Vulture

"Those goofy mercs are still using Vultures, can ya believe it? Damn things are death traps even when you ain't got people shooting at ya." "Careful now, Swann. My old Vulture saved my skin more times than I care to remember. I ain't gonna listen to you trash talk a classic piece of engineering like that." "Classic?! I suppose you could call 'em that. 'Course most folks like a bike that don't explode on them when the repeller seals freeze up, or when the fuel cells start leaking radioactive waste - but hey, who cares if it's a 'classic', right?"

- Rory Swann and Jim Raynor discussing the vulture

The vulture-class hover bike (a.k.a. vulture hover cycle) is a terran hoverbike used mainly for scouting.

Overview
"Vulture Hover Bikes...they were fast, light and highly maneuverable and gave their riders about as much protection as a paper hat."

In use by 2478, the vulture is a lightly-armored one-man hoverbike primarily used for scouting and patrol, designed with speed and reliability in mind. Its limited gravity hover technology allows the bike to travel over rough terrain with little loss of traction or speed, and reach speeds up to 230 miles per hour. Three men could overload a bike. Their magnetic frequency can also be adjusted to make it easier to cross some obstacles (e.g. the tracks used by mag-lev trains). An onboard computer and sensors mounted in the "nose" of the craft keeps it at a steady pace for most of the time and a navigation system is present. These features make the vulture suitable for patrolling the vast wildernesses typically found around terran colonies. They produce a humming whine as they move.

Vultures are ill suited for heavy combat, given their light frame. However, they make excellent skirmishers, especially against lightly armored targets. Vultures are also tasked with scavenging ("scavenger hover bike" is a term occasionally used). In some occasions, vultures may be formed into small squadrons, usually attached to mechanized infantry. Given the speed at which the bikes move however, it is difficult to maintain cohesion. The vulture's driver seat can be enclosed depending on model, customization, or operating environment and can be configured for someone to ride shotgun. The bike can catastrophically fail if the repulsors freeze up, or the fuel cells begin leaking radioactive material.

In the Confederate Armored Vehicle Corps, aspiring vulture pilots had to pass a minimal physical fitness exam before becoming a pilot. Originally, the standard vulture armament was an anti-personnel grenade launcher. Since the Brood War however, vultures may instead be equipped with a mounted laser cannon. Other optional equipment includes spider and cerberus mines, ion thrusters and a microfabricator.

The vulture remained in use by the Dominion Armed Forces until at least 2502 and Dominion Ghost Program trainees begin training in the use of vultures in their second year. Vultures continue to be used by rebel and mercenary groups.

Technology similar to that found in the vulture is available in civilian hoverbikes, such as the 428 hoverbike.

StarCraft
Vultures are ideal for scouting and dealing with small-sized ground units such as zerglings, zealots, marines and firebats. Given that vultures are not very durable, they are most effective when using hit-and-run attacks to harass the enemy and are not recommended for large scale attacks. Vultures are also effective hunters against units such as high templar, defilers and other ground-based spellcaster units and can get rid an expansion base's workers in little time.

In terran vs protoss matches, vultures are vital with their mines which can severely injure high-hit point protoss units and for delaying an attack. Spider mines also fill a harassment role very well against both zerg and protoss.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft Vulture Quotations

Development
StarEdit files reveal a number of "merc biker" units&mdash; the concept seems to be similar to that of the vulture.

StarCraft: Ghost


The vulture unit in StarCraft: Ghost is still a lightly-armored fast-moving vehicle. It is armed with either an AGP-2 "Thumper" Grenade Launcher or a laser cannon. Capable of being used by ghosts and light infantry, it is nonetheless vulnerable to enemy attacks, including having the vehicle stolen from underneath the driver.

StarCraft II
Vultures are campaign-only units in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, and become available by playing the mission "Cutthroat".

The vulture is less expensive than the hellion and its main attack is less effective against large groups of light targets. Spider mines compensate for this, especially with the Replenishable Magazine upgrade which allows large minefields.

Not taking spider mines into account, vultures are strong against s, reapers, hellions, s, s, s, sentries, and. They are weak against marauders, s, stalkers, colossi, roaches, and any air units.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft II Vulture Quotations

Known Vulture Pilots

 * Captain Plunder
 * Captain Jim Raynor
 * "Sergeant"
 * Aios Karnage (mercenary leader)
 * Tychus Findlay
 * Grom
 * Hogan
 * Jakk
 * Nova Terra

417th Confederate Marine Platoon
 * Corporal Smith-punn
 * Private Bowers
 * Private Fu
 * Private William Peaches
 * Private Amy Windom

War Pigs
 * Cole Hickson
 * Vin Iggins
 * Nuura Joss

Trivia
The vulture's unit portrait in StarCraft II is based on Jason Huck. A large Horde logo can be seen on his left arm.