 Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 11:16 am
Confirmed Units (Those that have appeared on Starcraft2.com) 
Armament: Psionic Shockwave
Role: Heavy Assault
Every protoss has a level of psionic capability that is extremely rare among terrans. The protoss of the Templar caste devote their long lives to honing their powerful abilities for war. Of these dedicated individuals, only the most adept and disciplined in the ways of the Khala can hope to eventually rise to the honoured rank of high templar. The terrifying power of the high templar is rightly feared by the enemies of the protoss. A mere handful of these potent individuals can lay waste to entire armies of foes.
The dark templar hail from very different roots, but the powers at their command are no less awe-inspiring. While the high templar unleash fire and lightning, the dark templar stalk the shadows, swathed in darkness. However, both branches of the templar tradition share the ability to merge their souls to form a deadly archon.
These swirling, burning effigies of the protoss spirit radiate incalculable power. Their devastating psionic storms can be unleashed against cowering enemy forces both in the air and on the ground. With the halves of the protoss race reunited, an archon can now be brought into being by the merge of two high templar, or two dark templar, or even the unification of a dark templar and a high templar. Although the protoss are loath to sacrifice valuable templar, those who do achieve this final level of commitment are forever honoured in the memories of their people.
Currently this unit plays the same as the Archon from SC1 with no added abilities, supposedly Blizzard aren't sure what powers to give this particularly shiny unit.
Screenshot
Builds From: Stargate
Armament: Prismatic Beam
Role: Long-range Bombardment
The reunification of the Aiur protoss and the dark templar has been a time of great trials for both peoples. Overcoming the centuries of fear and mistrust that built up after the exile of the dark templar is no easy task. Nonetheless, the melding of technologies that developed along separate paths for so long has heralded spectacular new developments for the protoss. One such creation is the warp ray, a new capital vessel that many believe will eventually replace the venerable protoss carrier as flagship of the protoss fleet.
A warp ray is a ship virtually built around a single gigantic power source: the prismatic core. This device seethes with energy drawn from two realms: the Void, which is truly understood only by the dark templar, and the psionic matrix, which underpins the technologies of the Aiur protoss. In combination these two energies form a self-sustaining reaction of terrifying potential.
Warp Rays Assault a Terran Barracks
Normally the prismatic core is held in check by an arrangement of flux field projectors. When a warp ray locks on to a target, the projector arms smoothly part like the petals of a flower. A complex array of warp lenses and phase-crystals works to focus the energies of the prismatic core into a ravening beam of destruction.
Protoss warp rays and phoenix engage terran battlecruisers
As the prismatic beam is held on the target, more of the focusing array becomes aligned, and up to three individual power streams combine together. Over a few seconds the beam's intensity and power grow exponentially. Few enemies can withstand the awful power of the prismatic beam for long: even large and heavily armored targets like buildings or battlecruisers are incinerated in moments.
Warp Rays and Phoenix Engage Terran Battlecruisers_______Warp rays can concentrate fire for devastating damage
The towering colossus is a protoss robot design dating back to the bloody conflicts of the Kalath Intercession. It strides across the battlefield on four tall, slender legs which give it an extremely high level of mobility. The great height of the machine allows it to step up and down cliffs and other steep elevations with little difficulty, and gives it a dominating field of fire.
The immense height of a colossus means it is vulnerable to attack from both anti-ground and anti-air units and structures
The heavily armored hull of the colossus carries two powerful thermal lances: one mounted on each side of its body. Complex focusing and targeting systems are used to pinpoint the continuous damage output of the thermal lances for optimal efficiency. As a target is destroyed, the lances are switched to a new target instantly so that a colossus' beam cuts a fiery swathe of destruction through multiple enemies with each firing cycle.
Taking advantage of higher ground
The colossus is unusual for the fact that it was created purely as a war machine. Most protoss robots are created for industrial or resource-gathering purposes. Even the much-feared reaver is at its core a mobile manufacturing unit re-tasked to the creation of scarab drones for long-range bombardment. The mass slaughter unleashed on the kalathi by roving colossi appalled the protoss.
At the time, the Conclave outlawed the manufacture of colossi, and existing machines were deactivated before being sealed away in distant asteroids and uninhabited moons. Centuries later the war against the zerg has brought forth these engines of destruction to do battle once more.
The phoenix is a swift and deadly spacecraft that is rapidly replacing the older scouts and corsairs in the role of fighter for the protoss. Phoenix patrols are a common sight on the outer rim of protoss territory, where they sweep deep space for alien threats. The twin ion blaster armament of a phoenix is highly suited to air-to-air combat and can also be used for strafing light ground targets.
Sophisticated and lethal as the phoenix may be, all too often a patrol squadron will find itself heavily outnumbered by zerg or terran enemies. To overcome this weakness, phoenix pilots have developed a dangerous counter-ploy. A phoenix pilot can unleash a short-lived storm of destruction by overloading its warp field through the ship's ion blasters.
Phoenix vs Warp Rays
The area-effect discharge is devastating and can destroy a large number of enemies at once, but it comes at a price: in the aftermath the phoenix is left temporarily powerless and crippled. Wary foes have learned to flee a phoenix overload and return moments later to destroy the helpless craft. In turn phoenix pilots have begun to use staggered discharges to catch their enemies in a web of destruction.
Phoenix vs Mutalisks
These desperate tactics are frowned upon by protoss commanders, but have become tacitly accepted as a necessity in the desperate times facing the protoss. Through extraordinary dedication and bravery, these daring pilots have done much to even the odds
For thousands of years the protoss have studied the nature of time and space. Through their painstaking studies and experiments protoss researchers have uncovered many of the secrets of the universe. Using psionic manufacturing processes, the protoss have learned how to create a robotic mind whose programming is built into the molecules of an advanced crystal lattice. This "crystal computer" is able to manipulate matter and energy with a precision no ordinary organic mind could comprehend.
The protoss use these "phase prisms" in several ways. The primary function of a phase prism is to transport protoss forces on the battlefield. Living and inorganic subjects are transformed into energy, and their unique signature imprinted into the prism's crystal lattice core. On reaching the desired destination the operation is reversed and the stored energy signatures are reconfigured into matter in proximity to the phase prism.
Phase Prism's power ability in conjunction with Warp Gates allows Protoss to quickly field reinforcements
A secondary but no less vital function of the phase prism is to act as a mobile focus for the protoss psionic matrix. Once the prism is deployed it can power protoss structures around it. In this configuration phase prisms can be used to temporarily replace destroyed pylons in a colony or enable the rapid establishment of a forward base of operations.
Phase Prism can power Protoss buildings in absence of a Pylon
The dark templar are a branch of the protoss race that refused to surrender their individuality to the encompassing psionic gestalt of the Khala. In ages past they were exiled from the protoss homeworld of Aiur. They eventually found a new home on the distant planet Shakuras.
Denied the support of the great forges and armories of Aiur, the dark templar were forced to find new ways to defend themselves from a hostile universe. By focusing their inner psionic strength and drawing power from the Void the dark templar learned to mask their presence and strike unseen from the shadows. The defiant exiles perfected techniques to spread terror and confusion among their enemies by assassinating leaders and destroying vital structures. Ultimately the dark templar came to rival even the mighty zealots in combat.
However, the overthrow of Aiur has proven that guile alone cannot defeat a foe as relentless as the zerg. Inspired by the ancient and honored dragoon walkers the dark templar have begun to build war machines of their own. The stalker is a machine controlled by the shadow-essence of a dark templar warrior fused into a metal body to protect his people.
Swift and deadly, stalkers have been credited with many fantastic powers in recent conflicts. Nevertheless the only one that has been witnessed consistently is the ability to instantly teleport or 'blink' from one spot to another. This ability enables stalkers to strike from unexpected quarters, catch a fleeing foe, or escape an unfavorable encounter.
Protoss Stalker's blink ability lets it scale up to elevated positions where line of sight is available
The deadly particle disruptors mounted on the stalker's carapace are adept at crippling both ground and air targets. Ambushes by groups of stalkers have brought fiery doom upon many attack wings that thought themselves safe from retribution.
Before the loss of Aiur, veteran protoss warriors who had been crippled in battle could volunteer to continue their service by being transplanted into dragoon exoskeletons. Now the dragoons of the past are all but gone. The sacred shrine that was dedicated to the creation of the dragoons was infested by the zerg and lost along with the protoss homeworld itself.
The remaining dragoons have become the immortals, refitted with twin phase disruptors and hardened energy shields that can shrug off the most powerful weapon strikes - though at the cost of leaving them more vulnerable to the pinprick attacks of lesser foes. The heavily armed and shielded immortals give critical fire support to the ferocious legions of zealots by eliminating enemy artillery and ranged attackers, allowing the zealots to close in and complete their work of destruction.
Protoss Immortals' shields are very effective against Siege Tanks
But the loss of every immortal is keenly felt. These ancient warriors are a dying breed pledged to give their all in the end times of their people. They stand on the front lines of the final war, sacrificing themselves to buy their race a few more days or hours. Soon none will remain.
For over a thousand years the Templar caste of the protoss have defended their people from threats both internal and external, dedicating their long lives to the pursuit of martial perfection. Zealots are peerless templar warriors who have yet to achieve the uppermost ranks of the Khala. Ever eager for battle, zealots train constantly to attune themselves more closely to the Khala's disciplines and prove themselves worthy of advancement. They exemplify the unbridled ferocity of the protoss at war.
The formidable physique of a zealot is further enhanced by cybernetic implants and their coveted power suit. Yet a zealot is far more than the technology they bear. Each zealot is trained for decades in hand-to-hand combat, tactics, pain tolerance and martial discipline. Zealots are taught to hate their enemies with a white hot passion and to hunt them down without mercy.
All protoss have some psionic power. Zealots focus their powers exclusively on the pursuit of war. Focus crystals in their heavy forearm units enable zealots to channel their strength of will into blades of pure psionic energy - their primary melee weapons. Using a limited form of precognition, zealots can even predict enemy movements, striking with deadly accuracy and dodging attacks by inches.
Some zealots have even developed the ability to turn their body into pure energy for a few microseconds. This allows them to move at lightning-fast speeds and strike suddenly against an enemy that thinks they are out of range.
In recent times the zerg invasion of the protoss homeworld of Aiur forced its evacuation to the distant dark templar world of Shakuras. The Templar caste as a whole, and the zealots in particular, seethe with shame at this dishonor. Many and loud are the voices raised demanding a return to Aiur, cradle of the protoss civilization. The zealots have thrown themselves into an even more rigorous program of training in preparation for the glorious day when their services will be called upon once more.
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Draken [The.Spork.Ninja.]
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