The firebat is a type of terran infantry specialized for close-quarters combat.

OverviewEdit

Firebats are "armored assault troopers".^[1] Firebats are often attached to provide support for marine squads.^[2] They are typically armed with dual arm-mounted flame throwers and wear heat-resistant fireproof armor similar to those used by marines, although heavier.^[1]

During the Guild Wars, a few firebats wore experimental CMC-230 XF armor, equipped with jet-packs. The armor had reliability issues, however, and so was quickly phased out.^[3]

During the Great War, Confederate firebats were equipped with wrist mounted Perdition flamethrowers and CMC-660 combat suits.^[1] The vulnerable flame tanks are protected by containment fields.^[2] United Earth Directorate firebats were armed with the C-140 "Epyon" Plasma Incinerator Cannon.^[4]

As with marines, many firebats are recruited or conscripted from "culturally challenged" persons. Such individuals undergo "neural resocialization" and receive aggression inhibitor implants as part of their training.^[1] Firebats are almost exclusively composed of resocialized criminals and psychotic pyromaniacs.^[5] Still, volunteers are not unheard of: in the Confederate Marine Corps, an individual had to have a PEB (Preferred Experience Base) of at least three months combat experience to become a firebat.^[6]

Game UnitEdit

StarCraftEdit

Firebat
Unit
Race	Terran
Role	Armored Assault Trooper
Armament	Perdition flamethrower (most common)
Protection	CMC-660 (most common)
Properties
Size	Small
Sight range	7
Production
Minerals	50
Gas	25
Supply	1
Build time	24
Produced from	Barracks
Requires	Academy
Hotkey	F
Protection
Hit points	50
Armor	1
Combat
Ground attack	8 (x2 attacks)
Cooldown	22 (11 with Stimpack)
Attack range	2

The firebat's attack is optimized against groups of small-sized units, as it deals concussive splash damage. Firebats are most useful in the early game, as all of the base units for the three races are small. Supported by medics, firebats can stand up to zealots despite the large difference in health between them. With stims and medics, firebats can easily defeat swarms of zerglings.

The firebat's attack is ranged, but it still works under the defiler's Dark Swarm. The attack also deals full damage against protoss shields, regardless of the size of the unit.

AbilitiesEdit

StimPack
Acquisition Minerals 100 Gas 100 Research time 80 Researched at Academy Hotkey T	Usage Hit points 10 Hotkey T
Notes
Marines and firebats double their rate of fire and increase their movement rate for a limited period of time.

UpgradesEdit

Infantry Weapons
Researched at	Engineering bay
Hotkey	W
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 175 250 Gas 100 175 250 Research time 266 298 330 Required Science facility
Notes
+1 bonus per attack per level for ghosts, and marines. +2 bonus per attack per level for firebats.

Infantry Armor
Researched at	Engineering bay
Hotkey	A
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 175 250 Gas 100 175 250 Research time 266 298 330 Required Science facility
Notes
+1 upgrade to armor per level for SCVs, marines, firebats, ghosts, and medics.

QuotationsEdit

See: StarCraft Firebat Quotations

DevelopmentEdit

Firebats could set doodads (like trees) on fire.^[7]

StarCraft: GhostEdit

	This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost, which has been declared non-canon. Elements may be taken as 'flavor lore' however. The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

In StarCraft: Ghost multiplayer, the firebat was equipped with flamethrowers.^[8] In addition, it launched laser-guided or manually guided napalm rockets. The rockets had greater range than the flamethrowers.^[8][9]

Firebats moved quite slowly, being outpaced by light infantry and marines.^[10]

In the Invasion Mode, a firebat cost three points.^[10]

StarCraft IIEdit

Firebat
Unit
Race	Terran
Campaign	Wings of Liberty
Role	Specialized anti-infantry attacker
Armament	Perdition flamethrower
Protection	CMC-660
Properties
Transport slots	2
Sight range	9
Production
Minerals	100
Gas	25
Supply	2
Build time	30
Produced from	Barracks
Requires	Tech lab/Tech reactor (attached)
Hotkey	F
Protection
Hit points	100
Armor	1
Type	Biological Ground
Armor type	Armored
Perdition flamethrower
Damage	8 (+4 vs light)
Targets	Ground
Cooldown	1.4
Range	2
Upgrade/level	+2/+1

The firebat is available in the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty campaign. It is unlocked by playing the mission "The Evacuation", available after Rory Swann was able to procure them for Raynor's Raiders.^[11] The marauder replaced the firebat in multiplayer, because the firebat is effectively an alternative to the hellion.^[12]

When compared to the hellion, the firebat is tougher when given Juggernaut Plating (especially against zerglings and zealots), has a faster rate of fire, can load into bunkers, and can be paired with medics or medivac dropships, making it better defensively and giving it more staying power. The hellion, however, is far faster, has more range and deals more damage per shot (against light units), making it more powerful offensively. The two also have different armor properties, giving them different counters. Overall, the firebat is considered to be more useful than the hellion in the campaign due to its medic/medivac pairings, along with the campaign being a setting where speed is less critical.^[13]

Firebats are strong against marines, reapers, zerglings, banelings, infested terrans, and zealots. They are weak against marauders, siege tanks, diamondbacks, stalkers, immortals, archons, roaches, and ultralisks.

UpgradesEdit

Infantry Weapons
Researched at	Engineering bay
Hotkey	E
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 175 250 Gas 100 175 250 Research time 160 190 220 Required Armory Armory
Notes
+1 base damage for marines. +1 base damage and +1 bonus damage for marauders, ghosts, and spectres. +1 pistol base damage and +4 D-8 charge base damage for reapers.
Edit

Infantry Armor
Researched at	Engineering bay
Hotkey	A
Properties
Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100 175 250 Gas 100 175 250 Research time 160 190 220 Required Armory Armory
Notes
+1 to armor for SCVs, marines, firebats. marauders, medics, reapers, spectres, and ghosts.
Edit

Wings of LibertyEdit

Incinerator Gauntlets Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost $40,000 Researched at Hyperion armory Notes The firebat's attack area increases by +40%. The upgraded gauntlet channels the flamer's fuel through multiple ports rather than the single port of the previous generation, resulting in a much wider flame without any loss of intensity, allowing firebats to hold enemies at bay with a literal wall of fire.[14] Incinerator Gauntlets was previously known as Bearclaw Nozzles.[15] Edit

Juggernaut Plating Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost $85,000 Researched at Hyperion armory Notes Firebats gain +2 armor as the suits protect weak points and thickens the helmet and chest pieces.[14] Edit

Ultra Capacitors Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost 5 protoss research points Researched at Hyperion laboratory Notes Attack upgrades at the armory and engineering bay improved cooldown by 5% per level. Self-replicating ultra capacitors reduce the reload time of weapons and systems.[16] Edit

Vanadium Plating Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost 5 protoss research points Researched at Hyperion laboratory Notes Armor upgrades at the armory and engineering bay increase health by 5% per level. Vanadium better disperses weapon impacts than standard armor.[16] Edit

QuotationsEdit

See: StarCraft II Firebat Quotations

DevelopmentEdit

The firebat was set to return in StarCraft II, but was canceled during development.^[17] They have been replaced in the most recent build by the marauder.^[18] It was found that their role overlapped with hellions.^[12]

Firebats were produced from a factory, as they had bigger, more powerful suits that gave them a greater ability to withstand enemy fire,^[19] which granted them more hit points.^[20] They could still fit into bunkers^[21] and could be healed by medics.^[22]

Firebats once had a "Bearclaw Nozzle" upgrade,^[23] later renamed Incinerator Gauntlets.

ImagesEdit

The firebat's portrait.

Add a photo to this galleryAdd a photo to this gallery

Specialist FirebatsEdit

• Cerberus Firebats
• Devil Dogs
• Squad Leaders
• UED pyrotechnic engineers

Known FirebatsEdit

Main article: Terran firebats

• Lieutenant Jack Frost
• First Sergeant Gui Montag
• Sergeant Bud Morris
• Private First Class Fetu Koura-Abi
• Private Ekart
• Private Hank Harnack
• Private Eugene Malik
• Private Harper Utley
• Private Wabowski
• Billy Bob
• Trevor Jacobs
• Franko Tildon
• Jimmy

NotesEdit

• A 7" firebat action figure was released in 1998.^[24][25]

• The firebat's portrait in StarCraft II is a mix of StarCraft firebat portrait with StarCraft II marauder portraits.

• Space fel orcs, which resemble terran firebats, appeared in the map editor of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne as well as the final cinematic (the latter only on difficult mode).

ReferencesEdit