StarCraft/Protoss units


 * Cost will be referred to as X/Y. X is the amount of minerals needed, while Y is the amount of gas.


 * There are 3 damage types other than normal: explosive, concussive, and splash.
 * Explosive does 100% to large units, 75% to medium, and 50% to small.
 * Concussive does 100% to small units, 50% to medium, and 25% to large.
 * Splash deals damage to all units in a certain radius (1/2 damage to units 1/4 pix away, 1/4 to those 1/2 away). Linear splash means that the attack travels in a line.


 * Protoss HP will be referred to as X/Y. X is their hit points, which do not regenerate, and Y refers to their shields, which do regenerate.


 * Some unit's damage will be referred to as X/Y, in which case it means the unit uses different weapons against air and ground. X will be the damage done to ground, and Y is the damage done to air.

They are as follows:
 * Some units' attacks are separated into two parts. That means that each hit from an attack gets some reduction from armor. Likewise, all air attacks get boosts from devourer acid spores.
 * Protoss
 * Zealot
 * Scout air+ground

Protoss units are unique from the other species in that they have shields that regenerate as well as health, which does not. Shields take full damage.

Units are listed on the order that they become available.

Probe
A small robotic worker that mines minerals and harvests gas for Protoss created at Nexus. Doesn't trigger spider mines. Costs 50 minerals. The probe has a projectile attack, and is used behind zeals for one hit kills on lings. The probe is the most efficient worker: It can leave buildings to warp in by themselves, so it can mine later. You can do this without management by having the building warp in, then holding shift, and right clicking on a mineral patch or Assimilator.


 * Built at: Nexus


 * Cost: 50/0
 * Damage: 5
 * HP: 20/20
 * Supply: 1
 * Range: 2
 * Build: 20

Zealot

 * Zeal/Lot/Zlot/Speedlot (multiplayer, with speed upgrade)

A ground unit, a Zealot channels his enormous psychic powers into creating a plasma shield and energy blades for offensive and defensive purposes. The Zealot is excellent at hand-to-hand combat, and can take a lot of pounding. They can't attack air targets though. The zealot is the most powerful first unit, but it is extremely hard to keep up a supply of them in early game. They are best paired with shield batteries and photon cannons to keep the zerglings away.


 * Advantages
 * Most powerful base unit of any race in terms of ground attack power, can singlehandedly defeat multiple of the other race's base units.
 * A lot of health and shield for a basic unit. Shield can be restored with a Shield Battery.
 * Attack, Armor, Shield armor, and movement speed can be upgraded to increase the Zealot's usefulness in late game.


 * Disadvantages
 * Expensive, so are hard to produce large number in early game without sacrificing economy.
 * Cannot attack air units.
 * Damage is divided into two hits. That is, Zealots do not do 16 damage, they do 8 damage twice, which means that armor is subtracted from their attack twice.


 * Built at: Gateway


 * Cost: 100/0
 * Damage: 16 (8X2)
 * HP: 100/60
 * Supply: 2
 * Range: 1
 * Build: 40

Dragoon

 * Goon

A Zealot, after being killed or mortally wounded, can be placed inside a robotic exoskeleton, and becomes a Dragoon. (This doesn't happen in game, rather a player warps in dragoons from a gateway.) The Dragoon's weapon is a Phase Disruptor, similar to the Phase Disruptor Cannon of the Protoss Arbiter. Dragoons are large but move fairly quickly. The dragoon deals 20 explosive damage, meaning only 10 damage against smaller units such as Zerglings. However, in numbers, the Dragoon is extremely effective, especially against medium and large units like Goliaths, Hydralisks, Reavers, and Siege Tanks. Even one or two Carriers or Battlecruisers will fall quickly to a large group of Dragoons. For smaller units, however, Zealots are generally better. If used together in numbers, the two can be a deadly combination. Dragoons, unlike Zealots, are not affected by a Dark Archon's Maelstrom spell. (This means that the player can use this ability to disable the opponent's melee forces without affecting his Dragoons. The units frozen by Maelstrom are unable to attack, and also form a protective wall that shields the Dragoons from other melee attackers.) Dragoons can receive a attack range upgrade (Singularity Charge) from the Cybernetics Core.


 * Built at: Gateway
 * Prerequisite: Cybernetics Core


 * Cost: 125/50
 * Damage: 20E
 * HP: 100/80
 * Supply: 2
 * Range: 4
 * Build: 40 (now 50)

High Templar
Spell-caster: doesn't attack directly, but can use the powerful spell Psionic Storm, as well as hallucinations. 2 can be merged into an Archon. The psionic storm is referred to as the most powerful ability in the game. The psionic storm causes 112 damage to all units (including yours) over the period of 4 seconds. Needless to say, the psionic storm is best used against masses of zerglings or possibly the enemy worker line. Psi storm uses 75 energy- three casts with full energy. While psi storm isn't effective against all units - 112 is not enough to kill a lurker, tank, or even a dark templar or a zealot in one cast - it is still very effective against large amounts of weaker units, like workers, zerglings, hydralisks, any Terran infantry unit, or units with low health.


 * Advantages
 * Psionic Storm is powerful
 * Very cheap in terms of mineral cost
 * Hallucination can be an effective distraction if micromanaged properly


 * Disadvantages
 * Extremely weak
 * No regular attack
 * Comparatively high cost in Vespene gas


 * Built at: Gateway
 * Prerequisite: Templar Archives


 * Cost: 50/150
 * Damage: 0
 * HP: 40/40
 * Supply: 2
 * Range: N/A
 * Build: 50

A High Templar is a powerful Protoss psychic in the fictional StarCraft universe. High Templar can be warped in by a Gateway. High Templar initially cannot cast any spells, but are able to use the Archon Meld skill. Summoning High Templar requires the structure Templar Archives, where they can be upgraded to become able to cast Psionic Storm and Hallucination. The High Templar provide major targets for the Dark Archon Mind Control and Feedback abilities.


 * The two High Templar skills are ranged and thus are most effectively used when placed behind ranged/support units such as the Dragoon.
 * Using multiple High Templar requires considerable micromanagement, not only for the special abilities, but also for keeping them alive.
 * Players must be wary of decoy attacks in other areas while an opponent's main attack force quickly tears the High Templar to shreds.
 * Place High Templar behind doodads, on high ground, and in pairs.
 * High Templar are useful against massed enemies (Psionic Storm).
 * High Templar are useful for initiating a scouting, decoying, and invading expedition (Hallucination).
 * When out of energy, High Templar can be "recycled" using Archon Meld.
 * High Templar are too slow for scouting, too weak for combat, and too costly for lone use. High Templar are useful only for their three spells: Psionic Storm, Hallucination, and Archon Meld.
 * High Templar make excellent targets for minor enemies and fast Vultures and Zerglings.
 * High Templar are tempting targets for spells such as Mind Control, Spawn Broodling, and Feedback.

Psionic Storm
Psionic Storm (hotkey T) causes significant area and duration damage.


 * All units under a Psionic Storm take the same damage regardless of how many units are affected, making Psionic Storm a good spell to use on clusters of troops.
 * The attack affects a chosen area and does 112 damage over the course of four seconds.
 * Once Psionic Storm begins, low-life units such as gatherers, infantry, and Zerglings have a minimal chance of escape.
 * Psionic Storm affects cloaked, burrowed, hallucinated, Dark Swarm, and Disruption Web affected units.
 * Psionic Storm is effective against particularly slow units.
 * One strategy, leading the enemy, involves predicting where enemy forces will be when the Psionic Storm's damage begins and not when it is cast, since the spell involves a delay.
 * Psionic Storm can also be used on melee enemies, but will possibly damage any of your own units in the area.
 * Psionic Storm is also effective against enemy mining operations, facilitated by a shuttle drop.
 * Additional casts of Psionic Storm at the same location do not stack.
 * Units that move out of the storm before it is finished (or move into it as it is in effect) take only some of the damage.
 * Stasis Field and Recall can get affected units out of trouble.
 * Later in the game, players must beware of using their Psionic Storm too early on enemy forces that appear too small, as the enemy may have reserve troops for when the High Templar run out of energy.
 * Psionic Storm does not work against enemy structures.

Hallucination
Hallucination (hotkey L) creates two duplicates of the target unit which do no damage and have no special abilities.


 * Hallucination works on both allied and enemy units; in either case, the hallucinations are marked as the caster's allies.
 * Hallucinated Arbiters are particularly cost-effective if grouped with a real one.
 * Hallucinated Arbiters can be defeated with a well-placed Stasis Field.
 * Enemies may waste costly spells on Hallucinations.
 * Hallucinations are instantly destroyed by any spell except Hallucination.
 * Hallucinations lose HP/Shields twice as fast as normal units and have neither weaponry nor armor.
 * Hallucinations appear to attack and attract enemy units.
 * Hallucination forces an enemy to divert focused fire either upon fake units or spreading out the firepower.
 * Fresh duplicates can be created from other hallucinations.
 * Hallucinations also serve as decoys, drawing the enemy's attention either to a distant place on the map or forcing the enemy to make poor decisions.
 * The superior numbers that this skill may grant can intimidate an opponent.
 * Hallucinations also serve well as scouts and cannon fodder, in which case their effects may be doubled by separating the two dittos.
 * Hallucinations do not produce anything and do not cast spells, which make hallucinated Reavers, Carriers, and spellcasters very poor and easily identifiable imitations.
 * Beware accidentally using this spell on an Interceptor instead of the Carrier.
 * New ones appear out of nowhere, and players may be able to keep track of them.
 * Some enemy spells, such as Ensnare, can vaporize multiple hallucinations in one cast.

Archon Meld
Archon Meld is the only way of obtaining an Archon. Requires selecting two High Templar.
 * When the High Templar have used their spells and have run out of energy for another cast, this energy-free spell recycles the High Templar.
 * Players cannot move or control the Archon Meld while it is in progress.
 * Archon Meld is not reversible.

Archon
The Archon is a psionic entity created via Archon Meld using two High Templar. It is a hovering (does not activate spider mines) melee attack unit against both ground and air based enemies. It possesses 350 shields and 10 life points. Its main attack has a fast attack rate and deals 30 points of damage, making it the third strongest Protoss unit in the game, after Reavers and Dark Templar. Archons can be extremely effective when used in numbers, so if you have a fair amount of minerals and an excess of vespene gas, consider making a number of them.

If you click on a Archon enough and it will say "power overwhelming", a StarCraft cheat code.


 * Advantages
 * Archon is basically shields only, so it only takes 9 damage from the Zerg Plague spell.
 * Although not the highest-damaging attack in the game, the Archon's Psionic Shockwave has a respectably high damage rating coupled with a very fast fire rate, resulting in much damage being dealt in a short time.
 * They can attack both ground and air units, unlike other melee/short range units.
 * No matter how badly the High Archon is hit, it can and will regenerate all of its shields, given the time or a shield battery.
 * Creation of a Archon in the midst of a battle from two High Templar that have been exhausted of their energy allows players to get the most out of their High Templar. Beware that Archon Meld takes a while, during which the Archon is vulnerable.
 * Unlike the Dragoon and Scout anti-air attacks, the Archon's Psionic Shockwave deals Normal type damage, meaning that it deals full damage against Small-type units such as the Zerg Mutalisk.
 * The Archon's splash damage makes it a great weapon to use against grouped enemy air units, or small grouped enemy ground units, such as Zerglings. That is, where the Archon can deal 30 damage to a single target, when the targets are close to each other, the Archon can hit them all at once, causing 30 damage to all of them in a single attack.
 * Comparatively low cost in minerals - two high templar only cost 50 minerals each, giving it a total mineral cost of 100 minerals, the cost of a Zealot.


 * Disadvantages
 * A single hit from the Terran Science Vessel's EMP Shockwave can completely remove all of a Archon's shielding, at which point it has no chance of surviving unless it can be evacuated to safe territory immediately (With 10 hit points, a couple of SCVs could conceivably take it out).
 * Shields do not provide as much protection as standard armor, so the Archon will take full damage from Normal, Explosive, and Concussion type attacks, rendering it especially vulnerable to the fast-moving Terran Vultures, which are normally only able to kill small units.
 * They are essentially a melee unit, as their range is very short. Generally, when attacking with a group of Archons, only the ones on the front line are able to attack.
 * Costs a lot of vespene gas for production of large numbers. Though, depending on the players playing style, the player may end up accumulating a lot of gas, while having little minerals, in which case the low-mineral and high-gas cost of Archons is actually preferable to other units.


 * Merged from: two High Templar


 * Cost: 100/300(2 High Templars)
 * Damage: 30 S
 * HP: 10/350
 * Supply: 4
 * Range: 2
 * Build: 20

Shuttle
As its name implies, the Shuttle ferries other units by air around the map. It has no real other purpose. A shuttle has 8 "slots", explained below- Shuttles are the Protoss' "drop" unit, allowing for drop tactics like the Reaver drop and the Templar Drop.
 * Probes take up 1 slot
 * Zealots and both types of templar take two
 * Dragoons, archons and reavers take 4


 * Built at: Robotics Facility


 * Cost: 200
 * Damage: 0
 * HP: 80/60
 * Supply: 2
 * Range: N/A
 * Build: 60

Reaver
The Protoss equivalent of a Siege Tank, the Reaver shoots robots called Scarabs which race across the field and explode, dealing a large area of splash damage. Scarabs have a highly advanced tracking system, and are able to navigate around base defenses and friendly units to reach their targets, although at times they get stuck on these, and they also find difficulty navigating around cliffs and other similar environmental obstacles. Reavers are extremely useful against large amounts of weaker enemies; a small group of Reavers situated behind a group of Dragoons or Zealots can make short work of entire armies of Zerglings, Hydralisks, or Terran infantry. Reavers are also the Protoss' "siege" unit, able to attack base defenses from beyond their range. Downside: They move excruciatingly slowly and can't attack air targets, and also require each scarab to be purchased for 15 minerals and a short build time of 7 seconds.


 * Built at: Robotics Facility
 * Prerequisite: Robotics Support Bay
 * Cost: 200/100-15 per scarab
 * Damage: 100 S (upgradeable to 125)
 * HP: 100/80
 * Supply: 4
 * Range: 8
 * Build: 60

Observer

 * Ob

The Observer is a permanently cloaked air unit which can move around and spy on the map. Has no attack. With their Detection ability, observers are Protoss's defense against cloaked units. These are also useful for putting in unclaimed resource areas or other strategic areas (Mountain passes, lookout point, enemy perimeters) to keep tabs on the board. If your opponent doesn't have many detectors, an observer in the enemy base can be valuable, as you will be able to observe (no pun intended) the tech tree being followed and the type of units being built, allowing you to use appropriate counters.


 * Built at: Robotics Facility
 * Prerequisite: Observatory
 * Cost: 25/75
 * HP: 40/20
 * Supply: 1
 * Build: 40

Scout
A light aircraft, the Scout has twin guns under its wings and a pair of missile launchers. Mostly useful against heavy air units. While individually the Scout is not effective against ground units, they do a good amount of damage to them when used in numbers, which makes them good against units that don't have an air attack. The biggest and most debilitating downside of the Scout is its extreme cost; two scouts cost more than one Carrier in the total amount of resources needed. This considerably limits its effectiveness as a mass attack unit. In general, the Corsair is better against air units, due to its low cost, but the scout is still good against them. Be wary of high numbers of mutalisks, as they will murder scouts.


 * Built at: Stargate


 * Cost: 275/125 (used to be 300/150)
 * Damage: 8/28(2X14)E
 * HP: 150/100
 * Supply: 3
 * Range: 5
 * Build: 80

Carrier
Heavily armored flying machines, they manufacture robotic Interceptors to attack targets. Carriers can hold 8 Interceptors, and are very nasty if used in numbers. They are the best unit to use around shield batteries, as they can still attack when their shields are recharging. Keep in mind: While carriers have greater range than static defenses, interceptors can be destroyed, so carriers cannot attack static defenses with complete immunity. Interceptors are healed every time they return to the carrier, or when the stop command is given. A big weakness of the carrier (as well as the Terran Battlecruiser, a very similar unit) is a Ghost with the Lockdown ability; once the Carrier is locked down, it cannot move or attack, making it virtually a sitting duck, so be wary if you happen to spot your enemies using Ghosts.


 * Trick: Have a carrier floating above high ground. Have the carrier attack, but unlike siege tank, the enemy cannot see the carrier when the interceptors are attacking


 * Built at: Stargate
 * Prerequisite: Fleet Beacon


 * Cost: 350/250
 * Damage: See Interceptors
 * HP: 300/150
 * Supply: 6
 * Range: 8
 * Build: 140

Interceptors
Small robotic fighters with limited range which are spawned from Carriers and cost 25 minerals each. They fly randomly and then all rush the target at once and shoot it and disperse. Can easily confuse an enemy as to which one to hit, and seeing tons of these things flying around can have a noticeable psychological impact on a human opponent. The solution, of course, is to attack the carrier, making all of its Interceptors self destruct. Interceptors take 20 seconds to make.


 * Built at: Carrier


 * Cost: 25/0
 * Damage: 6
 * HP: 40/40
 * Supply: 0
 * Range: 1?
 * Build: 20

Arbiter
Spell-caster, an Arbiter casts a cloaking field on groups of units underneath it. Its powers are Stasis Field, which freezes enemy units over a large area, making them unable to attack or be attacked, and Recall, which creates a wormhole on any area of the map that units can enter, returning them to the location of the Arbiter. You can't cloak an Arbiter with another one, unfortunately. The Arbiter takes a whopping 160 seconds to warp in, which is tied with the Terran Battlecruiser for the longest time to build.


 * Built at: Stargate
 * Prerequisite: Arbiter Tribunal
 * Cost: 100/350
 * Damage: 10 E
 * HP: 200/150
 * Supply: 3
 * Range: 5
 * Build: 160