Probe (StarCraft)

Probes construct buildings by starting the building's warp-in process. After that point the building "constructs" by itself and the probe is free to leave and pursue other activities. This is unlike the SCV and drone which are fully occupied when constructing buildings. Like other workers, probes float and do not trigger spider mines.

Some protoss early game rush strategies feature probes constructing pylons and photon cannons near or in an enemy base, known as cannon rushing. Probes may also warp in assimilators to frustrate an enemy's vespene gathering efforts.

Probes are more fragile than SCVs. However, they have faster acceleration than drones and greater attack range than SCVs, giving protoss players an edge in worker harassment, particularly versus terran SCVs, which have the shortest attack range of the three. Probes also have a sight range of 8, while the drone and SCV have a sight range of 7, allowing the probe to scout easier than its counterparts and see them without being seen itself.