Torrasque

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The Torrasque is a fictional, non-unique hero-level unit (meaning that it is very powerful form of a unit, but is not the only one of its type) appearing in certain campaign missions of StarCraft, a real-time strategy game made by Blizzard Entertainment. Some other types of hero-level units in StarCraft are the Hunter Killer and the Devouring One.

In Starcraft Map Editor, he appears as the hero version of the Zerg Ultralisk.

[edit] Overview

In, StarCraft the Torrasque is an extremely powerful Ultralisk. It is the ultimate siege weapon of the Zerg swarm. These elephantine beasts are by far the strongest of the Zerg's (a race in StarCraft) ground forces. Used as a living war machine, it charges into the ranks of the enemy and wreaks havoc amongst them. It is characterized by its massive Kaiser Blades which are capable inflicting over double the damage of normal Ultralisks. The Torrasque was supposedly bred from larger Ultralisks to become bigger and stronger, then mutated by repeated exposure to raw Vespene Gas. This obviously was a success considering the effectiveness it had on the UED during its debut on Char.

[edit] History

It makes its first appearance in The Enslavers campaign which came as an extra with the game. In the last level of the campaign it is employed against the allied Protoss and Terran forces by a cerebrate under the control of the Terran criminal Alan Schezar. It continually attacks the players base and is reincarnated by the cerebrate 30 seconds after its death to attack again. Only when the cerebrate is destroyed do its attacks cease. The Torrasque makes its next appearance in Brood War during Episode V Mission VIII (To Chain the Beast) as a favorite weapon of the Zerg forces defending Char from UED forces who were attacking the Zerg defences there in order to enslave the leader of the Zerg, the Overmind. The Torrasque then attacks the Terran soldiers under the leadership of Admiral DuGalle and the captain commanding them. It charges the Terrans, destroying much of their defenses before being killed. However, it is soon reincarnated (much like the Cerebrates) to once again attack the UED forces and destroy much. This cycle of attack, death and reincarnation continues until the Cerebrate who reincarnated the Torrasque is killed. The Torrasque cannot reincarnate without its Cerebrate, so it remains dead. The time it takes the Torrasque to be reincarnated is significantly longer during Episode V than during The Enslavers campaign. After this, a Torrasque appeared in Zerg Campaign Episode VI, Mission II as a rescueable unit. When an SCV carring a psi emitter approaches the Torrasque, it becomes active and supports the aims of the Cerebrate to destroy the Psi Disruptor. After this point, the Torrasque disappears from the StarCraft Universe until it is brought back in Resurrection IV when James Raynor and Taldarin attack the base of Infested Stukov on the planet Braxis. In the climax, four Torrasques simultaneously burst out of Zerg buildings to attack the Protoss coming to destroy the Zerg led by Infested Stukov. The Torrasques were defeated and have not been seen since in the StarCraft Universe since.

[edit] Sources

• StarCraft, computer game by Blizzard Entertainment. Audio and visual observations from various missions. Missions are:
  • Episode V: Mission VIII
  • Episode VI: Mission II

StarCraft by Blizzard Entertainment
StarCraft Universe	Gameplay of StarCraft • StarCraft storyline • Psionic technology
Species	Terran • Protoss • Zerg • Xel'Naga • Hybrid
Factions and Organizations	Judicator Caste • Kel-Morian Combine • Khalai Caste • Protoss Conclave • Pirate Militias • Raynor's Raiders • Sons of Korhal • Templar Caste • Terran Confederacy • Umojan Protectorate • United Earth Directorate • Zerg Brood
Locations	Aiur • Antiga Prime • Braxis • Char • Chau Sara • Korhal • Mar Sara • Moria • Shakuras • Talematros • Tarsonis • Umoja • Zerus
Characters	Aldaris • Artanis • Gerard DuGalle • Edmund Duke • Samir Duran • Fenix • Sarah Kerrigan • Arcturus Mengsk • Nova • Raszagal • Jim Raynor • Alexei Stukov • Tassadar • Zeratul • Zerg Overmind • Minor Characters