Enemy Compositions: Units in Attack Waves and Hybrid Data
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General Notes
Throughout any mission, you will need to deal with attack waves that target your base, expansion or your objective. There are a number of factors that affect the type and quantity of units in these attack waves. These factors are:
- Enemy Race: This is the most obvious one. Units in attack waves will belong to the race of the enemy you're facing against. The only exception to this rule is on Cradle of Death, where your truck will get attacked by units of a second race as well.
- Composition: Enemy races have certain pre-determined compositions at the start of the game. The composition will determine which units you will see in attack waves. For example, if you are dealing with a Bio Terran composition, you won't see Battlecruisers in attack waves.
- Tech Level: The Tech Level determines the highest tier of units you will face. For example, attack waves of low Tech Levels might only include Zerglings. However, higher Tech Levels may include Brood Lords. Tech Levels range from 1-7.
- Strength Level: The Strength level affects the number of units in the attack wave. Strength Levels range from 1-7.
As the mission progresses, both, Tech Level and Strength Level of the attack waves increase, making the attack waves strong and more potent.
Enemy Race
You will face enemies of a single race (Protoss, Terran or Zerg) in a mission (barring Cradle of Death). This race is predetermined at the start of the game. To determine if the enemy race is Zerg, press Alt + T. If the enemy race is Zerg, you will see creep spread on the minimap.
On Cradle of Death, only attack waves that attack your truck will contain units of a second race.
Composition
The Protoss compositions you can face (along with the strongest tech units) are as follows:
- Gateway: A composition that relies mostly on gateway units for AoE's and damage.
- RoboColossus: Uses Colossi for AoE's and sentries for controlling the enemy's army.
- RoboReaver: A high damage composition made to destroy enemy bases quickly.
- SkytossCarrier: A carrier-based composition to overwhelm enemy forces.
- SkytossTempest: An air-siege build effective at taking down enemy structures.
- Techy: Contains a mix of Protoss units from different tech buildings.
- Classic Protoss Ground: Ground Protoss composition based on units in Brood War.
- Classic Protoss Air: Air Protoss composition based on units in Brood War.
The Terran compositions you can face (along with the strongest tech units) are as follows:
- BioMechStar: A build focused on biological units backed up with some factory and air units.
- MechStarport: A Mech Terran build, relying on Factory units.
- ShadowTech: A build which attacks enemies from a distance.
- SkyTerran: An air Terran build, relying on Starport units for damage.
- Classic Terran Bio: Terran composition based on Biological units in Brood War.
- Classic Terran Mech: Terran composition based on Mechanical units in Brood War.
The Zerg compositions you can face (along with the strongest tech units) are as follows:
- Ground: Uses Zerg ground units to lay siege to enemy bases.
- MutaLing: A Mutalisk/Zergling-based composition.
- Swarmy: A build that relies on overwhelming the enemy with units.
- Classic Zerg Ground: Ground Zerg composition based on units in Brood War.
- Classic Zerg Air: Air Zerg composition based on units in Brood War.
Note that the above names do not appear on the enemy composition indicator in-game. The names used in-game are custom titles used to describe the composition. These titles will be listed in the following section.
Tech Level
The Tech level determines how far up the Tech Tree the enemy is. Higher Tech Levels will result in more Tech Units present in the attack waves. Tech Levels range on a scale from 1-7.
Hover over a unit's icon to show its name.
The Protoss units in attack waves across Tech levels is shown below:
Tech Level | Gateway Masters and Machines |
RoboColossus Towering Walkers |
RoboReaver Disruptive Artillery |
SkytossCarrier Hope of the Khalai |
SkytossTempest Siege of Storms |
Techy Shadow Disruption |
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Tech Level | GroundClassic Vanguard of Aiur |
AirClassic Fleet of the Matriarch |
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The Terran units in attack waves across Tech levels is shown below. If a tech level contains more than one row, you'll get either one of the compositions:
Tech Level | BioMechStar Raiding Party |
MechStarport Machines of War |
ShadowTech Shadow Tech |
SkyTerran Dominion Battlegroup |
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Tech Level | BioClassic Classic Infantry |
MechClassic Classic Mech |
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Some attack waves will have one of two unit types (denoted by the "or"). There is a 50% chance that either will appear in the attack wave, and only one type will appear per wave.
The Zerg units in attack waves across Tech levels is shown below:
Tech Level | Ground Ravaging Infestation |
MutaLing Broodling Corruption |
Swarmy Explosive Threats |
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Tech Level | GroundClassic Invasionary Swarm |
AirClassic Devouring Scourge |
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Note that AirClassic Tech Level 4 features a different type of Guardian to the higher tech level waves. This Guardian has an attack speed of 3 instead of 2 featured in other waves, as well as a lower attack damage. As a result, this Guardian will attack slightly slower.
Strength Level
The Strength Level determines the quantity of units in the attack wave. The in-game generation of the attack waves is randomized. That is, while the Tech Level and Strength Level are fixed, there is a little bit of allowable variance in the attack wave composition. As a result, attack waves are not always the same. Some may have more Liberators, with fewer Cyclones, for instance.
However, the Strength Level is linked to a resource cost for the attack wave. Attack waves will not exceed a certain resource cost, depending on the Strength Level. The below table shows the estimated maximum resource cost for each Strength Level.
Attack Wave Strength Level Resource Costs:
Strength Level | Maximum Resource Cost |
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1 | 600 |
2 | 1200 |
3 | 2100 |
4 | 3200 |
5 | 5000 |
6 | 7200 |
7 | 9600 |
Unit Limits
Attack waves have certain limits as to how many of a particular unit can appear. This strengthens the overall power of the attack wave because it prevents massing a single tech-unit which can easily be countered.
Not all units have limits. The units that are limited are usually spellcasters. The list of limited units is below:
Unit | Limit per Wave |
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Corsair | 5 |
High Templar | 3 |
Infestor | 5 |
Sentry | 4 |
Viper | 2 |
Putting it All Together
You can use the demo below to see the impact of both, Tech Level and Strength Level on attack waves for all different compositions. Here, Strength Levels will match Tech Levels, as is common with most attack waves in the game.

Upgrades
As the mission progresses, the AI will automatically complete research. This naturally scales up the difficulty of the mission as time goes on. The timings are listed below:
Protoss Upgrades
Protoss Power Level Upgrades
Level | Ground Weapons | Ground Armor | Shields | Air Weapons | Air Armor |
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1 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 |
2 | 10:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 |
3 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
Protoss Skill Research
Research | Time |
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Colossus - Extended Thermal Lance | 10:00 |
Corsair - Disruption Web | 12:00 |
Dragoon - Singularity Charge | 10:00 |
High Templar - Psionic Storm | 10:00 |
Stalker - Blink | 8:00 |
Zealot - Charge | 8:00 |
Terran Upgrades
Terran Power Level Upgrades
Level | Infantry Weapons | Infantry Armor | Ship Weapons | Ship Armor | Vehicle Weapons | Vehicle Armor |
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1 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 |
2 | 10:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 |
3 | 20:00 | 30:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
Terran Skill Research
Research | Time |
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Banshee - Cloaking Field | 12:00 |
Command Center - Orbital Command | 10:00 |
Cyclone - Mag-Field Accelerator | 10:00 |
Firebat - Stimpack | 10:00 |
Goliath - Ares-Class Targeting System | 10:00 |
Hellion - Infernal Pre-igniter | 10:00 |
Marauder - Concussive Shells | 8:00 |
Marauder - Stimpack | 10:00 |
Marine - Combat Shield | 8:00 |
Marine - Stimpack | 10:00 |
Science Vessel - Defensive Matrix | 0:00 |
Zerg Upgrades
Zerg Power Level Upgrades
Level | Melee Attacks | Missile Attacks | Ground Carapace | Flyer Attacks | Flyer Carapace |
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1 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 |
2 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 |
3 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
Zerg Skill Research
Research | Time |
---|---|
Baneling - Centrifugal Hooks | 10:00 |
Hydralisk - Muscular Augments | 10:00 |
Roach - Glial Reconstitution | 8:00 |
Roach - Tunneling Claws | 12:00 |
Ultralisk - Chitinous Plating | 10:00 |
Zergling - Adrenal Glands | 10:00 |
Zergling - Metabolic Boost | 8:00 |
Hybrids
Attack waves may be accompanied by Hybrids in varying numbers, depending on the mission. Hybrids are added to attack waves independent of enemy composition or Strength/Tech level. Instead, Hybrids are added to attack waves as part of the mission design. There are five different hybrids that may accompany attack waves. These are listed below, along with any abilities they may have.

Hybrid
Destroyer
Deals damage over time using its Graviton Prison ability.
Skills:
Skill | Name | Description | Stats |
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Graviton Prison | Makes the target unit float in the air, disabling its abilities. |
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Hybrid
Reaver
Can heal itself using its Consume DNA ability.
Skills:
Skill | Name | Description | Stats |
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Consume DNA | Absorbs the target unit's life essence. |
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Hybrid
Nemesis
Air Hybrid that can disable structures with its Phase Shift ability.
Skills:
Skill | Name | Description | Stats |
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Phase Shift | Causes the targeted unit to phase out for 10 seconds. Phased units are immune to all damage and most effects, but they are unable to attack or use abilities. |
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Hybrid
Behemoth
Units close to the hybrid can be slowed down.
Skills:
Skill | Name | Description | Stats |
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Constricting Slime | Sprays slime on nearby enemies, slowing them for 5 seconds. |
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Consume DNA | Absorbs the target unit's life essence. |
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Hybrid
Dominator
Powerful spell-casting Hybrid.
Skills:
Skill | Name | Description | Stats |
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Plasma Blast | Shoots a ball of bio-plasma toward a target, causing 260 damage. |
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Psionic Storm | Creates a storm of psionic energy that lasts 4 seconds, causing up to 80 damage to all enemy units in the target area. Does not damage friendly units. |
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