Patch #8 HotS beta

[The_Blade]

Terran:

Medivac:
>>[New Ability] Emergency Thrusters:

-Speed boost that increases movement speed and acceleration to 4.25 for 8 seconds.
-20 second cooldown.

>>[New Upgrade] Medivac’s Caduceus Reactor:

-Upgrade at the Starport Tech Lab.
-Health restored per second from 9 to 15.
-Energy cost reduced from 3 health per 1 energy to 5 health per 1 energy.
-Costs increased from 100/100 and 80 seconds to 150/150 and 110 seconds.

Reaper:
>>Base speed increased from 2.95 to 3.375
>>Upgraded speed increased from 3.84 to 4.25.

Widow Mine:
>>No longer hits cloaked units.
>>[New upgrade] Drilling Claws:

-Decreases burrow time from 3 to 1 second.
-Requires Tech Lab and Armory.
-Costs 150/150, 110 second research time.

Thor:
>>250mm Strike Cannons has been removed.
>>The Thor can now switch between two modes:

-The mode shift takes 4 seconds.
-[mode #1] High-Impact Payload:

--The Thor switches to a different anti-air gun (250mm Punisher Cannons) that has 10 range and deals 24 flat damage.

-[mode #2] Explosive Payload:

-- Regular Thor air and ground weapons.

>>Thor radius, inner radius, and separation radius increased from 0.8215 to 1.

Raven:
>>Seeker Missile has been redesigned:

-Can now fire from 10 range.
-Missile comes out and stays immobile in front of the Raven for 3 seconds while charging up, then rapidly moves (it’s not dodgeable at this point) and explodes at the target for 300 single target damage.
-Targeted unit lights up red when targeted.
-If the unit moves 13 range out of where the Seeker Missile is, the Missile fizzles.

Hellbat:
>>Splash damage radius increased from 90 to 110.

Armory:
>>The Armory now only has one weapon and one armor upgrade for both air and ground upgrades for both Factory and Starport units.

Protoss:

Mothership:
>>Recall now functions as it does with the Mothership Core.
>>Vortex now kills a single target and does not affect massive units.

Mothership Core:
>>No longer massive.

Oracle:
>>Pulsar Beam:

-Now called “Activate Pulsar Beam” and “Deactivate Pulsar Beam”.
-When activated, the Oracle’s Pulsar Beam is enabled.
-Weapon deals 15+10 light.
-Weapon period changed to 0.86, down from 1.
-Weapon range reduced to 4.
-Energy drain is now 4 per second.

>>Build time increased to 50, up from 35.

Phoenix:
>>Range increased from 4 to 5.
>>Upgrade still grants +2 range.

Dark Shrine:
>>Cost is now 100/100, down from 100/250.

Tempest:
>>Now requires Fleet Beacon.
>>Attacks with two weapons.

-The primary weapon, Kinetic Overload, hits air units and remains unchanged. -The secondary weapon, Resonance Coil, hits ground units, and does not deal bonus damage to massive units.

>>Build time is now 60, down from 75.

Void Ray:
>>Prismatic Beam:

-No longer charges up.
-Weapon period decreased from 0.6 to 0.5.
-No longer does passive +massive damage.

>>[New Ability] Prismatic Alignment:

-Increases damage to armored units by 6 for 20 seconds, with a 1 minute cooldown.
-This does not scale with upgrades.

Zerg

Hydralisk:
>>Speed upgrade now requires Lair tech.

Mutalisk:
>>Speed increased from 3.75 to 4.
>>Acceleration stays at 3.5.

Swarm Host:
>>Health increased from 120 to 160.

Infestor:
>>Fungal Growth:

-Is now a projectile.
-Speed of the projectile is 10.
-Range down to 8 from 9.

>>Infested Terrans:

-No longer gain weapon and armor upgrades.
-Infested Terran egg health down to 70.

Ultralisk:
>>Burrow Charge has been removed.
>>Damage changed from 15+20 armored to 35 flat damage.

Viper:
>>Health increased from 120 to 150.

A pretty heavy change for HotS IMO. What do you guys think?

[Kimera757]

I don't see this on the RSS feed. Where did you get this from?

[The_Blade]

I don't see this on the RSS feed. Where did you get this from?

They did not posted this directly on the feed. They posted it on the forums and linked it to the "StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Beta Patch 2.0.2" under "Balance".

[Kimera757]

I see now. I have to analyze this stuff now.

[MulletBen]

My theory is Blizzard buffed Ultras so they wouldn't5 have to change the part of their guide that says Archons are weak against Ultras.

[Pr0nogo]

At the very least, Lizard ought to include the implemented but unused units/abilities in the editor. I don't know if they're going to do that, though.

[sandwich_bird]

This is amazing... Need to go test it out!

EDIT: Wait a minute...

Raven:
>>Seeker Missile has been redesigned:

-Can now fire from 10 range.
-Missile comes out and stays immobile in front of the Raven for 3 seconds while charging up, then rapidly moves (it’s not dodgeable at this point) and explodes at the target for 300 single target damage.
-Targeted unit lights up red when targeted.
-If the unit moves 13 range out of where the Seeker Missile is, the Missile fizzles.

Nevermind, this is retarded. When will you learn Blizzard? Single target charge up attacks are freaking useless! Remember your Thor ability? It doesn't matter if this one has 10 range or not, it's garbage.

EDIT 2: Wait...

If this can target buildings though... Might actually be decent...

EDIT 3: Wait...

Vortex change is just wtf?

[Quirel]

Might as well rename the Seeker Drone "Yamato Gun".

Some of this update sounds good, but I'm iffy about the Thor, Mothership, and Seeker Drone.

[DemolitionSquid]

WHOA.

The game is due in just a few months and they drop this patch? It changes everything!

You don't design like this. You change 1-3 things at a time to test them in a controlled environment. Now they've completely changed the environment too. I think they've finally snapped.

100 gas Dark Shrine?

Might as well rename the Seeker Drone "Yamato Gun".

So much for no clone abilities. My heart can't take this.

[Pr0nogo]

Wait wait, what, wait, what, WHAT, WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT!?!?

VORTEX IS JUST AN INSTANT FUCKING KILL?