Shuttle


 * For the Terran Shuttle, see Terran Shuttle.

The Shuttle is the Protoss' transport. They are often used with Reavers and less commonly with other units because: 1) Reavers are very slow and are worth the micromanagement cost because of the immense amounts of splash damage the Reaver does and 2) all Protoss land units (excepting the Probe) take up at least 2 slots making transportation of them inefficient. The Shuttle has no weaponry of its own so it must be protected.

The Shuttle does not appear in StarCraft II, having been replaced by the Phase Prism.

Upgrades

 * Air Armor
 * Plasma Shields

Gravitic Drive
Increases Shuttle speed.
 * Cost: 200 0 200
 * Upgraded at: Robotics Support Bay

Use Map Settings Maps
Because the Shuttle (with speed upgrade) is the fastest transport in the game, it is often used in UMS maps to allow quick transport of units. In most melee games, the cost and time required to research the speed upgrade is often not worth it.

Countering Tank Push
The Terran Tank Push is used very frequently against Protoss players. The most basic counter to it is Dragoons supporting Zealots with the Leg Enhancements Upgrade (movement speed). The Zealots can be augmented (especially if you haven't researched Leg Enhancements yet) by Shuttles. Because Siege Tanks cannot fire on targets too close on them, you can drop Zealots on enemy tanks. If their tanks are spread out wide enough that they can cover for each other, the other Tanks' splash damage should damage if not destroy their own tanks (and your Zealots are expendable, after all).

Cannons on Cliff
Load a Probe into your Shuttle, move it to a cliff (usually one where you know your opponent is or will be, such as the cliffs next to every natural expansion on Lost Temple), and unload the Probe. From here, simply build a Pylon (or two) 2 squares behind the edge of the cliff, wait for it to finish, and build as many cannons as you can afford (this strategy is more effective in the early or early-mid game, so you may be a bit short on minerals; "as many as you can afford" doesn't mean spend all your money, of course). The cannons, because they have extra height, should be hidden until they begin firing. Also, without loading units onto the cliff with their own transport, your opponent's units will suffer the 70% hit penalty and reduced vision for being on lower terrain.