40
Size: Small
Supply: 1
Cost: 50
Build Time: 24
Trained at: Barracks
Requires: Barracks
Ground Attack: 6 (Upgrade to +3)
Air Attack: 6 (Upgrade to +3)
Attack Speed: Fast
Range: 4 (Upgrade to +1)
Sight: 7
Armor: 0 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 8 Marines
The Marine will be the first attack unit you can build, and is quite versitile. While up against any other unit toe to toe it will die miserably, it does have its redeaming qualities. Its most important features are its attack range, and it's ability to attack air units. Also, since they deal normal damage they are equaly effective on all units. However, one should probably not attack with marines early on. Rather, they are best used in bunkers as great means of defense. A bunker with 4 marines will do 24 damage per shot, which is very devestating. But keep in mind that because there are 4 marines, the damage technically has a x4 modifier on it. Keep scvs repairing the bunkers as it takes damage for added life. The marines also do quite well against flying units, especially the small mutalisk, who recieves half damage from typical air attacks. Keep them close to medics and attempt to overpower units that deal explosive damage. Marines with medics also make great escorts for seige tanks. Later in the game get the stim pack ability to compete with the tougher units.
Their effectiveness tampers off when up against greater ranged units such as tanks, or big, armored units such as carriers and ultralisks. Zealots and upgraded zerglings also have a tendancy to tear through marines when in large groups, even with marine's greater range and medics.
Abilities:
Stim Pack
Cost: 100/100
Research at: Academy
Basically it turns a typical marine into a fast moving, fast shooting killing machine, for a few seconds. The Absolute best method of attacking with marines or firebats is using this ability. The amount of damage it will deal will be far greater then having that extra 10 health. Keep them near medics to counter the effect of the stim pack, and you are on your way to victory. This cannot be activated if the infantry are in bunkers, however. If you think you are quick on the click and fairly observant, you can keep marines or firebats on top of the bunkers, and when an attack arrives, stim pack them and then put them in the bunker. Its easier said then done. Also keep in mind you want marines to attack the enemy before they get in range, and this will reduce that effectiveness. This works great with firebats, however.
Upgrades:
U-238 Shells
Cost: 150/150
Effect: +1 to attack range
Research at: Academy
If you use marines (and you will), get this upgrade. It will increase the range from 4 to 5, simply adding on to the marine's best feature. Get it, use it, love it.
Firebat
Hit Points: 50
Size: Small
Supply: 1
Cost: 50 25
Build Time: 24
Trained at: Barracks
Requires: Barracks, Academy
Ground Attack: 16cs(x3) (Upgrade to +6)
Air Attack: None
Attack Speed: Medium
Range: 2
Sight: 7
Armor: 1 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 8 Firebats
The firebat is a great answer to enemy zerglings and zealots. While its health pales in comparison to the zealot's, and will be far outnumbered by zerglings, it has a few unique advantages against them. First, it can fire from a (short) distance, meaning that two or three rows of firebats can shoot and still reach the enemy. Second, it does splash damage, which will easily hurt the tight groups of small melee units. Third, its stim pak ability, coupled with medic healing, will make them true crowd-control beserkers. Put them in bunkers and your base is unbeatable by melee assaults.
But, their usefulness ends there. Because they have short range, and deal concussive damage, they are worthless against units with ranged attacks or larger than small sized. Their attack also has a x3 modifer on it, making it hard to attack fully upgraded units. Against something like an upgraded seige tank or dragoon it will probably do only 1 point of damage per attack.
Abilities:
Stim Pack
Cost: 100/100
Research at: Academy
See marine section for description.
Ghost
Hit Points: 45
Size: Small
Supply: 1
Cost: 25 75
Build Time: 50
Trained at: Barracks
Requires: Barracks, Academy, Science Facility and Covert Ops add-on
Energy: 200 (Upgrade to 250)
Ground Attack: 10c (Upgrade to +3)
Air Attack: 10c (Upgrade to +3)
Attack Speed: Medium
Range: 7
Sight: 9 (Upgrade to +2)
Armor: 0 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 8 Ghosts
The Ghost might at first be seen as a long range, anti-personel type character. A sniper. But dont bother with that. If you want range go with marines and if you want anti-personel power go with firebats. So what does the ghost do? The Ghost can perform 3 special abilities listed below. You should only use the standard attack as a limited means of defense. You can put these in bunkers or cloak them and move them up if you must, as they can increase your sight range greatly, which can also help out nearby seige tanks. You cannot stim pak them, giving them very limited attack power. Against bigger units don't even bother, the concussive damage makes them worthless even against hydralisks.
Abilities:
Cloak
Cost: 100/100
Research at: Covert Ops Add-On
Effect: Turns ghost invisible
Mana Cost: 25 to activate, 1 per second to remain cloaked
This handy feature allows the ghost to remain invisible while it does no-good to the enemy. If you want to nuke or just use it as a nice little scout, get this ability. Just make sure you have around 50 mana if you wish to cloak before you nuke. That will give you plenty of time to cloak, get to your location, and the rest should keep you cloaked till the nuke hits.
Lockdown
Cost: 200/200
Research at: Covert Ops Add-On
Effect: Renders Mechanical or Robotic unit imobile for about 60 seconds
Mana Cost: 100 per missle
This is another great ability for a player facing protoss or other terrans to have. So that enemy thinks that it's Battlecruiser fleet is unstopable? Get a few ghosts to ambush them with this spell and prevent them from even getting to your base. When cast, the Ghost will fire a special EMP grenade at the targeted unit, and cause it to remain frozen for a limited period of time. While a unit is locked down, it cannot defend itself and is open to all sorts of attacks. This spell will only work on mechanical units (such as tanks and wraiths,) or robotic units (such as reavers and observers.) One ghost can lockdown two machines when fully charged. Reasearch the Mobius reactor and you can be cloaked and still lockdown 2 machines, making it even more effective and easier to use. A common strategy is to lockdown enemy units, then snipe the medics before they can fix the effects. Lockdown enemy dropships to prevent them from making kamikasi runs into your base. Also, locking down a detector will render them unable to spot your cloaked units. Locking down protoss arbiters also turns off their cloaking feilds. Just be sure to have other units around to help clean up, as ghosts are very weak against large, armored machines. Cloaked wraiths work well at this. This skill is obviously useless against the entire zerg force, as all of their units are organic.
Nuke
Cost: 200/200 per missle
Built at: Nuclear Silo (Command Center Add-On)
No, the ghost cannot shoot nukes from it's sniper rifle. What this ability does is "paints" a target with a laser sight (the laser's range is the ghost's sight range). Then the ghost will stand still, unable to do anything but cancel the nuclear attack (which will lose the missle). If the ghost is not cloaked before the nuke, it cannot start cloaking while painting the target. If the ghost is killed before he is done painting the target, the nuke is lost and will not hit. After about 10 seconds, the ghost will have the ability to move again, and move it should, as this means the nuke is on it's way to the target and cannot be stopped. The nuclear blast deals about 500 points of normal damage and effects all units in a very large area (strongest point being the center) and will wipe out most units around the blast. Buildings with about 500 health or less will also be destroyed in the blast. It is the Terran's most devestating attack. Just beware of observers, once you are spotted your ghost WILL be attacked, by both computer players and human players with half a brain.
When the nuke is activated, the laser dot is visible by all players, and will be key in identifying where the nuke will hit. Also all of the players will be alerted to a nuke being launched.
Upgrades:
Ocular Implants
Cost: 100/100
Researched at: Covert ops
Effect: Upgrades sight by 2
This is most effective when paired with the nuke ability, giving the ghost the ability to nuke farther away from its target. It can also make a great scout with this upgrade. Worth the price.
Mobeius Reactor
Cost: 150/150
Researched at: Covert Ops
Effect: +50 mana
This is also a very good ability for the ghost to have. With this ability, the ghost can have enough energy to cloak, cast lockdown twice, then nuke something all without being spotted.
Medic
Hit Points: 60
Size: Small
Supply: 1
Cost: 50 25
Build Time: 30
Trained at: Barracks
Requires: Academy
Energy: 200 (Upgrade to 250)
Ground Attack: None
Air Attack: None
Range: None
Sight: 9
Armor: 1 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 8 Medics
This unit's primary function is to attend to the medical needs of units, surprize suprize. They automatically come with the ability "heal" which restores health to organic units, and have two other abilities to assist other types of units, but no direct attack. Keep these scattered everywhere.
Abilities:
Heal
Mana Cost: 1 per 2hp
Effect: Recharges health
As previously mentioned, this ability will patch up an organic unit very quickly to full health. They will automatically attend to injured units in their sight range, so they are not a big hassle during battle. If you use marines and firebats outside of their bunkers at all, a few of these units should ALWAYS be around them. They are also good for keeping in patches of minerals, so they can heal SCVS if they come under a suprize attack. A fully charged medic can heal an entire division of infantry without losing all its mana. However, the medic has to heal units one by one, and only one medic at a time can heal a unit at a time. Medics can heal other medics, but not themselves. Should you have allies, medics will also heal any organic ground units that are on your side. This means that the ENTIRE zerg ground force can be healed, even the mighty ultralisk and burrowed lurkers. Protoss organic units can be healed, but a medic will not restore their sheilds.
Restoration
Cost: 100/100
Researched at: Academy
Mana Cost: 50
Effect: Removes a harmful magic effect from any unit.
Even if you dont use infantry very often, you must get this ability. For a fairly cheap amount of mana, this will instantly take away any sort of magical effect brought on your units. This means it cures the effect of lockdown, optic flare, irradiate, parasite, plauge, ensare, and malestrom. It cannot take away the effects of statis feild or Defensive matrix. However, this also can only restore one unit at a time, so this has limited effectiveness against magic that effects a group. Still, this can mean life or death for that fleet of BCs or seige tanks.
Optic Flare
Cost: 100
Researched at: Academy
Mana Cost: 75
Effects: Reduces unit's sight to 1, takes away observer ability.
This is the most commonly overlooked skill, but it has such great potential against zerg and protoss units. This will instantly render any unit blind, which works great against enemy observers. It has limited ability against terran units, since they can just restore their units sight with restortation. Also against large groups this is largely reduced, as if one unit is blind, the other units can just spot for it. Still, fairly effective, especialy against those pesky queens.
TERRAN VEHICLES
Terran vehicles are meant to further enhance the terran's love of long range attacks and resourcefulness. All vehicles can be repaired to full health by SCVs. However, repairing vehicles requires both a small amount of minerals and gas. Still, it is much cheaper than replacing it with a new one.
Vulture
Hit Points: 80
Size: Medium
Supply: 2
Cost: 75
Build Time: 30
Trained at: Factory
Requires: Barracks, Factory
Ground Attack: 20c (Upgrade to +6)
Attack Speed: Medium
Air Attack: None
Range: 5
Sight: 8
Armor: 0 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 4 Vultures
This is the first and cheapest of the terran vehicles, and it is often unused. Truth is there is a lot of usefulness in the vulture. The biggest reason people stopped using vultures is that marines with medics can now do a lot more damage than a few vultures. It is cheap, availible early, and pretty decent against small units. It does concussive damage, so not very useful against anything medium or large sized. Fully upgraded, it is the fastest unit in the game, air or land, and makes the best land scout. The vulture can also plant spider mines, which is it's primary function. A fun thing to do is pick on zealots that cannot out run you. Just dont get caught in a corner. These can also not attack air.
Abilities:
Spider Mine
Researched at: Machine Shop (Factory Add-On)
Cost: 100/100
Effect: Gives each vulture 3 spider mines
Spider Mine Stats:
Sight: 3
HP: 20
Damage: 125
Spider mines are the terran's most "bitchy" move. When you plant a mine, it automatically burrows into the ground, becoming visable only to detectors. When an enemy draws near, the mine will uproot itself, making a terrifying beep that has become synonomous with panic and death, run to the enemy, and self destruct. The blast is more than enough to kill most smaller units. However, once the mine starts to advance, it is open to attack, and it doesnt take much to bring it down. Melee units usualy cant stop it in time, but missle units can, so you may need all 3 just to get one mine to hit. Speaking of which, each vulture gets 3 mines, and cannot get more or pick up other mines. Still, 75 minerals isnt a bad price to pay for 3 mines, and you still get the snazzy bike to hover around in. Use mines as sort of scouts and place them in open resource feilds in case someone tries to build there. Hovering units, such as workers, archons, or other vultures, do not set off the mines.
Upgrades:
Research Ion Thrusters
Cost: 100/100
Effect: Increases Vulture speed
If you use vultures, might as well increase their best feature. When dropships arent an option yet, upgraded vultures may be your best chance at helping out an ally during an early raid.
Seige Tank
Hit Points: 150
Size: Large
Supply: 2
Cost: 150 100
Build Time: 50
Trained at: Factory
Requires: Barracks, Factory, Machine Shop for Siege Mode.
Ground Attack in Tank Mode: 30e (Upgrade to +9)
Attack Speed: Slower
Ground Attack in Siege Tank Mode: 70es (Upgrade to +15)
Attack Speed: 1/2 of slower (aka, frickin slow)
Air Attack: None
Range: 6/12
Sight: 10
Armor: 1 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 2 Tanks
The Seige Tank is the pride and joy of the Terran land force, and rightfully so. Anyone familiar with the game of starcraft either loves these or fears these. Before upgrading, the tank is just an average unit. It has good health for a Terran and it's attack is somewhat ok, although not very good against small units. Once you research the seige ability, however, is when the tanks become a true force of destruction. Once you click on the seige mode button, the tank will take a few seconds to firmly plant itself into the ground, restricting movement, and a large cannon will take the place of the usual cannon. Then the tank is in seige mode, and it can only attack and go back into tank mode. While in this mode, the range is greater than any other unit's attack range in the game. It's damage is also more damaging than any other unit's (non-magic) attack. On top of this, the damage is also splash damage, which will easily take out gigantic groups of units before they get close to a few tanks in this mode. These make the almost perfect anti-ground defense or seige units. These can also be counted as a third defensive structure for terrans, as most players will plunk a few down beside their bunkers and leave them there for the rest of the map.
Of course, they have some problems. They cannot attack air, which means they need anti-air support, as most people looking to kill seige tanks will go with air units. They also cannot attack units that are very close to them, meaning that melee units can sometimes rush in the seige tank's range, causing a serious problem. If the tank tries to go out of seige mode, it will take a few seconds, and usualy that will not be enough time to fight back. It's splash damage will hurt any unit, friend or foe, making this a very messy unit. When paired next to bunkers it is very common to see the tank attack melee units attacking the bunker, damaging the bunker very quickly. For this reason, if you use tanks and bunkers, it might be a good idea to leave a firebat inside to reduce the chances of this happening. Keeping an SCV close to repair the bunker is the best bet. Do NOT use firebats and tanks together unless in bunkers, as good as a combonation as that may seem. The tanks will eventually wipe out the firebats. The attack is also explosive, meaning it will only do half damage against small units. Still, its attack is so damaging that is usualy not an issue. Lastly, it's biggest problem is it is very subsecptible to the queen's spawn broodling attack, which can kill one of these instantly.
Bottom line, Tanks represent the finest in long range and firepower, the two things the terrans rely on. If you can support them, they will prove to be more then useful, they are almost nessisary.
Upgrades
Seige Tech
Cost: 150/150
Research at: Machine Shop
Effect: Gives seige tanks seige mode
Get this before you even HAVE tanks, seriously! By the time your first tank is done, they will be ready to go in seige mode, making them that much more effective early on.
Goliath
Hit Points: 125
Size: Large
Supply: 2
Cost: 100 50
Build Time: 30
Trained at: Factory
Requires: Barracks, Factory, Armory
Ground Attack: 12 (Upgrade to +3)
Air Attack: 20e(x2) (Upgrade to +12)
Attack Speed: Medium
Range: 6/5 (Upgrade to +3)
Sight: 8
Armor: 1 (Upgrade to +3)
Dropship Carries: 4 Goliaths
Seemingly tailor made to help out the seige tank, the goliath is also a model terran unit. It has a very long range and great attack power against air attackers. Against large or even medium air units, the Goliath rips through them with little problem. Its long range matches even the mighty guardian's, and fully upgraded its attack power against air is even better than the battlecruisers! Its ground attack is somewhat lacking, but with tanks next to a few of these its no problem. The ground attack helps the seige tank with any units that may have gotten too close for the tank to handle. The goliaths ground attack also does normal damage and is adequate enough to take on most challanges.
Its problems are these: If not properly backed up with tanks or other ground units, it will get torn up. It doesnt have great health or armor, as is the problem with most terran units. Its second problem is that it's missles do explosive damage, which is a problem when fighting mutalisks. Generally it is smarter to go after mutalisks with marines and medics, or defensively with bunkers and scvs. Also a minor note is that its missles, while very powerful, have a x2 modifer on them, which will cut down the attack by over 10 points of damage against the Terran Battlecruiser and Protoss Carrier.
Upgrades:
Charon Missle Boosters
Cost: 100/100
Researched at: Machine Shop
Effect: +3 to Air attack range
Get it. You can match the range of any air unit's attack or spell with this, besides the yamato gun.
TERRAN AIR UNITS
Terrans may seem to be weak in the air department, and they usualy are, except for their mammoth Battlecruiser, which rules the sky without equal. The Terran air units require a bit more cunning and strategy to be utilized to their fullest, and most have magic abilities.
Wraith
Hit Points: 120
Size: Large
Supply: 2
Cost: 150 100
Build Time: 60
Trained at: Starport
Requires: Factory, Starport
Energy: 200 (Upgrade to 250)
Ground Attack: 8 (Upgrade to +3)
Attack Speed: Slow
Air Attack: 20e (Upgrade to +6)
Attack Speed: Medium
Range: 5
Sight: 7
Armor: 0 (Upgrade to +3)
Wraiths are the small fighters of the Terran air force, and its got issues. Granted, it is fast and its attack power against air is decent. But, it has low health and armor, takes full damage from explosive attacks, sucks against ground targets, and it's air attack is very bad against mutalisks. So what CAN the wraith do? The Wraith is not a direct attacker that you will be bringing to the front line on it's own. The Wraith's magic... is in it's magic! The wraith has a personal cloaking ability exactly like the ghost. This can seriously hamper the enemy's ability to detect and react your wraiths. Sometimes it is possible for a pack of wraiths to sneak in, destroy a few miners or maybe a lone vunerable unit, and then fly away before a detector can arrive. Other than that, its abilities are limited. Stick to ground units to deal heavy damage, or Valks/BCs to win your air wars. Let the Wraith be your sneaky assassin that can back up other units if the job calls for it. DONT charge these head first into battle, they will get creamed. They are too expensive to mass produce and too weak to sustain damage.
Against other Terrans, these are less effective because of the comsat ability to spot cloaked units instantly. Protoss and Zerg will have a much harder time, but are not out. Overlords are quite abundant, and observers are easily concealable. But, If you can spot and shoot down the observer unit, feel free to keep on pounding! Dont run into a base with these when anti air buildings are around, as they can all spot the wraiths and take them down very easily.
Abilities:
Cloaking Feild
Cost: 150/150
Researched at: Control Tower
Effect: Gives wraiths cloaking ability
Mana Cost: 25 to activate cloaking, 1 per second to remain cloaked
See above description. Not getting this is equivilent to not getting any of the other no brainer terran ability upgrades.
Upgrades:
Apollo Reactor
Cost: 200/200
Researched at: Control Tower
Effect: +50 wraith mana
This is not as urgent an upgrade, since the only way a wraith drains mana is by cloaking. Still, if you use wraiths, get this eventually.
Dropship
Hit Points: 150
Size: Large
Supply: 2
Cost: 100 100
Build Time: 50
Trained at: Starport
Requires: Factory, Starport, Control Tower
Ground Attack: None
Air Attack: None
Sight: 8
Armor: 1 (Upgrade to +3)
This unit transports ground units via air to wherever they need to go. Its a very no-frills unit with no upgrades. In a recent update they got a massive speed boost, which makes this a nice transporter. In case you werent paying attention, the unit spacing is this:
The Dropship provides 8 slots for transporting:
SCVs and infantry each use 1 slot.
Vultures and Goliaths use 2 slots a piece.
Tanks use 4 slots.
Terrans, staying true to their ease of expandability, are easily fittable inside dropships. Keep this guarded with some air units and you're good to go. Nothing beats luring some guys out with an empty dropship, then unleashing that group of cloaked wraiths that were waiting right next to it the whole time.
Valkyrie
Hit Points: 200
Size: Large
Supply: 3
Cost: 250 125
Build Time: 60
Trained at: Starport
Requires: Armory, Control Tower
Ground Attack: None
Air Attack: 6e per missle(x8) (Upgrade to +3)
Range: 6
Sight: 8
Armor: 2 (Upgrade to +3)
The Terran Valkyrie is the answer to those goddamned mutalisks! The Valkyrie will fire 4 pairs of missles in a 3x3 area, each doing a bit of splash damage. The main function of the valkyrie is to wipe out large groups of flying units, such as the mutalisk. These also do great against big packs of overlords that tend to hide in corners of maps. Against large amounts of scouts or other large air units, they will die without protection. These are mainly SUPPORT units, not to start an air war on their own, although they can do nicely when used in very large amounts. They are well armored and have a nice amount of health. They have no ground attack, so beware. Dont go flying into a base with these. These counter the slow attack rate of the battlecruser very well.
Battlecruiser
Hit Points: 500
Size: Large
Supply: 6
Cost: 400 300
Build Time: 160
Trained at: Starport
Requires: Factory, Starport, Control Tower, Science Facility with Physics lab add-on.
Energy: 200 (Upgrade to 250)
Ground Attack: 25 (Upgrade to +9)
Air Attack: 25 (Upgrade to +9)
Attck Speed: Slow
Range: 6/10 (Yamato)
Sight: 11
Armor: 3 (Upgrade to +3)
The battlecruiser is a very large, very slow, very powerful terran air unit. Toe to toe with any other unit, it will always win. Its laser shot is very powerful, and does normal damage. This makes the battlecruiser great against any type of unit. Even scourges have problems with large amounts of battlecruisers, as their laser hits it's target almost instantly. The Battlecruiser also has the yamato gun ability, which once again emphisies the terran's love of long range, heavy hitting weapons.
Most people just build 12 of these and romp through everything with little problems. The BC is not invincible, however. It is very vunerable to spells such as lockdown, or ensnare, which will slow down the BCs to almost nothing. The best way to take down these is to cast whatever spells you have on it, then take it down with anti air units (ground or air, as it deals equal damage to both). Large amounts of weak shots are not very effective against a fully upgraded BC. Also, these things are expensive as hell, and will quickly suck up all your resources/supply space.
Abilites:
Yamato Gun
Cost: 100/100
Researched at: Physics Lab
Effect: Gives BC powerful long range energy cannon
Attack Power: 260
Range: 11
Mana cost: 150 per shot
This gun is very useful for taking out things such as defensive buildings, pesky magic units, or even other Battlecruisers. You can usualy shoot this without even being seen/attacked, so pick your target wisely. Also do not select ALL your battle cruisers and make them shoot a target. This is just wasted energy. The only building that can survive that would be a nexus/command center/hive, and you probably dont need that dead right away. Using these guns you can take out enemy defenses without even getting shot at.
Upgrades:
Colussus Reactor
Cost: 150/150
Researched at: Physics Lab
Effect: +50 mana for BC
While this wont allow you to fire 2 shots in quick succession from a BC, it will reduce the time you wait to shoot again. Get it.
Science Vessle
Hit Points: 200
Size: Large
Supply: 2
Cost: 100 225
Build Time: 80
Trained at: Starport
Requires: Factory, Starport, Science Facility.
Energy: 200 (Upgrade to 250)
Ground Attack: None
Air Attack: None
Sight: 10 (observer)
Armor: 1 (Upgrade to +3)
The Science vessle is the terran's observer unit. Because they come so late in the game, you will primarily be using the comsat to spot cloaked/burrowed units. Still, they will be useful for their observing abilities when needed. They are easy to spot and also an easy target, so defend it, as it has no direct attack of its own. The science vessle also has 3 spells that nicely fit in their role. One works well on zerg, another works well on protoss, and the other helps defend you. This doesnt mean they cant be used against other races, but those are their primary uses.
Abilities:
Defensive Matrix
Mana cost: 100
Effect: Gives target a 250hp sheild that diminishes over time.
Defensive Matrix is the Science Vessle's default spell. While this wont make a unit invincible, it will give them enough sheilding to perform their task, whether it be drop off a few guys, plant a nuke, or just run away for repairs. The sheild lasts for about 30 seconds without being fired apon, so use this quickly.
EMP Shockwave
Cost: 200/200
Researched at: Science Facility
Mana Cost: 100
Effect: Knocks out mana and protoss sheilding
If protoss are giving you a hard time, tell em to suck on this. It's primary function will be to cut down the protoss's sheilding to 0, which can seriously cause a problem for most protoss units/buildings. Its effect area is also quite large, so dont hit any friendly units in the blast. Shoot this at a protoss base right before a nuking and you may not need that second missle after all. It can also be used to reduce the mana of units to 0, which can really be helpful before assaulting a base.
Irradiate
Cost: 200/200
Researched at: Science Facility
Mana Cost: 75
Effect: Slowly damages an organic unit
This is the spell that works well against zerg, as all of their units are organic. This spell will slowly drain a units health till about 200 points of damage have been taken away. Whats so great about this spell is that it also damages any units nearby. A unit with irradiate cast on it will usualy automatically try to move away from other units, but usualy do a bad job of it. Cast this on queens, overlords, templar, and just watch em die. Against terrans this is very limited, as medics can restore the irradiate effect and heal damaged units. Use this against stacked mutalisks and watch them burn!
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Slackers.
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