What would an expansion be without new units? The units found in Brood War not only help flesh out the existing races, which is further enhanced by the new technologies and planets found in the game. In this article you will find specific information about all of the new units, technologies, and how they integrate into StarCraft: The Board Game .

Units

Medic: Costs 0 Minerals and 1 Gas

The medic is cheap and versatile assist unit with a wide range of abilities. Its “Restoration” technology allows the player to draw more combat cards at the start of combat, while it’s “Heal” technology makes other infantry units much harder to destroy.

Its most powerful technology is the “Optic Flare,” which reduces the opponent’s attack value to 0 if it is not supported. Lastly, all assist units are improved by a new module which I will talk about in a future article.

Valkyrie: Costs 1 Minerals and 2 Gas

This powerful flying units only weakness is that it can only attack other flying units. In every other respect, it is a powerful war machine. It has decent health, a powerful attack, and can even receive Flying Splash Damage!

It is important to note that flying units are made more useful due to a terrain feature that I will discuss in a future article.

Infested Terran: Costs 1 Minerals and 0 Gas

Like all of the Zerg units in the expansion, Infested Terrans require a technology to build them. The Infest Command center allows a player to replace Terran Command centers with Infested Command centers. Facilities are a new token type that have a wide range of different abilities, Infested Command centers allow the production of Infested Terrans.

Infested Terrans themselves share a card with Scourge units, and have the new Sacrifice ability. This ability requires them to destroy themselves in order to destroy an enemy target.

Lurker: Costs 1 Minerals and 1 Gas

Lurkers are powerful ground units that are created from existing hydralisk units. Lurkers strength lies in the fact that they are permanently cloaked, and have ground splash damage!

Devourer: Costs 1 Minerals and 0 Gas*
Devourers fill the role of something that was missing from the Zerg’s arsenal; a highly armored flying unit. These units are bred from mutalisks, and when fully upgraded receive flying splash damage.

Dark Templar: Costs 1 Minerals and 2 Gas

At face value, Dark Templars are nothing more than buffed up Zealots. Once you factor in the fact that they are permanently cloaked, and can merge into Dark Archons, you are left with an invaluable weapon.

Dark Archon: Costs 0 Minerals and 0 Gas

Dark Archons are created by merging two Dark Templars into one being of malevolent energy. This expense is more than made up for with their powerful abilities.

First off, Maelstrom can be used to slow down enemy units and prevent them from entering your Dark Archon’s location. Their Feedback technology is extremely useful against assist units, and can destroy them at the start of a battle. Lastly, the overpowered Mind Control technology allows a player to permanently steal a unit belonging to an opponent. Although this unit is restricted to using random cards from it’s original owner’s deck, it is basically a free unit of varying power.

Corsair: Costs 2 Minerals and 1 Gas

Corsairs adds the role of a cheap fighter to the Protoss arsenal. Although they can only attack air, their real power lies in their disruptive web ability that can lock down opponent’s air attacking units.

Combat and Technology Cards
In order for these new units to function, new and replacement combat cards are added to each faction’s deck. With all of these additions, the decks have only become slightly larger, bringing them up to 20 cards.

These new cards not only add the new units, but also make some tweaks to some of the weaker existing units. For example, Firebats are slightly more powerful, and Scourges have the new Sacrafice ability.

In addition to these combat cards, each faction receives a slew of new combat cards for both new and old units. Goliaths receive the powerful “Charon Boosters” card, making them the bane of flying units, while Zealots receive the soon to be feared “Leg Enhancements.”

Race Sheets and Buildings
As a last minute sneak peak, I will preview the how the new units are purchased in game. The answer is quite simple: new race sheets and buildings.

Not only do these components allow us to use the new units, they also let us make improvements such as adding the “Special Order Pool” and a spot to place your combat deck.


I hope this article has gotten you excited about Brood War because there is so much more information to spoil. Tune in next article for a preview of Leadership Cards and Heroes!