"My blood is the blood of Aiur, my power the will of her people."
-Excerpt from The Oath of Adun
What is a Protoss High Templar?
The High Templar are seasoned, veteran warriors of the Protoss armies that have walked far down the path of Khala. Those who choose to accept the mantle of the High Templar set aside the frenzied rage of the Zealot, and instead use their highly potent Psionic abilities to bolster the warriors of Aiur. The sight of enemy forces being torn apart by a Psionic Storm or wasting their firepower on projected Hallucinations is proof enough of the battlefield superiority that the High Templar can give to the Protoss.
- battle.net
What role does a High Templar play in Starcraft?
High Templar ("Templar" or "HT" as they are sometimes abbreviated) are heavy ground support Protoss units, incapable of serving as the frontline troops of any assault, due to weak shielding and armor. However, if researched at the Templar Archives, High Templar can call down Psionic Storms and create hallucinatory images of friendly units. These abilities can prove extremely effective, used from the sidelines or behind a phalanx of Zealots and Dragoons.
How do I support and use High Templar?
First and foremost, research Psionic Storm at the Archives immediately. Your Templar will be nearly useless without it. Khaydarin Amulet and Hallucination research should be following.
If you're facing off against large, massed groups of enemies, send in your main attack force and keep the Templar in reserve for a few seconds. After the battle is joined, command your Templar to fire off Psionic Storms into the thickest concentration of your enemy, anticipating any crowd drift or dispersal in the next four seconds. Pull your Templar back to base and allow their energy to recharge for further assaults, unless you think you need just a little more strength to break your opponent's back, set your Templar to merge into Archons.
If you're assaulting an enemy base, High Templar can be used in two ways. First, as a support assault force. Send in your main attack force to provoke a response. Once enemy units are tied up, send in the Templar to cast Psionic Storm on your opponent's mineral field and peon line. If your distraction worked, you can get in two storm casts per High Templar and obliterate your opponent's resource base completely, then mop up the rest of the base with your ground troops or fade away to hit another base. Second technique is a modified Reaver Drop. Load a Shuttle or two with fully energized Templar. Fly the Shuttles around the back of an enemy base (previously scouted by Observers,) drop off the High Templar behind the enemy's peons and Psi Storm away. For maximum psychological damage, whisk the Templar away immediately after the cast, so it appears you can strike invisibly and at will. Research Gravitic Drive for increased Shuttle speed and Hallucinate decoy Shuttles to increase your chances of getting past air defenses if you're doing a suicidal Templar Drop.
Your High Templar can serve even if they never leave your base. If the enemy assaults your base, clean the ground troops off your defensive Photon Cannon line with a Psi Storm or two. This is extremely effective, but be wary of trickery. If your opponent knows you have High Templar, he may be simply be trying to drain the Templar's energy for a more committed assault later.
Templar are also effective against large, massed assaults of any kind, especially Carriers, Battlecruisers, Mutalisks, Guardians, Hydralisks, Marines and Zerglings. Four Templar successively casting Psionic Storm on a fleet of Carriers is lethal and very demoralizing. Be sure to lead your storms ahead of your moving targets, or flank a stationary group (Carriers, Mutalisks, and Guardians especially.)
When massing for an assault of your own, especially a Carrier push or anything covered by Arbiters, Templar support is invaluable. Each fully charged Templar can cast two Hallucinations, each Hallucination yielding two decoy units. Three Templar at your base can seemingly add TWELVE Carriers to your attack group, a truly demoralizing sight. When utilizing the protection of an Arbiter, the only target in sight of the enemy will be that Arbiter. Triple the number of targets and third their chances of selecting the real Arbiter with a single Hallucination cast. Hallucinated units can also be used for reconnaisance in a pinch, just be sure to Hallucinate a fast unit.
Miscellaneous Play Tips.
- Templar are very slow on their own, so transport them long distances with Shuttles.
- If the map you're playing on has tree or other cover, hide Templar near undeveloped resource spots.
Enemy peons and expansionary bases are very vulnerable during the first few seconds of development so capitalize on the opportunity to wipe the area clean.
- Templar placed on cliffs above ramps or other choke points can be deadly.
- Merge Templar into Archons only in times of imminent need, and only after using all energy on Psi Storms.
- Enemy and neutral units can be hallucinated as well. Also, hallucinated units make excellent scouts, especially Hero units. (Thanks, Oneiromancer!)
Historically notable High Templar:
Adun, ordered to exterminate the individualistic
Dark Templar, instead instructed the
Dark Templar in the use of their latent psionic abilities, hoping to bring them to the encompassing
Khala. Considered a hero, his name is commonly
used as a blessing.
Artanis, youngest Protoss ever to achive rank of
Praetor. Ambitious, respects the ideologies of both the
Conclave and
Tassadar.
Fenix,
Praetor during the invasion of
Aiur. Long-time friend of
Tassadar, fiercely devoted to the defense of the Protoss. Distrustful of the
Judicator caste.
Taldarin, comrade of
Adun, wounded in battle and one of the first Protoss to be enteched as a
Dragoon.
Tassadar, Executor of the
Koprulu Expedition, defied orders to raze all planets tainted with
Zerg presence, regardless of
Terran settlement. Sought to reconcile the
Dark Templar with the
Conclave. Sacrificed himself to destroy the Zerg
Overmind. His name is now also
used as a blessing.
Templar Unit Quotes:
On Spawn:
"Khassar de Templari.""
When Angry:
"
Your thoughts betray you."
"I see you have an
appetite for destruction."
"And you learn to
use your illusion."
"
But I find your lack of control disturbing."
Command Query:
"Your thoughts?"
"Saragh'ha!""
"
I heed thy call."
"
State thy bidding."
On Agreement:
"You think as I do."
"It shall be done."
"My path is set."
"Ee'tahk.""
Unit Statistics:
Hit Points: 40 (Compare: Zealot's 100)
Plasma Shields: 40 (Compare: Zealot's 60)
Size: Small
Psi Supply Cost: 2 (Compare: Zealot's 2)
Cost: 50 minerals, 150 Vespene gas (Compare: Zealot's 100 minerals)
Build Time: 50 (Compare: Zealot's 40)
Produced at: Gateway
Requires: Templar Archives
Base Energy: 200 (upgrades to 250)
Base Ground Attack: none
Base Air Attack: none
Base Armor: 0
Range: N/A
Sight: 7
Cooldown: N/A
Production Hot Key: T
Special Abilities:
Psionic Storm
Research Cost: 200 minerals, 200 Vespene gas
Energy Cost: 75
Range: 9
Hallucination
Research Cost: 150 minerals, 150 Vespene gas
Energy Cost: 100
Range: 7
Summon Archon
Cost: Two selected High Templar
Notes:
...
Sources:
Starcraft manual
http://www.geocities.com/kelvintan73/protoss.htm
http://www.battle.net/scc/protoss/units/templar.shtml
http://www.shadowmage.com/donovon/protoss.htm
http://www.scmillennium.com/strategies.php/article/30
Feedback desperately desired!