Protoss Carrier

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In the real-time strategy game StarCraft, the Protoss Carrier is a heavy air unit of the Protoss. Carriers are the capital ships of the mighty Protoss fleet. A Carrier cannot attack on its own, but it produces and houses light, fast robotic Interceptors, which attack using twin blasters.

Carriers in StarCraft History

Many of the pre-game briefings in Protoss campaigns (both in the original StarCraft and in StarCraft: Brood War) take place onboard a Carrier, indicating their importance as mobile command centers for Protoss Executors.

At the end of Episode III, the Protoss hero Tassadar launches his Carrier, Gantrithor, into the body of the Zerg Overmind in a kamikaze attack. As a result of Tassadar channeling both light and dark Templar energies through the hull of his command ship, a massive explosion which kills the Overmind is created. Thus ends the original StarCraft.

Protoss Planetary Bombardments

In Resurrection IV, a Protoss ship that may be a carrier is seen firing an immensely powerful beam from its underside as a planetary bombardment weapon, burning the surface of Braxis. A Protoss vessel, possibly a Carrier, was also seen in the introduction cinematic for the original Starcraft game, obliterating a Terran salvage vessel with a similar weapon.

While such were used against Chau Sara, Mar Sara and Antiga Prime, it's not clear if Carriers fired upon those planets as well.

Rumors indicate that the weapon fired used by the carriers on those instances was planned to be included in the game as a counterpart to the Terran Battlecruiser's Yamato Cannon, but later, this idea was scrapped due to the power given to the Protoss in the form of Psionic Storm.

(It is also possible that the carrier's weapon was just too powerful to use in battle, which could be why it is only shown in use against planets from orbit)

Game Unit

A Carrier can be warped-in using a Stargate, provided the Fleet Beacon has been built. The process costs 350 minerals, 250 gas, and requires 6 points of Psi (or 'supply'). The Carrier itself has 300 hit points, 150 shield points and 4 points of armor. It can be upgraded for better shields at the Forge, tougher armor at the Cybernetics Core and larger Interceptor capacity at the Fleet Beacon.

Interceptors

Each Interceptor has 40 hit points, 40 shield points, does 6 points of damage per shot and costs 25 minerals. They can be upgraded for better shields, armor and weapons.

When the attack is over and Interceptors return to the Carrier, they are automatically restored to full health and shields. The Interceptors are not capable of functioning independently of the Carrier; if it is destroyed, its Interceptor complement will self-destruct one by one as well.

The AI, by default, tends to attack the Interceptors instead of the Carrier. Also, the Carrier itself does not have to stand still for the Interceptors to do their work. If however, the Carrier strays too far from where the Interceptors are engaged in combat, they will disengage and return to the Carrier.

Carrier Combat Strategies

The Carrier is possibly one of the greatest weapons in the Protoss arsenal of weapons. Although having no weapon itself, the Carrier is able to launch up to eight interceptors, which inflict six damage each, which total to 48 damage every few seconds. When looking at this, it's only 8 more damage than a Dark Templar would inflict. This is why it is important to use multiple Carriers. A single Carrier by itself is simply a nuisance to the enemy, while a fleet of them is a serious threat. Considering that interceptors of a Carrier can attack both air and ground Carriers are very versatile. Carriers are even deadlier when an Arbiter is included with this fleet. This creates an almost invisable swarm of enemies that can be terrifying to an enemy without detectors. However if the Carriers are not cloaked or if a detector is nearby, a fleet of expensive Carriers can be quickly taken care of by Scouts, Wraiths, Corsairs, Valkyries, Devourers, and Scourges (nicknamed Carrier killers). If these units are nearby, always take them out first before going for ground units.

Carrier Combat Advantages

- Carriers can deal a great amount of damage quickly.
- Detector units such as spore colonies shoot the interceptors instead of the Carrier itself.
- With the 80 hit points, interceptors can take a lot of damage before being destroyed.
- Carriers can attack both air and ground units.

Carrier Combat Disadvantages

- Acting more like blimps than swift warships, Carriers move extremly slowly, making them vunerable to attacks of all kinds.
- When interceptors are destroyed, the player has to manually "build interceptors" or else the Carrier's attack is weakened and it eventually becomes defenseless.
- Interceptors have a moderate building time.

Trivia

An internet fad exists relating to Protoss Carriers, saying that "Mass Carriers = Instant Win". In other words marshalling a large force of Carriers is considered by some to be a sure-fire way to win a game as the Protoss. However, this obviously isn't true when up against a well-prepared and highly-experienced opponent.

See also

• StarCraft
• Blizzard Entertainment
• Protoss Units

References

• [StarCraft homepage at Blizzard Entertainment]
• [Command Ship/Strike Cruiser] Battle.net StarCraft Compendium's official strategy page about Carriers.
• Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.

StarCraft
StarCraft Universe	Gameplay of StarCraft • StarCraft storyline • StarCraft units and structures • Psionic technology (StarCraft)>Psionic technology
Factions and Organizations	Dark Templar • Judicator Caste • Kel-Morian Combine • Khalai Caste • Protoss • Protoss Conclave • StarCraft Pirate Militias>Pirate Militias • Raynor's Raiders • Sons of Korhal • Templar Caste • Terran • Terran Confederacy • Umojan Protectorate • United Earth Directorate • Xel'Naga • Zerg • Zerg Brood
Locations	Aiur • Antiga Prime • Braxis • Char (StarCraft)>Char • Chau Sara • Korhal • Mar Sara • Moria • Shakuras • Talematros • Tarsonis • Umoja • Zerus
Characters	Aldaris • Artanis • Admiral DuGalle>Gerard DuGalle • Edmund Duke • Samir Duran • Fenix • Sarah Kerrigan • Arcturus Mengsk • • Raszagal • Jim Raynor • Alexei Stukov • Tassadar • Zeratul • Zerg Overmind • Minor Characters

 

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