StarCraft 2

Race: Terran
Role: Mobile Raiding Infantry
Built From: Barracks
Supply: 1
Cost:
Build Time:
Health:
Attack:

Description

The most hard-core of Terran Marines who prove too volatile for Marine duty are instead trained as Reapers, the Terran answer to the need for rapid assault and mobility. Reapers are lightly-armored assault units armed with dual rapid-fire pistols that deals small damage in very quick bursts, as well as a jet-pack that gives the Reaper unparalleled mobility on the battlefield. With their jet-packs, Reapers can clear treacherous terrain that is normally impassable to other ground troops such as cliffs and gaps, allowing Reapers to bypass frontal defenses and assault the heart of the enemy operation directly.

Like the Marine, the maniacal Reapers also employ the use of Stim Packs, which are arguably deadlier on the Reapers giving a boost to their already strong mobility and impressive firing speed. With a squad of stim-happy Reapers at the ready, Terran might not even need drops to quickly devastate mineral lines before making a hasty retreat.

In addition to their capabilities, Reapers are trained in the use of highly unstable explosives , the D-8 (Deuterium Eight) charge, which is a thrown explosive that detonates with impressive force after a short delay. Think of it as a replacement to the classic Vulture's Spider Mines, except you can now throw them directly into your opponent's face instead of waiting for them to walk into yours. Like the dreaded Spider Mines, skillful D-8 Charge use is likely capable of turning battles around on its own.

With all these offensive edges, the Reaper is not without weakness. Unlike Marines who are able to augment their health, Reapers start out poorly armored and remain that way throughout the game. They are not going to last through many firefights, and well-placed area-of-effect attacks such as a High Templar Psionic Storm or even a Battlecruiser's Plasma Torpedoes can rapidly eliminate an entire platoon of Reapers. To this light, Reapers are likely more suited to sneaky harass moves, abusing their cliff-scaling jetpacks to strike quickly and then disappear into the shadows.

Strategies

Reapers are the micro player's dream, combining mobility, firepower, as well as the obligatory fragility that often comes with the first two features. A player strong in multitasking will have a field day with Reapers, using the squad to hit everywhere and anywhere on the battlefield when least expected. Abusing the cliff-scaling, Reapers can easily climb up to a mineral line, fire up the Stim Pack, and let loose indiscriminate hell on the enemy economy before disappearing down the same cliff when the army returns. All this can happen while your main army is engaging the enemy elsewhere, making the Reaper a true annoyance unit with infinite potential for harassment. The opponent will eventually be forced to spend resources to place static defenses at the mineral lines if he wants to keep his economy running, and even then the Reaper squad can jet around the battlefield picking on new expansions, or even sneaking a flank to plant some high explosives in the heart of the enemy formation. In other words, they are never going to stop being a pain in the ass, as long as the player can handle them.

Immortals: Just like the Protoss Immortals are a hard-counter to Siege Tanks due to their hardened shields, the Terran Reaper is also a hard-counter to Immortals due to the same hardened shields. The Reaper's dual Scythe Gauss Pistols deliver damage at an impressive rate, with each shot doing little damage. This small-damage, fast-attack combination is the perfect counter to the Immortal's hardened shields, which only protect against single heavy-hitting rounds such as a shot from the Siege Tank's Arclite Cannon. If your Protoss adversary believes he can stem your offense with Immortals alone, a healthy dose of Reaper pistols will quickly show him the error of his ways.

Unit Abilities

Stim-Pack: Increases the Reapers speed and attack for a short period while reducing the Marines health.



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