StarCraft Wiki
StarCraft Wiki
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Revision as of 16:01, 20 May 2008

"The Quantradyne APOD-33 was the Confederacy's proof to the stars that anything with a big enough engine would fly-no matter how badly."

Template:SC1UnitBox The Quantradyne APOD-33 Dropship[1] is a Terran aerospace transport.

Overview

File:Transport.jpg

The original Dropship design

SC Ghost Dropship

The modern APOD-33

The APOD-33 is a heavily armored tactical transport equipped for both atmospheric and deep space flight. Early experiments to arm dropships (including ordanance packages for an air-to-ground role)[2] were abandoned in favour of maximizing payload capacity.[3] Dropships are also equipped with extraction fields[1] and maglev lines[4] in case the terrain is too difficult to land on. Mostly however, landings are carried out conventionally, the Dropship's single aft ramp and twin plasma engines allowing easy deployment. The engines shift their angles to allow this.[1]

Dropships aren't exactly the most comfortable transport craft, the interior's temperatures usually uncomfortably hot, even more so during re-entry. Cooling units are installed to offset this along with air scrubbers. Restraining bars are present for the transport of passangers and overhead racks for the transport of equipment and/or belongings. The Dropship's power bus is also compatible with the CMC-300 Powered Combat Suit. A user can 'jack in' to the power bus and view the Dropship's surroundings via a sensor system, the image being transferred to the suit's HUD.[1]

The Colonial Fleet was known for maintaining high standards for its Dropship pilots, the PEB (Preferred Experience Base) requiring an applicant to possess a combat pilot certification and hot-zone certification before being allowed access to a Dropship.[5] Such pilots can operate alone, although a nav/comm. console is set behind the pilot's seat.[6]

In addition to military applications, Dropships are also used by civilians, ferrying down passengers from ships in orbit to planetside starports.[1]

Game Unit

StarCraft

Dropships are too slow to outrun aerial hunters like Mutalisks, Scouts, and Wraiths. If destroyed any units being carried are lost as well. While it has 8-slots like the Shuttle and evolved Overlord, the power of StimPacked infantry means a Dropship can carry substantial firepower.

A fleet of dropships is often used to offload units directly on top of or near an enemy base. These "drops" are a key strategy for many Terran players.

Upgrades

Quotations

See: StarCraft I Dropship Quotations

StarCraft: Ghost

SC Ghost Assault Dropship Concept Art

Assault Dropship concept art

StarCraft: Ghost concept art depicts "assault dropships". However, in-game, they appear to have been succeeded by the Grizzly.[7]

Medivac Dropship

StarCraft2 SC2 Logo1
This article or section contains information about a StarCraft II unit or structure.
The content may be significantly out of date as StarCraft II experiences a new build weekly and may change substantially as more information becomes available. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details. This template acts as a reference for StarCraft II beta and the Galaxy Map Editor.

Template:SC2UnitBox Medivac Dropships will appear in StarCraft II. They are produced at the Starport, with no add-ons required.[8]

The Medivac Dropship touches down to unload units,[9] behavior that was previously seen in the original StarCraft Alpha, but not the final edition.[10]

There is a one second delay between every dropped unit.[11]

Healing

The Dropship has been given a healing ability, enabling it to heal mobile units such as Reapers[12] as an auto-cast ability.[13]

The Dropship heals infantry units below it with a visible animation,[14] likely in the form of medical drones. The speed at which it heals is currently subject to balancing.[8]

Known Dropships

Known Dropship Pilots

Images

Trivia

The Dropship's design, pilot personality, unit quotations, and rank description, are heavily modelled or borrowed from the one found in movie Aliens.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Hickman, Tracy. StarCraft: Speed of Darkness. Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, May 21, 2002. ISBN 0-671-04150-9.
  2. Banshee. Accessed on 2008-01-28
  3. Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
  4. Bill Slavicsek, David Eckelberry, Shawn F. Carnes. Alternity: StarCraft Edition. Wizards of the Coast, March 1, 2000. ISBN 0-7869-1618-4.
  5. Star Fleet. Accessed on 2008-01-28
  6. Grubb, Jeff (February 27, 2001). StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04148-7.
  7. 2006-02-09. Grizzly. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-06.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Karune. 2008-04-08. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 34. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-04-08
  9. Admin. 2007-10-28. Starcraft 2 Terran Units. StarCraft 2 Info. Accessed 2008-04-05.
  10. Lord of Ascension. 2007-09-28. StarCraft Evolution. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2007-12-02.
  11. 1) Reapers are much faster for raiding. In dropping units (like Marines), there is a 1 second delay between each unit that is dropped. In that 8 seconds, to drop all 8 Marines, you can do a lot of damage with Reapers. Karune. 2008-04-07. Medic/Reaper/Medevac Compilation:Cavez/Karune. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-04-07.
  12. Cavez. 2008-03-11. Medic is out currently, heal to Dropship? Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forums. Accessed 2008-03-11.
  13. Zero. 2008-03-15. My Day at Blizzard. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2008-03-18.
  14. 2008-03-17. Lipton. I interview Joneagle about his experience with Starcraft 2. StarFeeder. Accessed 2008-03-29.