Blizzcon is on, and we’re getting the scoop on all of Blizzard’s games. Blizzard likes to hold out most of their info for this event, so there’s a ton of exciting new stuff we’re seeing in a very short space of time.
At the top of a lot of people’s lists, and certainly those who play competitively, are the new Starcraft 2 units.
Blizzard has revealed and detailed three new units for each race, although it is not yet clear which ones will make it into the Multiplayer portion of the game, and which will be strictly campaign units.
Lead designer Dustin Browder also made a point of emphasizing that none of the changes were final yet, but that each race would be getting three new units. Pictures are courtesy of an eager Redditer at Blizzcon, and his trusty 90’s cellphone camera.
Zerg
Having a look at the Zerg, the Ultralisk is getting a lot of changes. A different size, an end-game splash damage ability, and a underground burrowed charge that allows it to get into the center of an enemy army.
A new spellcaster, the Viper, is a flying unit which can use a long tongue-like ability to pull units towards your army or from high ground positions, good against siege units such as the Collossus. It also has an ability which hinders ranged units; Brood War players will know this as the Defiler’s ability, Dark Swarm.
Finally, the Swarm Host is a siege unit which burrows underground and produces waves of locusts, likely Blizzard’s consolation for the long-lamented loss of Brood War’s Lurker.
Protoss
On the Protoss side, the Carrier is gone, and is being replaced by a new capital ship called the Tempest. This new unit comes with area-of-effect damage against light air units such as Mutalisks, and a focused attack against ground units.
Protoss gets a decent harassment unit in the Oracle, a raiding spellcaster that can fly into an opponent’s base and reveal their technology and cripple their resource harvesting with freeze effects.
On the pricier side, a top tier unit known as the Replicant will allow a Protoss to copy any unit in the game – even that of other races. In the Heart of the Swarm trailer, it is seen turning into a siege tank.
Terran
Finally, the Terran gets a baby Thor called the Warhound, which will be a “smaller, faster” version of its big brother. Due to its cheaper cost, it will most likely fill the same role the Goliath did in Brood War.
The Hellion is now able to transform into the Battle Hellion, which allows it to deal with more mixed unit compositions and have more usefulness in the late game.
Terran gets a brand new unit in the form of the Shredder, a cheap stationary unit designed to give Terran map control. Any enemy unit walking into range will be dealt a lacerating attack, particularly devastating against the Zerg. It will not work if there are Terran units nearby, which means strategic placement and protection will be necessary.
Other notable changes include a speed upgrade for the Hydralisk, a burrowed movement for the Baneling and the Nexus gains defensive recall abilities.
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