- Terran Dominion spokesman(src)
The A2 Viking Armored Mechanical Hybrid[1] is a terran unit with the ability to transform between a ground unit ("Assault mode") and an air unit ("Fighter mode").
Overview
- Captain Jon Dyre (quoted by Wes Carter)(src)
Hardware
A Viking aboard the Hyperion
The Viking's transformation ability was based heavily on that of the siege tank.[2] In its aerial mode, Vikings are classified as air superiority fighters. The walker mode is considered more important.[3] They can be paired with AH/G-24 Banshees for operations as air cavalry.[4] The Viking is equipped with a large reactor—housed in the central area of the vehicle—that powers all electrical systems and provides torque for walker mode locomotion. A set of thrusters in the Viking’s underbelly, which allow for hover/VTOL capabilities, keep it stable during transformations, and four low bypass turbines generate propulsion during flight. The pilot’s seat has more than double the straps, pads, and packing than any other fighter craft to account for the violent ups and downs the vehicle undergoes when switching from aircraft to walker mode.[5]
Viking configurations
The Viking was designed with versatility in mind, down to the letter. Most moving parts in the vehicle can be replaced with easy-to-find spares, and even the complex servo systems located in the arms and legs are interchangeable. It is not uncommon for Viking pilots to ditch an arm in order to replace a damaged leg servo and return to battle.[5] However, while the Viking's versatility is its greatest asset, it is also one of its drawbacks. Few pilots are able to handle both combat modes and the majority of Viking pilots are killed in their first battle[2] (the term "cherry" is used for Viking pilots who have yet to carry out a transformation).[1] Those who survive however, become amongst the most skilled pilots.[2] The elite few who make it through training are so deadly that their names are well-known by both allies and enemies across the Koprulu sector.[1]
Armament
A Viking in ground mode
The Viking was designed to be the ultimate anti-air and ground-support weapon system,[2] armed with a large payload[5] of MT50 lanzer torpedoes and twin gatling guns for both respective tasks.[2] A targeting system exists for both, along with displaying height and location.[6] Due to the torpedoes' low effectiveness against aerial targets smaller than capital ships, Enlightened Dynamics developed Ripwave missiles for the hybrid.[7] Bellerephon further expanded the Viking's options through the Phobos-class weapon system—an improved loadout that adds a longer-range anti-air missile and an improved gatling cannon increased range in ground assaults.[8] However, due to hefty implementation costs, only a few Vikings have received these upgrades.[5]
Systems
A Viking's cockpit
Viking pilots are equipped with helmets with visors that lower when they take their vehicles into the air.[9] However, regardless of whatever advantages the visor might bring, it is still possible to fly a Viking without one.[10][6] The Viking cockpit features a HUD,[11] with the standard fare gauges, targeting system, and terrain mapper found in terran fightercraft. In addition to this, the Viking has a detailed 3D wireframe that shows the condition of its every servo and actuator. In case of damage to the craft, the pilot is well aware of what works and what doesn’t, preventing fatalities due to system malfunctions.
To keep their occupants safe in case of emergency, Vikings are equipped with a circuit that cuts off all power from the reactor, preventing the machine from reaching critical levels. In dire situations, pilots have been known to disable this governor circuit to divert more power to systems, and even supercharge the craft's reactor, resulting in a massive meltdown. This unofficial self-destruct mechanism has been dubbed the "Heimdall," for the incredibly bright flash that accompanies the final moments of the Viking and its pursuers.[5]
History
An early Viking
The Brood War revealed weaknesses in terran anti-air capability. Wraith combat fighters and valkyrie missile frigates proved to be an unwieldy combination against agile zerg airborne organisms. In addition, ground-based anti-air support from goliath assault walkers was too limited in its mobility: all too often airborne attackers would simply move out of the goliath's range. In the aftermath of the war, terran weapon technicians proposed a radical new concept to resolve both of these problems; an armored vehicle with the ability to change its combat role from an assault walker to an air-superiority fighter, enabling it to switch smoothly to fulfill tactical needs in a developing battle.[2]
The Wyrm[6] was an early design.[12] It was quickly succeeded by the Viking, which had more armor, more options and a faster response time.[6] A Viking was showcased at Ursa[10] in 2502,[13] where one single-handedly destroyed a military base.[10]
Final field testing of the Viking was carried out at Valhalla.[14]
Game Unit
The Viking is one of the starport's basic production options, and may benefit from the reactor add-on.
In air mode, the Viking is a light flyer with a very long range anti-air attack. It is good for hit-and-run attacks against slower, higher value air targets. The Viking is less suitable against other light flyers, the phoenix and the mutalisk; the former's long range does not fully compensate for the latter two's higher movement speed.
On the ground, the Viking behaves much like a more capable, but much more expensive, marine.
The Viking is useful for raiding worker lines, and supporting marines and marauders against colossi.
The Viking may be fired on during its transformation sequence.
Transformation
The Viking transforms from one mode to another.
This ability is not smartcast.
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| Acquisition | ||
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Upgrades
Wings of Liberty
- +1 damage for banshees and battlecruisers
- +1 air damage，+1 base ground damage and +1 bonus damage for vikings
- +1 air damage，+5 ground damage for liberators
| Acquisition | ||||||||||
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Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
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Increases the armor of all terran air units.
| Acquisition | ||||||||||
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Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
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Heart of the Swarm
Increases the attack damage of terran vehicles and spacecraft.
| Acquisition | ||||||||||
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Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
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Increases the armor of terran vehicles and spacecraft.
| Acquisition | ||||||||||
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Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
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Wings of Liberty Campaign
Vikings are unlocked by playing either "Safe Haven" or "Haven's Fall", available after Rory Swann called in some favors to get their schematics.[15][16]
Vikings deal splash damage when attacking air units.
Ripwave Missiles are anti-matter warheads that can damage multiple air targets with deadly bursts of sub-atomic shrapne. The long-term environmental impact is still being assessed, but Enlightened Dynamics would like to remind its valued clients that it offers a whole suite of environmental decontamination services.[8]
| Campaign Acquisition | ||
|---|---|---|
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Vikings gain +2 missile range and +1 cannon range.
Bellerephon offers an improved loadout for the viking that adds a longer-range anti-air missile. An improved gatling cannon has also been added for increased range in ground assaults.[8]
| Campaign Acquisition | ||
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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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 Vanadium Plating Armor upgrades increase health of affected units by 5% per level.[17] 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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Damaged mechanical units recover hit points when out of combat, at a rate of 0.6015 each second.[18]
Our ship and vehicle hulls are now made from a material called Regenerative Bio-Steel. This material uses internal nanobots to slowly repair any damage the hull sustains. While this regeneration process is much slower than conventional SCV repairs, it can be the difference between life and death if no SCVs are available.
| Campaign Acquisition | ||
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Quotations
Development
The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II which is no longer valid.
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Concept art
Karune stated that its ground mode could attack both ground and air units in February 2008[19] but that ability underwent balance testing and has since been removed.[20]
At earlier builds the Viking was built on the factory at ground mode, but needed a Fighter Tech upgrade to enable transforming to air mode.[21]
Concept art of the Viking is identical to that of the Wyrm, the Viking's in-universe predecessor effectively being lifted from concepts of its in-universe successor.[2][10][6] The icon for this old form can still be found in the map editor.[22]
Known Viking Pilots
A Viking pilot
- Major Stortand Varg
- Captain Drake
- Captain Jon Dyre
- Lieutenant Chet Ward
- Baleog Grym
- Johan
- Olaf Kraftig
- Erik Snabb
Known Viking Units
Known Viking Variants
Notes
A Viking
- The Lost Vikings is a 1992 Blizzard Entertainment game featuring the adventures of three Vikings. One of the pictures on the official Viking page is labeled "the Lost Vikings".[2]
- A mini-game called Lost Viking in which a sole Viking must fight a massive protoss, zerg, and terran air force, including swarm guardians, a carrier, leviathan and terra-tron.[23]
- Mega Bloks planned to produce a Viking model as part of their StarCraft toy line, set to be released in 2012. The Mega Bloks Viking would be able to transform between modes.[24]
References
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