New Protoss Unit in Heart Of The Swarm - Page 41

On October 18 2011 16:01 Toadvine wrote:
So it's a unit Protoss deserves, but not one it needs right now?

On October 18 2011 16:18 Brett wrote:
My first reaction was to get angry since had assumed some sort of ground unit would be incoming given how fleshed out the protoss stargate tech is.

But having mulled on this during the day, I think it COULD be quite an elegant solution.

I assume that Blizz will not touch the warp mechanic (under some delusion that it's just too "cool" to let it go) and thus gateway units will remain mediocre for anything other than some form of X Gate timing attack.. I also assume blizzard will want to address their comments that they want to give protoss an active harass type unit.

Given the above, and the design shown for this unit, I predict this being some form of average-to-fast speed, low-to-average HP flying unit which does short-range, AOE electrical damage from air to ground only. The attack could possibly take the form of a short-ranged frontal cone and would probably have a somewhat low rate of fire. I would expect the damage to be relatively low, but possibly receive bonus dmg to light. If the unit received bonus damage, it could be expected that blizzard would limit the number of targets the unit would hit (ie it would shoot out a limited number of lightning bolts at a time which target the nearest unit, rather than hitting everything in the AOE like a Bling or Hellion). Thus the unit would be largely useless against high-hp, high armour units, largely useless in small numbers but good against low hp or low armour units like workers, marines, lings and sentries; essentially filling a role akin to the baneling and helion. I'd expect the cost to reflect the capabilities of such a unit and to limit the ability to produce them en masse, particularly from one base.

This type of unit would be quite capable in assisting protoss to base raid in much the same way that the hellion and baneling (drops) can, and also assist protoss to deal with mass low tier units which are extremely difficult to deal with as protoss before large numbers of collossus or storms are available (thus being good for those 1-1-1 and mass ling/bling type builds that have found favour at various times).

Anyway, I could be completely wrong or just wishing too hard, but if the unit fills that role, I would be very satisfied with protoss as a whole.

On October 18 2011 16:22 EternalSC wrote:
Its a protoss mule


You heard it here first, folks!

On October 18 2011 16:21 caradoc wrote:


so a low range, protoss banshee that can't cloak?

wouldn't it evaporate vs. marines?

On October 18 2011 16:27 Brett wrote:

No. I'm saying something similar to a corsair that hits the ground. In low numbers, it would be useless, but get 4 or 5 of them target firing on a certain area, and clumps of 3-5 marines/workers/lings would disappear in one volley. Expand the count, and it simply rapes low numbers of clumped, low tier units/workers and requires other forms of AA to deal with (vikings or thors for example.... Christ we could see Mech in TvP again!)