Ghost

NOTE: This concept page is not to be confused with general ghosts in video games. This wiki page specifically addresses the StarCraft units bearing the title of "Ghost."

Overview

Ghosts are a major asset to the

Terran

military in the

StarCraft

universe, especially when dealing in covert operations. Ghosts are individuals gifted with psionic powers genetically formed at birth and were quarantined by the

Terran Confederacy

and trained through adolescence at a Ghost Academy to become super soldiers. They are trained mainly in stealth and assassination but to also have incredible strength and efficient with operating with many types of advanced technologies. In addition to having abilities such as telepathy and sensing the energy of other lifeforms, Ghosts are given the most advanced equipment and cybernetic enhancements of any infantry type. They can channel energy through their suit and make themselves very fast, agile, and strong as well as being able to cloak themselves. Their C-10 canister rifle is a powerful long range weapon, which also comes with several other abilities such as Lockdown (as in StarCraft) or EMP Shot (as in StarCraft II). Due to the social isolation and harsh psychological training Ghosts must endure at such a young age, the military has also implanted psychic restrictors on them to allow them to maintain a secure level of control over Ghosts and keep them mentally stabile. After

Arcturus Mengsk

wiped out a large group of Confederate Ghosts and the defection of

Sarah Kerrigan

, memory wipes of Ghost's became a standard of the Confederacy in order to brainwash them.

STARCRAFT

Abilities

CLOAKING

: allows the Ghost to be invisible unless detected, while still being able to attack and use other abilities.

Resources: 100 minerals, 100 gas

Research time: 80 sec

Researched at: Covert Ops

Hotkey: C

Energy used: 25 (with 1 per second)

Use key: C

LOCKDOWN

: permanently disables a mechanical unit's movement, attack, abilities and passive abilities such as cloaking or detection.

Resources: 200 minerals, 200 gas

Research time: 100 sec

Researched at: Covert Ops

Hotkey: L

Energy used: 100

Range: 8

Duration: 60 sec

Use key: L

NUCLEAR STRIKE

: launches a nuke, costing 8 supply, built from any nuclear silo onto a selected target. While the nuke is en route the the Ghost cannot move for a brief moment and if he is detected and killed before the nuke hits, the nuke will fail. The location showing where the nuke will hit is displayed as a tiny red dot to all players and an audio alert "Nuclear launch detected" will also be heard by all players. If or when the nuke hits it will inflict massive damage to anything within its area of effect.

Resources: 200 minerals, 200 gas

Activation time: 10 sec

Range: 8 or 10 (1 less than Ghost's sight range)

Use key: N

Upgrades

OCULAR IMPLANTS

: increases sight range by 2 (up to 11).

Resources: 100 minerals, 100 gas

Research time: 166 sec

Researched at: Covert Ops

Hotkey: O

MOEBIUS REACTOR

: increases energy by 50 (up to 250).

Resources: 150 minerals, 150 gas

Research time: 166 sec

Researched at: Covert Ops

Hotkey: M

STARCRAFT GHOST

The Ghost does have a multi-player component to it (in assault mode), but the largest role they play is in the Campaign. The protagonist,

Nova

, is a female Ghost

who is very athletic and agile

, much like

Sarah Kerrigan

. Several combat elements demonstrated

Splinter Cell

like stealth maneuvers, cloaking, infiltration, and squad commands. Many elements about Ghost's and their history were to be unveiled in the game, and though it never came out details were still leaked.

STARCRAFT II

Many changes were made to the Ghost in StarCraft II including more health and less build time but consequentially a much higher cost and slightly reduced energy and attack range. A new ability, Snipe, makes it a more effective assassin/sharpshooter unit by almost instant killing biological units from a great distance and a new abiliy EMP Shot ability that essentially replaces the old Lockdown ability.

In the Terran Campaign

Wings of Liberty

, the Ghost's seeming counterpart unit the Specter is unveiled, essentially overpowered and energy hungry Ghost's with a few separate abilities.

Gabriel Tosh

is a former Ghost, now a Specter who attempts to find the resources and manpower to assemble this Specter army. Nova makes her first appearance in an actual game in the campaign for a brief moment who is against the corrupt ideology of the Specters and you must decide who to help in one of the few choice missions, slightly affecting the outcome of the rest of the game.

Abilities

CLOAKING

: allows the Ghost to be invisible unless detected, while still being able to attack and use other abilities.

Resources: 150 minerals, 150 gas

Research time: 120 sec

Researched at: Ghost Academy

Hotkey: C

Energy used: 25 (with 0.9 per second)

Use key: C

SNIPE

: deals 45 damage to any biological ground or air unit regardless of armor.

(Already researched)

Energy: 25

Cool down: very little

Use key: R

EMP SHOT

: drains 100 shields from any Protoss unit regardless of shield upgrades, drains energy of all spell casters (of both enemie and allies), and reveal cloaked units for 5 seconds.

(Already researched)

Energy: 75

Use key: E

NUCLEAR STRIKE

: launches a nuke built from a Ghost Academy onto a selected target. While the nuke is en route the the Ghost cannot move for a moment and if he is detected and killed before the nuke hits, the nuke will fail, but can be ordered to move away, which he will do as soon as the strike has ended. The blast zone will appear as a large red circle to the player but for all other players the location is only displayed as a tiny red dot. If or when the nuke hits it will inflict 300 damage (500 vs buildings).

Resources: 100 minerals, 100 gas

Build time: 60 sec

Activation time: 20 sec

Required:

Factory

Use key: N

Upgrades

MOEBIUS REACTOR

: increases energy by 25 (up to 225)

Resources: 100 minerals, 100 gas

Research time: 80 sec

Researched at: Ghost Academy

Hotkey: M

Counters

Terran:

Vulture

(if uncloaked or detected),

Science Vessel

/Raven (for detection)

Protoss:

Zealot

or

Dark Templar

(if uncloaked or detected),

Observer

or Photon Cannon (for detection and/or attack)

Zerg:

Hydralisk

(if uncloaked or detected),

Overlord

/

Overseer

(for detection)

Matchups

Most biological units and slow mechanical units (provided with enough support), while Lockdown deals with the ones that are too fast or too strong.

Any bulk of Protoss units (provided with enough support) or any spell caster (preferably Protoss so the EMP effect is more effective).