Phoenix

From StarCraft Wiki

	This article or section contains information about a StarCraft II unit or structure.
	The content may be significantly out of date as StarCraft II experiences a new build weekly and may change substantially as more information becomes available. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

"We are the wings of justice!"

―Protoss Phoenix pilot^src

Phoenix
Unit
Race	Protoss
Role	Air Superiority Fighter
Properties
Hit points	120[1][2]
Shields	60[1][2]
Type	Air, mechanical.[1]
Armor type	Light[1]
Production
Minerals	125[3][1]
Gas	75[3][1]
Psi	2[1][4]
Build time	45[1][4]
Produced at	Stargate[1][5]
Hot key	P[1]
Combat
Air attack	6 (x2)[1]
Attack range	4[1]
Unit speed	Fast[1]

The Phoenix is a protoss air unit to be featured in StarCraft II.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Game Unit 2.1 Abilities 2.2 Upgrades 2.3 Strategies 3 Development 4 Quotes 5 Notes 6 References

[edit] Overview

The Phoenix is a deadly spacecraft that is rapidly replacing the older Scouts and Corsairs in the role of fighter for the protoss. Phoenix patrols are a common sight on the outer rim of protoss territory, where they sweep deep space for alien threats. The twin ion blaster armament of a Phoenix is highly suited to air-to-air combat.^[6]

[edit] Game Unit

The Phoenix is very good at destroying air units such as mutalisks. It is also an effective counter unit for Vikings^[7] and powerful building-destroying air units such as the Banshee and the void ray.^[8] However, it is weak against strongly-armored units such as the battlecruiser.^[9]

When grouped with void rays, the two ships complement each others' weaknesses and become a formidable fleet, with void rays firing at heavily-armored targets with Phoenixes firing at poorly-armored targets.

[edit] Abilities

Graviton Beam[10]
Usage Energy 50,[11] then 4/second[12][3]
Notes
Anti-Gravity can lift enemy units into the air.[13] Such units lose their ability to attack.[14] When the phoenix uses this ability, it is rendered unpowered.[15] A phoenix lifting a unit off the ground cannot attack. Other units must attack the target.[12] The Anti-Gravity ability is very useful in taking key enemy units out of commission.[16][17] It cannot target massive units.[16] Burrowed zerg units will be unburrowed by the ability, and will reburrow when they fall back to the ground.[18] Anti-Gravity can be used on allied units as well as on the enemy.[19] As of March 2009 Anti-Gravity no longer affects buildings.[20]
Edit

[edit] Upgrades

Air Weapons Researched at Cybernetics Core[21] Hotkey E[21] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100[21] 150[21] 200[21] Gas 100[21] 150[21] 200[21] Research time 140[21] 170[21] 200[21] Edit	Air Armor Researched at Cybernetics Core[21] Hotkey A[21] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 100[21] 150[21] 200[21] Gas 100[21] 150[21] 200[21] Research time 140[21] 170[21] 200[21] Notes Increases air unit armor. Edit
Plasma shields Researched at Forge[21] Hotkey S[21] Properties Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Minerals 200[21] 300[21] 400[21] Gas 200[21] 300[21] 400[21] Research time 140[21] 170[21] 200[21] Notes +1 to shields per level. Edit

[edit] Strategies

The Phoenix can lift anti-air units like the Queen with the Anti Gravity ability rendering them vulnerable and helpless against Void rays or other Phoenix.^[10]

[edit] Development

Originally, the Phoenix was capable of attacking both air and ground targets,^[6] but became an air-to-air unit as of March 2008.^[22]

The Phoenix's speed and sensor range were upgraded at the fleet beacon.^[5] They were called Gravitic Thrusters and Apial Thrusters.^[23][5] They have since been canceled.^[24]

• Overload
  • This ability could previously damage all nearby enemy air units but was scaled down before BlizzCon so that it could attack only eight nearby air units.^[2] This also leaves the Phoenix unpowered for some time and thus vulnerable to attack.^[9]
  • More "experienced" protoss commanders devised a tactic where when using a group of Phoenixes against enemy targets, they would overload one Phoenix at a time, so if the enemy units retreated to avoid the damage, they would be successively caught in the multiple overload fields, and the Phoenixes would be able to rotate powered and unpowered ships, with several Phoenixes fully powered at one time for traditional ion fire.^[6]
  • Overload had a cooldown timer. It could damage cloaked units, making it a "soft counter" against cloaking air units such as Banshees.^[14]

[edit] Quotes

Main article: Phoenix quotations

[edit] Notes

The Phoenix bears the same name as pre-release versions of the Wraith.^[25]

[edit] References

Protoss Units and Structures of StarCraft II
Infantry	Probe · Zealot · High templar · Dark templar · Archon
Land mechanized	Stalker · Immortal · Disruptor · Colossus
Air vehicles	Warp prism · Observer · Phoenix · Void ray · Carrier (Interceptor) · Mothership
Basic buildings	Nexus · Assimilator · Pylon · Gateway (Warp gate) · Forge · Cybernetics core · Obelisk
Combat buildings	Photon cannon
Advanced buildings	Twilight council · Dark shrine · Templar archives · Robotics facility · Robotics support bay · Stargate · Fleet beacon
Campaign-Exclusive Protoss Units and Structures of StarCraft II	Special Protoss Units	Stone zealot
Scrapped	Removed units	Escort · Reaver · Soul hunter/purifier · Star relic · Stasis orb · Tempest (Shuriken) · Twilight archon
	Removed buildings	Observatory · Phase cannon · War beacon · War shrine

Protoss Starship Classifications
Transports	Atmospheric vessel • Escape pod • Shuttle • Warp prism
Starfighters	Corsair • Phoenix • Scout — Pathfinder Scout · Scout Hero • Void ray
Support Ships	Arbiter — High Arbiter · Paganite • Mothership • Star relic
Capital Ships	Carrier · Fleet Carrier · Super carrier • Mothership • Tempest
Carrier-Launched Fighters	Escort • Interceptor