Protoss Scout

By the Numbers:

Vitals:

Hit Points: 150
Shields: 100
Cost: 275 minerals / 125 gas
Supply: 3

Base Ground attack / type: 8 / normal
Ground Cooldown: 30
Base Air attack / type: 28 / explosive
Air Cooldown: 22
Range: 4

Details:

Base armor: 0
Build Time: 80

Air Upgrades: Base 100//100 +75/+75

Scout effect: +1 ground / +2 air per upgrade level

Air Armor 150/150 +75/+75

Scout effect: + 1 to per upgrade level

Plasma Shields: 200/200 +100/+100

Scout Effect: +1 per upgrade level

Scout Upgrades:
Apial Sensors

Cost: 100/100

Effect: Increase the sight range of the Scout

Gravitic Thrusters:

Cost: 200/200

Effect: Faster Scout movement

Comments:

The scout is the Protoss's lowest-level aerial fighter. Like all Protoss units, the Scout is powerful, fast, and amazing in large groups. Unfortunately, it also inherits the negative aspect of 'toss units: they are slow to build and expensive. The Apial Sensors upgrade, while very cheap, is all but useless with a better upgrade available for the detector-ing Observer. The extra speed provided by Gravitic Thrusters, on the other hand, is a must-have if you choose to work with Scouts.

Strategy:

The scout is a little-used unit in most StarCraft games. That's not to say that it's a bad unit, per se, but it is poorly placed. It is a mere 75 min/ 125 gas less expensive than the mighty Carrier, and takes longer than most units (still almost half as long as a Carrier). Thus, many players, especially those on "money maps" who have no shortage of resources, skip the scout while focusing on Carriers. Scouts have good cooldown time on their ground weapons, and amazing cooldown time on their air-to-air missiles.

However, in a "real" StarCraft game, where money and time are micromanaged with incredible precision, the Scout truly begins to shine. The main problems with Carriers, you see, are that they are EXPENSIVE. A fleet of twelve carriers alone costs 4500 minerals and 3200 gas. You want eight interceptors on each of those Carriers? Upgrading to eight interceptors on those twelve carriers will cost an additional 2500 minerals and 100 gas. You want those Carriers before you opponent wipes his ass with you? You'd better have at least six Stargates -- 900 gas, 900 minerals more. You see, a Scout fleet, compiled correctly, can absolutely slaughter the base of the poor sod who tries to get Carriers like that. SLAUGHTER. You can put twelve Scouts into his main base, pop his workers, and then pick off his two Carriers with two interceptors each. HE'S DEAD, JIM! THE POOR SOD BE FUCKING DEAD BECAUSE HE FUCKING MISUNDERESTIMATED THE POWER OF SCOUTS!

Note, however, that I said "compiled correctly." If your Scout-building timing is off, or if your opponent decides to go with, say, Dragoons instead of Carriers...well, you're screwed. Royally. Up the ass. With plasma balls, or spines, or depleted-uranium pellets. Should your opponent be playing Terran or Zerg, they can get HUNDREDs of Marines or Hydralisks by the time you get a dozen Scouts. In fact, even if your opponent is getting Carriers, and they acquire a few Corsairs...well, bend over...

You see, the scouts have their place. They are very good rushers against Carriers, and do a mighty fine job of picking off enemy workers. Unfortunately, that's pretty much the limit of their generally effective strategy. The scouts have their place, but it's a very small place.


The scouts are dead! Long live the scouts...