Nuove imba info su Hots

Terran:
Reaper – Light, Biological


Requirement: Barracks w/ Tech Lab

Minerals: 50
Gas: 50
Supply: 1
Build Time: 40
Health: 60
Speed: 2.95
Base Armor: 0
Attack Damage:2 x 4 (7 vs. Light)
Attack Range: 7
Attack Delay: 1.1
Upgrade: Combat Drugs

Minerals: 50
Gas: 50
Research Time: 80
This lets the Reaper regenerate health outside combat. Very rough estimates show about 6 in game seconds after shooting or being shot the Reaper begins to regenerate 2 health per second.

Initial Thoughts: It feels like the Reaper is still trying to be a bit of a harassment unit. The problem is that it is still not fast enough. Also, the speed upgrade is no longer in the game. Oddly enough I ran into David Kim and voiced this to him. So if Reaper is faster in release you all have me to thank (or blame) :D

Hellion


Requires Factory

Minerals: 100
Gas: 0
Supply: 2
Build Time: 30
Health (Battle Mode): 135
Base Armor (Battle Mode): 0
Speed (Battle Mode): 2.25
Attack Damage (Battle Mode): 10
Attack Range (Battle Mode): 2 in an AoE cone
Attack Delay (Battle Mode): 1.9
Health (Vehicle Mode): 90
Base Armor (Vehicle Mode): 0
Speed (Vehicle Mode): 4.25
Attack Damage (Vehicle Mode): 8 (14 vs. Light)
Attack Range (Vehicle Mode): 5 in a linear AoE
Attack Delay (Vehicle Mode): 2.5
Ability – Transformation: Switches between battle and vehicle mode. 3 second transformation time. When built the Hellion comes out of the factory in battle mode.

Upgrade – Blue Flame: Functions same as in Wings of Liberty.

Initial Thoughts: I did not have as much time to play around with battle Hellions as I would like, but I did play against them. They seem alright. Good for cannon fodder but not too much else. There are good uses for it I am sure I am missing but I was not able to find them in the small time allowed to us.

Warhound – Armored, Mechanical


Requires Factory w/ Tech Lab

Minerals: 150
Gas: 75
Supply: 2
Build Time: 45
Health: 220
Base Armor: 1
Speed: 2.81
Attack Damage: 23
Attack Range: 7
Attack Delay: 1.3
Ability – Haywire:

Autocastable

Does 30 damage to a single target at range 7 with a 6 second CD. Does not interrupt the Warhound's regular attack.

Initial Thoughts: Plain and simple the Warhound is a scary unit. It is fast, has good range, and does a TON of damage. I think this will become a new staple in matchups if it stays in its current form. Good all around and rather cheap for as good as it is. However it is important to note that while this unit was originally debuted as a mini-Thor the Warhound actually has no ground to air attack. The Thor however remains in this build identical to how it currently is in Wings of Liberty.

Widow Mine – Light, Mechanical


Requires Factory

Minerals: 75
Gas: 25
Supply: 1
Build Time: 20
Health: -
Speed: -
Attack Damage: 200*
Attack Range: *
Attack Delay: 10 Seconds after latching on.
Special Ability – Burrow: 3 seconds to burrow. Aside from the time to burrow it functions exactly the same as regular burrow.

After burrowing and a brief arming time the mine will launch up and latch itself to a unit. The mine has a limited type of detection in that it will not give you detection, but will latch on to and reveal invisible units. Ground or air. The range is approximately 5-6 and the explosion does an AoE with a radius of about 3-4.

Multiple mines cannot latch on to the same unit, and a small countdown animation visible to you and your opponent appears on the unit affected. There is a 10 second delay between attachment and detonation. There is no known way to remove the mines short of detonation.

Initial Thoughts: This is an insanely good unit. It does take up valuable factory time but it is worth it. There are so many uses to this from defense to offense to harassment that for the time being the best I can say is that this will be an amazing units in all matchups.

Other things of note:
Redline Reactor – Doubles speed and increases acceleration of the Battlecruiser for 6 seconds at a cost of 100 energy.

Thors – As noted in the warhound section. Still present in the same form as in Wing of Liberty.

Zerg
Swarm Host – Armored, Biological


Requires Infestation Pit

Minerals: 200
Gas: 100
Supply: 3
Build Time: 40
Health: 120
Base Armor: 1
Speed: 2.25
Attack Damage: N/A
Attack Range: N/A
Attack Delay: N/A
Special Ability – Spawn Locusts

Swarm Host spawns 2 locusts which rally on an attack-move command. The Swarm Host spawns them every 25 seconds as long as burrow and the locusts last 15 seconds.

Special Ability – Burrow:

Works like for the Widow Mine. 3 seconds to burrow during which the Swarm Host can be attacked.

Upgrade – Increase Locust Time:

Minerals: 200
Gas: 200
Time: 100
Increases the time the locusts last by 10 seconds (to a total of 25 seconds).

Locusts – Light, Biological
Health: 65
Speed: 1.88
Attack Damage: 16
Attack Range: 2
Attack Delay: 1.2
Initial Thoughts: Wow. Just wow. Locusts are good. While playing Celebreth we found out that not only do they have minor range but they also can hit air. This is an insanely good unit at this stage in the game. Coupled with support of any kind the constant pressure that these Swarm Hosts can put on is impressive. This definitely opens up an aggressive playstyle for Zerg that did not exist before. I daresay it is actually a little too strong...

Viper – Armored, Biological, Air


Requires Hive

Minerals: 100
Gas: 200
Supply: 3
Build Time: 40
Health: 120
Base Armor: 1
Speed: 2.25
Special Ability – Consume:

The Viper does 200 damage to a friendly building over 10 seconds to regenerate 50 energy.

Special Ability – Abduct (75 Energy):

The Viper pulls a unit instantly to the Viper's location. Approximate range of 7.

Special Ability – Blinding Cloud (125 Energy):

Creates a cloud that reduces the attack range of any biological units in the AoE to melee. Same AoE and range as fungal growth.

Initial Thoughts: One of the largest problems with Zerg engagements was that positioning had a more powerful impact on Zerg than any other race. The Viper tackles that problem and allows us to manipulate the field in a dynamic way that at the moment no other race has. This is a unit I hope remains unchanged and cannot wait to see used by people better than I.

Other Things of Note:
Burrowed Movement for Banelings is out.

Hydralisk Upgrade – Muscular Augmentation:

Minerals: 150
Gas: 150
Time: 100
This gives the Hydralisks 50% faster movement off creep which brings the Hydralisk speed to 3.38 in all situations.

Ultralisk Burrow – Ultralisks come with this ability innately.

Cooldown: 30 Seconds
Range: ~7
Takes roughly 1 second at max range.
All units in the space the ultralisk unburrows take regular attack damage and are knocked back.
Creep Tumors – The Creep Tumors have a cool little animation. A tad slower now but worth it because we all know looks are an upgrade right?

Protoss
Mothership Core – Mechanical, Armor, Psionic, Massive, Unique
No requirement (As in you can make it with nothing but a Nexus and an Assimilator)

Minerals: 100
Gas: 50
Supply: 3
Build Time: 60
Health: 350
Shields: 350
Armor: 2
Speed: Immobile
Special Ability – Teleport (25 Energy):

The Mothership Core teleports to another Nexus.

Special Ability – Energize (25 Energy):

At a range of ~8 the Mship Core recharges the energy of any unit/building at the rate of about 25 per second. If energy is spent during this recharge time the building/unit will still recharge to maximum energy (Basic Application: Mass Chronoboost).

Special Ability – Purify (75 Energy):

The Mship Core gains a powerful attack for 20 seconds.

Damage: 60
Range: 13
Delay: 1.25
Special Ability – Mass Recall: Functions the same as the current Mothership spell.

Special Ability – Build Mothership

Requires Fleet Beacon

Minerals: 300
Gas: 350
Time: 100
Supply: 8
Basically finishes building the Mothership. Takes up production at the Nexus. Cannot be chrono boosted from what I could tell. This needs better verification though. Mothership is the same as in Wings of Liberty with the exception of having a Stasis spell I was unable to test.

Initial Thoughts: Another great addition to the game. Allows a great deal of versatility throughout the game. Super early build time makes it so that early expansion builds will be much easier to pull off in the PvP matchup. Aside from that it is a great economy booster, a great way to make sure your Oracles have full energy (or Sentries). Just really what this means for Protoss is that the game for Toss players has changed far more than it has for Terrans or Zergs at all stages of the game.

Tempest – Armored, Mechanical, Massive


Requires Fleet Beacon

Minerals: 300
Gas: 300
Supply: 6
Build Time: 75
Health: 300
Shields: 150
Speed: 2.25
Attack Damage: 49 (66 vs. Massive)
Attack Range: 10
Attack Delay: 6
Upgrade – Gravity Sling:

At Fleet Beacon

Minerals: 150
Gas: 150
Time: 100
The Tempest gets +12 range.

Intial Thoughts: You know, I am trying to like the Tempest. I really am. But since the cost is so insanely high it seems like it is not worth it. 300/300 for a lot of single target damage. To me this is not so great. Granted with the 22 range I am sure there will be some interesting pressure uses for the tempest, but it is severely lackluster for a straight up engagement type unit. I could see it more paired with the Oracle to stop things like Brood Lords, other Tempests, Bcs, and Thors.

Oracle – Light Mechanical


Requires Stargate

Minerals: 150
Gas: 200
Supply: 3
Build Time: 60
Health: 80
Shields: 20
Speed: 3.75
Special Ability – Preordain (75 Energy):

Gain vision and detection around a building in a range of ~12 for 2 minutes.

Special Ability – Entomb (75 Energy):

Creates an energy barrier around mineral patches for 45 seconds. These barriers can be destroyed with attacks and have 75 HP. Barriers have no innate armor/shield armor and do not benefit from upgrades.

Special Ability – Cloaking Field (100 Energy):

Cloaks all units and buildings within ~7 range of the Oracle for 60 seconds. Works like Arbiter cloak from BW. 2 Oracles cannot cloak each other.

Initial Thoughts: I looooooove this unit. Sneaky, fast, annoying, useful in all stages of the game. Very useful especially when paired with the Mothership Core of upgraded tempests. Keep your eye on this unit and pray it is not changed.

Other Things of Note:
Just reminding the Replicator has been removed a while ago.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoy how HotS is shaping up to be. These units all are good and have enough versatility to breath life into the game yet at the same time are not overshadowing other units that one can currently build. I think that while minor balancing issues are still present if this is what Heart of the Swarm will be like everyone is going to agree that it is a greatly appreciated breath of freshness into Starcraft II.

A thank you for reading this and stay tuned for more content. Twitter is the best place to see announcements when new content is put up (@Bair4D) and until my next one....

<3 Bair