Blizzard: Protoss Immortals in StarCraft 2 not AA capable
Remember the days when depending on a Proton Cannon for basic air defense just wouldn’t cut it? They were seriously immobile, though adequately ranged and capable of detecting hidden units. But as soon as you hit higher techs, Dragoons were a more practical choice for the veteran Protoss player. With Blizzard‘s StarCraft 2 introducing two derivatives of the armored mobile unit, will the Immortal version keep air units at bay?
Blizzard says that Protoss Immortals in StarCraft 2 won’t be able to fire upon air units, keeping it for ground assault purposes only and emphasizing its anti-armor capabilities. The Stalker, being the Dark Templar’s own Dragoon derivative, can keep airborne targets in check, however.
Blizzard currently doesn’t have plans to add anti-aircraft (AA) abilities to the Protoss Immortal, despite the call of some veteran players for a future upgrade who are hoping for a truly multipurpose alternative to the weaker Stalker. This is because of its sheer effectiveness of against most armored Terran units, except the rapid attack kind (e.g., Terran Banshees), and giving it anti-air capabilities could upset balancing. Battle.NET Forum community manager Karune said:
Immortals are currently awesome counters to any high damage unit, and are able to be countered well by any type of rapid attacking unit, such as Zerglings or M&Ms with Stim. The Immortals’ bonus damage against armored add to their ferocity against many Terran units going into Tier 2 and beyond.
Karune also confirmed that Reapers will not be able to attack air units in StarCraft 2 either, and though this may disappoint some players looking into the worth of the available units for the Protoss, at least now Proton Cannons have an added ability to make up for a Tier 1 defense weakness: mobility.
About The Author
