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"These guys are immensely capable, and a rare sight to behold indeed!"

- Radio Liberty on the core.(src)

MothershipCore SC2-HotS Art1

A mothership core

The mothership core is a protoss unit built from the nexus. It provides support abilities and only one core can be built per player.

It was removed from multiplayer in Patch 4.0.

Overview

MothershipCore SC2 Art1

A mothership core

While an invaluable part of the protoss arsenal, motherships are costly and time-consuming to produce. As a result, the protoss have begun constructing them in two stages, with the mothership core being the first step. The core itself is used as a defensive and support weapon until a mothership can be completed.[1] They share a strong psionic link with the khaydarin crystals located in every nexus.[2] The core is also equipped with a barrier that, when it is surrounded by the mothership's hull, is used to keep the crew on the rest of the ship safe from the powerful energies it generates.[3]

It is rare to see mothership cores on the battlefield.[4]

Abilities

Mothership cores are equipped with a repulsor cannon, which draws its energy from the khaydarin crystal located at the heart of the core. It fires a blast of semi-solid psionic energy (too dense for aerial combat) that causes damage by delivering kinetic and thermal energy. Each shot pierces matter violently, leaving a misty cloud of psionic fire in its wake. Additionally, the core can channel psionic power into the khaydarin crystal located within a nexus, turning it into a deadly weapon. In this state, the supercharged matrix fires psionically imbued photon bolts that can tear through enemy scouts and light raiding parties, as well as deter larger attack groups until reinforcements can be warped in.

The core can bend space-time to create a field where the present dilates and stretches endlessly. The unpredictable energy flux within this field bears down heavily on anything that crosses it. Enemy forces caught in this time warp are slowed to a crawl, allowing protoss forces to dispatch them with ease. They can also use a nexus's khaydarin crystals as a warp beacon—releasing a large amount of energy, a mothership core can unravel the weave of space-time, teleporting groups of warriors to any nexus point in the vicinity (this is a form of recall).[2]

Game Unit

The Mothership Core was removed from multiplayer in Patch 4.0.

Heart of the Swarm

The mothership core is available to players very early in the game and it is highly recommended that they build one in this stage.[5]

The mothership core is ill-suited for late-game, due to its fragility.[6]

Its unit portrait is the same as that of the standard mothership. It likewise speaks with a female voice.

Upgrades and Abilities
Acquisition
Purchased from Cybernetics core
Hotkey E
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 129seconds
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 154seconds
Required Fleet beacon
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 179seconds
Required Fleet beacon
ve

Increases protoss air unit armor.

Acquisition
Purchased from Cybernetics Core
Hotkey A
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 129seconds
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 154seconds
Required Fleet beacon
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 179seconds
Required Fleet beacon
ve
  • +1 armor to shields per level.
Acquisition
Purchased from Forge
Hotkey S
Level 1
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 121.6seconds
Level 2
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 144.6seconds
Required Twilight council
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 167.9seconds
Required Twilight council
ve
PhotonOvercharge SC2 Icon1
Photon Overcharge

In Heart of the Swarm, the mothership core uses this ability on a nexus, which gains a photon cannon-like weapon. The weapon has range 13, targets air and ground and deals 20 damage. The weapon lasts 60 seconds and has its own cooldown of 1.25.

In Legacy of the Void, this ability is cast on pylons, dealing 30 damage[7] with a cooldown of .71 seconds.[8]

Usage
Hotkey F
Cost 100 (HotS)/50 (LotV)[8] Energy
Range 10 (HotS)[9]/7 (LotV)[7]
Duration 60 (HotS)/14 (LotV)[8] seconds
Cooldown 20 seconds
ve
MSCMassRecall LotV Game1
Mass Recall

Teleports all units in an area 7[9] from a mothership core or mothership to a nexus. The ability is cast through a simple button click on a nexus.

Usage
Hotkey R
Cost 100 (HotS)/50 (LotV[10] Energy 2 seconds
ve
Mothership SC2 Icon1
Transform Mothership Core to Mothership

The mothership core turns into a mothership, costing 6 supply.

Usage
Hotkey U
Cost 300 Minerals 300 Vespene gas 71 seconds
ve
TimeWarp SC2 Icon
Time Warp

The mothership core creates a temporal field that slows all ground units’ movement speed within a 3.5 radius by 50%. This ability has a range of 9[11] In Legacy of the Void, its radius is increased to 8, growing over time, and not slowing units until it reaches maximum size.[12]

Usage
Cost 100[13] Energy
Duration 10[14] seconds
ve

Development

Images

References

  1. Blizzard Entertainment. 2012-12-20. Mothership Core. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2012-12-21.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2014-11-20, Mothership Core Science. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-11-26
  3. 2015-04-30, Mothership Science. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2015-05-01
  4. 2014-11-20, Robotics Analysis and the Heart of a Mothership. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-11-21
  5. 2012-06-08, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - Battle Report (Protoss vs Zerg). Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2012-06-21
  6. 2015-05-11, Legacy of the Void Beta: Balance Update Preview - May 11. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2015-05-21
  7. 7.0 7.1 2015-09-03, Legacy of the Void Beta Balance Update -- September 3, 2015. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2015-09-06
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 2016-01-29, Legacy of the Void Balance Update -- January 29, 2016. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2016-01-30
  9. 9.0 9.1 Aldrexus. 2012-09-28. Balance Update #4 (9/28/2012). Heart of the Swarm Beta Discussion. Accessed 2012-09-30.
  10. 2015-05-14, Legacy of the Void Beta Balance Update -- May 14, 2015. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2015-05-20
  11. Aldrexus. 2012-10-26. Balance Update #7 (10/26/2012). Heart of the Swarm Beta Discussion. Accessed 2012-10-26.
  12. 2015-03-31, StarCraft II Legacy of the Void Beta Release Patch Notes. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2015-04-03
  13. Blizzard Entertainment. 2014-02-04. Heart of the Swarm Balance Update -- February 4, 2014. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2014-02-06.
  14. Blizzard Entertainment. 2014-07-25. Heart of the Swarm Balance Update -- July 25, 2014. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2014-07-26.
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