"The Spear of Adun, a marvel of Khalai engineering and last of the three great arkships...each created to ensure the continuation of our culture in a dark time."
The Spear of Adun is an arkship, and was the flagship used by the Daelaam in the End War.[3] It was designed to preserve protoss society and culture in its time of great need, and be self sustaining for generations after a great calamity struck the protoss.[4]
The Spear of Adun is a large arkship, able to carry an entire protoss civilization. It is equipped to field armies of protoss warriors, and can even store fleets of carriers and motherships within its hangars. While ancient, its technology is still advanced by the current standards of the protoss.[5] Such is its level of firepower that it could singlehandedly wage a war by itself.[6]
The Spear of Adun was commissioned by the Conclave during the Golden Age of Expansion of the Protoss Empire, following the suggestion of the three Grand Preservers, Shantira, Orlana and Rohana after a tragedy involving the destruction of two motherships. This was done to ensure that the protoss would have the means to preserve their civilization in the event of said civilization being placed in jeopardy. However, the three preservers discovered that the creation of the Spear of Adun, as well as its sister ships Pride of Altaris and Memory of Nezin, were built too early and would be wasted against the first enemy the protoss fight, rather than be used as a tool to prevent the extinction of their civilization. The Grand Preservers presented this to the Conclave, and asked that the ships be buried for a time of great need. Rohana, as well as a large contingent of templar warriors were put into stasis aboard the Spear of Adun, and the ship was buried beneath Khor-shakal.[4] Though its two sister ships were destroyed in the zerg invasion of Aiur, the Spear of Adun survived.[8]
Recapturing Spear of Adun was one of HierarchArtanis's goals during his campaign to reclaim Aiur in 2506. He had hoped to raise it on the eve of their reclamation. However, after Amon corrupted the Khala and gained control of the Golden Armada, he and Phase-smithKarax were forced to take what protoss they rescued from the dark god and attempt to escape aboard the arkship. The Daelaam forces fought through hybrid, zerg and corrupted Khalai forces, but managed to reactivate the power generators infested with zerg creep and escape aboard the Spear of Adun.[9]
The following section contains timeline information which isn't necessarily in chronological order.
Upon the Daelaam's return to Shakuras, the Spear of Adun provided support for the Nerazim as they evacuated Talematros, bombarding the void thrashers that assailed the city's warp conduit and rescuing the Nerazim ships that escaped into orbit.[12] After the Nerazim were evacuated, the Spear of Adun provided support to Artanis as he overloaded the phase prism xel'naga temple. After the preparations were made and a sufficient number of zerg and hybrid were on the surface of Shakuras, the Spear of Adun warped away all forces from the temple grounds.[13] Artanis was the last to be warped away as he defended the inner sanctum of the temple.[14]
Glacius[]
The Daelaam took the Spear of Adun to retrieve the revived Purifier program from the Khalai Castefacility on Glacius. However, when they arrived there they found a Tal'darim fleet preparing to destroy the facility. The Spear of Adun provided support as the Daelaam navigated through the Tal'darim displacement beam and fought through their forces to the technology vault.[15]
Ulnar[]
When Karax discovered the location of the xel'naga resting place of Ulnar in the Altarian Rift, Artanis sent the Spear of Adun through. In spite of all scientific evidence suggesting the ship should be shredded into its base particles, the arkship made it through the rift and discovered the xel'naga temple there. The Spear of Adun supported the Daelaam as they fought Tal'darim and Moebius Corps forces to unlock the temple, but Artanis decided to go in alone, leaving Matriarch Vorazun in charge of the Spear.[16] Inside the temple, Artanis had no support from his arkship.[17]
After Amon sprung his trap against Artanis and Kerrigan inside Ulnar, First AscendantAlarak of the Tal'darim teleported aboard the Spear of Adun. Matriarch Vorazun fought him, but he insisted that he had come to help, and gave the location where Artanis was trapped. Vorazun did not trust him, but sent forces anyway. They found Artanis and Kerrigan fighting Amon's forces as a void portal spewed void energies. Reunited with his forces, Artanis used the Spear of Adun to support his assault on the void crystals powering the portal. The crystals were destroyed and the portal was shut down.[18]
Retaliation[]
After Ulnar, the Daelaam mustered their forces aboard the Spear of Adun. Artanis decided he needed to weaken Amon and bolster his forces before he could strike Amon's host form on Aiur.[19]
The following section contains timeline information which isn't necessarily in chronological order.
Slayn[]
Allying with Alarak, Artanis lead the Spear of Adun to the planet Slayn with the hopes of usurping Ma'lash as highlord. The arkship supported the Daelaam as their forces assaulted the Guardians of Ma'lash and fought off the Shadows of the Void that sieged them during the terrazine surges on the planet.[20] During the Rak'Shir between Alarak and Ma'lash, the Spear of Adun provided support for Alarak as he fought, aiding in his victory over Ma'lash and allowing Alarak to become the new Tal'darim highlord.[21]
Endion[]
When Artanis decided to reactivate the ancient Purifiers in Cybros, he guided the Spear of Adun to the moon of Endion. There the arkship helped guide the megalith to the stasis locks that chained Cybros.[22] When Cybros was brought out of stasis and Amon Brood assaulted the platform, the Spear of Adun landed Daelaam forces on the platform and helped them destroy the null circuits keeping the ancient Purifiers deactivated.[23]
Revanscar[]
Artanis brought the Spear of Adun to the Moebius Corps primary base in the asteroid field in Revanscar. While the asteroid field was too packed for the arkship to navigate, Phasesmith Karax planned to launch a small fleet of carriers to assault the facility. However, when the Spear of Adun arrived at the facility it was ambushed by Moebius Corps battlecruisers, and boarded by hybrid. Artanis and his forces lead the defense of the arkship while Karax commanded the assault on the base. Though the Spear of Adun was under attack, it still provided support functions to Karax's fleet. Karax was successful in destroying the power cores surrounding Revanscar, allowing the Spear of Adun to bombard the base, destroying it and ending Moebius Corps and their hybrid breeding operations.[24]
Return to Aiur[]
With the Tal'darim Death Fleet and Purifier forces behind it, the Spear of Adun moved on Aiur and Amon's host therein. It engaged the zerg broods in orbit[25] while the Daelaam leaders assaulted the psionic matrix in order to prevent Amon from instantly warping the Golden Armada to the planet, and after Artanis destroyed the last khaydarin crystal powering the matrix warped out all forces.[26] The Daelaam then began to assault Amon's host body, and the Spear of Adun assisted in destroying the void shards shielding Amon's host form. After the crystals were destroyed, Amon's host awakened and began attacking the Daelaam position. The Spear of Adun combined orbital fire with the rest of the Daelaam fleet and destroyed Amon's hybrid host body.[27]
With Amon's host defeated all that remained was to use the Keystone to pull Amon from the Khala. The Spear of Adun supported the defense of the artifact while Amon send his zerg broods against the united Daelaam forces. However, soon the corrupted Golden Armada arrived, and began attacking the Spear of Adun. Grand Preserver Rohana brought the arkship about to defend itself, but it began to take heavy fire from the armada. Though it tried to support Artanis's forces, the Golden Armada began to damage the support systems of the ship, gradually weakening its effectiveness in the battle below. It did buy enough time for the Keystone to activate, pulling Amon from the Khala and casting him into the Void.[28] Though the Spear of Adun took critical damage, it remained intact, and was brought back to combat readiness.[19]
Into the Void[]
After the battle on Aiur, the Spear of Adun continued to remain in service. The ship received a communique from Kerrigan, requesting a meeting at Ulnar. Through the structure, the Spear of Adun joined a combined fleet of Dominion and Swarm forces that entered the Void to confront Amon, defeating him once and for all.[29]
Pride of Aiur[]
Years after the End War, the Spear of Adun continued to be utilized by Artanis, and he was seen making command decisions from its bridge. In the aftermath of the Battle of Adena, Artanis deliberated on its ramifications on the arkship.[30]
The bridge is the helm of the ship. It contains the celestial array, which allows for a protoss commander to have a detailed overview of known space.[31]
The solar core is the heart of the Spear of Adun, and is a miniature synthetic and contained star powered by solarite. Through it, power is allocated to the various weapons and support systems of the Spear of Adun, with more solarite allowing for more energy to be allocated.[32] The solar core provided nutrients for the protoss on board the arkship.[19]
Starforge[]
A starforge is located in the ship's lower decks. It is capable of constructing weapons of war.[5] The star forge provides warp technology for surface production facilities, enables direct orbital gas extraction, and can upgrade any base nexus by adding critical defensive functionality.[19]
The war council allows for the allocation of Daelaam troops, and is where Hierarch Artanis dictates what forces from which faction will be deployed. Grand Preserver Rohana serves as an adviser and will inform Artanis when new troop choices are available.[33] The room also serves as a meeting area for the commanders aboard the arkship.[19]
Fabrication Matrix[]
The fabrication matrix is an advanced facility that can warp down a pylon to a surface location, warp in a handful of troop reinforcements or provide a quick but powerful boost to the production speed of a protoss structure.[1]
Assault Cluster[]
The assault cluster is the ship installation that controls the arkship's offensive armaments. These include massive orbital strike cannons that can decimate entire areas below, a series of timed detonations that can stun ground targets and disrupt enemy structures, and a solar lance battery that can strafe a target area.[1]
Force Support[]
The force support is a set of support functions for surface troops. It includes functionality for healing and structural repair, a temporary "guardian shield" boost that raises troop shields to near impenetrable levels, and enhanced power fields that can pump psionic energy through the base's pylon network to bolster nearby allies.[1] During the End War, it also provided the ability to warp down the PurifierTalandar to the field of battle for a short duration.[28]
Annihilation Cluster[]
The annihilation cluster is a set of combat abilities that can direct a purifier beam to eviscerate single targets, unleash a strafing fusillade over a target area, or tap into the warp drive to create a time stasis on the battlefield, briefly freezing enemies.[1]
The Spear of Adun has the ability to fire a suppression pulse, can blind hostile forces in a large, circular area.[34]
Game Unit[]
"With the touch of a button, you can command that arkship to destroy an entire enemy army. And you’re gonna need that fire power, ’cause the threat of the Xel’Naga is very real."
The ship's abilities can be used as calldowns from an overhead menu after "The Spear of Adun" is completed. The solar core can be used to activate and change abilities between missions.
Co-op Missions[]
The Spear of Adun is accessible to Vorazun, Karax, and Artanis in Co-op Missions, allowing them to use various abilities in relation to it.[35] Karax is able to use the solar forge to upgrade the Spear's abilities.
Artanis[]
Initial/maximum energy: 0/200 Energy regen/minute: 16 Mastery: +3/3 per Mastery point (up to a maximum 90/290)
Abilities[]
Project Power Field
Project a pylon power field onto the target location (starts with power field on initial base). Using this ability again will move the power field to a new location. Your ally may also use this field.
Speed Increase for Warped units Mastery: All combat units, after warped on energy fields (from both Pylons and Project Power Field ability), gain +2% to movement speed, attack speed, cooldown reduction and energy regeneration per each mastery point for 30 seconds.
Nexus Legate: Upon use, Project Power Field warps out any of your combat units standing in an existing Power Field projection into the new location. Project Power Field has no cooldown, but costs 25 energy.
Usage
Cost
25 (with Nexus Legate)
Cooldown
30 0 (with Nexus Legate)
Notes
Mastery: +2% per Speed Increase for Warped units mastery point. Up to a maximum +60%
Fires five lasers onto the battlefield from orbit, each of them dealing 50 (100 vs Armored) area damage. A HUD is super-imposed over the user interface when selecting points of impact.
Arkship Commandant: Increases the Orbital Strike cost by 100%. Orbital Strikes warp in Unbound fanatics, which throw off damaging energy and lasts 15 seconds.
Allows friendly units and structures to absorb up to 100 damage. Lasts for 20 seconds.
Shield Overcharge: Increases the Shield Overcharge' absorbs damage from 100 to 200.
Arkship Commandant: Reduces the Shield Overcharge cost and cooldown by 50%. Shield Overcharge is now required to target a location and applies to all units and structures within 8 range of selected area.
Usage
Cost
50 25 (with Arkship Commandant)
Duration
20 Mastery: +0.6 per Shield Overcharge Duration and Damage Absorption mastery point. Up to a maximum 38
Cooldown
180 90 (with Arkship Commandant)
Notes
Mastery: +6 absorbs damage per Shield Overcharge Duration and Damage Absorption mastery point. Up to a maximum 380 absorbs damage
Upon taking fatal damage, friendly units become invulnerable for 5 seconds and cannot be destroyed. Restore 15% life and shields. The same unit cannot be shielded again for 240 seconds.
Arkship Commandant: Guardian Shell is unavailable.
Usage
Passive
Duration
5
Cooldown
240
Notes
Mastery: +0.5% life and shield regeneration per Guardian Shell health and shield heal mastery point. Up to a maximum 30% life and shield regeneration
Deploys 2 elite Dark Templar at the target location that last for 60 seconds.
Shadow Legion: increases the number of deployed Shadow Guards from 2 to 4.
Keeper of Shadows: Reduces Shadow Guard duration by 40%. Shadow Guards can be revived at the target location from Time Stop.
Usage
Cost
50
Duration
60 (36 with Keeper of Shadows) Mastery: +2 (+1.2 with Keeper of Shadows) per Shadow Guard Duration mastery point. Up to a maximum 120 (72 with Keeper of Shadows)
Alters space-time, freezing all enemies in place for 20 seconds. Unlimited range.
Chronomancy: Reduces the cooldown of time stop by 60 seconds, down to 240 seconds.
Time Stop Unit Speed Increase Mastery: All friendly units gain +1% to movement speed, attack speed, cooldown reduction and energy regeneration per each mastery point, while Time Stop is active.
Keeper of Shadows: Time Stop now additionally revives dead or despawned Shadow Guards at the targeted location.
Usage
Duration
20
Cooldown
300 240 (with Chronomancy)
Notes
Mastery: +1% per Time Stop Unit Speed Increase mastery point. Up to a maximum +30%
When friendly cloaked or burrowed unit takes fatal damage, it returns to the primary structure. This effect cannot occur more than once every 240 seconds.
Spirit of Respite: Emergency Recall recalls cloaked or burrowed units to the closest Nexus or Dark Pylon instead of the primary structure and heals life and shields to full.
Strafes the target area with 3 laser beams dealing 200 damage with each beam. A HUD is super-imposed over the user interface when selecting travels of impact.
Solarite Celestial: Reduces the Solar Lance cost by 40% and it's cooldown by 50%.
Fires a beam that deals 750 (1500 vs Armored) damage (within a radius 3) over 15 seconds. The beam will auto-acquire targets with a speed 1.5 if not manually controlled. A HUD is super-imposed over the user interface when selecting point of impact.
Purifier Protocol: Increases the Purifier Beam's movement speed from 1.5 to 4.5 and deals 1000 (2000 vs Armored) damage (within a radius 3) over 20 seconds.
Solarite Celestial: Reduces the Purifier Beam cooldown by 50%.
The Spear of Adun automatically repairs up to three allied mechanical units and structures at a time. Restores 5 hit points per second on units and 10 hit points per second on structures.
Architect of War: Reconstruction Beam only repairs allied mechanical structures, but restores 20 hit points per second and repairs up to six targets.
Usage
Passive
Notes
Mastery: +0.15 (+0 with Architect of War) restored hp on unit and +0.3 (+0.6 with Architect of War) restored hp on structure per Reconstruction Beam Regen Speed mastery point. Up to a maximum 9.5 (0 with Architect of War) restored hp on unit and 19 (38 with Architect of War) restored hp on structure
Increases the Purifier Beam's movement speed by 200% and its duration by 5 seconds, for a total of 20 seconds. Activate Purifier Beam from the top panel.
The solar forge automatically generates additional energy for the Spear of Adun. Level 1: 1 energy every 6 seconds Level 2: 3 energy every 6 seconds Level 3: 6 energy every 6 seconds
For the CraftWars event, a draenei-themed Spear of Adun appeared in artwork.[36]
Notes[]
When designing the ship, Blizzard went for something that was "very high concept, and very protoss." However, due to its long history, the design had to incorporate archaic designs that would blend in with modern protoss ones.[37] Thematically it represents the idea of the protoss clinging to the past, standing as a contrast to what their civilization is now, as opposed to what it once was.[38]
As part of its 2015 April Fool's event, Blizzard advertised a Spear of Adun replica (estimated completion date 2315), and one to scale.[7] This included a link to its merchandise page with a special price of $9,999,998.00 (a whole $1 discount).[41]
A Spear of Adunportrait is available to players who attended BlizzCon 2015 or purchased a virtual ticket for the event.[42]
The Spear of Adun is 224 times the size of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.[2] Through the comparison, its length, width, and height can be roughly ascertained.
A Spear of Adun shirt outlining the schematics of the arkship was available on the Battle.net store, but has since been discounted.[43]
References[]
↑ 1.01.11.21.31.41.5Barba, Rick. StarCraft Field Manual (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "SC:FManual" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 34.034.1Blizzard Entertainment. Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard Entertainment) (in English). June 2, 2015. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "HeroesoftheStorm" defined multiple times with different content
↑2015-10-08, LotV Data Hidden in Patch, accessed via map editor. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2015-10-08