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"We are as one!"

- Dark archon(src)

Dark archons are the Nerazim psionic attacker of the Legacy of the Void campaign, with the high templar and ascendant serving as alternatives. Unlike in Starcraft: Brood War, dark archons are produced directly from the gateway instead of merged from dark templar, and they substitute for high templar. This also means the player cannot have them and high templar (and by proxy, normal archons) at the same time. On the other hand, this means that it is possible to have dark archons with avengers or Blood hunters.

Game Unit[]

Legacy of the Void[]

Though the dark archon deals less damage than the normal archon, it still deals a lot of damage and deals splash damage to clumped enemies. (This is another difference from the dark archon in Brood War, which cannot attack at all.) Its abilities are more supportive than the high templar and ascendant, making the dark archon a unit that demands less micromanagement in return for being less effective offensively without the psionic skills of the others. This also makes the dark archon a good mopping-up unit.

An important note when using the dark archon's mind control is that in the single-player campaign, mind controlled units do not count towards supply, and using Mind Control no longer drains the dark archon's shields like in StarCraft: Brood War. If the player takes control of an SCV or drone, they cannot build structures, but SCVs can Repair the player's protoss mechanical units and structures. Heroic units, including all hybrids, are immune to Mind Control. Ultralisks have the frenzy passive ability, which makes them immune to Mind Control. Motherships and Shadows of the Void are also immune to Mind Control.

Mind controlled units have the dark archon's quotes rather than their own quotes.

Upgrades and Abilities[]

Enemy units in the area of effect attack each other for 10 seconds.

Usage
Hotkey F
Cost 75 Energy
Duration 10 seconds
Cooldown 2 seconds
ve

Permanently take control of targeted enemy unit. Heroic units are immune.

Usage
Hotkey R
Cost 100 Energy
Cooldown 10 seconds
ve

Co-op Missions[]

Dark archons are available when Vorazun is selected in the Co-op Missions mode.[1]

They may be warped in from the gateway, and are upgraded at the dark shrine.[2]

Previously, as in the campaign, units controlled by Mind Control did not take up supply. This was changed in Patch 3.2.

Zeratul has access to dark archons as part of his Serdath legion calldown. While he cannot directly command them, he can select a direction for them to move in. Unlike Vorazun's mind control, these dark archons can mind control a target for 120 seconds before it self destructs. At level 8 these dark archons gain the Maelstrom ability. These dark archons last for 60 seconds.

Vorazun Upgrades and Abilities[]

ArgusCrystal SC2-LotV Icon1
Argus Crystal

Dark archons start with full energy.

Usage
Hotkey V
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Vorazun Level 9
Acquisition
Purchased from Dark shrine
Hotkey E
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 60seconds
ve

Enemy units in the area of effect attack each other for 10 seconds. Heroic units are immune.

Withering Siphon: Confusion affects Heroic units and causes enemy units to lose 20 hit points per second, up to a maximum of 200. This effect cannot kill.

Usage
Hotkey F
Cost 50 Energy
Duration 10 seconds
Cooldown 8 seconds
ve

Take permanent control of target enemy unit. Heroic units are immune. Mind Controlled units take up supply.

Usage
Cost 150 Energy
Range 9
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Vorazun Level 9
Acquisition
Purchased from Dark shrine
Hotkey C
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 90seconds
ve
SC2 ProGrndWeap
Protoss Ground Weapons

Increases the attack damage of protoss ground units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Forge
Hotkey G
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Damage
Basic: 20
With Withering Siphon: 15
Level 2
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Twilight council
Effect Damage
Basic: 22
With Withering Siphon: 16.5
Level 3
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Twilight council
Effect Damage
Basic: 24
With Withering Siphon: 18
ve
SC2 ProGrndArm
Protoss Ground Armor

Increases the armor of protoss ground units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Forge
Hotkey A
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Armor: 1
Level 2
Cost 150 Minerals 150 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Twilight council
Effect Armor: 2
Level 3
Cost 200 Minerals 200 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Twilight council
Effect Armor: 3
ve
SC2 ProShields
Protoss Plasma Shields

Increases the shield armor of all protoss units and structures.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Forge
Hotkey A
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Effect Shield armor: 1
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Required Twilight council
Effect Shield armor: 2
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
Required Twilight council
Effect Shield armor: 3
ve

Zeratul Upgrades and Abilities[]

Temporarily grants Zeratul control of a target enemy unit. Controlled units self-destruct after 120 seconds. Heroic units are immune.

Usage
Hotkey C
Cost 150 Energy
Range 10
Duration 120 seconds
Cooldown 15 seconds
ve

Temporarily stuns enemy units in an area of effect for 3 seconds.

Herald of the Void: Maelstorm is unavailable.

Usage
Hotkey F
Cost 50 Energy
Range 9
Duration 3 seconds
Cooldown 15 seconds
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Zeratul Level 8.
Acquisition
Required Find the third artifact fragment
ve
SC2 ProGrndWeap
Protoss Weapons

Increases the attack damage of all protoss units and defensive structures.

Usage
Passive
Notes

Instantly upgrades when Zeratul finds an artifact fragment.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Level 1 and 2 – Initial available.
Level 3 – Reach Zeratul Level 2.
Acquisition
Level 1
Required Find the first artifact fragment
Effect Damage: 20
Level 2
Required Find the second artifact fragment
Effect Damage: 22
Level 3
(unavailable with Herald of the Void)
Required Find the third artifact fragment
Effect Damage: 24
Level 4-103
(with Knowledge Seeker)
Required Find the fourth and more artifact fragments (summary 103)
Effect Damage: 24 +2 per artifact fragment. Up to a maximum 224
ve
SC2 ProGrndArm
Protoss Armor

Increases the armor of all protoss units and defensive structures.

Usage
Passive
Notes

Instantly upgrades when Zeratul finds an artifact fragment.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Level 1 and 2 – Initial available.
Level 3 – Reach Zeratul Level 2.
Acquisition
Level 1
Required Find the first artifact fragment
Effect Armor: 1
Level 2
Required Find the second artifact fragment
Effect Armor: 2
Level 3
(unavailable with Herald of the Void)
Required Find the third artifact fragment
Effect Armor: 3
Level 4-103
(with Knowledge Seeker)
Required Find the fourth and more artifact fragments (summary 103)
Effect Armor: 3 +1 per artifact fragment. Up to a maximum 103
ve
SC2 ProShields
Protoss Plasma Shields

Increases the shield armor of all protoss units and structures.

Usage
Passive
Notes

Instantly upgrades when Zeratul finds an artifact fragment.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Level 1 and 2 – Initially available.
Level 3 – Reach Zeratul Level 2.
Acquisition
Level 1
Required Find the first artifact fragment
Effect Shield armor: 1
Level 2
Required Find the second artifact fragment
Effect Shield armor: 2
Level 3
(unavailable with Herald of the Void)
Required Find the third artifact fragment
Effect Shield armor: 3
Level 4-103
(with Knowledge Seeker)
Required Find the fourth and more artifact fragments (summary 103)
Effect Shield armor: 3 +1 per artifact fragment. Up to a maximum 103
ve

Quotations[]

See: StarCraft II Dark archon Quotations

Development[]

The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II which is no longer valid.
DarkArchon SC2 DevRend1

Unused dark archon texture file

Dark archons did not return in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. Instead, dark templar merged into standard archons. The game's data files included assets for an unused/unfinished dark archon unit, including a texture and possibly data for abilities. The texture depicted a humanoid body with nerve cords; the latter being unusual for Nerazim.[3]

Some artworks suggest that dark archons were used by Tal'darim[4], but they do not appear in the game. Data in the game suggests that originally, Tal'darim blood hunters would merge into dark archons. In the final product, normal Tal'darim archons use the dark archon model.

Images[]

References[]

  1. 2015-09-25, Co-op Missions: Additional Commanders Revealed. news.blizzard.com, accessed on 2022-01-23.
  2. 2015-10-08, LotV Data Hidden in Patch, accessed via map editor. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2015-10-08.
  3. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). July 27, 2010.
  4. Legacy of the Void Concept Artwork, Blizzard Press Center. Accessed on 2015-10-13.
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