Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Guide

Starcraft 2
Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Guide
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Starcraft 2 Dark Templar - Introduction

In the latest installment of our Protoss multiplayer guide for Starcraft 2, we examine the Dark Templar.

The Dark Templars were once banished from the ranks of the Protoss for refusing to submit to the communal mind, but desperate times have seen them rejoin their former brethren on the battlefield. However, their time away led them into dealing with some of the darkest powers of the Universe, leaving them forever changed. In this installment of our unit-by-unit guide to the Protoss race in Starcraft 2, we’ll take an in-depth look at these shadowy masters of infiltration, and show you how they can help deceive your opponents, be they Terran, Zerg or Protoss.

SC2 Protoss Dark Templar Vital Statistics

Production and Properties:

  • Minerals: 125
  • Gas: 125
  • Supply: 2
  • Build Time: 55 secs
  • Produced By: Gateway
  • Requires: Dark Shrine
  • Hotkey: D
  • Max Energy: 0

Movement and Protection:

  • Speed: 2.81
  • Acceleration: 1,000
  • Hit Points: 40
  • Shields: 80
  • Armor: 1
  • Armor Type: Biological, Psionic, Light

Weaponry:

Warp Blades

  • Ground Attack
  • Attacks: 1
  • Range: 1
  • Damage: 45

SC2 Protoss Dark Templar Upgrades and Abilities

Upgrades:

Shields 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Protoss units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 200, Gas: 200, Time: 140 secs)

  • Level 2: (Minerals: 300, Gas: 300, Time: 170 secs)

  • Level 3: (Minerals: 400, Gas: 400, Time: 200 secs)

  • Required: Twilight Council

Ground Weapons 1-3 (Upgrade for all Protoss ground units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)
  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 170 secs)
  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 200 secs)
  • Required: Twilight Council

Ground Armor 1-3 (Upgrade for all Protoss ground units)

  • Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)

  • Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 170 secs)

  • Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 200 secs)

  • Required: Twilight Council

Abilities:

  • Permanently Cloaked: The Dark Templar unit becomes permanently cloaked from the enemy.
  • Archon Warp: Two Dark or High Templars sacrifice themselves to create an Archon unit.
  • Type: Command
  • Cast Time: 17 secs

Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Tips and Tricks

Starcraft 2 Dark Templar

Strong Against:

Vulnerable To:

Protoss vs Protoss

The Dark Templar’s permanent Cloaking makes it the ideal unit for fast raids to destroy poorly protected resources and bases, but Photon Cannons allied with Observer units will give the game away, so shy away from attempting anything with those units present. Keep the enemy guessing by deploying Dark Templars via Warp Gates, but beware of the heavily shielded Immortal who can take pretty much whatever the Dark Templars can dish out.

Protoss vs Terran

Dark Templars are great for massacring low health units like Marines, but are pretty fragile themselves. As with other cloaked units, the Terran Ghost and its EMP round can spell game over if the occasional shimmer reveals the presence of your Dark Templar to your opponent - once revealed, a Dark Templar is unlikely to last long in the open.

Protoss vs Zerg

You can quickly dispatch Zergelings and Drones to damage your enemy’s economy with the Dark Templar, but the Zerg have several options for revealing your location. Overseers stationed at Zerg bases will make a raid impractical, while they can also cast Fungal Growth to dump your Dark Templar units out of their cloak and leave them open to rapid destruction.

Conclusion

The Starcraft 2 Dark Templar is at its most effective when deployed against massed ranks of conventional units, where the combination of its cloaking and Warp Blade can shred formations in a matter of moments. The Protoss Dark Templar is a unit that needs to be employed with great care, though, so closely monitor your opponent’s detection abilities and tailor your strategy accordingly.