StarCraft II Units
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All | Terran | Protoss | Zerg
Banshee
Banshees are light Terran air units. Armed with air-to-ground missile pods, Banshees can make quick work of most ground targets. Although these craft are slow and defenseless against aircraft, they pack a cloaking device to compensate.
Battlecruiser
Outfitted with multiple burst-laser batteries for both anti-air and anti-ground support, these ships are easily the most powerful Terran vessels, doing great amounts of damage with each hit. Covered in thick armor, Battlecruisers are quite difficult to take down. These cruisers can be fitted with one of three powerful systems. The Yamato cannon is a powerful strike that devastates single units. One alternative, the missile barrage, allows a cruiser to bombard the air area with missiles, devastating small enemy ships. The third, Defensive Matrix, greatly increases a Battlecruiser’s resistance to enemy fire.
Ghost
Ghosts are a Terran stealth unit. Equipped with a cloaking device, Ghosts can infiltrate enemy lines. In addition to a powerful rifle, Ghosts have several key tactical abilities. Their snipe ability deals extra damage to infantry, and can be used to take out key enemy units. Their EMP attack drains the shields and energy of nearby units. Their most powerful ability enables them to direct a nuclear missile, obliterating or heavily damaging enemy forces and building within its blast radius.
Hellion
New to the StarCraft universe are Hellions. Equipped with a flamethrower, Hellions are great for attacking groups of tightly packed melee units. Be sure to give them cover though, as they have no anti-air defenses.
Marauder
These early Terran infantry units are key to supporting Marines against melee units. While their concussion grenades are not particularly powerful, they have the effect of slowing down units. Due to their heavy suits of armor, Marauders move fairly slowly.
Marine
As the basic unit, Marines are a very important part of the Terran arsenal. Unlike the other races’ basic units, Marines have a ranged attack. This provides Terrans with an early and easy defense against air attacks in exchange for some of the firepower of the other early units. Marines can be equipped with an alloy shield that increases their health.
Medivac
Medivacs are the medic and the dropship from StarCraft rolled into one. Capable of healing units outside it, Medivacs are also the strategic troop transports for the Terrans. Their healing ability is somewhat more powerful than the Starcraft medics’, and their nature as an air unit makes them much less disposable.
Raven
Ravens are flying support units with a number of useful abilities. These include building stationary defenses and firing a hunter-seeker missile that, while slow, is utterly devastating. In addition, Ravens are detectors. Ravens are extremely useful to give an army a needed edge, both on offense or on defense, but due to their lack of primary weapons they fare poorly on their own.
Reaper
Reapers are some of the most mobile units available to the Terran armies. While they are not particularly fast, Reapers’ jetpacks allow them to jump up and down cliffs, walls and other vertical obstructions. Their ability to avoid detection and escape pursuit makes them some of the most versatile Terran units despite the weak damage output of their twin pistols and their inability to target air units. In addition, they can throw down demolition charges, powerful timed explosives that damage all units in their blast radius.
SCV
SCVs, or Space Construction Vehicles, are the Terran worker units. SCVs perform all manual labor such as the construction and repair of buildings and the mining and gathering of both gas and mineral resources. In addition, SCVs can repair friendly mechanical units and buildings. SCVs are built in the Command Center.
Siege Tank
Siege Tanks are one of the mainstays of a Terran army. In their normal configuration Siege Tanks are powerful tanks sporting large guns and thick armor. For even greater effect, Siege Tanks can fix themselves in place and deploy a siege cannon. Though depriving them of the ability to move, deployment provides Siege Tanks with incredible damage output and range. Their ability to un-deploy and move to a new location gives them a great deal of strategic flexibility. This ensures that Siege Tanks form a crucial part of most Terran defenses.
Thor
Named after the Norse God of Thunder, the Thor is a very powerful mechanical walker that can take considerable amounts of punishment. The Thor can attack both ground and air units. Although it’s weapons are relatively short ranged, it is extremely tough, and thus ideal for leading assaults. In addition, it can use its four 250mm cannons to devastate enemy ground units or buildings.
Viking
Based heavily on the design of the Terran Siege Tank, Vikings were intended to be the ultimate anti-air and ground-support weapon system. With the ability to change their combat role from an assault walker to an air-superiority fighter, Vikings can switch smoothly to fulfill tactical needs in a developing battle. Their anti-air weapons, Lanzer torpedoes, accessible only when in flight mode, are particularly powerful. The torpedoes can quickly devastate large air units.
Archon
Archons can be constructed by fusing together two High Templar, two Dark Templar, or one of each. Archons can attack enemies with a beam of pure energy that does considerable amounts of damage. In addition, Archons have powerful shields that make them very difficult to take down.
Carrier
Heavily armored and shielded, Carriers are some of the largest units of the Protoss fleet. Carrying no weapons, Carriers instead serves as factories and launching platforms for flights of robotic interceptors. In sufficient numbers the fast and small interceptors can quickly decimate the largest of enemy units. Multiple carriers can form a force to be reckoned with.
Colossus
The great height of these machines allows them to step up and down cliffs and other steep elevations with little difficulty, and gives them a dominating field of fire. Armed with twin energy lances, these large units are very effective against swarming ground units. The beams sweep out a wide arc with each shot so that a Colossus’ beam cuts a fiery swathe of destruction through multiple enemies with each firing cycle. Unfortunately, their great height works against them. Colossi are so tall that anti-ait attacks can effectively be trained against them.
Dark Templar
The permanent cloaking ability of all Dark Templar make them particularly useful for any ground operation. Armed with modified Psi-Blade technology, the Dark Templar relentlessly strive to protect their race and the ancient secrets of their tribes.
Disrupter
Disrupters are early Protoss ground support units. Their primary attack is an anergy beam. Their force field ability can be used to temporarily block off choke points and slow down enemy attacks, making Disrupters a key part of any Protoss defense. Disrupters also have a Hallucination ability, projecting several fake copies of a unit that are indistinguishable from the original.
High Templar
Those who choose to accept the mantle of the High Templar set aside the frenzied rage of the Zealot, and instead use their highly potent Psionic abilities to suport the warriors of Aiur. Although High Templar are not very strong in direct combat, their special abilities – as well as their potential to sacrifice themselves to form mighty Archons – make them a threat that cannot be ignored. Their psionic storm damages all enemies caught within its range, and their Phase Shift temporarily removes an enemy unit from combat.
Immortal
The remaining Dragoons have become the Immortals. They have been refitted with twin phase disruptors and hardened energy shields that can shrug off the most powerful weapon strikes – though at the cost of leaving them more vulnerable to the pinprick attacks of lesser foes.
Mothership
Motherships are extremely powerful Protoss air units, with devastating attacks and abilities. They can attack both land and air units with their missiles, but their abilities are even more effective. The Planet Cracker uses enormous lasers to destroy anything beneath a Mothership, the Gravity Vortex incapacitates enemy units and Motherships also project a cloaking field which hides friendly units. A Mothership can instantly teleport to any friendly protoss building.
Observer
Observers are robotic spies for Protoss forces on the battlefield. Their huge advantage is their low cost and their ability to stay permanently cloaked coupled with their ability to detect cloaked units. No upgrades are necessary to enable this cloaking ability, and there is no need to worry about activating the cloak in combat. A network of Observers can provide a critical early warning system.
Phoenix
The Phoenix is a swift and deadly spacecraft that is rapidly replacing the older Scouts and Corsairs in the role of fighter for the Protoss. It is highly suited for air-to-air combat but cannot attack ground target. In addition, the Phoenix pilot can lift enemy units bodily off the ground. This ability leaves the Phoenix helpless for the duration of the lifted unit’s flight. The lifted unit cannot attack while in the air. Friendly units can be lifted.
Probe
Probes are responsible for harvesting the Minerals and Vespene Gas that are needed to fuel the Protoss industry. They also produce and plant the warp-beacons that allow the Protoss to teleport buildings from Aiur to distant planets. They can temporarily improve the mineral harvesting abilities of themselves and nearby units.
Stalker
Swift and deadly with their dual blasters, Stalkers have been credited with many fantastic powers in recent conflicts. Nevertheless the only one that has been witnessed consistently is the ability to instantly teleport or ‘Blink’ from one spot to another. This ability enables Stalkers to strike from unexpected quarters, catch a fleeing foe, or escape an unfavorable encounter.
Void Ray
Void Rays are ships virtually built around a single gigantic power source: the prismatic core, which releases a prismatic beam. As a prismatic beam is held on a target, more of the focusing array becomes aligned, and up to three individual power streams combine together. Over a few seconds the beam’s intensity and power grow exponentially. This makes Void Rays very strong versus large units and buildings where the array has time to fully align, brining the full power of the beam into play.
Warp Prism
The primary function of a Phase Prism is to transport Protoss forces on the battlefield, but a secondary but no less vital function of the Phase Prism is to act as a mobile focus for the Protoss psionic matrix. Once the prism is deployed it can power Protoss structures around it. In this configuration Phase Prisms can be used to temporarily replace destroyed Pylons in a colony or enable the rapid establishment of a forward base of operations.
Zealot
Ever eager for battle, Zealots train constantly to attune themselves more closely to the Khala’s disciplines and prove themselves worthy of advancement. They exemplify the unbridled ferocity of the Protoss at war. The formidable physique of a Zealot is further enhanced by cybernetic implants and their coveted power suit, complete with two deadly energy blades. Some Zealots have even developed the ability to turn their body into pure energy for a few microseconds. This allows them to move at lightning-fast speeds and strike suddenly against an enemy that thinks they are out of range.
Baneling
The Zerg have continued to evolve, and this is reflected in the new Banelings. Evolved from Zerglings, Banelings take on a toxic green colour, and will explode the moment they hit something, making them very strong versus melee units like Zealots. In groups they pack enough punch to take down larger units.
Brood Lord
Brood Lords are large Zerg flyers. Evolved from a corrupter, a Brood Lord fills the role of air-to-ground assault for the Zerg forces. They are accompanied by a number of Mantalings, small weak units. They attack by throwing a Mantaling at a ground target, inflicting damage. The Mantaling is then free to continue attacking.
Broodling
Broodlings are relatively weak Zerg units. Easily destroyed and without much attack capability, these units are more suitable for distracting opponents than for regular combat. Broodlings are not created at a hatchery, as with other Zerg units. Instead, they are created upon the destruction of a Zerg building.
Corrupter
Corrupters are a new part of the Zerg flying arsenal. When these air units kill an enemy, they corrupt it, causing it to temporarily switch allegiance and turn on its own allies before dying. Several corruptors can easily destroy formations of the most powerful enemy air units.
Drone
Drones are the backbone of the Zerg economy. Much like Terran SCVs and Protoss probes, Drones are the resource gathering and building construction unit for the Zerg. Unlike their Terran or Protoss counterparts, Drones actually morph themselves into the building they construct, so for every building built, the Zerg lose a Drone.
Hydralisk
Hydrlisks are the ranged mainstay of the Zerg army. Loaded with hundreds of armor-piercing spines, a group of hyrdalisks can make easy work of most land and air units. Their sharp claws can also cause damage to units that get too close. They can burrow into the ground to hide from unsuspecting enemies and also have the ability to evolve into the dreader Lurker.
Infested Terran
Infested Terrans are created from an Infester. They appears to act similarly to regular marines, but have a short lifespan.
Infester
Infesters are a key casting unit for any Zerg army. While they do not have any direct attacks, they have powerful special abilities. Their Parasite ability allows them to temporarily control an enemy unit. Their Fungal Growth ability slows down enemy troops. Finally, they can spawn Infested Terrans in groups of 5. Their ability to move while burrowed underground makes them great for sneaking behind enemy lines.
Larva
Larvae are automatically created at a hatchery, lair, or hive. Once selected, players choose the unit they want the Larvae to morph into. Larvae have pretty hard shells to protect them from enemies.
Lurker
Lurkers are a favorite of veteran Zerg players, and now they’re back for another ride. Lurkers evolve from hyrdalisks and hide beneath the earth. While burrowed, the lurker can attack enemies with spines that emerge from the ground to damage opponents.
Mutalisk
Mutalisks serve as the basic flying unit for the Zerg and have the ability to strike both air and ground targets with equal effectiveness. Mutalisks fire a projectile at either air or ground units which bounces from unit to unit hitting up to three units or buildings and doing less damage after each successive bounce. In this way Mutalisks can simultaneously attack one target and soften up the next. A group of Mutalisks’ bouncing projectiles can quickly decimate a large group of units.
Nydus Worm
Nydus Worms form exits to an underground Zerg Nydus Network. Units that enter at a Nydus Network building can exit at any one of the Nydus Worm exit points. Nydus Worms are spawned by the Nydus Network buildings and require creep to be built.
Overlord
The extent of the Overlords’ control over the Zerg is unknown, but it is clear that these flying behemoths provide direction for the other Zerg breeds. These units provide both the aerial transport and the supply points for the zerg forces. In addition, an Overlord can become stationary and exude a temporary coating of creep. Multiple overlords can easily cover large areas.
Overseer
Overseers evolve from overlords. They act as detectors, which overlords do not, and also have the ability to spawn changelings, spies that mimic the appearance of other races. The sight range of an overseer grows the longer it stays in one place.
Queen
Queens are powerful units that are adept at defending Zerg bases. The Queen can create a creep tumor, a structure that rapidly extends the creep. In addition, Queens can cause Hatcheries, Lairs and Hives to spawn extra larvae. They can also supply friendly units with extra health.
Roach
Roaches are small, fairly early game Zerg units. Roaches are not particularly powerful, but they can be quite deadly against small groups of enemies. They heal themselves at a far greater rate than many other Zerg units, allowing them to sustain far more punishment than their health would normally allow. Coupled with burrowing, this regeneration ensures that Roaches are persistent foes.
Swarm Guardian
Swarm Guardians are back from Brood War. These lumbering flying units haven’t seen big changes, but they still make great additions to any Zerg army. Swarm Guardians shoot acid projectiles that devastate units and buildings from a distance, which makes them great at raiding or full-on attacks.
Ultralisk
Ultralisks are the biggest units of the Zerg swarm. With massive bodies and huge curved bladed tusks, nobody wants to get in the way of these powerful creatures. Ultralisks tear apart smaller ground units and buildings but move slowly, which makes easy pickings for air units. They can now burrow underground, a feature notably lacking in the original Starcraft Ultralisk. In addition, researching the cleave ability adds splash damage to the attacks of their powerful tusks.
Zergling
Zerglings are the first attack units the Zerg have at their disposal. They are relatively small creatures armed only with a pair of claws. Their DNA structure is so simple that two Zerglings can be created from a single Larva, allowing Zerglings’ superior numbers to make up for their weak health and attacks. In large numbers, Zerglings can easily swarm enemy units, surrounding them and doing tremendous amounts of damage extremely quickly.
