The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II which is no longer valid.
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The TF-620 Nomad is a terran support craft. They have been said to "look like a floating construction crane that's been bent into a square."[1]
Overview[]
Nomad schematics
The nomad is a versatile craft which combines the functions of a light manufacturing center and observation post. A common sight amongst the colonies of the Fringe Worlds, the nomad is built to operate in all but the harshest climates. Although the nomad shares a number of common traits with the SCV (its smaller 'cousin'), the Nomad is a far more specialized and advanced engineering craft.[2]
Nomads are normally employed for first-line colony surveillance and protection duties against dangerous local life forms or climate events. These vehicles boast a wide array of sensors delicate enough to detect even cloaked or burrowed enemies. By deploying its two aft-mounted nano-welders, the nomad can construct a variety of small, semi-permanent defensive structures to meet various threats in a matter of moments.[2]
Several standard template constructions are available to the nomad, a popular example being the auto-turret.[2] While in flight, working arms located at the rear of the craft retract into pods. The pods themselves can move along the side of the craft for repair or production.[3]
The Terran Dominion initially provided Nomads to give low-level protection to its most isolated outposts, typically manning them with local civilians as something akin to a volunteer fire truck or ambulance service. Over time the military support applications of the nomad have seen it deployed in escalating levels of conflict, gradually replacing the older and vastly costlier science vessel.[2]
Game Unit[]
The Nomad's portrait texture
The Nomad was originally a terran unit in StarCraft II, but it was felt that it looked too low-tech for its role.[4] It was redesigned by March 2008[5][6] before later being replaced with the Vulkan[7][8] by September, which was renamed the Nighthawk[9] shortly after and finally the Raven by May 2009. However, Nomad wreckages can be found on maps such as Blistering Sands and Desert Oasis, and doodads of Nomad wrecks can be used in the map editor.[10] The Nomad model can also be found in the StarCraft II map editor.[11]
Abilities[]
The Nomad was introduced in August 2007 with EMP, functioning similarly to the science vessel's ability; Defensive Matrix, which had an area-of-effect as described below; and an auto-repair ability that targeted flying units,[12] eventually revealed as Nano-Repair. By November, it was confirmed to be a detector and could deploy auto-turrets while EMP was moved to the ghost.[13][14] Auto-turrets could only hit ground and the Nomad could have potentially constructed other things.[15]
Nomads had the ability able to produce mine drones in February 2008.[16] In March, auto-turrets costed gas instead of energy.[5] By May, mine drones were replaced with spider mines,[17] which cost 15 energy each, and Targeting Drones replaced Nano-Repair and Defensive Matrix by July.[18] The drones cost 50 energy and, in addition to its effects, provided vision around the unit.[19] This ability also replaced Seismic Thumper.[20] The official redesign for the Nomad was announced in August.[21]
Nano-Repair, Spider Mines, Mine Drones, and Auto-Turrets may have been abilities used by the guardian, a possible predecessor to the Nomad.
Below are details concerning the Nomad's abilities:[18]
Nano-repair
- Nano-Repair[22][23]
- Starting ability
- Cost: 75
- Hotkey: R
- "Instantly repairs a friendly mechanical unit for 200 hitpoints."
- Defensive Matrix Field[24]
- Researched at: Tech Lab
- Research Cost: 150 150 110 seconds
- Hotkey: D
- Research description: "Allows the Nomad to use the Defensive Matrix Field ability. Defensive Matrix Field creates a damage suppression field at target location which reduces all incoming damage by 50%."
- Usage cost: Unknown
The defensive matrix reduced incoming damage by 50%[1] to all units within an area of effect,[25] including enemy ones,[26] rather than the version used by the science vessel.[27]
At BlizzCon 2007, the Nomad had a third unknown ability[24] that needed to be researched.[22] This could have been a different ability from EMP, Defensive Matrix Field, and Nano-Repair.
- Seismic Thumper
The Seismic Thumper was a Nomad ability which was not available in the BlizzCon 2008 build. It slowed down ground units by 50%[20] and prevented zerg from burrowing.[28][20] The seismic thumper may have been a precursor to the psi disrupter structure in the Wings of Liberty campaign.[20]
Targeting drones are flying units[29][18] which shine a laser on an enemy unit, giving a +50% damage boost to targeted units.[30] Only one drone can target one unit at a time.[29] The drone is cloaked.[31][29] The targeting laser can be seen even without the use of detectors.[32] |
  Targeting drone |
The Raven's spider mines function much like their equivalent in StarCraft I, but they are unlimited in quantity. Each mine does 50 damage plus an additional 50 damage against armored units. They are effective against massed tier 1 units, such as zerglings or zealots.[17] |
Notes[]
Nomad concept art
- Blizzard began work on a game called Nomad shortly after they completed StarCraft[33] (according to some sources, development began during that of StarCraft).[34]
- When viewed in the map editor, texture files for the Nomad's portrait have user interface icons on one of its screens. The icons are for the Lift-Off, Load, Lockdown, Cloak, and Maelstrom abilities from the original StarCraft, and the Hercules dropship's Rapid Deployment ability from Wings of Liberty.
- The Nomad's model was reused by the port junker.[35]
References[]
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