Tech lab

The terran tech lab is an add-on in StarCraft II. Its modular design enables it to be attached to a barracks, factory or starport.

A structure attached to a tech lab can produce a higher tier of units. For instance, a factory attached to a tech lab can produce siege tanks, a barracks attached to a tech lab can produce marauders, and a starport attached to a tech lab can produce banshees and ravens.

Note that a terran structure cannot be attached to both a tech lab and a nuclear reactor, so it cannot enjoy the benefits of both.

Functions
In early builds the tech lab researched upgrades and special abilities for some units, but these upgrades were transferred to merc compound, armory and fusion core. Currently the tech lab is responsible to research armor and weapon upgrades for the units.

Development

 * U-238 Shells
 * Used to increase the marine attack range like in StarCraft I. On the actual build, the marine no longer need this upgrade, the attack range is already 5 when built.
 * Caduceus Reactor
 * When the medic was available (now is no longer on multiplayer), this upgrade was available. Like in StarCraft I, it increased the medic's energy.

Development
Previous researches/upgrades:
 * Fighter Tech

In earlier builds the Viking was built at the factory in ground mode, but needed the Fighter Tech upgrade to enable it to transform to air mode.

Development
Previous researchs/upgrades:
 * Defensive Matrix Field
 * Cost: 150 150  110 seconds
 * Hotkey: D
 * "Allows the Nomad to use the Defensive Matrix Field ability. Defensive Matrix Field creates a damage suppression field at target location which reduces all incoming damage by 50%."

The Nomad (later Vulkan and Nighthawk, now Raven) had this ability along with other unknown ability at BlizzCon 2007. The ability is no longer in the game.