Detector

This article describes the unit type. For information on the device, see here.

A detector is a building or unit that is able to detect and thus unmask cloaked or burrowed units. Detectors can be stationary (buildings) or mobile (units). Once a detector uncovers a cloaked unit, any friendly unit can fire on it. This capability is especially critical when faced with a ghost targeting a nuclear missile or an arbiter or mothership providing cover for a number of units. Detector units trapped in Lockdown or hit by Optical Flares will lose their ability to detect.

Ravens can detect cloaked foes.

StarCraft

Detectors include:

Protoss

• Observer
• Photon cannon

Terran

• Scanner Sweep (ComSat station ability)
• Missile turret
• Science vessel
• Spider mines can sense and attack cloaked ground units. Mines do not reveal cloaked units, however.

Zerg

• Overlord
• Spore colony

Special Abilities

Ensnare, Maelstrom, Plague, Stasis field and Lockdown will reveal cloaked protoss and terran units caught in their areas of effect for the ability's duration. Burrowed zerg units are unaffected by these abilities except Stasis Field while burrowed, but if hit by these abilities while above ground, they will be revealed if they burrow. Irradiate reveals all cloaked units it affects and also affects burrowed zerg units. EMP Shockwave will not affect protoss cloaked units or zerg burrowed units, but terran ghosts and Wraiths will be affected and lose all their energy, causing them to immediately decloak.

Non-Buildable Detectors

These detectors can not be built/transformed/warped by any worker unit.

Terran

• Traps

Zerg

• Cerebrates
• Overmind
• Second Overmind

StarCraft II

In StarCraft II detectors can detect hallucinations.

Detectors include:

Protoss

• Mothership (Trouble in Paradise) (Nova Covert Ops only)
• Observer
• Oracle (Envision Ability)(Co-op missions mode)
• Photon cannon
• Purifier (Safe Haven on Level Brutal)
• Zeratul (Legacy of the Void only)
• Havoc (Co-op missions mode)

Terran

• Eradicator (Nova Covert Ops only)
• Ghost (Nova Covert Ops only)
• Gun turret
• Missile turret
• Raven
• Science vessel
• Nova Terra (Nova Covert Ops and Co-op missions mode)

Zerg

• Blightbringer
• Impaler colony
• Infested missile turret
• Sarah Kerrigan (Wings of Liberty only)
• Leviathan
• Overseer
• Spore cannon
• Spore crawler

Other

• Hybrid behemoth
• Hybrid dominator
• Maar

Abilities

• Scanner Sweep (orbital command ability)
• EMP Shot (ghost ability) will reveal cloaked units for a short time
• Fungal Growth (infestor ability)
• Envision (Oracle ability)

Achievements

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colspan=2 class="infobox2title" style="background: 0000FF; color:white;"| I See Dead Units
Points	10
Criteria	Destroy 10 cloaked or burrowed units in a single Melee game.