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"The only thing you should feel when you shoot someone...is the recoil."

- Terran marine(src)

The marine is the basic infantry unit of terran forces.

Game Unit[]

The marine's ballistic alloy combat shield grants more HP, giving them more survivability against high-damage units. As long as the marine can survive a hit, a medivac dropship can quickly heal it.[1]

Marines excel against immortals, given their vulnerability to low-damage units.[2] However, they are weak against the colossi, due to splash damage from their thermal lances[3] and the high templar's area-of-effect psionic storm. Marines are also ineffective in small numbers against heavily armored units such as thors, ultralisks, carriers, and battlecruisers. Groups of siege tanks in siege mode can also easily wipe out large numbers of marines far from the latter's range while hellions and hellbats can do significant damage to marines due to their bonus to light units. Lurkers and banelings will also beat marines.

They are a crucial component of the MMM strategy, which is particularly effective against protoss zealot/stalker combo and massive zerg roach, ravager army. Large formations of marines can also easily counter void rays and mutalisks. Marines beat marauders and hydralisks in bigger numbers.

Marines are first available in mission Liberation Day.

Versus[]

Upgrades and Abilities

Increases the hit points of marines by 10. The marine model changes to have a shield attached to the left shoulderguard. The M98 combat shield is composed of 30 mm of bonded carbide.

Acquisition
Purchased from Tech lab attached to barracks
Hotkey C
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 79seconds
ve
  • +1 damage for marines
  • +1 base damage and +1 bonus damage for marauders and ghosts
  • +1 pistol damage for reapers
Acquisition
Purchased from Engineering bay
Hotkey E
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 114seconds
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 136seconds
Required Armory
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 157seconds
Required Armory
ve
Acquisition
Purchased from Engineering bay
Hotkey A
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 114seconds
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 136seconds
Required Armory
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 157seconds
Required Armory
ve

Enables affected infantry to attack and move 50% more quickly.

Usage
Hotkey T
Cost 10 (marines) / 20 (marauders) HP
Duration 11 seconds
Acquisition
Purchased from Tech lab attached to barracks
Hotkey T
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 100seconds
ve

Wings of Liberty[]

Upgrades and Abilities

Enables affected infantry to attack and move 50% more quickly.

Stimpacks provide a temporary boost to the marine's attack and movement speeds by dosing him with a mix of adrenaline, endorphins, and aggression enhancers.

This frenzied burst does come at the expense of the marine's health. Medical treatment is highly advisable after multiple uses.

Usage
Hotkey T
Cost 10 HP
Duration 15 seconds
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Hyperion armory for $50,000
ve

Increases the hit points of marines by 10.

M98 Combat Shields are a vital upgrade for any marine fighting on the front line, 30mm of bonded carbide may not sound like much, but field tests have shown a full 25% increase in marine suitability when equipped with Combat shields.

Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Hyperion armory for $60,000
ve

Attack upgrades improve attack cooldown of affected units by 5% per level.

These self-replicating ultra capacitors reduce the reload time of weapons and systems. Now each of the weapon upgrades at the armory and engineering bay increases attack speed by 5% in addition to increasing damage.

Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Hyperion laboratory for 5 protoss research points
ve
SC2 Lab VanPlating Icon
Vanadium Plating

Armor upgrades increase health of affected units by 5% per level.[4]

We have created a new lightweight alloy called vanadium. Vanadium diffuses weapon impacts much more efficiently than traditional armor plating, and it better preserves the life of our units. Now each of the armor upgrades in the armory and engineering bay increases unit life by 5% in addition to increasing armor.

Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Hyperion laboratory for 5 protoss research points
ve

Co-op Missions[]

In Co-op Missions, marines are used by Jim Raynor.[5] Nova gains access to the advanced elite marine, with enhanced life, damage and abilities.[6] Stukov gains access the infested marine, with timed life.

Upgrades and Abilities
SC2MarineShield
Combat Shield

Marines gain +10 maximum HP.

Backwater Marshall: Marines gain +20 maximum HP.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Tech lab attached to barracks
Hotkey C
Cost 100 Minerals 100 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 Vespene gas
60seconds
Effect Hit points: 55 (110 with Backwater Marshall)
ve
SC2StimPack
Stimpacks

Increases marine's movement speed by 50% and attack speed by 75% for 15 seconds. Can be set to autocast.

Usage
Hotkey T
Cost 5 HP
Duration 15 seconds
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
ve
MercMunitions SC2 Coop Icon
Mercenary Munitions

Increases the attack speed of Raynor's combat units and calldowns by 15%.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Raynor Level 15.
ve
SC2 TerrInfWeap
Terran Infantry Weapons

Increases the attack damage of terran infantry.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Engineering bay
Hotkey E
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 Vespene gas
160seconds
Effect Damage: 7
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -3.5 Minerals -3.5 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 70 Minerals 70 Vespene gas
190seconds
Effect Damage: 8
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -5 Minerals -5 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas
220seconds
Effect Damage: 9
ve
SC2 TerrInfArm
Terran Infantry Armor

Increases the armor of terran infantry.

Vanadium Plating: Increases the life of terran infantry by 10% per level.

Backwater Marshall: The increase of life for terran infantry go up, from 10% per level to 20% per level.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Engineering bay
Hotkey A
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -2 Minerals -2 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 40 Minerals 40 Vespene gas
160seconds
Effect Hit points

Basic: 49.5 (59.5 with Combat Shield)
With Backwater Marshal: 99 (119 with Combat Shield)

Armor: 1
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -3.5 Minerals -3.5 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 70 Minerals 70 Vespene gas
190seconds
Effect Hit points

Basic: 54 (64 with Combat Shield)
With Backwater Marshal: 108 (128 with Combat Shield)

Armor: 2
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 TerranVespene SC2 Game1
Mastery: -5 Minerals -5 TerranVespene SC2 Game1 per Research Resource Cost mastery point. Down to a maximum 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas
220seconds
Effect Hit points

Basic: 58.5 (68.5 with Combat Shield)
With Backwater Marshal: 117 (137 with Combat Shield)

Armor: 3
ve

Nova Covert Ops[]

In Nova Covert Ops, marines can equip one of various provided upgrades and abilities for each mission. They become available to the player in "Sudden Strike."

Upgrades and Abilities
LaserTargetSystem SC2-NCO Icon1
Laser Targeting System

Increases unit's vision by 2 and attack range by 1.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Complete "Sudden Strike."
ve
SuperStimpack SC2-NCO Icon1
Super Stimpack

Increases unit's attack and movement speeds by 50% for 15 seconds and heals unit for 30 HP. Can be set to autocast.

Usage
Hotkey T
Duration 15 seconds
Cooldown 18 seconds
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Save north-western outpost in "Sudden Strike."
ve
MagrailMunitions Cov Ops Icon
Magrail Munitions

Equips unit with a secondary attack that deals 20 damage every 30 seconds.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Destroy the Eradicators in "Night Terrors."
ve
OptimizedLogistics SC2NCO1
Optimized Logistics

Significantly reduces the time required to train the unit.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Acquired from Obtain the special weaponry in "In the Enemy's Shadow."
ve

Quotations[]

See: StarCraft II Marine Quotations

Development[]

Early in development, the StarCraft II team experimented with changing the base tier 1 units for each race. This included replacing the frontline role of marines with the prison infantry guard, a much lighter armored terran infantry variant. However, this idea never made it past the concept art stage.[7]

Concept art exists for marine variants in StarCraft II (or possibly as separate units). These include a demolitions veteran, an anti-air veteran, and a heavy artillery veteran. Art likewise depicts marines equipped with a wrist cannon (or similar weapon) rather than the C-14 rifle.[8]

At BlizzCon 2007, marines had a bayonet attached to their rifles, but these disappeared from later versions of their model.[9] Marines also had different death sounds in 2007 and 2008.[10][11] Some marine quotes were updated or removed, including an unused line for stimpacks.[12]

Prior to eventually gaining 5 HP and 1 additional attack range in mid-2008, the Combat Shield upgrade increased marine HP by 15, and the U-238 Shells upgrade was still available.[13] At BlizzCon 2008, the Combat Shield upgrade doubled their HP to 80 and Stimpack was moved to the shadow ops, in an attempt to keep marines useful throughout a match.[14]

Beta patch #6 increased marine build time from 20 seconds to 25. Beta patch #13 decreased the research costs of Stimpack and Combat Shield from 150/150 to 100/100. Patch 1.3 increased Stimpack research time from 140 seconds to 170. The Patch 4.10.1 Balance Update reduced it from 121 seconds to 100.

Achievements[]

TrainingDay SC2 Icon1 Training Day
Points

10 Achievement SC2 Game1

Criteria

Train 10 marines during the first 320 seconds of a single Melee game.

Notes

Add a reactor to the barracks.

Edit

Images[]

Development Art
Skins
Portraits

Trivia[]

  • The marine has three different /dance animations, including "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" and the moonwalk.[15]
  • The marine unit is voiced by Chris Metzen.
  • A mercenary skin is available in multiplayer and can be unlocked by reaching level 30 with terran.

References[]

  1. Yup, the Marines still have upgradable shields, making a huge difference late game against more high damage units. As long as those Marines can survive that initial hit, the Medivac Dropships does an awesome job of bringing them back to full health in no time. Karune. 2008-09-16. What happened with the marines and shields? Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-09-16.
  2. 2007-05-19. Gameplay Trailer. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-08-12.
  3. Karune. 2008-02-08. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 29. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-02-08.
  4. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Protoss research (in English). 2010.
  5. Blizzard Entertainment. Co-op Missions. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Jim Raynor (in English). 2018.
  6. Blizzard Entertainment. Co-op Missions. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Nova Terra (in English). 2018.
  7. Carpenter, Nick (w), Didier, Samwise (w), Metzen, Chris (w), The Art of Blizzard Entertainment (hardcover). Insight Editions, February 12, 2013. ISBN 1608-87027-8.
  8. Toyama, Kevin. The Art of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (hardcover). Insight Editions, July 27, 2010.
  9. 2007-08-04. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. Shacknews. Accessed 2011-09-10.
  10. StarCraft II: Terran Gameplay
  11. Starcraft 2 Release of Tauren Marine
  12. StarCraft 2 - Cut Beta Quotes
  13. Marine. StarCraft II Armory.
  14. Zetaras Xal'Kurat. 2008-10-17. BlizzCon 2008: Changes to StarCraft 2. SC2 Blog.
  15. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II Map Editor. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). July 27, 2010
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