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"Liberation is at hand."

- Liberator(src)

The liberator is a terran air unit introduced in StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

Overview[]

Liberator Scavengers Comic1

A Dominion liberator

The liberator was developed to ensure terran air superiority on the battlefield and was based on the designs of the United Earth Directorate valkyrie. Initially designed only for air combat, questions of its versatility led to the introduction of transformation technology and a powerful air-to-ground plasma cannon.[1] An aerial counterpart to the siege tank, the liberator is a versatile[2] medium-sized gunship, armed with twin missile launchers to strike at clusters of aerial threats and can also deploy an anti-ground cannon after transforming into a stationary air platform. This cannon is strong enough to pierce even the armor of the thor.[3] Dominion liberators have a standardized design, and thus can be piloted by anyone familiar with piloting other Dominion spacecraft.[4] The ships are outfitted with multiple escape pods.[5] Liberators of the Covert Ops Crew were equipped with the ability to cloak.[6]

Liberator SC2-LotV Game1

An Umojan liberator

The Dominion Special Forces used advanced neosteel research to improve their liberators, giving them a more complex plating system that augmented their transformation process. These liberators are the pride of the Dominion Fleet. Some mercenaries were able to acquire liberators, though they were a rare commodity. Similarly, the Umojan Protectorate was able to develop its own version of the liberator only a few years after it was first deployed. Its wholly reimagined rear thrusters became the envy of the Dominion engineering team behind the original design.

Liberators were utilized by planetary militias such as the Knights of Tyrador, who equipped the craft with numerous forward-facing floodlights to increase visibility of the Tyrador IX's wilderness.[7]

AlliedCommanders SC2-LotV Art1
This article or section contains information derived from Co-op Missions, and should not be considered part of the official StarCraft storyline.

Alexei Stukov deployed infested liberators against Amon during the End War. Nova also deployed raid liberators against Amon's minions.[8]

Game Unit[]

The liberator is introduced in Legacy of the Void. The liberator attacks in two mutually exclusive combat modes, switching from one to another and back is not instant (roughly 1 second). Each liberator in the selection is ordered to target an area (liberation zone) independently. Ordering them back to anti-air mode affects all selected liberators. Liberators cannot attack buildings.

Anti-air mode

In anti-air mode, the craft is mobile, and can only deliver multi-targeting anti-air splash attacks. These anti-air splash attacks are useful against massed air units like Vikings, phoenixes and mutalisks. They are not effective against void rays, corruptors and battlecruisers.

Anti-surface mode

In anti-ground mode, a 5(8) diameter circle area on the ground is selected (not directly beneath the craft, but anywhere within 5(8) range); once an area is selected, the liberator is immobile and can only attack units within that circle, dealing very high single-target damage (enough to kill most ground targets in 1-3 shots). The circle can only be re-positioned by switching back to anti-air mode, and then again to anti-ground. It receives vision of the targeted location.

Versus[]

Upgrades and Abilities[]

AdvancedBalistics LotV Game1
Advanced Ballistics

Upgrades the range of the Liberator's anti-ground attack to 12

Acquisition
Purchased from Fusion core
Hotkey N
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 79seconds
ve
  • +1 damage for banshees and battlecruisers
  • +1 air damage,+1 base ground damage and +1 bonus damage for vikings
  • +1 air damage,+5 ground damage for liberators
Acquisition
Purchased from Armory
Hotkey S
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
ve
SC2 TerrVehArm
Terran Vehicle and Ship Plating

Increases the armor of terran vehicles and spacecraft.

Acquisition
Purchased from Armory
Hotkey V
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
ve
DefenderMode LotV Game1
Defender Mode

Deploys into Defender mode. In this mode, liberators have a long-ranged narrow attack that can inflict high single target damage. Bonus vision is gained in this mode. Liberators cannot move in this mode.

This attack only targets units, not buildings.[9]

Usage
Hotkey E
Duration 2.88 seconds
ve
FighterMode LotVGame 1
Fighter Mode

Reverts to Fighter Mode. In this mode, Liberators can move, but they can only target air units.

Usage
Hotkey D
Duration 1.46 seconds
ve

Campaign[]

Although liberators don't actually appear in the Legacy of the Void single-player campaign, Amon's void shades can take the forms of liberators.

Co-op Missions[]

In Co-op Missions, liberators can be utilized by Amon's Forces in some missions. Raid liberators are available to Nova, while infested liberators are available for Stukov.

Nova Covert Ops[]

In Nova Covert Ops, the player gains the ability to construct liberators in the mission "Night Terrors." These liberators can attack structures and do bonus damage to armored units in defender mode.

Upgrades and Abilities[]

SC2BansheeCloak
Cloak

The liberator gains an energy bar and is able to cloak.

Usage
Hotkey C (cloak), D (decloak)
Cost 25 (+0.9 per second) Energy
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Complete "Trouble in Paradise"
ve

Equipped mechanical unit regenerates 10 HP a second when out of combat.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Destroy all zerg hatcheries in "Trouble in Paradise."
ve
TransformationServos SC2-HotS Icon
Smart Servos

Greatly reduces transformation time for equipped unit when switching combat modes.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Complete "Trouble in Paradise"
ve
OptimizedLogistics SC2NCO1
Optimized Logistics

Significantly reduces the time required to train the unit.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Obtain the special weaponry in "In the Enemy's Shadow."
ve

Quotations[]

See: StarCraft II Liberator Quotations

Development[]

The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void which is no longer valid.

The liberator's AG mode originally required a tech lab attached to a starport.[10]

Originally, when in defensive mode, the liberator gained a flat buff to its vision. This was changed to selective vision in order to make it easier for enemies to sneak around its vision and/or attack from alternate angles.[11]

Known Liberator Commanders[]

Known Variants[]

Liberator SC2-LotV Rend1

A mercenary liberator

Trivia[]

Videos[]

Images[]

Skins
Portraits

References[]

  1. StarCraft II Units: Liberator, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2016-05-17
  2. 2015-09-13, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Launches Nov 10, 2015. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-09-15
  3. Legacy of the Void: Units, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2015-08-31
  4. Houser, Jody (w), Guzmán,Gabriel (p, i). "StarCraft: Scavengers: Issue 3" StarCraft: Scavengers 3 (7) (September 26, 2018) Dark Horse Comics.
  5. Houser, Jody (w), Guzmán,Gabriel (p, i). "StarCraft: Scavengers: Issue 4" StarCraft: Scavengers 4 (7) (October 31st, 2018) Dark Horse Comics.
  6. Valerie Watrous (w), Carlos Rodríguez (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (February 14th, 2018). StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 12. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Shadow Wars: Part 12 Accessed 2019-02-14.
  7. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. Collections Tab: Skins. July 19, 2017.
  8. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Co-op Missions, (in English). 2015-11-17.
  9. Blizzard Entertainment. 2015-05-27. Introducing the Liberator. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2015-05-27.
  10. Simca. 2015-05-23. Liberator Pictures (SC2: LotV Alpha). Imgur. Accessed 2015-05-24.
  11. 2017-08-17, StarCraft II Multiplayer - Major Design Changes. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2017-08-20.
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