Carrier (StarCraft)

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The carrier is a protoss air unit in StarCraft, serving as the race's capital ship. It is voiced by Glenn Stafford.^[1]

Overview[]

Carriers in numbers can raze entire armies and bases if the enemy is unprepared. The carrier is slightly less durable than the battlecruiser overall, but is much faster. Forcibly recalling its interceptors and releasing them again may extend interceptor life and save resources since interceptors are automatically repaired upon returning. Interceptors self-destruct if their parent carrier is destroyed. If a carrier is disabled (for example, through Lockdown), its interceptors will return to the carrier and only resume attacking once the carrier becomes active again.^[2]

Terrans may disable carriers using the ghost's Lockdown. Two battlecruisers with Yamato Gun can destroy a carrier. Valkyries may clear out interceptors with their splash damage attack. When managed correctly, the high damage of goliaths and wraiths can also take down carriers.

Zerg have a wider range of anti-carrier abilities. The defiler's Plague and Dark Swarm are useful as carriers and interceptors tend to bunch up; Plague-affected interceptors return to carriers for repairs and remain docked until Plague wears off. The queen's Ensnare radically reduces interceptor rate of fire, and hampers the withdrawal of both interceptors and carriers. Scourge may be used against small groups of carriers, but are countered by corsairs.

Protoss may use the high templar's Psionic Storm to counter carriers. When managed correctly, the high damage of dragoons and scouts can also take down carriers.

Carriers may use terrain to kite; this may reduce vulnerability to anti-air structures and units.

Carriers become available to the player in the campaign with the mission "The Trial of Tassadar" in Episode III and "Return to Char" in Episode IV.

Abilities[]

Build Interceptor

The carrier can create up to four interceptors (eight with the Carrier Capacity upgrade).

Usage
Hotkey I Cost 25 18

Upgrades[]

Note that Air Weapons affects Interceptors despite not directly affecting Carriers.

Air Armor

• +1 bonus to armor per level for shuttles, scouts, arbiters, carriers, interceptors, observers and corsairs.

Acquisition
Purchased from Cybernetics core Hotkey A Level 1 Cost 150 150 267 Level 2 Cost 225 225 300 Required Fleet beacon Level 3 Cost 300 300 333 Required Fleet beacon

Plasma Shields

• +1 armor bonus to shields per level for all units and structures.

Acquisition
Purchased from Forge Hotkey S Level 1 Cost 200 200 267 Level 2 Cost 300 300 300 Required Cybernetics core Level 3 Cost 400 400 333 Required Cybernetics core

v • e

Carrier Capacity

• Increases the number of interceptors carriers can hold at once by 4 (to 8).

Acquisition
Purchased from Fleet beacon Hotkey C Cost 100 100 100

Carrier heroes[]

• Gantrithor

Quotations[]

Notes[]

• A StarCraft II "Classic" skin modeled after the StarCraft carrier is available for purchasing a BlizzCon 2019 physical or virtual ticket, and will be available for purchase at a later date.

Images[]

The carrier as it appeared in the StarCraft alpha

Alpha carrier's portrait

Pre-alpha carrier's portrait

Unit wireframe

Remastered unit wireframe

References[]