Hello everyone,
After the Protoss and the Zerg, it was time for us to take a look at the third faction in StarCraft Tabletop Miniatures Game: the Terrans.
However, we have done things a little out of order, as we published our review of Wave 2 before finishing our review of Wave 1. A small mistake on our part, but one that can be explained by our desire to stay as close to current events as possible and quickly bring you content covering the latest releases.
With this first wave, the Terran army offers an approach that is very different from those we have already covered. While the Zerg can rely on numbers and mobility, and the Protoss on highly specialized units, the Terrans have a versatile arsenal capable of adapting to a wide variety of situations.
For now, this review has been carried out without any specific list-building objective. Our intention is ultimately to build a Mira Han mercenary army, with a significant amount of conversion and painting work to give it its own identity.
But for that, we will have to wait a little longer: Mira Han has not yet been released for StarCraft Tabletop Miniatures Game. We will therefore have to wait until she becomes available before we can really start defining our future army list.
We can, however, already get started with Jim Raynor. Since he is not part of Mira Han’s mercenaries, he will be painted in a different color scheme, making him an excellent opportunity to start working on our first Terrans!
Jim Raynor:
It is difficult to imagine a Raynor army without the man who gave it its name. Jim Raynor is primarily a support piece designed to improve the effectiveness of the biological units around him.
Like the other heroes currently available in the game, Raynor has the Commander ability, which allows him, among other things, to count as an additional Supply point in certain situations. But it is primarily his Freedom Fighters ability that gives him real value on the table: nearby units cannot have their Supply value reduced below 1 when contesting objectives.
Raynor’s true strength, however, lies in Orders. This ability can be used multiple times and allows him to select a unit within 8 inches and give it one of three benefits. For 1 CP, it can gain Critical Hit (2) or ignore the penalty associated with disengaging. For 2 CP, Raynor can also remove an Activation token from the targeted unit.
This last option offers an enormous amount of flexibility. A unit can perform an action, receive a new order from Raynor, and get back into action. With enough CP, there are many possibilities, particularly for quickly moving a unit or getting it out of a dangerous situation.
In combat, Raynor carries the famous C-14, just like the Marines. At close range, his weapon can become particularly effective thanks to Burst Fire. He can also replace his rifle with a Commando Rifle, providing three shots with Pierce Armoured (3), allowing him to deal more effectively with heavily armoured targets.
Finally, his Justice revolver provides an interesting secondary weapon with two shots, Anti-Evade (2), Sidearm, and Pinpoint, dealing 2 damage.
Medics:
Medics are the Terrans’ only support choice in this first wave. Their role is fairly obvious: keeping biological units alive for as long as possible.
Their main ability, Life Support, allows them, for 1 CP, to reduce the damage suffered from an attack depending on the number of Medics in the unit. A squad can include up to three Medics, and the Stabilizer Medpacks upgrade further improves this ability.
Medics also have Optical Flare, which reduces the range of enemy ranged weapons. This ability can be particularly useful against other Terran armies, although its usefulness will be more situational against the many melee threats found in other factions.
The A-13 Flash Grenade Launcher upgrade increases the range of Optical Flare, while Advanced Medical Facilities allows Medics not to count towards the Supply reserve. However, this latter upgrade is particularly expensive.
Marines:
The Marines are probably the unit that best represents the Terran army. They form its core and offer an interesting combination of mobility, firepower, and versatility.
Each Marine has a 4-inch movement, a 5+ Armour save and Evade value, as well as 2 Wounds. Their C-14 Rifle has a range of 12 inches and allows them to make two attacks against any target, hitting on 3+.
Their damage profile remains relatively low, but the versatility of the weapon is their real strength. Marines can also use Stimpack, an iconic ability that inflicts 2 non-lethal damage on them in exchange for a movement bonus and Precision (3).
The upgrades then allow the unit to specialize. Combat Shield improves their resilience in close combat, while Slugthrower gives their C-14 Anti-Evade (1) at short range. Frag Grenades, meanwhile, improve their Surge dice against nearby targets.
The Rocket Launcher is also a very interesting option. It provides four additional shots with Indirect Fire and a range of 18 inches, allowing Marines to keep their C-14s while adding an indirect-fire capability.
Raynor’s Raiders:
Raynor’s Raiders are the special unit of the Raynor’s Raiders subfaction. On paper, they look like upgraded Marines, with Slugthrowers, Grenades, and Bayonets upgrades already built into their profile. However, it is their mobility that makes them particularly interesting.
With Raiders Roll!, they can use Stimpack when they deploy, allowing them to get into position quickly. Rapid Reinforcements is even more impressive, as it allows the unit to be placed near another friendly unit while maintaining a safe distance from the enemy. This ability offers a huge number of possibilities for quickly reaching an objective or catching the opponent off guard. Their Supply value also cannot be reduced below 1 as long as the unit has not been destroyed.
Marauders:
Marauders serve two main purposes: dealing with armoured units and holding objectives. With a 4+ Armour save and 5 Wounds per model, they are already relatively tough. It is also possible to reinforce the unit to create a larger squad.
Their main weapon, the Quad K12, provides three attacks per model, hitting on 3+, with Pierce Armoured (2) and a Surge against armoured units. They therefore represent a credible threat against armoured targets that do not have too many Wounds.
Marauders also have Stimpack, but more importantly, Concussive Shells, which reduces the distance of an enemy charge by 2 inches. This ability can make the difference when trying to keep an enemy unit at arm’s length or protect an objective.
Several upgrades further strengthen their defensive role. Veteran of Tarsonis improves their Armour save when they are on an objective, while Kinetic Foam increases their number of Wounds.
With these upgrades, Marauders can become true objective guardians, difficult to dislodge without effective tools against armoured targets.
Marauders equipped with Veteran of Tarsonis and Kinetic Foam are particularly well suited to capturing and holding objectives. A reinforced unit benefiting from these upgrades represents a significant investment, but it has a considerable number of Wounds and a strong Armour save. The opponent will therefore generally need to commit appropriate weapons to remove them. This ability to turn a relatively standard unit into a true mobile bunker gives the Terrans an interesting option for controlling part of the table while their Marines and more mobile units deal with the rest of the mission.
Goliath:
The Goliath is the first Terran war machine in this wave. It has a 7-inch movement, a 4+ Armour save, 10 Wounds, and a Size of 3, allowing it to see over a large portion of the terrain.
Its Autocannon has nine attacks at 18 inches. Its Target Lock ability allows it to improve its effectiveness by designating an enemy unit and giving Goliaths in the army Surge bonuses against both Light and Armoured targets.
At close range, its Underbelly Machine Gun provides six attacks hitting on 3+, with a Surge against Light targets, as well as Pinpoint and Sidearm. This weapon is particularly useful for dealing with numerous units that might otherwise be used to screen a more important target.
The missiles provide another way of customizing the unit. Hellfire Missiles are currently particularly specialized, while Haywire Missiles offer a better answer against armoured targets. Scatter Missiles, meanwhile, allow the Goliath to become a true anti-infantry platform thanks to their large number of attacks and Indirect Fire capability.
The Goliath is not completely helpless in melee either. With Indomitable, it can continue firing while engaged, although it can still be targeted. Its melee attacks are relatively limited, but its impact at close range can still make it an awkward unit to deal with.
Mobility is probably one of the Terrans’ greatest strengths. Their units generally do not want to remain engaged in close combat and have numerous abilities that allow them to maintain some distance from their opponent.
Marines, for example, can make use of Stimpack, Slugthrowers, and Frag Grenades to be particularly effective at close range while still trying to maintain enough distance from the enemy.
Raynor’s Raiders take this approach even further. Their redeployment ability allows them to reposition themselves quickly across the table and catch their opponent off guard.
Combined with Jim Raynor’s Orders, these tools offer even more possibilities. A unit can be moved, receive a new order, and then continue its movement or action. It is even possible to return certain units to reserve using transport abilities, allowing them to reappear later in another location.
This first wave gives the Terrans a fairly clear identity: mobility, versatility, and firepower. Marines provide an excellent foundation around which to build the army, while Marauders offer an answer to armoured units and can become particularly resilient when holding objectives. Goliaths, meanwhile, provide greater firepower that can adapt to the different threats encountered on the battlefield.
Finally, Jim Raynor adds another tactical dimension with abilities that allow you to alter the pace of activations. This first wave offers an army capable of playing around mobility and board control rather than simply seeking a head-on confrontation.
We are therefore waiting for Mira Han’s release before fully committing to building our army, and we will be coming back very soon to the cards for each faction.
Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and your own gaming experiences in the comments. We will be happy to discuss them with you!
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