Scout

The scout is a protoss space superiority fighter.

Overview
The Scout is a versatile and powerful protoss fighter though are generally considered by the protoss to be more for scouting purposes. However, Scouts are easily a match for most other craft, employing anti-matter missiles against aerial targets and dual photon blasters against ground targets. The Dark Templar maintain(ed) their own Scouts and equipped them with technology to engage in FTL travel through the Void.

In their days of service, Scouts served as point guards for the protoss fleet, being maintained in the hangars of carriers, though were often called upon to engage hostile forces. Shortly before the war against the zerg, recent developments in enhanced sensor systems and high-power engines further increased its effectiveness.

Since the end of the Brood War, the Scout is steadily being phased out by the Phoenix. However, it is still used by the Tal'darim.

StarCraft
Like the terran wraith, the scout is optimized for the anti-air role. The major difference is the scout's lack of the cloaking ability. The scout must leverage its increased durability instead. Scouts are relatively slow units when first produced though their speed can be upgraded with the Gravitic Thrusters upgrade, making them just as fast as wraiths. Like their terran counterparts, scouts have a weak ground attack; only causing 8 damage. In large groups of 8-12 they can destroy small groups of units quickly. Its air attack however, is very powerful, able to inflict 34 damage when fully upgraded making it even more powerful than a battlecruiser's attack. The scout is also quite durable against the terran valkyrie's anti-fighter role due to its large number of hit points and shields for a basic air unit.

They are recommended as escorts alongside corsairs and carriers. Suggested counters against Scouts include mass hydralisks, goliaths and other dedicated ground-to-air anti-air units.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft I Scout Quotations

Development
In the StarCraft alpha, Scouts were armed with disruptors. In the StarCraft beta, Scout engines produced green exhaust instead of their current blue.

StarCraft: Ghost


Scouts may have been scheduled to appear in StarCraft: Ghost.

StarCraft II
The Scout appears in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, operated by the Tal'darim, in the mission Welcome to the Jungle.

Scout Pilots

 * Executor Artanis
 * Praetor Mojo
 * Templar Aurioch
 * Judicator Kizrath
 * Scout Heroes
 * Xerana (Dark Templar)

Variants

 * Pathfinder Scout