Terran is the one non-fictional race of the three found in the computer game StarCraft.

Table of contents
1 Main plotline attributes
2 Units
3 Buildings
4 Strategy and Techs
5 External links

Main plotline attributes

Gameplay attributes:
  • Average cost
  • Average power
  • Very high adaptability; only race without location restrictions
  • Moderately efficient building method
  • The SCV unit (the basic worker) can repair buildings and mechanical units such as the Battleship. The Medic (only in the Brood War expansion) can heal the non-mechanical units.

Notable abilities:
  • EMP Shockwave - This is a Science Vessel spell; it drains the target of energy and, on Protoss units, destroys the shields. This makes the Science Vessel extremely effective against Protoss units, especially those like the Archons who have great shield defense but few hit points.
  • Nuke - This requires a nuclear missile to be built in a special building; then a Ghost can "paint" a target for the nuke. After a short time the missile lands, doing massive damage to all nearby units and buildings. Typically, all units in the blast area are destroyed, while buildings are left standing but heavily damaged. If the Ghost does not run away after painting, it is killed unless it has the ocular implants, in which case it can guide the missile to its target while standing out of range of the blast. While the Ghost is painting, it can't move, attack or cast other spells; however, it can remain cloaked if it was cloaked before the nuke was launched.

Units

Land

  • SCV (Space Construction Vessel) - worker. The SCV is considered both human and mechanical; that is, it can be either repaired by another SCV or healed by a medic.
  • Marine - basic attack unit, can attack land and air units.
  • Firebat - attacks only land units, doing splash damage; splash does not hurt friendly units.
  • Goliath - robotic attack unit, attacks air and land units, though damaging the air units more.
  • Siege Tank - can change from "Tank" mode to "Siege" mode, making it a stationary long range heavy artillery piece, and back to "Tank" mode again to move.
  • Vulture - can lay mines, max 3 per Vulture; with speed upgrade it has the fastest movement.
  • Medic - can heal units and cure special effects (e.g. parasite) (Brood War only).
  • Ghost - spellcaster, can engage stealth (in stealth mode energy slowly drains); can "Lockdown" enemy mechanical units, essentially immobilizing them for a limited time; can "paint" targets to launch nuclear missiles.

Air

  • Valkyrie - attacks only air units (Brood War only).
  • Wraith - can engage Cloak, attacks air and land units, though the attack agains air units is considerably stronger
  • Battlecruiser - can be outfitted with Yamato cannons, can attack air and land units
  • Science Vessel - spellcaster, no regular weapon. can detect cloaked enemy units in its vicinity; can place a "defensive grid matrix" around other units, including other Science Vessels, but not itself, which functions as an extra shield for a limited time; or can fire an EMP shockwave to drain all buildings and units of power that are in a given area; can "irradiate" a unit, causing non-mechanical units to slowly lose hit points until they die; also damages non-mechanical units near the targeted unit.
  • Dropship - flying transport, no attack

Buildings

Basic buildings

  • Command Center
    • ComSat add-on
    • Nuclear Silo add-on
  • Supply Depot
  • Engineering Bay
  • Barracks
  • Refinery
  • Missile Turret
  • Academy
  • Bunker: has no attack on its own, but can house up to four human units (Marine, Firebat, Ghost, Medic, or SCV). The units inside sustain no damage until the bunker is destroyed, and can fire on enemy units.

Advanced buildings

  • Factory
    • Machine Shop add-on
  • Armory
  • Starport
    • Control Tower add-on
  • Science Facility
    • Physics Lab add-on
    • Covert Ops add-on

Unlike the buildings of other races, most Terran buildings are mobile; they can lift off, fly slowly, and land elsewhere. If the building has an add-on, the add-on is left behind.

See also: Protoss (StarCraft), Zerg (StarCraft)

Strategy and Techs

Techs

Terran users usually follow one of two main general tech trees: 1) infantry and 2) metal. It is not good to mix and match (unless engaged in a long match) because many buildings (such as academy/engineering bay and armory) upgrades for only one of the two tech trees.

1) Infantry is often used against Zerg opponents because of just how effective marine/medic is against almost all Zerg units (with the exception of lurkers). It is not as effective against Protoss or Terran units because of psi storm from Protoss high templars and Terran tanks/goliaths/vultures.

Against Zerg opponents, a typical build order would be a couple Barracks (can also implement building block - see Strategies), Refinery, Academy, ComSat, Factory, Engineering Bays, Starport, Science Facility, and then expand to more buildings as you see fit. Generally (especially in long games), Terrans would just pump out Marine+Medic, some Tanks for siege support, ComSat for detection, and Science Vessels for detection and irradiate.

2) Metal is almost always used against Protoss and other Terrans because infantry is often ineffective. Metal refers to mechanical units (Tanks, Vultures, Goliaths, and maybe Wraiths and Battlecruisers).

Against Protoss and Terran opponents, a typical build order would be a Supply Depot + Barrack building block (see Strategies), Factory (2), Starport. From then on, the Terran will have to choose which specific strategy to implement, depending on various circumstances.

Strategies

Here is a list of some simple common strategies being used for Terrans:

Building block - on certain maps (especially the most popular ones) there are positions where one can build a Supply Depot and Barrack where the two buildings can block units from entering or leaving (although this can be remedied by lifting the Barracks). This allows the Terran to defend their block from within their base (although this has rarely also been used offensively) with ranged units such as Tanks, Marines, etc. This is extremely effective because the block are actual buildings and can be quickly repaired by SCVs if under attack, similar to repairing a wall from where one can mow down the enemy forces with barely any casualties. This is often used in the early stages of the game, where Terrans would generally tech up to metal units and would need a reliable wall to stop enemy forces from ravaging the base until reinforcements can come.

Dropping - one of the most notorious attacks Terrans are known for. After teching to Starport and getting Dropships, Terrans can drop units by loading them into Dropships and dropping them near weaknesses in the enemy base, causing large amounts of damage. For example, Terrans often drop Tanks onto cliffs overlooking the enemy base and immediately siege them, attacking their buildings and units. Because the Tanks are on high ground, the enemy cannot (or at least, have extreme difficulty) in destroying the Tanks. Drops can also be tactically used to destroy the enemy resource gatherers (using fast-attacking concussive/normal damage type units such as vultures and marines) and delay their economy for quite a while. And finally, drops can also be used as a large-scale attack force. Sending a group of 6-8 dropships and a Science Vessel or two, Terrans can unload a whole army of Tanks, Goliaths, and Marines+Medics inside an unguarded point in the enemy base.

Wraiths - Wraiths are often used against enemy Terrans, due to their lack of ready detectors (unlike Photon Cannons for Protoss and Overlords for Zerg). With their Cloaking ability, Wraiths can attack targets unguarded by stationary Turrets or Science Vessels. Even with a ComSat scanner, detection is only temporary; the Wraiths can retreat, and attack again.

Irradiate ("Green Fireballs of Death") - used primarily against Zerg opponents. Basically, since Irradiate only kills/damages non-mechanical units, if used on a mechanical unit (such as the Sci Vessel itself), the spell will not damage the Science Vessel but will damage surrounding units for the full duration of the spell. This is most commonly done with 2 Science Vessels, with one irradiating the other. After this is done, the two Vessels will run into the enemy Zerg base and usually fly around the Zerg Drones, damaging and killing as much as possible before the Science Vessels are destroyed or before the Irradiate spell wears off.

Tank pushing - this refers to sieging enemy bases. Since the range of sieged Tanks is so large, one can attack the enemy base and destroy its frontline defenses, then inch some Tanks forward and continue destroying the defenses behind those.

External links