- Rory Swann(src)
The reaper is a terran jet-pack equipped infantry unit introduced in StarCraft II.[1]
Overview
- A reaper(src)
Operating in squads,[2] reapers specialize in hit-and-run, close-quarters combat.[3] Classified as foundational units for terran forces,[4] they are more mobile than marines as their jet packs allow them to surmount obstacles independently.[3] Originally these jet packs (alternatively referred to as "jump packs") were capable of full flight. Crashes and fatalities were common among new "recruits" as the unwieldy booster proved difficult to control. The hardware was also known to randomly explode due to poor distribution of fuel lines and air intakes, leading to a complete overhaul. Prototypes of a flightless, twin-turbine jump pack surfaced soon after—which gave reapers enough mobility to carry out their missions and return to base in one piece.[2]
Reapers are clad in self-contained body suits[3] and wear polarized plasteel flight goggles.[2] They are armed with either dual P-38[1] or P-45 pistols. Many reapers also use Deuterium-eight demolition charges despite the Dominion Armed Forces' efforts to curtail their usage. Combat drugs can be administered to reapers within the field.[2]
Dominion Reapers
Dominion reapers consisted of individuals that are resistant to neural resocialization—pirates, petty crooks, murderers, the occasional political dissident,[5] and marine recruits that remain unmanageable after being subjected to resoc. These resistant recruits tended to be among the most hardened of criminals, and were sent instead to the "Icehouse" in the Torus system to be inducted into the Reaper Corps. Reaper recruits were chemically altered to make them even more aggressive before being subjected to brutal training in close-quarters combat and the use of their jet packs.[3]
Reapers were obligated to serve two years before being discharged. In the first five years the Reaper Corps failed to have a single recruit complete more than six months of service.[3][6] However, some reapers were allowed to leave the program for reasons such as injury.[6]
Upon coming to the throne, Valerian Mengsk re-organized the Reaper Corps, giving its members better, more humane training.[7] He did away with the requirement to use dangerous stimulants, and focused recruiting on finding candidates who were naturally unpredictable.[8]
Other Reapers
Other terran factions that utilize Reapers include Raynor's Raiders,[9] Tosh's Goons,[10] Moebius Corps,[11] Defenders of Man,[12] and renegade units.[3]
Game Unit
Reapers can leap up and down ledges (only one tier, however) without the need of a spotter or medivac dropship. This ability makes reapers ideal for scouting and hit-and-run attacks. They cannot leap over obstacles or Force Fields, however.
The reaper's low damage attack ignores the specially hardened shield of the protoss immortal and cannot hit air units.
It does bonus damage against light units. It is strong against hellions, zealots, zerglings, and workers with a little maneuvering,[13] though are not as effective against the zerg as a whole as they are against other opponents and as such, it is inadvisable to build reapers en masse when battling zerg.[14] They are weak against siege tanks, stalkers, and roaches.
Reapers may enter bunkers.
Dustin Browder believed the reaper was over-nerfed in the development of Wings of Liberty and intended to correct that in Heart of the Swarm.[15] Blizzard believed the reaper was only strong in a short period of gameplay.[16]
In early game raids, reapers work well in trios. A trio of shots can take out a drone in a single round of firing for instance.[17]
The reaper is not quite as fast as the hellion, but can often get to certain areas faster due to its cliff-jumping capability. Reapers do more targeted damage to light-armored units such as workers but hellions can injure several simultaneously and with the Infernal Pre-Lighter upgrade are capable of dealing greater amounts of damage. However, reapers attack more than twice as fast as hellions do. They have different armor qualities as well, which can factor into the decision as to which raider to use.[18]
Wings of Liberty
Reapers are unlocked by playing the mission "The Devil's Playground", available after Gabriel Tosh gave some of them to Raynor's Raiders.[10]
Abilities
Reapers can hurl G-4 cluster bombs. G-4 cluster bombs deal 155 splash damage to all units and structures in a radius of 3.
This anti-personnel charge detonates shortly after being thrown. The initial blast ejects a cluster of smaller charges that deal additional damage in a large radius.
Please note that Enlightened Dynamics assumes no liability for deaths due to friendly fire.
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Upgrades
Reapers gain +1 range and deal an extra +3 damage vs light units.
U-238 Rounds are made from depleted uranium. These rounds are extremely dense (1.67 times the density of lead), so they have increased range and hit lightly armored units much harder.[19]
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Attack upgrades improve attack cooldown of affected units by 5% per level.
These self-replicating ultra capacitors reduce the reload time of weapons and systems. Now each of the weapon upgrades at the armory and engineering bay increases attack speed by 5% in addition to increasing damage.
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Armor upgrades increase health of affected units by 5% per level.[20]
We have created a new lightweight alloy called vanadium. Vanadium diffuses weapon impacts much more efficiently than traditional armor plating, and it better preserves the life of our units. Now each of the armor upgrades in the armory and engineering bay increases unit life by 5% in addition to increasing armor.
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Heart of the Swarm
As of Heart of the Swarm, reapers no longer possess the cluster bomb ability, and instead possess combat drugs as a passive ability.
Abilities
Reapers heal for 2.8 HP every second if the Reaper is not attacked for 7 seconds.
Legacy of the Void
In Legacy of the Void, reapers gain a grenade ability. Here, the reaper launches a grenade that deals damage and knockback.[21]
Abilities
Explodes after a short delay, dealing 5 damage and knocking back nearby units.
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Upgrades
Increases movement speed of reapers.
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Nova Covert Ops
In Nova Covert Ops, reapers can equip one of various provided upgrades and abilities for each mission.
Upgrades and Abilities
Increases unit's vision by 2 and attack range by 1.
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Increases unit's attack and movement speeds by 50% for 15 seconds and heals unit for 30 HP. Can be set to autocast.
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The reaper can deploy a spider mine at target location. Reapers can carry up to three mines.
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Permanently cloaks reapers
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Equips reapers with D8 charges, increasing the damage they deal when attacking structures.
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Development
Main article: Reaper/Development
Quotations
Known Reapers
- Colonel Nero
- Lieutenant Dennis Halkman
- Sergeant Stilson Blumquist
- Boff
- Kern
- Samuel Lords
- Polek
- Pfaff
- Rock
Washouts
These reapers "washed out" during training:
Specialists
Trivia
The term "reaper" possibly refers to the Grim Reaper, a personification of death in various cultures.
Reaper is a playable hero in Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch setting. Like reapers, he dual-wields firearms and wears a mask.
Gallery
References
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