Battlecruiser (StarCraft II)


 * This article concerns unit gameplay. For more on the unit see: .

The battlecruiser is the major terran air unit.

Attacks
The default weaponry of the battlecruiser is no longer a single powerful attack although its earliest renders did so. Instead it will fire multiple laser bolts, each inflicting 8 damage. This attack can only target one unit, but once a target is dead, the rest of the blasts immediately move to the next target, thus wasting no attack on any target.

Battlecruisers can destroy enemy structures in only a few volleys.

Abilities
The battlecruiser will have the choice of being upgraded with either the Yamato Cannon or the Missile Barrage attack, but not both. Once one has been chosen, the battlecruiser may not switch. The ability has no additional resource cost. The upgrade will visually change the unit model allowing players to easily determine which upgrade has been chosen. The upgrades are made individually (by selecting the battlecruiser).



Each version of the battlecruiser is treated as a different unit for UI purposes; double clicking on a Yamato-equipped battlecruiser will select all such battlecruisers but will not select battlecruisers with the Missile Barrage upgrade.

Development
The battlecruiser has undergone some changes in development, such as replacing its Plasma Torpedo ability with a Missile Barrage ability. This was changed as the plasma torpedoes did splash damage, thus overlapping with the role of the siege tank.
 * Plasma Torpedoes: An area-of-effect air-to-ground weapon which dealt damage over time and was effective against weak swarming units (like marines and zerglings). It added multiple small barrels to the front of the ship's hammerhead. Plasma Torpedoes were used by Hyperion in the BlizzCon 2008 terran campaign preview.