Gateway

The gateway is a protoss structure used to "create" infantry. It creates a swirling rift that warps in protoss warriors from their home territories to the location of the military colony housing the gateway. A phenomenal amount of energy is required for this operation and, as with most protoss structures, a gateway can only function if it is powered by the psionic matrix formed by a network of pylons.

Gateways are an inferior form of the xel'naga warp gate technology which was lost during the Aeon of Strife (the protoss maintained the ability to use warp gates, however). The technology was upgraded, based on the ancient warp gate technology, following the Brood War.

StarCraft
Gateways warp-in protoss infantry such as the zealot.

StarCraft II
The protoss have significantly upgraded the gateway for the upcoming conflict: it can now be transformed into a new version of the warp gate. The protoss inventors barely understand the technology, as it has been reverse engineered from ancient xel'naga structures found on both Aiur and Shakuras.

Warp Gate
Any gateway can be transformed into a warp gate, any warp gate can be transformed back into a gateway.

Warp-In
A warp gate can warp-in protoss forces to any part of the battlefield that lies within the psionic matrix, created by pylons and by the very mobile warp prism. This enables protoss forces to be transported directly to the front lines, to beleaguered outposts, or even to launch ambushes. Units can be warped-in on a cliff if the player can see the top of the cliff. Warp-in does not function on allied or enemy psionic matrices.

The forces warp-in over 5 seconds, gaining hit points over time. If the units fall outside the psionic matrix during this process (for instance, if the supporting pylon or warp prism is destroyed) then they are destroyed.

If a warp prism is supporting the warp-in and it is destroyed, the warp-in is canceled and the player gets back the resources.

The warp gate enters a cooldown before another unit may be warped in. The interval is equivalent to ten seconds less than the last unit's gateway build time.

The warp gate does not have the ability to queue units regularly, but can be quickly transformed back into a gateway. All warp gates can be selected by pushing the "W" key.

Putting a pylon in the central map area, known as "proxy pylon", in order to warp-in units nearer the enemy base is a commonly used strategy.

To use warp-in, the player would first:


 * 1) Select one or more warp gates.
 * 2) Press the hotkey to create a unit.
 * 3) Select an area in the psionic matrix (either generated by a pylon or warp prism) and select that point.
 * 4) The unit begins to warp-in. This causes one warp gate to enter cooldown, during which it cannot begin to warp-in another unit.
 * 5) Repeat steps 3-4 for each warp gate and unit (this can be done very quickly, before any unit has completed warping in).
 * 6) Once all warp gates have begun warping in units, the player must wait for at least one warp gate to emerge from cooldown before they can use one again.

If the player has any idle warp gates, an icon will display showing how many are idle.