AH/G-24 Banshee

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Banshee
Unit
Race	Terran
Role	Tactical Strike Aircraft
Properties
Hit points	140[1][2]
Energy	200[1]
Type	Air, mechanical[1]
Armor type	Armored[1]
Production
Minerals	150[3]
Gas	100[3]
Supply	3[4][1]
Build time	60[1]
Produced at	Starport[1][5]
Requires	Tech lab[4][6][5][2]
Hot key	E[1]
Combat
Ground attack	12 (x2)[1]
Armor	1[1]
Attack range	6[1]

The AH/G-24 Banshee is a terran air unit set to appear in StarCraft II.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Game Unit 2.1 Abilities 2.2 Upgrades 2.3 Development 3 Notes 4 Gallery 5 References

[edit] Overview

The Banshee is a terran aircraft designed by Procyon Industries in response to the Terran Dominion's requirement for a dedicated ground attack aircraft. Experience had shown that it was unlikely that adapting an existing design would prove satisfactory. Thus, Procyon designed an entirely new craft.^[7]

The design was heavily optimized for its intended role. Armament was limited to air-to-ground Backlash cluster rockets, eschewing any anti-aircraft weapons. As the Banshee was never intended to operate outside of an atmosphere, only relatively low-thrust turbofans were fitted, wholly unable to achieve escape velocity, but much cheaper than engines capable of achieving space flight. Later Banshees were fitted with cloaking devices taken from wraiths.^[7]

The Banshee has proven successful in service. Easily transported from world to world, its mobility and firepower has proven most useful, especially in inhospitable terrain and against hostile irregular forces. The Banshee has also acquired a reputation as a Dominion terror weapon, a result of a significant number of civilians being killed by Banshees employed in urban combat.^[7]

By 2502 the Banshee was already in service with the Kel-Morian Combine.^[8]

[edit] Game Unit

The Banshee's attack strikes single ground units. Because it moves during the attack, it has trouble hitting units directly underneath it.^[9]

Banshees can quickly destroy buildings, even powering through anti-air defenses. Other races should deploy specialized anti-air units like corruptors and Phoenixes to keep them in check.^[10] Ground unit counters include marines, thors, hydralisks, stalkers equipped with blink and high templar psionic storms.^[11] Banshees are generally more useful against protoss opponents than zerg ones.^[12]

[edit] Abilities

Cloaking Field
Acquisition Minerals 200[13] Gas 200[13] Research time 110[13] Researched at Tech lab[13]
Notes
Enables terran Banshees to cloak.[14][15]
Edit

[edit] Upgrades

Apollo Reactor[16]
Researched at	Fusion core[16][17]
Notes
Increases the energy of the banshee.[16][17]
Edit

Terran Ship Weapons
Researched at	Armory[18]
Properties
Minerals 100[19] 175[19] 250[19] Gas 100[19] 175[19] 250[19] Research time 170[19] 200[19] 230[19]
Notes
Increases the damage of terran air units.
Edit

Terran Ship Armor
Researched at	Armory[18]
Properties
Minerals 150[19] 225[19] 300[19] Gas 150[19] 225[19] 300[19] Research time 170[19] 200[19] 230[19]
Notes
Increases the armor of terran air units by 1.
Edit

[edit] Development

In early builds, the Banshee delivered an area of effect attack, though this has since been removed as of March 2008.^[9]

The original portrait was female,^[20] but was replaced by a male as of April 2009.^[21] By June 2009, the portrait was female again.^[22]

[edit] Notes

In in-game videos, the Banshee has been seen over space platforms. These platforms have artificial gravity generators,^[23][24] which could sustain an atmosphere of sorts and so explain how Banshees can operate there.

The Banshee was made to be both similar and different to the Wraith, the key difference being the nature of their attack. As many cloak detector units are aerial, this would prevent the Banshee from attacking the units which presented the greatest threat to it. As such, the Banshee fulfills the role of a base raider of a "combined-arms" terran force.^[25]

[edit] Gallery

Early render.

Portrait concept art.

Male portrait.

[edit] References

Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft II
Infantry	SCV · Marine · Reaper · Marauder · Ghost
Land Vehicles	MULE · Hellion · Siege tank · Thor
Air Units	Viking · Medivac dropship · Banshee · Raven · Battlecruiser
Basic Buildings	Command center · Refinery · Supply depot · Barracks · Engineering bay
Automated Defenses and Explosives	Auto-turret · Defensive drone · D-8 charges · Missile turret
Support Buildings	Orbital command · Planetary fortress · Sensor tower · Bunker
Add-ons	Tech lab · Nuclear reactor
Advanced Buildings	Merc compound · Ghost academy · Factory · Armory · Starport · Fusion core
Other	Drop pod · Nuclear missile
Campaign-Exclusive Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft II	Infantry	Firebat · Medic · Rebel · Spectre
	Mercenaries	(Kel-Morian Mercenaries — Elite marines) · (Devil Dogs — Elite firebats) · (Hammer Securities — Elite marauders)
	Land Vehicles	Cobra · Diamondback tank · Goliath · Transport truck · Vulture
	Air Units	Hercules dropship · Wraith
	Automated defenses	Perdition turret · Shrike turret
Scrapped	Removed Units	Mine drone · Predator · Spider mines · Targeting drone
	Removed Buildings	Munitions depot · Radar tower · Shadow ops · Star base

Terran Starship Classifications
Transports	Cargo	Barge • Cargo ship — Giant-class • Freighter • Recovery vessel • Space-hauler • System runner
	Personnel	Escape pod • Orbital dropship • Orbital spacecraft • Planet hopper • Puddle-jumper • Salvage vessel • Shuttle • Supercarrier • Tour ship • Yacht
	Military	Drop pod • Escape pod • Quantradyne APOD-33 dropship · Assault dropship · Heavy lander · Hercules dropship · Medivac dropship • Grizzly • Hawk • Mammoth-class personnel carrier
Strike Craft	Starfighters	Predator • Scoutship • CF/A-17 Wraith — DF/A-19 Wraith Mk2
	Transforming	Viking • Wyrm
Support Ships	Exploration vessel • Raven • Science vessel — Elite science vessel · Kang science station • Scoutship • Utility vehicle
Warships	Light	AH/G-24 Banshee • Destroyer • Gun cutter • Gunship • Frigate — Valkyrie • Class 4 Interceptor • Wanderer
	Cruisers	Cruiser • Light cruiser
	Battlecruisers	Leviathan-class · Behemoth-class · Starcruiser · Hercules-class · Minotaur-class