Next in our series of UBT posts are the hard-talking, hard-drinking, impractical-flying-building-creating Terrans.
They’re probably wishing they never left Earth orbit after the last few years out exploring the outer edges of the galaxy, getting beat down by fancy aliens and, well, things that look like they’re from Aliens, but at least they’re getting the job done…whatever that job may be. The Terran Dominion and Raynor’s Raiders aren’t exactly known for being forthcoming.
At any rate…
The Unit – Siege Tanks
This one was a no-brainer. Sure, Thors are cool with their giant Mech exoskeleton and the ability to fire a devastating hail of cannon fire, and Banshees top the list in terms of both Recon and ground-unit killing abilities, but there is nothing so undeniably Terran as the Siege Tank.
First off, Siege Tanks are great because they’re tanks. No, they can’t run over infantry as in the original Command and Conquer, and they are limited by the fact that their giant tank gun apparently cannot fire into the air – time to get some new gunners, it would seem – but they still do a good amount of damage at a steady rate.
But we all know that’s not what makes them great. It’s the tech that you can research at the lab, that “Siege” ability, that gives them their edge. It takes four seconds, and makes them immobile, but what was once a moderately damaging tank becomes a horrifically damaging ground emplacement with a substantially longer range and far greater firing power.
The simple fact of the matter is that the entire Siege process just looks badass, from beginning to end. You can almost feel the rumbling of the engines; see the shine in the operator’s eyes as his gunman drops a gigantic shell into their newly-minted uber-cannon.
Siege Tanks can’t instantaneously change states, taking the above-mentioned four seconds, but their ability to do so combined with their sustained damage output makes them one of the best units in the Terran Arsenal.
The Building – Command Center
The Terran Command Center is the heart of their entire war effort. Large and well-armored, in its starting state it can hold up to four units and serves as the repository for all Terran minerals and Vespene gas. Plus, it can lift off.
Realistically, trying to fly our Command Center away from enemies has proven almost utterly futile, but it has been fun to watch a squad of Siege Tanks or Zealots look helplessly up as our Command Center, trailing smoking debris, lifts up and out of their range. Sure, they find it when it sets down, but at least we make them work for it.
But the best thing about the Command Center isn’t the flying. That’s just for fun. The best thing about the Command Center is the ability to turn into two other buildings. The first is the Orbital Command Center, which gives the ability to call down extra units, do sensor sweeps, and add extra population space to your base.
The second Terran Command Center conversion option is the Planetary Fortress. When this bad boy gets done, it sports a large and destructive super-cannon on its crest, in addition to having substantially increased armor.
Both of the Command Center options are useful in their own right, and means that this building gets a big A-plus with a gold star next to it.
The Technology – Scanner Sweep
Who doesn’t want to look in their enemy’s base for free? Nobody, that’s who.
That’s what the Terran “Scanner Sweep” ability allows players to do, and it is one of the most useful tools in their arsenal. This ability comes from the Terran Orbital Command, which, as mentioned above, is one of the best buildings the Terrans make. The Scanner Sweep ability simply makes it even more versatile.
The Sweep runs on energy generated by your Orbital Command and when used, grants vision of a circular section of the map, about as large a as the view you get when you first start a match. It will reveal all hidden and burrowed units, and if used early on, can give a great picture of what your enemy is up to.
But the true functionality of the Scanner Sweep lies in its ability to protect your base from devastation. Sure, Missile Turrets function as detectors, but they’re easily destroyed. If facing an invasion from cloaked Protoss of burrowed Zerg, this handy little ability may just save your skin and allow you time to craft a retaliatory strike.
They may not be pretty, or even that smart, but Terrans can Siege you, blow you up good, then fly their Command Center to your smoking wreck of a base and scan it just for fun. Jerks.
