Siege tank (StarCraft)

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	Unit lore StarCraft II gameplay information

Siege Tank
Unit
Race	Terran
Armament	80 mm PPG-7 plasma cannon (2) (tank mode) Mjolnir 120 mm Shock Cannon (siege mode)
Properties
Sight	10
Production
Minerals	150
Gas	100
Supply	2
Build time	50
Produced from	Factory
Requires	Machine Shop
Hotkey	T
Protection
Armor	1
Combat
Ground attack	30 (tank mode) 70 (siege mode)
Cooldown	37 (tank mode) 75 (siege mode)
Attack range	7 (tank mode) 12 (siege mode)

The siege tank provides the terrans with mobile, long range anti-ground firepower. It cannot attack air units.

Strategy

The siege tank in tank mode

Siege tank in siege mode.

In tank mode the siege tank is decent against large ground units and in groups, certainly capable of dealing with medium and small units with ease. Arguably, it's still not as efficient as a group of marines, especially if a force is being moved by dropship (which can carry 2 tanks or 8 marines).

The siege tank is most useful in siege mode, fusing a powerful attack with the longest range of any ground unit in the game. In addition to supporting bunkers and defenses, two groups of tanks may carry out a "tank push"; the first group in siege mode covers the second group in tank-mode as they move forward to establish another fire base, from which the second group covers the advance of the first. The tank's siege mode range is greater than its sight range; supporting a tank with spotters is useful.

The Shock Cannon causes splash damage to all units but has a minimum range. Therefore tanks in siege mode need other units to guard it (perhaps even other tanks in siege mode), although these guards might take damage from the shock cannon as well as the enemy. The guards can also screen for the tanks as they withdraw. Transforming between modes takes time, during which the tank is unable to move or attack which leaves it vulnerable to fast units like zealots.

Some players prefer to "wall-in" their siege tanks, by erecting buildings to surround the tank, thereby preventing the enemy from getting closer than the minimum range of the shock cannon.

A missile turret, marine-filled bunker, a siege mode tank cluster may provide defense against ground targets at long and short ranges, and air targets. This is incredibly effective against zerg due to their use of overwhelming numbers. The tactic is not as effective against the protoss; zealots with the Leg Enhancement upgrade will spend less time in the Shock Cannon kill-zone and reach the bunkers faster.

Abilities

Siege Mode

Allows siege tank to transform into siege mode.

This greatly increases the damage and range of the siege tank's attacks, and gives them splash damage, but prevents the tank from moving. In siege mode, the siege tank has a minimum range it cannot attack within.

Usage
Hotkey 0

Acquisition
Purchased from Machine shop Hotkey S Cost 150 150 80

Upgrades

Vehicle Weapons +1 bonus to goliath ground attack per level +4 to goliath air attack per level (+2 per missile) +2 to vulture attack per level +3 to siege tank tank mode attack per level +5 for siege tank siege mode attack per level Acquisition Purchased from Armory Hotkey W Level 1Level 1 Cost 100 100 267 Level 2 Cost 175 175 300 Required Science facility Level 3 Cost 250 250 333 Required Science facility

Vehicle Plating +1 bonus to armor for goliaths, siege tanks, and vultures. Acquisition Purchased from Armory Hotkey P Level 1 Cost 100 100 267 Level 2 Cost 175 175 300 Required Science facility Level 3 Cost 250 250 333 Required Science facility

References

Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft/Brood War v • e

Infantry SCV Marine Firebat Medic (BW) Ghost Ground vehicles Vulture Goliath Siege tank Air units Wraith Dropship Valkyrie (BW) Science vessel Battlecruiser Basic buildings Command center ComSat station Nuclear silo Supply depot Engineering bay Barracks Refinery Missile turret Academy Bunker Advanced buildings Factory Machine shop Armory Starport Control tower Science facility Physics lab Covert ops Other Nuclear missile Spider mine Scrapped units Cargo ship Merc biker Mercenary gunship Raider Spysat Scrapped buildings Cantina Dry docks Power station Repair bay Star base