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"It's been a while since I've worn a hostile environment suit. When did they get all these glowing lines?"
Ghost SC-G Game1

The hostile environment suit (Dominion version, post Brood War)

The hostile environment suit, otherwise known as a skinsuit[1] or stealth suit,[2] is the standard issue combat gear for terran ghosts,[3] though was originally developed for miners.[4] It is a polymer[5] light-refracting[6] nano-fiber suit covering the body along with a helmet or headpiece,[5] and is among the most advanced technology ever conceived by humanity.[6]

Spectres are equipped with a similar suit to the one worn by ghosts. However, their version is thicker and possesses a tighter weave, giving them a greater boost to their strength and agility, as well as a more advanced HUD and visor.[7]

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This following section contains information from concept art that may not be canonical.

Carbon fiber forms part of the spectre suit.[8]

Overview[]

The hostile environment suit was originally designed for miners working in high-temperature environments and on cold planets. Its temperature regulation system could shield the wearer from heat detection equipment.[4]

Ghost Suit[]

"What's a ghost without a skinsuit? Dead."

- Stone(src)

SarahKerrigan SC1 Art

A hostile environment suit in 2491

The form-fitting[1] suit is interwoven with an advanced circuitry system that covers the entire body apart from the head, which could interfere with the ghost's psionic powers. In addition to an adjustable temperature setting,[5] it is laced with a form of psi-sensitive artificial muscle fiber which augments their natural physical strength,[9] speed,[6] and endurance, dispensing the need for bulky power armor.[1] The suit helps ghosts channel their psionic energy.[1]

A time setting is also built into the suit's computer, allowing a ghost to check the time of any place in the Koprulu sector.[5] Light pulses across a ghost's suit.[10][11]

The helmet acts as a chemical agent mask[12] and the suit provides NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) shielding by absorbing dangerous elements and rendering them inert.[1] The suit itself is designed to withstand the cold vacuum of space.[13] The suit itself is capable of surviving decompression, while its mask allows the ghost to breathe for a time in environments without oxygen.[14]

By 2502, upon the ghost's death, the suit automatically degraded.[5] This feature was missing from hostile environment suit versions from 2491.[12]

Most suits are black, blue, and/or gray in color.[15]

The suit can be outfitted onto ghosts via servos, in a manner similar to CMC armor.[16][17]

Cloaking[]

"What do you call a ghost that's not invisible? A corpse."
Cloaking SC2 CineNova1

A ghost cloaking

Perhaps the most well known function of the suit is its cloaking ability. Though older models lack it, many ghost suits feature a personal cloaking device, allowing the ghost to render him/herself invisible.[3] The device works in conjunction with the suit, as its outermost layer contains synthetic cells that, under psionic stiumuli, refract light to synergize with the device, and making the user invisible to the naked eye.[1] The amount of time this is able to be used is limited by the amount of energy available, though can be increased through the installation of a Moebius Reactor.[3] The cloaking system would shut down upon the user's death in earlier suits[12] although this has become redundant with new models, where, should the ghost die, the suit automatically degrades itself and the wearer to prevent the technology from falling into enemy hands.[5] The stealth abilities were, and perhaps still are, aided by coolant systems woven into its lining, rendering its user invisible to infrared sensors.[4] Because adhesive substances can prevent the use of cloaking, the suit can vibrate to shake them off.[7] The amount of energy left in a cloaking module could be tracked by a ghost via a device attached to the suit's wrist.[12]

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A spectre cloaking

By the Second Great War, there were at least three new models of the ghost suit: the Crius and the Nyx (utilized by ghosts and spectres respectively) had psi-augmenters allowing cloaking to be held indefinitely and freeing up the agent's psionic energy for other tasks.[18] The Crius model was of Dominion design, and was regarded as "the ultimate hostile environment suit." However, due to its immense cost, few were ever deployed.[19] The tactical stealth suit allows ghost agents to remain cloaked indefinitely.[20]

Sensory Systems[]

"The goggles? Yeaaah. They do nothing."
Ghost SC1 Art1

A hostile environment suit during the Great War

The suit possesses a helmet/eyepiece (or ocular implants as the case may be).[3] The helmet shares the rest of its functions with the smaller headpiece, which include a comm system[5] and infrared vision.[12] A HUD system is also present, capable of showing a map display in the left-hand corner[12] and a zoom function[21] for increased sight range and target acquisition.[6] The helmet visor also enhances sight, and includes an automated targeting system that calculates atmospheric pressure and wind shear.[6] Passive and active scans can be carried out, displayed on a wrist unit.[5] Such scans can designate affiliation of a target, alert a ghost to hazardous terrain (e.g. fissures), scan chemical substances and pick up living and/or moving targets.[7]

Other Functions[]

StarCraft Ghost Logo2
This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost, which has been declared non-canon. Elements may be taken as 'flavor lore' however.
The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.
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The following article or section contains lore from the StarCraft RPG, which is not regarded as canon. Elements may be regarded as 'flavor lore' however.

The suit provides limited protection against small arms fire and full life support.[22]

The helmet features a psionic "heat vision" mode which allows the ghost to see through walls.[23] At least in later models, the suit's HUD provides the ghost information on his/her health status, the amount of psionic energy available, a stealth meter (an indication as to how exposed the ghost is to being seen) and a weapon meter, informing the ghost of how much ammunition is available for his/her equipped weapon.[24]

Variant Models[]

HostileEnvironmentSuit SC2-HotS Rend1

The suit's breastplate

Notes[]

A civilian suit named the hostile environment suit also exists, used when exploring areas inhospitable to human life. It appears to be different from the ghost variant.[25]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2014-18-12, Ghost Science. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-19-12
  2. StarCraft Remastered, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2017-03-31
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 McNeill, Graham (December 30, 2008). StarCraft: I, Mengsk. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 1416-55083-6.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 DeCandido, Keith R. A. (November 28, 2006). StarCraft: Ghost: Nova. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0743-47134-3.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Barba, Rick. StarCraft Field Manual (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Kenyon, Nate. (September 27, 2011). StarCraft: Ghost: Spectres. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-1439-10938-0.
  8. Gabriel Tosh, Google Docs. Accessed on 2023-01-16
  9. Ghost. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-08-10.
  10. 2007-03-18. StarCraft Ghost Trailer. Blizzard Entertainment/Youtube. Accessed 2007-04-18.
  11. Dustin Browder, Rob Pardo. 2008-10-11. Blizzcon 2008: StarCraft II Gameplay Discussion Panel (Part 3). Youtube.com Accessed 2008-10-11.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Neilson, Micky (December 18, 2000). StarCraft: Uprising. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0743-41898-0 (eBook).
  13. Neilson, Micky (w), Edouard Guiton (i) and Sandra Molina (c). (November 29, 2016). Nova: The Keep. Blizzard Entertainment. Nova: The Keep Accessed 2016-11-29.
  14. E.C. Myers. "Waking Dreams." (August 4, 2020). Blizzard Entertainment. Waking Dreams Accessed 2020-08-04.
  15. 2016-06-02, Community Vote: Pick The Next Game Portrait!. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2016-06-03
  16. 2016-08-16, The Machines of War - Heroes of the Storm. YouTube, accessed on 2016-08-31
  17. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: Hopes and Fears (in English). 2013-03-12.
  18. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Armory units (in English). 2010.
  19. Nova Skins, Heroes of the Storm Wiki. Accessed on 2015-04-11
  20. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Sudden Strike (in English). 2016-03-29.
  21. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: The Betrayal. (in English). 2010.
  22. 2003-10-03, ALTERNITY ADVENTURE GAME: STARCRAFT EDITION List of Equipment (web archive). Wizards of the Cost. Accessed on 2010-04-25
  23. BlizzCon 2005 StarCraft: Ghost information. Terran Infantry. Artist: Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-08.
  24. 2006-01-31. Ghost HUD. Gamespy.
  25. Golden, Christie (May 22, 2007). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Firstborn. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-0-7434-7125-1.
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