Overview
An Arclite Siege TankStatic defenses are strong but hard to relocate. The Siege Tank fixes this by mounting a large artillery cannon on treads, allowing both mobility and firepower. The Siege Tank has two modes of operation. In "tank" mode, the Siege Tank uses its twin plasma cannons to support troops. The Siege Tank can raise its hull and reveal a pair of support legs to convert to "Siege Mode", utilizing a much higher caliber artillery cannon. The AAV-5 Arclite was the Siege Tank model used during the Brood War. Afterwards, the Arclite was replaced by the new Crucio Siege Tank.
StarCraft
| AAV-5 Arclite Siege Tank | Stats | Siege Mode |
|---|
| Race | Terran | Same |
| Type | Ground-mechanical-large | Same |
| Role | Armored support and mobile artilery | Defensive artilery |
| Armament | Twin 80mm PPG-7 Plasma Cannons | 120mm Shock Cannon |
| Resources | 150 minerals, 100 gas | - - |
| Supply | 2 units | Same |
| Transport slots | 4 | - - |
| Build time | 50 sec | - - |
| Hit points | 150 | Same |
| Armor | 1 (+ 1 per Vehicle Plating upgrade) | Same |
| Attack (ground) | 30 explosive (+ 3 per Vehicle Weapons upgrade) | 70 explosive + splash (+ 5 per Vehicle Weapons upgrade) |
| Cool down | 37 | 75 |
| Attack range | 7 | 12 |
| Sight range | 10 | Same |
| Movement speed | Slow | None |
| Built at | Factory | - - |
| Requires | Machine Shop | Research "Siege Mode" |
| Hotkey | T | - - |
| Build dialogue | "Ready to roll out!" | - - |
The Siege Tank is the backbone of the Terran mechanized army and the basis of the tried and true Terran "Mech" composition. In tank mode, the Siege Tank is relatively weak, unable to do much damage to anything. In Siege Mode, the Siege Tank becomes a potent killer, boasting the longest range and highest damage of any unit in the game. In numbers, Siege Tanks will decimate large armies in seconds. However, Siege Mode has a minimum range and requires support units to prevent enemies from closing in. Siege Tanks cannot attack air units and therefore require anti-air support. Siege Tanks are frequently paired with Vultures; the Siege Tanks provide the firepower while Vultures serve as protection. The Goliath is another common support unit should air units and can replace Vultures due to their greater hit points.
Against Protoss, Siege Tanks are further supplemented with Science Vessels; their EMP ability strips energy and shields, protecting the Tanks from the Protoss' powerful spellcasters. Because mobility is key, Siege Tanks are often loaded into Dropships in a Terran mirror matchup. The Dropship allows the Siege Tank to assert map control and reinforce areas quickly. Against Zerg, Siege Tanks can attack through the Defiler's Dark Swarm, making the Tank a popular transition.
StarCraft Ghost
Artillery SupportIn the cancelled StarCraft Ghost, Nova can pinpoint targets for Siege Tanks to rain artillery barrages on. The Siege Tank was also a multiplayer drive-able vehicle.
StarCraft II
The new Crucio Siege TankFollowing Brood War, deficiencies in the Arclite have lead to the new Crucio Siege Tank. The Crucio sports increased armor and firepower. Both tank mode and siege mode cannons have been upgraded to higher caliber weapons. The increase in firepower comes at price however; the Crucio is more expensive and more difficult to maintain.
| Crucio Siege Tank | Stats | Siege Mode |
|---|
| Race | Terran | Same |
| Type | Ground-mechanical-armored | Same |
| Role | Armored support and mobile artilery | Defensive artilery |
| Armament | Twin 90mm plasma cannons | 180mm Shock Cannon |
| Resources | 150 minerals, 125 gas | - - |
| Supply | 3 units | Same |
| Transport slots | 4 | - - |
| Build time | 45 sec | - - |
| Hit points | 160 | Same |
| Armor | 1 (+ 1 per Vehicle Plating upgrade) | Same |
| Attack (ground) | 15 (+10 vs armored) (+ 2 per Vehicle Weapons upgrade/ + 1 per vs armored) | 35 (+15 vs armored) (+3 per Vehicle Weapons Upgrade/ +2 per vs armored) |
| Cool down | 1.04 sec | 3 sec |
| Attack range | 7 | 2-13 |
| Sight range | 11 | Same |
| Movement speed | 2.25 | None |
| Built at | Factory | - - |
| Requires | Tech Lab | Research "Siege Mode" |
| Hotkey | S | - - |
| Build dialogue | "Ready to roll out!", "Fueled up and ready to go!" | - - |
Due to improvements in Starcraft II AI, the Siege Tank is much more effective in Starcraft II and remains one of the most deadly units in the Terran arsenal. The Siege Tank no longer overkills and will prioritize armored and spellcaster units. In tank mode, the Siege Tank actually does more damage per second against armored units than in Siege Mode. However the increased cost and supply makes it harder to deploy. The Siege Tank did 50 damage in Siege Mode before a patch changed it to 35 (+15 vs armored). Siege Tanks are supplemented by Marines and depending on the situation, Vikings.
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