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StarCraft 2 Preview: New units

• By Travis Moses
• January 05, 2009 10:43 AM PST
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Here's a closer look at three new units in StarCraft II. Check back soon as we feature three more units and discover new secrets.

According to Blizzard, StarCraft II is in the Alpha phase of development, which means that there are still new units to unveil, faction balancing to tweak, and that a late 2009 release date is a stretch. However, Blizzard has already provided plenty of detailed information regarding old and new units for all three factions -- Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. Here's a special look at three new units for each of the factions, and a little something extra we spotted on the battlefield.

Terran Reaper

A Reaper is the same size as a Terran Marine, but can be distinguished by its firery jetpack and dual pistols. Look at the bottom left of this screen shot to see a sqaud of Reapers jetpacking in to defend a base.

The Terran Reaper is a new ground unit that trains from the Barracks in StarCraft II. The Reaper's creed is to strike fast and hard. That's why the Reaper is equipped with light armor, dual gauss pistols, and a turbo jetpack which give it the mobility and agility to harass the enemy. The Reaper's jetpack isn't capable of flight, but allows the Reaper to leap up and down cliffsides, over chasms, and skate across the ground. For tougher units, the Reaper is also equipped with devestating D-8 demolition charges that detonate and explode after a short delay, perfect for enemy structures.

Protoss Colossus

Position Colossus units in a line formation like riflemen. Try sweeping and crossing the laser streams to increase the damage.

The Protoss Colossus is a towering attack unit that strides across the battlefield on four tall arthropod legs which allow it to traverse steep elevations with ease. The Colossus is heavily armored and equipped with two powerful thermal lance lasers that sweep the battlefield like sunbeams through a magnifying glass. The large unit is a powerful war machine, but because of its size, the Protoss Colossus is vulnerable to both anti-ground and anti-air fire making it susceptible to additional damage.

Zerg Baneling

The Baneling is a powerful new unit that causes explosive acid damage in StarCraft II. Unfortunately, the Baneling is a lost suicide unit that destroys itself when attacking.

The Zerg Baneling is a suicide unit so bloated with an acid-filled belly that it rolls in somersaults and explodes to attack. Even after the Baneling explodes and destroys itself, the searing acid that showers the surrounding area continues to deal massive damage. The Baneling is a formidable unit against both infantry and vehicles, and its lethality is further reinforced by the unit's ability to burrow underground. A seemingly safe expansion can quickly turn into a Baneling deathtrap as these acid-filled rollie pollie bugs emerge from the ground and explode in a kamikaze whirlwind.

SPOTTED! High-yield resources

In StarCraft II, resource minerals that are yellow in color yield higher resource gains than blue minerals. From what we've seen, yellow high-yield resource clusters are located on the battlefield away from players' starting bases and should be sought after for expansion. Units that harvest resources from high-yield minerals will gather more resources each load and will be a high priority target for the enemy. Keep high-yield expansion bases defended and prosperous.

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