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Dark Templar

Protoss Dark Templar

Description[]

The Dark Templar is a permanently cloaked melee Protoss unit. Requires Templar Archives. Dark Templars wield a very powerful weapon, capable of killing Drones and Probes in one hit and having one of the highest DPS in the game. However they are very fragile once detected, having 40 HP less than the much cheaper, lower tech and melee Zealots.

Dark Templars have the same movement speed as workers, so that they cannot chase them effectively.

Two Dark Templars can morph into a Dark Archon, a powerful spellcaster.

Unit Information[]

Type: Light - Biological - Psionic
Cost: Minerals 125 Vespene Gas 100 Psi 2
Build time: 42 (52 from Warp Gate) seconds
Shields: 40
Life: 80
Armor: 1
Movement Speed: 2.8
Sight Range: 7
Built from: Gateway/Warp Gate
Requires: Templar Archives

Weapon: Warp Blades

  • Damage: 40
  • +3 damage each weapon upgrade
  • Attack speed: 1.79
  • Range: Melee
  • Attacks: Ground

Abilities[]

Permanently Cloaked
Cloaked

Dark Templar are permanently cloaked.

Archon Warp
Dark Archon Button
Duration: 17 seconds

Causes the Dark Templar to merge with another selected Dark Templar and form a Dark Archon.

Usage[]

The Dark Templar is a relatively weak unit in open field combat, especially when considering it's high costs of Vespene Gas. The high single-hit damage of the Dark Templar's Warp Blades can help to bring down Zerg Ultralisks very quickly, however in most scenarios the Protoss player is better off with just adding Dragoons or Archons to his army when facing these beasts.

The Dark Templar performes excellent when used for harassment, because it's permanent cloak forces the opponent to bring detection (Observers, Science Vessels, Overlords) to be able to fight off this threat. This can be used to secure a distant expansion from a Zergling/Zealot/Vulture attack but it can also be used to do lots of damage when detection can be successfully prevented by other measures.

Dark Templars can also patrol possible expansion sites on the map, harassing workers trying to set up an expansion there, or catch scouting workers at popular tactical routes or points on the map. This is particulary useful because your opponent will not get a damage notification when killing units in one strike, which the Dark Templar is capable of when upgraded to at least +1 (43 Damage will kill Marines, Zerglings, Probes, Drones instantly). In combination with some cheap Zealots that quickly kill Photon Cannons or Spore Crawlers, DTs can be very effective in shutting down weakly protected expansions.

The Dark Templar can be used in rather risky one base DT-Rush/Drop openings, when the Protoss player tries to hit a Protoss opponent before he has Observers. This tactic was viable in BroodWar vs. Terran as well, because the DTs could force out scans and finally kill the Comsat Station when the Terran player was out of energy. This is a lot harder in Starbow, because scanning is done directly with the Orbital Command and does not require energy but has a cooldown timer. Most Terrans will have two Orbital Commands when a DT-Rush or -Drop arrives, enabling them to scan almost permanently, so this opening cannot be recommended in StarBoW any more.

In case of a basetrade scenario, Dark Templars can be put on hold position on a ramp to effectively "trap" the army of an opponent that has no detection left. However you should have a probe outside to be able to build a new Nexus or at least a pylon somewhere outside. This way, he cannot stop you from slowly destroying his base with your own army (which might be a lot smaller than his).

In the late game, DTs are sometimes used to create Dark Archons.

Related Links[]



Units and Buildings
Protoss Overview
Units Probe · Zealot · Dragoon · High Templar · Dark Templar · Archon · Dark Archon · Observer · Warp Prism · Reaver · Corsair · Scout · Sentinel · Arbiter · Carrier
Buildings Nexus · Assimilator · Pylon · Gateway (Warp Gate) · Cybernetics Core · Forge · Photon Cannon · Twilight Council · Templar Archives · Robotics Facility · Robotics Bay · Observatory · Stargate · Fleet Beacon · Arbiter Tribunal
Terran Overview
Units SCV · Marine · Medic · Firebat · Enforcer · Ghost · Vulture (Spider Mine) · Siege Tank · Goliath · Dropship · Wraith · Viking · Science Vessel · Battlecruiser
Buildings Command Center (Orbital Command · Planetary Fortress) · Refinery · Supply Depot · Barracks · Engineering Bay · Bunker · Missile Turret · Covert Ops · Academy · Factory · Armory · Starport · Fusion Core · Tech Lab
Zerg Overview
Units Drone · Overlord · Swarm Queen · Zergling · Hydralisk (Lurker) · Mutalisk (Guardian · Devourer) · Scourge · Eruptor · Viper · Ultralisk · Defiler
Buildings Hatchery (Lair · Hive) · Extractor · Spawning Pool · Evolution Chamber · Hydralisk Den · Spine Crawler · Spore Crawler · Spire (Greater Spire) · Viper Nest · Ultralisk Cavern · Defiler Mound · Greater Nydus Network
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