In-Depth Guide to Starcraft 2 Terran Buildings & Structures

In-Depth Guide to Starcraft 2 Terran Buildings & Structures
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In this next part of our total guide to the Terran forces in Starcraft 2 multiplayer, Bright Hub examines all of those important Terran building units and structures.

While the Terrans may not have the technological superiority of the Protoss or the biological resources of the Zerg race, they do have a fairly well balanced tech tree, allowing them to get vital units produced at the right time. Key to exploiting the available resources on a multiplayer map as Terran in Starcraft 2 is using the mobility and cargo capacity of your central Command buildings to ferry worker SCVs quickly to the scene and get harvesting. This guide will help you develop a healthy and balanced network of production facilities, bases and research centers to create the perfect build order for your Terran army, with a comprehensive reference for every Terran building units vital stats, Abilities, Upgrades and Researches.

Command Center

The Command Center is the core of any Terran base. Producing the resource-gathering SCVs, the Terran Command Center has the added flexibility of being able to move aerially and load up to five SCVs in its bay, allowing a Terran player to rapidly exploit newly discovered Mineral Fields and Gas Geysers.

Minerals: 400

Gas: -

Build Time: 100 secs

Health: 1500

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Produces: SCV

Required: -

Abilities

Lift Off

Type: Command

The Command Center Unit can take to the air and relocate to a new area.

Load

Type: Command

The Command Center Unit can load up to 5 SCVs to transport when airborne.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Supply Depot

Starcraft 2 Terran Supply Depot

The Supply Depot is the main focus for all Terran resource exploitation.

Minerals: 100

Gas: -

Build Time: 30 secs

Health: 350

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: -

Abilities

Lower: the Supply Depot unit will lower itself into the ground to allow ground troops to pass over it.

Type: Command

Raise: The Supply Depot unit will rise up out of the ground to prevent the passage of ground units

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Refinery

Starcraft 2 Terran Refinery

The Refinery processes Vespene Gas into usable resources for Terran armies.

Minerals: 75

Gas: -

Build Time: 30 secs

Health: 500

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: -

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Barracks

Starcraft 2 Terran Barracks

The production hub for ground infantry units.

Minerals: 150

Gas: -

Build Time: 60 secs

Health: 1000

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Produces: Ghost, Marauder, Marine, Reaper

Required: Command Center

Abilities

Lift Off

Type: Command

The Barracks Unit can take to the air and relocate to a new area.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Orbital Command

Starcraft 2 Terran Orbital Command

The Orbital Command is an upgraded Command Center with a Scanner detection system and a satellite upload link for calling in emergency supply and MULE vehicle drops.

Minerals: 150

Gas: -

Build Time: 35 secs

Health: 1500

Energy: 200

Armor: 1

Required: Command Center, Barracks

Abilities

Lift Off

Type: Command

The Orbital Command Unit can take to the air and relocate to a new area.

Scanner Sweep

Type: Command

Energy: 50

Duration: 12 secs

The Orbital Command unit will sensor sweep an area of the battlefield which will reveal the presnce of any burrowing or cloaked units.

Calldown: MULE

Type: Command

Energy: 50

Duration: 90 secs

Cast Time: 6 secs

The Orbital Command unit calls in a MULE drone to a targeted Mineral Field. The MULE will proceed to gather Minerals at a far faster pace than an SCV for the duration.

Calldown: Extra Supplies

Type: Command

Energy: 50

The Orbital Command unit calls in an emergency supply drop on a targeted Supply Depot, permanently increasing its ouput by a total of +8.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Planetary Fortress

Starcraft 2 Terran Planetary Fortress

Another upgrade route for the Command Center, this building unit packs a powerful punch against ground units with its twin cannons.

Minerals: 150

Gas: 150

Build Time: 50 secs

Health: 1500

Energy: -

Armor: 3

Required: Command Center, Engineering Bay

Weapons

Twin Ibiks Cannons

  • Ground Attack
  • Attacks: 1
  • Range: 6
  • Damage: 40

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Hi-Sec Auto Tracking

  • (Minerals: 100, gas: 100, Time: 80 secs)

This Upgrade will add a +1 Range to the following units: Auto-Turrets, Point Defense Drones, Missile Turrets, Planetary Fortesses.

Engineering Bay

Starcraft 2 Terran Engineering Bay

The Engineering Bay is the hub for Research into infantry-based Upgrades.

Minerals: 125

Gas: -

Build Time: 35 secs

Health: 850

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required:

Upgrades

Building Armor

(Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Researches

Infantry Weapons 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Terran infantry units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 160 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 190 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 220 secs)
  • Required: Armory

Infantry Armor 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Terran infantry units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 160 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 190 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 220 secs)
  • Required: Armory

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Hi-Sec Auto Tracking

  • (Minerals: 100, gas: 100, Time: 80 secs)

This Upgrade will add a +1 Range to the following units: Auto-Turrets, Point Defense Drones, Missile Turrets, Planetary Fortesses.

Neosteel Frames

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 110 secs)

This upgrade increases the cargo space available in Bunkers, Command Centers and Planetary Fortresses.

Bunker

Starcraft 2 Terran Bunker

Bunkers act as defensive outposts, providing protection to Terran infantry units.

Minerals: 100

Gas: -

Build Time: 30 secs

Health: 400

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: Barracks

Abilities

Salvage

Type Command

Duration: 3 secs

This command will destroy the Bunker unit and return 100% of its Gas and Mineral value. Once triggered it cannot be halted.

Load

Type: Command

The Bunker Unit can load up to 4 Units (6 with Neosteel Frames Upgrade) to protect against attack.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Neosteel Frames

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 110 secs)

This upgrade increases the cargo space available in Bunkers, Command Centers and Planetary Fortresses.

Missile Turret

Starcraft 2 Terran Missile Turret

Performing air defense duties for Terran bases, the Missile Turret is able to detect hidden enemies as well.

Minerals: 100

Gas: -

Build Time: 25 secs

Health: 250

Energy: -

Armor: 0

Required: Engineering Bay

Weapons

Longbolt Missile

  • Air Attack
  • Attacks: 2
  • Range: 7
  • damage: 12

Abilities

Detector: The Missile Turret unit can detect the presence of burrowing, cloaked and hallucinated enemy units.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Hi-Sec Auto Tracking

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 80 secs)

This Upgrade will add a +1 Range to the following units: Auto-Turrets, Point Defense Drones, Missile Turrets, Planetary Fortesses.

Neosteel Frames

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 110 secs)

This upgrade increases the cargo space available in Bunkers, Command Centers and Planetary Fortresses.

Sensor Tower

Starcraft 2 Terran Sensor Tower

The Sensor Tower can provide Terran players with important intel on enemy troop movements otherwise obscured by the fog of war.

Minerals: 125

Gas: 100

Build Time: 25 secs

Health: 200

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: Engineering Bay

Abilities

Radar: The Sensor Tower unit can indicate enemy troop movements up to a 30 Range.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Factory

Starcraft 2 Terran Factory

The Factory is the Production hub for the heavier and armored Terran ground units.

Minerals: 150

Gas: 100

Build Time: 60 secs

Health: 1250

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Produces: Hellion, Siege Tank, Thor

Required: Barracks

Abilities

Lift Off

Type: Command

The Command Unit can take to the air and relocate to a new area.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Ghost Academy

Starcraft 2 Terran Ghost Academy

Dedicated Research structure for the Terran Ghost class of unit.

Minerals: 150

Gas: 50

Build Time: 40 secs

Health: 1250

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required:

Upgrades

Building Armor

(Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Researches

Personal Cloaking

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 120 secs)

This Upgrade allows Ghost units the Cloak Ability.

Moebius Reactor

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 80 secs)

This Upgrade increases Ghost units starting Energy by +25.

Arm Silo With Nuke

(Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 60 secs)

This Upgrade allows a Ghost Unit to call in a Tactical Nuke.

Armory

Starcraft 2 Terran Armory

The Armory researches Upgrades for Terran vehicle and ship unit weaponry and armor.

Minerals: 150

Gas: 100

Build Time: 65 secs

Health: 750

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: Factory

Upgrades

Building Armor

(Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Researches

Vehicle Weapons 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Terran vehicle units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 160 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 190 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 220 secs)
  • Required: Factory

Vehicle Plating 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Terran vehicle units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 160 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 190 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 220 secs)
  • Required: Factory

Ship Weapons 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Terran ship units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 160 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 190 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 220 secs)
  • Required: Starport

Ship Plating 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Terran ship units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 160 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 225, Gas: 225, Time: 190 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 300, Gas: 300, Time: 220 secs)
  • Required: Starport

Starport

Starcraft 2 Terran Starport

A vital late-game production facility, spitting out aerial units for the Terran forces, including the mighty Battlecruiser.

Minerals: 150

Gas: 100

Build Time: 50 secs

Health: 1300

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Produces: Banshee, Battlecruiser, Medivac, Raven, Viking

Required: Factory

Abilities

Lift Off

Type: Command

The Starport Unit can take to the air and relocate to a new area.

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Fusion Core

Starcraft 2 Terran Fusion Core

A building unit dedicated to researching upgrades for the Battlecruiser unit.

Minerals: 150

Gas: 150

Build Time: 65 secs

Health: 750

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: Starport

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Researches

Behemoth Reactor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 80 secs)

This Upgrade increases a Battlecruiser’s starting energy by 25.

Weapon Refit

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time; 60 secs)

This Upgrade unlocks the powerful ability Yamato Cannon.

Tech Lab

Starcraft 2 Terran Tech Lab

Tech Labs are multi-purpose units that can be attached to either Barracks, Factories or Starports, and can then Research Upgrades for the classes of units produced by those particular structures.

Minerals: 50

Gas: 25

Build Time: 25 secs

Health: 400

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: Barracks, Factory, Starport

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Researches

Stimpack (Upgrade for Marine unit)

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)

Combat Shield (Upgrade for Marine unit)

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 110 secs)

Infernal Pre-Igniter (Upgrade for Hellion unit)

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 110 secs)

Siege Tech (Upgrade for Siege Tank unit)

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 80 secs)

Corvid Reactor ( Increase to Raven unit starting Energy of 25)

  • (MInerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 110 secs)

Seeker Missile (Upgrade for Raven unit)

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 110 secs)
  • Required: Fusion Core

Caduceus Reactor (Increases starting Energy of Medivac by a value of +25)

  • (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 80 secs)

Cloaking Field (Upgrade for Banshee unit)

  • (MInerals: 200, Gas: 200, Time: 110 secs)
  • Required: Fusion Core

Nitro Packs (Upgrade for Reaper Unit)

  • (Minerals: 50, Gas: 50, Time: 100 secs)

Concussive Shells (Upgrade for Marauder unit)

  • (Minerals: 50, Gas: 50, Time: 60 secs)

250mm Strike Cannons (Upgrade for Thor unit)

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 110 secs)

Reactor

Starcraft 2 Terran Reactor

When attached to any one of a Barracks, Factory or Starport, the Reactor doubles the production capacity and allows for two production queues at once, although the individual unit costs remain the same.

Minerals: 50

Gas: 50

Build Time: 50 secs

Health: 400

Energy: -

Armor: 1

Required: Barracks, Factory, Starport

Upgrades

Building Armor

  • (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 140 secs)

Upgrades building units armor by 2 points.

Conclusion

The Terran building units may seem fairly staid and functional, but what they sacrifice in aesthetic appeal they make up for when it comes to pumping out those units at a regular rate in the heat of battle. Absorb the info in this article, and you’ll soon have a solid understanding of the essential stats, Upgrades and Researches from each of these buildings and structures, helping you form a cohesive plan to march towards Starcraft 2 multiplayer domination on Battle.net.

This post is part of the series: The Complete Starcraft 2 Building Units Guide

Bright Hub has compiled one of the most indepth guides to all the available Building Units and Structures for Terran, Protoss and Zerg players in Starcraft 2 online multiplayer available anywhere on the Web. Each article has all the stats, Upgrades, Abilities and Researches info you need for SC2.

  1. Guide to Terran Buildings in Starcraft 2
  2. The Complete Starcraft 2 Protoss Building Units Guide
  3. The Complete Starcraft 2 Zerg Building Units Guide