The tech lab is a terranadd-on in StarCraft II. It allows attached production structures to build advanced units, and provides some upgrades for those units.
A structure may not be attached to both a reactor and tech lab simultaneously.
The tech lab provided the advanced facilities needed to store the medpacks used by medics. During the Second Great War, Remedius Medical Systems developed a medpack storage facility that could be placed within barracks without the need for a tech lab.[1]
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.
Increases the hellion's attack damage by +5 (to +11) vs light units and the hellbat's attack damage by +12 vs light units. The flame changes to a blue color.
The flame color on the icon was changed to blue in patch 1.3.5.
The thor attacks an enemy ground unit or structure using the cannons on its back. The target unit is stunned for the duration and takes 500 damage. The thor cannot move or attack when using the ability.
Missile comes out and stays immobile in front of the Raven for 4 seconds while charging up, then rapidly moves (it’s not dodgeable at this point) and explodes at the target, causing 100 damage to target plus splash damage. Targeted unit lights up red when targeted. If the unit moves 13 range out of where the Seeker Missile is, the missile fizzles.
The missile cannot target buildings.
Usage
Hotkey
R
Cost
125
Range
10
Duration
14 (increased to 20 with Durable Materials upgrade) (WoL)
4 (HotS/LotV)
In StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, tech labs can be upgraded to double as a reactor. This costs 25 protoss research points.[3] Also, tech labs only serve to allow you to build the more advanced units. Upgrades that are normally researched through the tech lab in melee games are instead researched in the armory on the Hyperion and some are already pre-researched (such as the banshee's cloak and the siege tank's siege mode).[1]
Development
In early builds the tech lab researched upgrades and special abilities for some units, but these upgrades were transferred to merc compound, armory and fusion core. Currently the tech lab is responsible to research armor and weapon upgrades for the units.
Used to increase the marine attack range like in StarCraft I.[4] On the actual build, the marine no longer need this upgrade, the attack range is already 5 when built.[5]
"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%."
The Nomad (later Vulkan and Nighthawk, now Raven) had this ability along with another unknown ability[9] at BlizzCon 2007. The ability is no longer in the game.
Building Abilities
Salvage
Removes the structure and returns 75% of the structure's mineral and vespene gas cost. The process may not be aborted once started. A bunker cannot be salvaged while units are still in it.