Stalker

"We go unseen."

- Protoss stalker

The stalker is a Dark Templar cybernetic war machine unit in StarCraft II.

Overview
The fall of Aiur demonstrated to the Dark Templar that more than just stealth and guile were required to defeat the zerg. Hence, the Dark Templar developed the stalker, a war machine inspired by the Khalai dragoon. While dragoons were piloted by crippled protoss, the stalker was controlled by the shadow-essence of a Dark Templar warrior fused into a metal body. The new walkers were armed with carapace-mounted particle disruptors adept against both ground and aerial targets.

Stalkers were credited with many fantastic powers upon their battlefield début. However, only one was witnessed consistently: an ability to instantly teleport, or "blink", from one spot to another. The improved mobility thus granted allowed the stalker to conduct ambushes, catch fleeing foes, and generally engage on their own terms.

Game Unit
In-game, stalkers function like fragile, but more agile dragoons. They serve as excellent economy raiders.

Stalkers can dance like a dragoon, moving injured stalkers away from opponents when they are being attacked by melee attackers or targeted by focus fire. Blinking can also be used as an alternative form of dancing.

In large groups, stalkers can use Blink to instantly teleport to an important enemy unit's position – such as a queen, and destroy it with focus fire.

Stalkers gained a reputation for being overpowered at BlizzCon 2008 due to the widely viewed Sonkie vs Yellow match. Karune responded that stalkers are weak vs zerglings even with Blink micro, but are strong against armored units such as roaches. Stalkers do well against units with low damage per second (such as roaches) but weakly against more offensive units (such as zerglings).

Stalkers are strong against reapers, void rays, and roaches, but weak against marauders, immortals, and zerglings.

Quotations

 * Main article: StarCraft II Quotations

Development
The stalker was re-designed to more closely look like the concept art, and the new model was revealed at Blizzcon 2008.

Trivia
The stalker shares identical quotations with the satyr units from Warcraft III.