Starcraft (Original Version) Protoss Units

Well, I don't use Protoss or Zerg as much as I use Terran (in fact, I barely use them at all). However, I did a bit of research and got to know a bit about the Protoss (Zerg is for the next post). This post will tell you about Protoss units.

Protoss

The Protoss are a sapient humanoid race native to Aiur. Their advanced technology complements and enhances their psionic mastery. The Protoss are known as a race of warriors, despite the fact they were not always at war. They trained incessantly for combat, however, and prior to the Great War, warred with the kalathi and "other types" of protoss.


Probe

The probe is the basic construction unit of the Protoss. However, unlike the SCV, probes don't need to stay with the structure until it is completed. Instead, they warp the structure in and are able to leave to do anything else. Probes are more fragile than SCVs. However, they have faster acceleration than drones and greater attack range than SCVs, giving protoss players an edge in worker harassment, particularly versus terran SCVs, which have the shortest attack range of the three.

Zealot

Zealots are the most powerful of the basic starting units and are more expensive than the others. Being modestly outnumbered by marines or zerglings is not a major cause for concern given the quality of the zealot. Their high hit points and excellent base ground attack with normal-type damage ensure that they are useful until late in the game, and they are arguably the best breakthrough unit due to their low cost and lack of need for micromanagement compared to the unwieldy archons.
Zealots are one of the few small units that can withstand punishment from terran bunker-and-siege tank defenses, due to their high hit points and high movement speed.

Dragoon

Dragoons serve primarily as mobile anti-air defense. It is more reasonable to have zealots take the brunt of fighting enemy ground units whenever possible. Compared to zealots, the dragoon fires slower and has an attack optimized against only large-sized units. The relationship is similar to that between marines and goliaths. Due to their large size and somewhat slower movement to the zealot, dragoons are fairly vulnerable to groups of smaller units such as groups of zerglings and hydralisks. Despite this, many players utilize dragoons as far as a late game due to their important usage as anti-air defense and fire support.

High Templar

High Templar are Protoss warriors that use powerful psionic powers to support other protoss forces.
High templar are support units with powerful abilities. They are not particularly durable and do not have an attack, not to mention their slow movement. Although high templar hover, they still activate spider mines. They are vulnerable to many units such as siege tanks and other powerful units. When two High Templar are merged, they create an Archon.

Archon

Archons are created by merging two High Templar. Their hit points are nearly entirely invested into their shields, making them very vulnerable to the science vessel's EMP Shockwave. Archons are able to attack both air and ground units, doing 30 damage when not upgraded to both. Archons are supposedly one of the strongest land units in the game, but are especially weak against Terran in the later game.

Dark Templar

Dark templar are an exiled tribe from the Protoss. They are a stealth unit, being permanently cloaked, and also have a very powerful attack. Hoever, these units are expensive, and if the enemy has adequate detector units, they can be disposed of very easily. In this situation, dark templar are most effective with zealots, being able to withstand much of the attack. Dark templar are good for stealth missions, however, they are only buildable in the Brood War, the expansion pack.

Dark Archon

The dark archon is a spellcaster with no regular attack, unlike the archon. Like the archon, it is well protected by shields but has few hit points underneath; it is vulnerable to the science vessel's EMP shockwave. It is neither biological nor mechanical, and is immune to many abilities, such as Lockdown and Spawn Broodling. It is also a hovering unit and does not trigger spider mines. Dark archons are created by merging two dark templar. Dark archons can use powerful spells such as Feedback, which can kill most small units immediately, Mind Control, which gives the player control over enemy units, and Maelstrom, which prevents all units in a 4 by 4 radius to atack.

Reaver

The reaver is a powerful beetle-like robot which has one of the most powerful units in the game. Reavers attack by firing scarabs, each costing 15 minerals each. Reavers have a decent sight range, and their attack can take out most units in one shot. Howver, their cooldown time is long and if they run out of scarabs during a battle, they are mostly helpless and will be destroyed very easily. Reavers are great for taking out clusters of small units and are a key unit in sieging an enemy's base.

Arbiter

The Arbiter is a high cost support unit. It relies on fairly high shield and hit point strength to survive, rather than its low powered direct attack. It has a passive cloaking field that cloaks all nearby friendly units, but not itself.  Arbiters are great help in executing aerial attacks, due to their ability to cloak all friendly units around it. A popular strategy is to attach an Arbiter to a group of carriers and take the enemy by surprise.

Shuttle

The shuttle is a unit used to transport units over long distance or rough terrain. Shuttles are commonly used to transport reavers given the reavers' slow speed. One notable strategy is the "Reaver Drop", whereas a group of reavers and dragoons are transported by shuttle and attempt to land near an opponent's mineral and gas harvesting operation. The reavers quickly destroy workers while dragoons provide cover. Compared to the terran dropship and zerg overlord, the shuttle has superior acceleration and top speed once upgraded, but is not as durable. Its carrying capacity is also constricted by the large size of protoss combat units.

Scout

The scout is optimized for the anti-air role, being durable and having one of the most powerful air atack in the game. However, they cannot cloak and groups of small ground units can take the scout out fairly easily. Scouts aren't used in alarge groups very often because of the high cost that would be better used for other means.

Corsair

The corsair is good to use in anti-air defense. They only deal 8 damage but have a very high rate of fire and also cause splash damage. Corsairs are fast units and are always ready to run away if things turn for worst. Despite the corsair being useful against low armor units, but are less effective against units with high armor. Corsairs are best in groups and can do devastating damage to enemy air units.

Carrier

The carrier is a powerful air unit. They attack by using interceptors, small units which fire lasers down at the enemy. Carriers are fairly weak alone, but in large groups, they can do some severe damage. They are less durable than the batllecruiser, and two battlecruisers with Yamato Cannon can easily destroy a carrier. In groups, it is very hard to stop them and will raze nearly anything in their path.


Interceptor

The interceptor is the source of the carrier's attack. 5 can go inside a carrier at once, and they do 8 damage each. Interceptors are automatically repaired upon returning to it's carrier, which helps the player economically. However, interceptors will self-destruct if their carrier is destroyed.









Thats it for Protoss units. Coming up next: Zerg!