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More than 2 weeks have passed since the last unit update on StarCraft2.com. Today’s update deals with one of the units with knew the least about - the Terran Nomad.
The Nomad is, basically, a poor-man’s Science Vessel. Not as sophisticated or pretty, but it does the job of providing detection and other support functions to the Terran army.
The TF-620 nomad is an all-around workhorse that combines the functions of light manufacturing center and observation post rolled into one. A common sight among the fringe-world colonies, the nomad is a robust, air-mobile vehicle built to operate independently in all but the harshest climates. Although the nomad shares a number of common traits with its smaller cousin, the SCV, the nomad is a far more specialized and advanced engineering craft.
The Nomad has a new, distinct ability: it can create various types of turrets and immediately drop them on the battlefield. Currently, we only know of one turret variant: the Auto-Turret.
The mechanics for creating the turret are not yet clear, but we speculate that they might be similar to the way Carriers build interceptors and Reavers build Scarabs. These are manufactured inside the unit, for a cost of minerals, and are then available to be used in combat. However, Karune has mentioned that the Auto-Turrets rely on energy only:
The turrets are dropped by the Nomad (using energy), acting as decent defenses, and even better harassment, if used by a skilled player.
Can the Nomad instantly create its special turrets and drop them on the battlefield without delay? We hope this question gets addressed in a future Q&A batch. Also, since the Nomad is described as a more advanced SCV, another important question to be asked is whether it will be able to repair Terran units and buildings.
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.
The old Science Vessel, a Terran favorite when fighting the Zerg, is out. Can the Nomad provide an adequate replacement? The Science Vessel had many useful qualities and abilities:
- Detection
- Irradiate
- Defensive Matrix
- EMP Shockwave
As of the last update, the Nomad only has two of these - Detection and Defensive Matrix. EMP Shockwave has been relegated to the Ghost, and that leaves one, very important ability orphaned: Irradiate. Irradiate is a devastating ability when used against the Zerg, since all their units are organic, but it’s also a good weapon to have against a Templar-happy Protoss player. In fact, Irradiate was one of the main reasons Terran players teched-up to Science Vessels in StarCraft matches.
Will it be given to the Nomad? Will the new offensive turrets make up for its absence? Will it be added to the Super-Ghost’s arsenal? Time will tell.
Goodbye, Science Vessel!
30 Comments to “New StarCraft 2 Terran Unit Page: The Nomad”
Q&A 24: The Thor’s New Role and the Reaper’s New Home »
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I wonder if the Turrets will be used like “summoned” units in warcraft 3. Maybe the turrets will be cast with mana.
First!
But WHY is it so ugly?
I think its cute.
And may I add, as a humble SCV_Operator, that I hope Blizzard will note impinge on our repair duties with this new unit. If they think the Nomad can muscle in on our turf, lets see how the Terran forces like a picket line of SCVs demanding job security!
I think it will be cooler if the turrets are actually deployed from the nomad. like a dropod or some sort.
Nomad’s color really should look to be more worn off.
1)Why is colored? it looks like a toy…
2) what are its other abilities? it is indeed a poor man’s vessel, in fact its so poor of abilities…
3) where the #%$@!@# did irradiate go?!?
Blizz probably posted the only ability that was confirmed for this unit. The other abilities might currently be swapped to other units for testing. For example, the EMP shockwave was being tested as a Ghost ability only recently. So I guess they only posted the “confirmed” abilities. We’ll see where those testing of them will lead the Nomad.
I am personally not that interested in the nomad as seen so far, which is really a poor man’s science vessel, or a super SCV. And it does look like a toy.
Yes, ugliest unit yet.
the flying clamp.
the unit is so off, I have no idea should it be a big or small unit.
If you look on the unit page, it shows turrets being deployed instantaneously, with no build time shown.
It is ugly. Blizzard, cmon you can do a better job than a ‘u’ shaped ugly vessel
but auto turret is sooooo cool. great work too. put trillions of turrets at the enemy base!
ok just my 2 cents..it looks like a toy. and the turrets also.
Looks interesting to me. Instant deployment of auto-turrets is a useful feature that will allow you to create a temporary defense when need, until you come with reinforcements.
Auto-Turret looks like a toy…
make it a bit more masive 
Nomad - looks nice, i like it
Personaly: NO MORE IRRADIATE!!! HURA!!!!
Long live the ZERG
irridiate is good against the stupid defilers burrowed underground if u r using mass battlecruisers. one plague and that’s it.
Will the Nomad in all of its welding capabilities have “repair” features?
Seems like most of you guys dislike the look of the nomad; but i think it looks good. I think it has its own sort of “class.” I especially like the little effect of how the nomad has “lights” coming from its front. I like the look. Also, i like the way how the turret actually has the bullets showing on its side.
Alright, here’s my worry: that the Nomad will actually be included in the final cut.
Along with the Cobra, I think it is a gross bastardization of the Terran style of construction. Seriously, can anyone see that thing flying next to the Battlecruiser? It’s a butt-ugly flying clamp that looks like a space-age Tonka truck.
I like the abilities so far–AutoTurret is cool and useful, new Defensive Matrix is more interesting than old one, and flying repair is cool. But replacement for the Science Vessel this ISN’T, not in any respect. I very much hope that this isn’t going to be a real Terran unit, or if it is that they give it a complete graphical overhaul.
Seriously, can anyone see that thing flying next to the Battlecruiser?
Speaking in that way.. makes much more sense.
I join the chorus of ‘mehs’ on its looks; however, I think that’s easily fixed. It’s the color scheme that mucks it up, the SHAPE is fine. Re-skin it, make it maybe a bit clunkier (Terran technology = clunky and massive, but STURDY; think Russian tanks) and the u-shape would be fine.
I also hated the original science vessel’s shape, so hey.
I am of two minds about not having irradiate. On the one hand, from what we’ve heard, this game is already too much ’starcraft 1.5′ and not enough ‘Starcraft 2.’ So going in a different direction is neat. Also, Battlecruisers have the Plasma Torpedoes now, which look vastly superior to Irradiate.
On the other hand, the Plasma torps come at the top of the tech tree, and if we ARE gonna have Starcraft 1.5, it might as well have the more USEFUL of the old abilities.
I reserve judgement on auto-turret. I do have to say that it reinforces the idea of the Terrans as kings of infrastructure and battlefield ‘control.’ I can envision an Nomad and a Command Center flying up to an open expansion; Nomad sets up a bunch of auto-turrets, Command Center settles down, drops five SCVs, begins upgrading to Planetery Fortress, three SCVs mine, one builds Vespene gas, one builds a radar dome and a couple missile turrets. Upgrades finish, Nomad no longer needed for defense, flies off. BOOM. Fully functional and well-protected expo in a little under a minute.
I kinda like that.
In response to Mercutio: while I agree with your strategic assessment of the Nomad, I disagree with where it’s supposed to fit in the game. What you’re talking about is a completely different strategic use for the Nomad (which, incidentally, I don’t think is the proper name for it) which is as a quick base startup and reinforcer–which is what the game designers have in mind, which is why I think it has the current look that it does. They’re calling it the “cousin of the SCV,” which makes sense if you’re using it to bolster defenses, etc.
But they’re also trying to pass it off as a spellcaster, which it isn’t; it’s… frankly, it’s too much a cousin of the SCV to make a credible caster in battle, both in its current abilities and especially in its appearance. I think they should give the Nomad some more infrastructure/construction/repair abilities, take away Defensive Matrix and don’t even think about giving that thing Irradiate, and make a new flying caster that’s ready to take on the mantle of Science Vessel equivalency–one that actually looks like it’s supposed to cast spells.
About the loock: loke, comeon… Nomad is a support repering unit, its just an overgown SCV, it does not need to loock as cool as The Banshi, it just has to do the job
About the Nomad role in the game I mainly agree whit Mercutio and Aaron Kaplan, and i will say it agein NO IRRADIATE IS GOOD. In SC zerg vs. terran game, at the end where there are litle resources whit few SV terran can irradiate almost everything, controling only a litle of the map. And that is just not fair
I do believe the Nomad fits on the bow of the battlecruiser therefore making it a connectible super unit called ” the BattleNomad” wuuhuuu!!!!
Mothership, prepare to be raped!!
i think it makes sense for nomad to have some basic construction ablities as well as repair.
e.g) bunkers, turret, surveilience tower, and maybe even a barrack at a faster speed than just one SCV
and..the ultimate question would be “can it build Thor?”
Quoting Lonia:
“i think it makes sense for nomad to have some basic construction ablities as well as repair.
e.g) bunkers, turret, surveilience tower, and maybe even a barrack at a faster speed than just one SCV
and..the ultimate question would be “can it build Thor?””
What if the Nomad can build another Nomad? wow, perpetual multiplicity!!!
What if the Nomad can repair Thor?
That would be monstruous, imagine a non-limit cheap unit (200/200 +/-) that nearly cannot be killed and when disabled, easily reparable by flying units! Jesus!
Hey, Nomad is “a far more specialized and advanced engineering craft.” from Caves
so why the hell not.
i think it looks cool since it is more of a construction ship than a precision science vessel
Man..Nomad’s repair is good esp for battlecruiser fleets. Since SCVs wuld be torn by sunkens and blocked by plateaus…Nomads can do such a better job. And auto turret can be a good way of distrupting economy since its instant and the nomad can fly to watever good position
i do like its look
not the ugliest unit yet theres still the infestor