Vulture

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

The Vulture-class Hover Bike (aka Vulture Hover Cycle) is a Terran hoverbike used mainly for scouting.

Overview
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, although an onboard computer and sensors mounted in the 'nose' of the craft keep it at a steady pace for most of the time. 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 armoured targets. Vultures are also tasked with scavenging ("Scavenger Hover Bike" is a term occassionly used). In some occassions, Vultures may be formed into small squadrons, usually attatched to mechanized infantry. Given the speed at which the bikes move however, it is hard 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. Originally, standard Vulture armament was an anti-personnel APG-2 "Thumper" Grenade Launcher. Since the Brood War however, Vultures may instead be equipped with a mounted Laser Cannon. Other optional equipment includes Spider Mines and Ion Thrusters.

In the Confederate Armored Vehicle Corps, aspiring Vulture pilots had to pass a minimal physical fitness exam before becoming a pilot. . Terran Dominion Ghost Program trainees also begin training in the use of Vultures in their second year.

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. Spider mines maybe laid to keep an eye on potential expansion spots or harass an incoming enemy attack force.

Abilities

 * Spider Mines
 * Cost: 100 0 100
 * Researched at: Machine Shop
 * Gives each Vulture a three spider mines. Vulture's cannot replenish their supply of mines once expended. New mines may only be created with new Vultures. Mines burrow where deployed and are not player-controllable. Each mine causes 125 damage. Mines do not benefit from any upgrades. Air, hovering ground, and worker units do not activate mines. Mines can sense and attack nearby cloaked ground units such as Ghosts or Dark Templar even without the aid of a detector. They will not, however, reveal cloaked enemy units.

Upgrades

 * Vehicle Weapons
 * Vehicle Plating
 * Ion Thrusters
 * Cost: 100 0 100
 * Upgraded at: Machine Shop
 * Increases Vulture speed.

Quotations

 * See: Vulture Quotations

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 vulnrable to enemy attacks, including having the vehicle stolen from you.

Major Vulture Pilots

 * Marshal/Captain Jim Raynor
 * "Sergeant"
 * Aios Karnage (mercenary leader)

Other Vulture Pilots

 * Corporal Smith-punn
 * Private Bowers
 * Private Fu
 * Private William Peaches
 * Private Amy Windom