The official StarCraft II web site is finally updated with some new content. Of course this coincide with BlizzConn 07 which has finished few days ago.
There are couple of new units described: Reaper and Viking.
Reaper is a light armored unit not designed for the head-on fights. It is equipped with a jet pack and to me, this looks very similar to Command and Conquer 3 Zone Trooper. The jet pack is something very different in StarCraft universe. In original game(s) no unit had a possibility to jump over the obstacles. This will change the the way games is played quite a bit. From now on, when fighting Terrans you have to keep a close watch on the whole base or battlefield. Another element changing the balance is their speed. They move very quickly over the terrain and combine that with jet packs - you have a really deadly unit.
StarCraft web site describes Reapers as
Reapers are the most hardened terran criminals, taken from the most dangerous and violent prisons. Potential marines who prove too intractable even after resocialization are instead sent to the "Icehouse" in the Torus system, where reapers are trained.
This in not a new idea but a combination of Alien 3 and Dune. Why Dune? Because Arrakis is the desert planet with extreme conditions where Fremen live for centuries. Muad'dib has discovered they are not only survivors but amazing warriors.
Viking is a second new unit that again, changes the balance compared to the original games. Is is based on the siege tanks concept but with lot of new ideas. The description of Viking is:
Based heavily on the transformation design of the terran siege tank, the viking was designed to be the ultimate anti-air and ground-support weapon system. With the ability to change its combat role from an assault walker to an air-superiority fighter, the viking can switch smoothly to fulfill tactical needs in a developing battle.
The true is that Terran could not defend successfully against Zerg but introduction of Vikings definitely fixes this problem. To balance this big advantage it seems that Vikings are bit hard to handle and they may be available only in later stages of the game.
As you can guess from my blog's name I am the big fan of Zerg. Seeing these new units added to the Terran army makes me a little bit nervous. It definitely requires review and adjustments in strategy when dealing with Terran. But, Blizzard is yet to reveal new units for Zerg and I am expecting some exciting and powerful units to counter Reapers and Vikings. (I don't much about Protoss, I never play as Protoss).
