Carrier

"Carrier has arrived."

- A carrier commander.

The carrier is a protoss heavy air unit.

Overview
Carriers are among the most powerful warships in the protoss arsenal. In use prior to the Discord, they serve as command centers for fleet commanders, though some terrans think this position will be taken by the void ray.

Carriers have forward mounted energy weapons used for purification ; they lack other armament beyond interceptors. Carriers may make warp space jumps, carry psychic boosters for communication, and can operate in both atmospheric and deep space conditions. Carrier commanders have private quarters.

Design
Carriers are large, heavily armored, and are protected by plasma shields. When constructing these ships, Khalai craftsmen meticulously shape high-density alloys into thick curved plates, using extreme temperatures to remove any structural imperfections which could compromise their strength. Afterwards, the alloy is subject to a complex surface treatment that involves different gasses and substances. The resulting hull plates are not easily breached, be it through kinetic, thermal, or biological means.

The carrier's hangar is capable of housing craft such as scouts and arbiters. Connected to the hangar is an automated manufacturing plant that produces interceptors. Khalai engineers work in the plant, where they see to the interceptors' maintenance and launch operations. After the Great War, the protoss sought to improve carrier efficiency, which led to the installation of the graviton catapult.

In 2506, during the End War, phase-smith Karax was able to miniaturize the Spear of Adun's reconstruction beam technology that allowed it to remotely repair mechanical units and structures. This allowed the Daelaam to arm their carriers with automated drones that could do the same types of repairs, greatly enhancing the longevity of their carriers.

StarCraft
The carrier is less durable than the, however it accelerates much faster. Forcibly recalling its interceptors and releasing them again may extend interceptor life and save resources since interceptors are automatically repaired upon returning. Interceptors self-destruct if their parent carrier is destroyed. If a carrier is disabled (for example, through Lockdown), its interceptors will return to the carrier and only resume attacking once the carrier becomes active again.

Terrans may disable carriers using the 's Lockdown. Two battlecruisers with Yamato cannon can destroy a carrier. Valkyries may clear out interceptors with their splash damage attack.

Zerg have a wider range of anti-carrier abilities. The 's Plague and Dark Swarm are useful as carriers and interceptors tend to bunch up; Plague-affected interceptors return to carriers for repairs and remain docked until Plague wears off. The 's Ensnare radically reduces interceptor rate of fire, and hampers the withdrawal of both interceptors and carriers. Scourge may be used against small groups of carriers, but are countered by corsairs.

Protoss may use the 's Psionic Storm.

Carriers may use terrain to kite; this may reduce vulnerability to anti-air structures and units.

It is voiced by Glenn Stafford.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft Carrier Quotations

StarCraft: Ghost
Carriers were to appear in StarCraft: Ghost.

StarCraft II
Carriers re-appear in StarCraft II. Its in-game appearances also include being the protoss boss in Lost Viking. Carriers are less costly than the motherships and the battlecruisers but take 120 seconds to warp in. Compared to in StarCraft, the carrier starts with 4 interceptors when it's warped in and doesn't need the Interceptor Capacity upgrade, saving time and resources on enhancing interceptor numbers. As in SC1, interceptors self-destruct when their parent carrier is destroyed; they are not adopted by other carriers.

Legacy of the Void
In the single-player campaign of Legacy of the Void, carriers are one of three capital ships the player can choose, along with the tempest and the mothership. The carrier lacks the Release Interceptors ability, but is followed by two invincible repair drones that will automatically heal nearby friendly mechanical units and structures. Compared to the tempest and mothership, this makes the carrier very useful in a mixed army, able to heal allies and themselves to improve longevity.

Co-op Missions
Karax is able to build carriers in Co-op Missions. Additional upgrades for them are unlocked when Karax reaches Level 14.

Abilities
Release Interceptors: Permanently launch all interceptors at great distance. After 60 seconds, any remaining interceptors will perish. Cooldown is 29 seconds.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft II Carrier Quotations

Known Carriers

 * Gantrithor (super carrier)
 * Koramund
 * Qel'Ha
 *  (not to be confused with the tempest-class starship).
 * Xa'lor

Variants

 * Fleet Carrier
 * Super Carrier

Known Carrier Commanders

 * Executor Amur
 * Executor Andraxxus
 * Executor Koronis
 * Executor Damiarch
 * Executor Selendis
 * Executor Tassadar
 * Praetor Quordas
 * High templar Mess'Ta (acting commander)