StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm review

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

 

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Unit & ability changes
At Blizzard’s 2011 BlizzCon conference, it was revealed that Heart Of The Swarm will feature 7 new multiplayer units, while removing 3[6] and changing the abilities of existing units and buildings. The exact modifications have since changed.
In a blog post, game director Dustin Browder explained the current status of the units announced at BlizzCon
The Terran race was originally expected to feature two new units: the Shredder, and the Warhound. Internal testing revealed the Shredder was too flexible and powerful, and it was therefore cut. The Warhound is still being tested. The Thor will be changed to an “ultimate” unit, akin to the Protoss Mothership, limiting the player to having only one at any time. Its functionality is currently uncertain, although anti-air spider mines are currently being tested. The Hellion will have a new battle mode added, which allows it to transform into a heavier and more powerful unit. In battle mode the Hellion will do increased damage but in an arc in front of it instead of in a line. The Ghost will have its “Cloak” ability changed to be a one-time cost for a time-based duration rather than a constant energy cost over time.

 

Reactivating “Cloak” while calling down a nuke will not interrupt the nuke strike. The Battlecruiser gains a “Redline Reactor” upgrade which acts as a cooldown-based speed boost. Lastly, the Reaper has its special building attack replaced by a passive health regeneration ability when out of combat.
The Protoss Replicant has been cut due to its tendency to stifle unit diversity, but the Oracle and Tempest remain as replacement to the Carrier and Mothership. The Oracle provides several abilities that are useful for economic harassment such as preventing mineral harvesting, granting vision of enemy buildings and stopping buildings from researching or producing. The Tempest’s role has changed since Blizzcon. While originally a capital ship designed to provide large amounts of air damage, it is now a long-range siege unit capable of hitting both the ground and air. The Mothership’s “Mass Recall” ability has been moved to the Nexus which will also gain an “Arc Shield” ability giving it some limited emergency defences.
Since Blizzcon,

 

the Overseer has been re-added; the Viper and the Swarm Host also remain. The Viper has several abilities: a blinding ability which reduces the affected unit’s range to 1, “Abduct” pulls a unit to the Viper’s location, and a new unnamed ability allows the Viper to regain energy by siphoning minerals from any mineral patch. The Swarm Host still spawns a constant stream of slow-moving melee units called Locusts when burrowed. Ultralisks gain a “Burrow Charge” ability allowing them to quickly reach battle sites. Banelings will gain “Tunnelling Claws” similar to the Roach and the Hydralisk will have a researchable speed boost when travelling off-creep. Lastly, different types of Nydus worms are now planned. Some of the more effective worms that are being tested include ones that can quickly create a creep “highway,” and another that can attack enemy buildings

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