Carrier
Carrier
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4Description[edit]
The Carrier is a late-game Protoss air unit that is produced from the Stargate. Building it requires a Fleet Beacon.
Carriers launch unique air units, Interceptors, which allow them to attack. Interceptors must be constructed individually, adding additional cost and build time. They are all destroyed if the Carrier itself is destroyed.
While Interceptors are only deployable at 8 range, they still attack when the Carrier itself is located at up to 12 range, called the leash range. This makes Carriers the longest ranged Protoss units in the game.
There are a few notable quirks:
- Interceptors can't return while the Carrier is moving. Therefore, one common maneuver is to target a friendly unit or building momentarily before a battle, then move the Carrier. All of the Interceptors will stay outside the Carrier, allowing them to engage the enemy faster when battle begins.
- Interceptors restore all shields and regenerate 12 hitpoints per second when they return to the Carrier. They will only relaunch when fully healed, which may delay Plagued Interceptors from relaunching.
- Interceptors are immune to splash damage from the Valkyrie and Corsair. This, along with the high base armor of the Carrier, makes the Valkyrie and Corsair ineffective against the Carrier.
- Recently, stop-hold micro was discovered, allowing Carriers to target multiple units at once. This is a situational maneuver that allows Carriers to minimize overkill damage from having all Interceptors target a single unit.
It is always better to get the +1/+2/+3 air weapons upgrades over air armor or shield upgrades for Carriers, as each Carrier will deal +1 damage for each Interceptor it has.
In the current competitive metagame, the Carrier is most seen against Terran when the map favors Carriers over Arbiters. It sees comparatively rare play against Protoss and Zerg.
Upgrades[edit]
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Abilities[edit]
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Competitive Usage[edit]
versus Zerg[edit]
Carriers are rarely seen in PvZ, mainly due to the very high effectiveness of Hydralisks, especially when used in conjunction with the Defiler's Dark Swarm and Plague. Additionally, Scourge may be used to dwindle small numbers of Carriers.
versus Terran[edit]
Carriers are most seen in late-game PvT when the map is better suited for their use than Arbiters. A Terran player who sees Carrier tech will generally mass Goliaths, while the Protoss player will complement the Carriers with Dragoons. However, Goliaths may struggle on maps without wide open areas, making Goliath pathing cumbersome. Carriers are used to help break Terran positions, often targeting Tanks so that the ground force can break through. As Carriers have 12 leash range, they are are able to stay back and pick off Turrets, SCVs, and Goliaths to gain an advantage.
Carriers are considered almost unstoppable in mass numbers. 9+ Carriers are enough to break any defensive line. Therefore, before Carriers are massed, Terran players will try to end the game via a timing attack with Factory units. The initial investment in the Carrier tech causes the Protoss player to have a weakened army in the meantime. This is the best time for the Terran player to push and win.
In the current professional metagame, Battlecruisers are not a proper answer to Carriers. While two Yamato Gun shots destroy a Carrier, the Battlecruiser's slow speed makes it vulnerable to Psionic Storm from High Templars, and Stasis Field from Arbiters. Science Vessels have EMP Shockwave, but the gas requirement is considered too costly to be viable.
versus Protoss[edit]
Carriers are uncommonly seen in PvP, as they are vulnerable to Protoss spells, such as Psionic Storm, Stasis Field, and even Mind Control.