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Thor

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This article or section contains information about a StarCraft II unit or structure.

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Thor
Unit
Race

Terran

Role

Ultimate Heavy-assault Mech

Properties
Hit points

400[1][2]

Energy

200[3] Energy

Type
Armor type

Armored[4]

Transport slots

8[5]

Production
Minerals

300[1] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

Gas

200[1] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

Supply

6[1][4][6] Supply

Build time

75[1][7]

Produced at

Factory[8][9]

Requires
Hot key

H[12]

Combat
Ground attack

30 (x2 attacks)[1][13]

Air attack

10 (+4 vs light) (x4 attacks)[1]s[14][15]

Armor

1[4]

Attack range
  • 6 (vs ground)[2]
  • 10 (vs air)[2]

The thor is a huge, powerful terran mechanical unit.

Contents

[edit] Thor Project

The thor compared with a marine in height

The Thor project was the most significant Terran Dominion military development since the Brood War.[16] It was developed at the Simonson munitions factory on Korhal under a complete security lockdown; the workers were effectively all under arrest to prevent any leak of information. As the project came closer to fruition Umojan Protectorate spies observed an increasing flow of high-ranking Dominion officers coming and going from the plant. Their hacking of cargo manifests showed deliveries of battlecruiser-weight neosteel armor and their sensors showed regular seismic shocks. Nonetheless, their information was extremely limited. Umojan agent Ulli Trey sneaked into the facility and, using an array of stealthy drones, finally acquired the information the Protectorate had sought; the secrets of the Thor Project were bared; a vehicle armed as heavily as a battlecruiser. The Protectorate feared that no counter to this weapon would be discovered.[16]

Thors are also built at Valhalla.[17]

A thor is armed with a pair of "Thor's Hammer" particle accelerators (fired from the arms)[16] and missile launchers (for use against aerial opponents).[18] It only requires one crew member.[19]

[edit] Game Unit

Thor model

A thor has a relatively large size when compared to other units. It has a long firing range and splash damage.[20]

The March 2008 version of the thor could move at about the speed of a siege tank in assault mode.[21]

The thor can be transported by the medivac dropship.[22] One thor fills up the transport's entire capacity,[5] transforming into a cube-like shape and hanging from underneath.[23][24]

The thor's air attack graphics were changed to missile attacks.[18]

[edit] Combat Roles

Walking thor
Thor portrait

As of November 2008, the thor's primary roles are to act as the "tip of the spear", a big tough unit that can push past an artillery barrage or fortified positions or push into an enemy base and lead marines into battle.[25][26]

Its other primary role is to defend allies from air attacks with its powerful anti-air attacks[25] especially against groups of smaller air units.[27] The anti-air attacks have an area of effect that is devastating against small air units[26] such as zerg flyers[14] but is inefficient unless the air units are tightly grouped.[28] The attack is not as effective against heavily armored air units such as battlecruisers.[29]

The thor is countered by range, mobility, and certain anti-armor units.[30] It doesn't deal enough splash damage to effectively deal with units like marines.[25] It serves particuarly well against the zerg when it comes to gaining ground.[31]

[edit] Abilities

250 mm Cannons[32]
Usage
Energy

100[32][7] Energy

Notes

The thor gains an ability which attacks ground troops[33] using the cannons on its back. The thor can only target one unit, which it does continually, stunning the target[23] (such as a building)[32] for 5[34] to 6 seconds while inflicting 500 damage.[7] The thor is otherwise rendered helpless while the ability is in use.[23]

Edit

[edit] Upgrades

Terran Vehicle Weapons
Researched at

Armory[35]

Properties
Minerals

100[36] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

175[36] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

250[36] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

Gas

100[36] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

175[36] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

250[36] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

Research time

170[36] time

200[36] time

230[36] time

Notes

Increases the attack damage of terran vehicles.

Edit
Terran Vehicle Armor
Researched at

Armory[35]

Properties
Minerals

150[36] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

225[36] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

300[36] Image:Minerals Terran SC1.png

Gas

150[36] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

225[36] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

300[36] Image:Gas Terran SC1.png

Research time

170[36] time

200[36] time

230[36] time

Notes

Decreases the damage done to terran vehicles

Edit

[edit] Thor vs Siege Tanks

Some features that existed on the thor in previous builds led to a concern that its role was overlapping with that of the siege tank. Unlike the siege tank, the thor is an assault unit rather than a siege unit. Its ground attack has much less range than a siege tank's 120 mm cannon, so it is exposed to enemy fire while attacking.[37]

Another difference from the siege tank is that the thor can also function as a ground to air attacker.[27]

[edit] Development

Older thor model

In early builds, the thor could be constructed by SCVs in the field, though is now built from the factory.[9][8] The Thor "structure" used to cost 300 minerals/ 300 gas/ 6 supply/ 100 seconds, hotkey T.[6]

The thor had a slow turning speed in the BlizzCon 2007 build, enabling units such as the Cobra to destroy it easily with micromanagement.[38] It now turns fairly quickly, and the turning speed is no longer a balancing factor.[30]

The thor was scaled down in size as it was vulnerable to micro-ing from smaller units that could be built in only a fraction of the time and resources required to build a thor.[39]

As of March 2008 the thor has been shrunk from its original size and can move faster in order to suit its anti-air role better. However, its anti-ground attack was weakened.[14][40]

Previously the thor could not be transported.[41]

[edit] Mechanical Rebirth

Mechanical Rebirth
Acquisition
Researched at

Armory[12]

Notes

The thor can self-repair. Once a thor "dies" in combat, its wreckage remains on the battlefield. The terran player can spend resources to rebuild it relatively quickly. The enemy player must decide either to destroy the vulnerable wreckage or to target other units.[8] The ability must be researched.[12]

Edit

The thor lost this ability as of May 2009.[33] Blizzard's internal playtesting showed the ability to be impractical.[22]

[edit] 250mm Cannons (Previous Version)

Bombardment cannons in action.

Artillery Strike was a powerful long-ranged area-of-effect attack. To use the Artillery Strike, the thor had to expend energy, then it "stabilized" itself as the cannons on its back were lowered. The four 250mm bombardment cannons alternated raining damage upon the area.[38][16] This ability needed to be researched.[6] The ability was later removed.[30]

[edit] Wings of Liberty

In StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty's single-player campaign, the Hercules dropship can be used to carry three thors at once.[42]

[edit] The Thor Mission

The "Thor Mission" will feature the thor in a "cool" way, and Tychus Findlay will also feature in it.[43]

The hero thor may have a different death animation.[44] It will probably take place at Valhalla.[17]

[edit] Known Pilots

The Thor

[edit] Trivia

  • "The Mighty Thor" is a comic book written and drawn by Walter Simonson. It appears the Simonson Munitions Factory was named after him.[45] Simonson is also the author of the World of Warcraft comic series.
  • The thor is named after Thor himself - the Norse god of thunder.[19]

[edit] References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Thor. StarCraft Source. Accessed 2009-09-05.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 StarCraft Legacy staff. 2009-04-04. Terran Unit Information. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-05-10.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Thor. StarCraft II Armory. Accessed 2009-09-04.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 StarCraft Legacy staff. 2009-04-04. WWI 08 Coverage - Terran Units. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-06-20.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Does one Thor fill up a whole Medivac?

    Yes. Karune, Thelorme. 2009-05-26. SC2 Medics? (post 28). Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2009-05-26.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 BlizzCon Statistics 2 Shacknews.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Grrrrr. 2009-07-04. Terran Late Game Experience (page 3). Inc.Gamers. Accessed 2009-07-13.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Pardo, Rob and Zetaras Xal'Kurat. 2008-06-29. WorldWide Invitational 2008: Pictures, Presentations, Videos (StarCraft II Panel: Evolving Design) SC2 Blog. Accessed 2008-06-30.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Zetaras Xal'Kurat. 2008-03-16. StarCraft 2 Korean and Chinese Build Summary. SC2 Blog. Accessed 2008-03-18.
  10. 2008-10-12. Terran Tech Tree. StarCraft Source. Accessed 2008-12-03.
  11. Zero. 2009-04-04. My Day at Blizzard. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-05-18.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Terran Gameplay Footage. StarCraftZine. Accessed 2008-12-11.
  13. 토르의 지대지 공격력은 30x2, 지대공 공격력은 5x8 이었습니다. 각 종족별로 공개된 정보의 밸런스를 맞추자면 이 정도만 말씀드려야 할 것 같네요 :) 각 유닛의 수치에 대해 말씀을 드리는 것은 여러분의 상상을 조금이나마 돕고자 하는 의도입니다. 여전히 개발은 진행되고 있으며 각 수치들은는 지금 이 시간에도 바뀌고 있다는 것을 알아 주시길 바라며, 수치 하나 하나에 너무 민감하게 반응하지는 않으셨으면 좋겠네요. 큰 그림만 그려 보세요~ Kicho. 2009-03-26. 토르, 콜로서스 공격력 관련. Battle.net StarCraft II Korean forums. Accessed 2009-03-29.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Joneagle X. 2008-03-12. SC2Forums.org Starcraft 2 Press Conference Report. StarCraft 2 Forums. Accessed 2008-05-01.
  15. In the current build, Terran Siege Tanks's AoE (Area of Effect) attack have 13 range (more than twice the range of a Marine) against ground units, and Thors' AoE attack have 10 range Karune. 2008-05-22. Is terran turtling going to be as powerful. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-05-22.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 2007-08-30. Thor. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-08-30.
  17. 17.0 17.1 StarCraft II Art Panel Highlights. Gamespot. Accessed 2009-0827.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Karune. 2008-10-28. StarCraft II Q&A Batch 45. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-10-28.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Knaak, Richard A. and Naohiro Washio. "Thundergod." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 1, pp. 48–93. Tokyopop, August 1, 2008. ISBN 1427-80721-3.
  20. Karune. 2007-10-15. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 17. StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2007-10-15.
  21. Joneagle_X. 2008-03-15. Unit Clarifications. StarCraft2Forums.org Accessed 2008-05-01.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Blizzard, StarCraft Legacy staff. 2009-05-21. StarCraft: Legacy Exclusive Fansite Q&A. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-05-21.
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 StarCraft Legacy staff. 2009-06-29. June 22, 2009 StarCraft II Review . StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-06-29.
  24. imba.Adolf [RA]. 2009-11-08. We played Starcraft 2: A Report From IgroMir, Day 1. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-11-09.
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 Karune, Dustin Browder and Samwise Didier. 2008-11-18. BlizzCast Episode 6. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2008-11-18.
  26. 26.0 26.1 The Thor is actually working pretty well as:
    - Anti-air (Flak Cannons are good vs. smaller air units).
    - Point-man for a charge into an enemy defended position.

    This gives the Terrans something that is less static than the Siege Tank from the Factory to "push" and it also gives them the badly needed anti-air from the Factory as well. So far the testing on him has gone pretty well, he is balance-able, reasonably different from other units in the game and fun to use.
    Cavez. 2008-06-04. So what's the deal with Drop Pods? Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forums. Accessed 2008-06-05.
  27. 27.0 27.1 Karune. 2008-03-24. Karune, your PoV on "Superunits". Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-03-24.
  28. The Thor will primarily be an anti-air unit, but will also be able to attack ground units as well. The Thor will not be cost effective against air unless the enemy move in tight groups. Karune. 2008-05-22. Is terran turtling going to be as powerful. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-05-22.
  29. Thors vs. Battlecruisers is a good example of a fun match-up with this design. Battlecruisers get messed up a bit by the Thor's AA but the damage isn't quite right for taking down Battlecruisers, Battlecruisers can respond with Yamato and Thors can respond to that with their self-repair ability. Battlecruisers also have the mobility advantage. Overall I think the Thor has the edge, but player skill is a big factor in these types of heavy-metal duels. Cavez. 2008-06-04. So what's the deal with Drop Pods? Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forums. Accessed 2008-06-05.
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Browder, Dustin. (Cavez.) Keeping the thor as THE THOR!. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forums. Accessed 2007-12-19.
  31. 2009-06-29, Jonathan Ross, Destructoid interview: StarCraft II's Dustin Browder. Destructoid. Accessed on 2009-07-29
  32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 Joneagle X. 2009-08-25. Joneagle_X 2009 BlizzCon StarCraft 2 Gameplay Review. StarCraft 2 Forum. Accessed 2009-08-25.
  33. 33.0 33.1 2009-05-08. Michael Graf. Starcraft 2 - Alle Einheiten. Gamestar. Accessed 2009-05-08.
  34. HappyMint. 2009-07-08. Cologne StarCraft II Impressions - July, 2. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-07-09.
  35. 35.0 35.1 http://www.sc2armory.com/game/terran/buildings/armory Terran Armory]. StarCraft II Armory. Accessed 2009-10-05.
  36. 36.00 36.01 36.02 36.03 36.04 36.05 36.06 36.07 36.08 36.09 36.10 36.11 36.12 36.13 36.14 36.15 36.16 36.17 Terran Thor. StarCraft II Armory. Accessed 2009-09-12.
  37. Karune. 2007-10-05. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 16. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2007-10-05.
  38. 38.0 38.1 2007-09-13. Gameplay Video - Terran. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-14.
  39. 2008-24-06, Fansite Q & A With Dustin Browder, p2. StarCraft Wire. Accessed on 2008-24-06
  40. Karune. 2008-02-04. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 28. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-02-04.
  41. Benwa. 2009-04-04. ESL Finals Paris: Stats and Q&A. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-05-18.
  42. Dustin Browder, Nick Breckon. 2009-06-29. StarCraft 2 Bonanza: Beta Still Not Dated, But New Screenshots, Singleplayer Details. Shacknews. Accessed 2009-06-29.
  43. Chris Metzen, Leord. 2009-08-18. Single Player Interview With Chris Metzen. Inc.Gamers. Accessed 2009-09-12.
  44. Dustin Browder et al. 2009-07-12. StarCraft 2 Dev Interview Part 2. StarCraft.Incgamers. Accessed 2009-08-01.
  45. Profile. Sons of the Storm. Accessed 2008-03-05.
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