Disruptor

[e][h] Disruptor

Unit Information

Type:

Ground Unit

Description:

The disruptor is a light-mechanical unit.

Built From:

Robotics Facility

Requirements:

• Robotics Bay

Cost:

 150  150  36  4

Hotkey:

D

Unit stats

Defense:

100 100 1 (+1)

Attributes:

Armored, Mechanical

Sight:

9

Speed:

3.15

Cargo size:

4

Strong against:

• Marauder
• Hydralisk
• Stalker

Weak against:

• Thor
• Ultralisk
• Tempest

Description

The Disruptor is a Protoss Construct unit with no auto attack, produced from the Robotics Facility after finishing the Robotics Bay. It was introduced in Legacy of the Void. Originally built for channeling power from a starship reactor, this unit's design and animation while using its ability reflect this. Once enabled, its "Purification Nova" (Nova for short), after a short delay for targeting, explodes and hits friendly and enemy units alike (except friendly Disruptors).

The movement speed of the Nova is slightly faster than the average speed of units without their movement upgrades, with other units can dodge or escape into the air. Similar to the High Templar and its Psionic Storm ability this unit is best used with a Warp Prism (ideally with Gravitic Drive), which can carry two.

Abilities

Purification Nova

Caster: Disruptor Cooldown: 21.4 s Duration: 2.1 s Radius: 1.5 Hotkey: V Shoots out a ball of energy that detonates after 2.1 seconds, dealing 100 splash damage and an additional 100 shield damage to nearby ground units and structures. The Disruptor is immobile while this is active. The Disruptor's visual glow is dulled a little bit during cool-down.

This ability damages friendly units, except other Disruptors. The nova moves at a speed of 5.95. It can be countered with skilled micromanagement. It is best used against relatively weak units such as workers.

The Disruptor's Purification Nova can kill the following units with one shot:

• Marines, Ghosts, Hellions, Reapers, Widow Mines,
• Zerglings, Banelings, Hydralisks, Infestors, Zealots,
• Stalkers, High Templars, Dark Templars, Adepts, Disruptors, and Sentries.

To kill Marauders, Hellbats, Cyclones, Siege Tanks, Vikings in Assault mode, Queens, Roaches, Ravagers, Swarm Hosts, or Lurkers, two Novas are needed.

Three Novas are needed to kill an Immortal with the first shot being absorbed by the Immortal's barrier.

The Disruptor needs three or more Novas to take out Thors (4), Ultralisks (5), Colossi (3), and Archons (4).

Competitive Usage

General

• The Disruptor fills a similar role to the Colossus, but is not specialized against light units. However, Purification Nova will still one-shot any light ground unit. Colossi are capable of moving across cliffs and combo well with the Stalker's Blink ability for short range instant teleportation; however Colossi can be hit from the air and have a limited window of time to be useful and alive.
  • Disruptors can be a follow-up to Colossi or a cheaper alternative, especially if opening Warp Prism with Gravitic Drive for drop harassment.
• The Disruptor is very good when paired with the Mothership's time warp ability, preventing the enemy army from effectively retreating or splitting their army.
  • Combinations with the Sentry's force field can prevent enemy units from escaping the Purification Nova as well. Additionally, the Purification Nova can go through Force Fields.
• The Disruptor is very good against ground units that cannot move, such as Siege Tanks in siege mode and Lurkers, or even enemy Disruptors.
• Disruptors also allow one to kill stealth units without detection.

Vs. Protoss

• Immortals are sometimes used to handle Disruptors numbers.
• Stalkers can use Blink to avoid damage from the Nova.
• Phoenix are often used to disable Disruptors once the Nova has been launched, which prevents all damage.

Vs. Terran

• Used as an opening with Warp Prism (with Speed Upgraded).
• They can combat Siege Tank pushes and other mech units. Their nova range is equivalent to siege range, and lets them hit tanks without taking any damage if microed perfectly.
  • However, they must be supported with gateway units, as the tank will be left with 30 HP after being hit by the nova, and the disruptor will die to a third shot from the sieged tank.
• As a follow-up after Colossi which have been hard countered by Vikings. Disruptors can provide AOE support without being vulnerable to anti-air.
• Disruptors are also a more effective response to deal with large masses of Marauders (as the unit has the armored tag, and does not take anti-light bonus damage from the Colossus).

Vs. Zerg

With the revertion of the Disruptor to its pre 4.0 state Disruptors are no longer as useless vs Zerg as they have been during patch 4.0 - 4.7.1 With this said, it is only advisable when a Zerg creates force of Roaches and Hydralisks or Roaches and Ravagers trying to brute force their way through a Protoss while off creep in large clumps is very vulnerable to getting destroyed by Purification Novas.

Gallery

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Quotes

Quotes
Built	Selected	Annoyed	Move	Attack	Under Attack
I live on. Consciousness awakened.	Presiding. Speak, and be heard. Your demands? We begin anew. Ancient glory reborn.	I will listen and be patient. I shall receive your wisdom. Do you even possess wisdom? I thought I would be surrounded by the best and brightest if I became a Purifier. Instead, the future is full of idiots. Life as an artificial intelligence is really not so bad. You might even say... it's ballin'. I am completely operational, and all my circuits are functioning perfectly. Why would you suspect otherwise? Ow! Why was I programmed to feel pain? I was designed to be a pacifist. But I will admit... When I get charged up, I've been known to explode. Is this how the Templar treat all robotic life-forms? You would do well to remember, we will outlive you, and we do not forget. [SFX: Computer sound] Warning. Memory matrix corrupted... Reboot in progress. [SFX: Computer activation sound] Greetings, Executor! I am your new Disruptor. I look forward to learning from you.	Eternal service. I comprehend. Veritably. So be it. Obedience. It is known. With honor. Dara de khassar.	The Firstborn will triumph! Overloading. Purification. A demonstration? Calibrating attack pattern.	Deliver reinforcements! Our foes surround us.

Patch Changes

Patch 2.5.1 Balance Update #2
Gains unit type: Armored

Patch 2.5.2 Balance Update
Damage increased from 145 to 145 +55shields

Patch 2.5.3 Balance Update
Cost reduced to 100/200. Supply reduced to 3. Purification Nova Range reduced to 1.5. After Purification Nova ends, the Disruptor is invulnerable for 3 seconds. Speed when invulnerable increased to 4.25. Can be picked up by Warp Prism during Purification Nova, canceling its effect.

Patch 2.5.5
Purification Nova removed. New ability: Disruptor shoots out a ball of energy that can be controlled and detonates after a few seconds, dealing 145 damage and 55 damage to shields. If the Disruptor is destroyed before the energy ball detonates, it will fail to explode. Build time reduced to 50 seconds from 60.

Patch 2.5.5 Balance Update #2
Disruptor cost changed from 100/200 to 150/150.

Patch 2.5.5 Balance Update #4
Disruptors can now be loaded into Warp Prisms while Purification Nova is active. This action will cancel Purification Nova, causing no damage.

Patch 4.0.0
Purification Nova will detonate when in contact with an enemy unit. Damage remains at 145 (+55 shields). Damage radius remains at 1.5 Detonation radius is 0.25. Will not trigger on enemy structures or changelings. Purification Nova cooldown reduced from 21.4 to 14.3 seconds.

Patch 4.1.1 Balance Update
Purification Nova has a 1 second charge-up time before launch.

Patch 4.1.4 Balance Update
Purification Nova’s initial pause duration reduced from 1 second to 0 seconds. When Disruptors drop from transports, if Purification Nova is not on cooldown, then there will be a 0.7 second pause before being able to use Purification Nova. Range indicators will be displayed for Purification Nova when the Disruptor is selected.

Patch 4.7.1
Purification Nova changed back to pre-4.0 state. Purification Nova deploys a ball of energy that will detonate after 2 seconds, dealing 145 damage and an additional 55 shield damage to all ground units in its radius. Purification Nova no longer detonates on contact with enemy units. Purification Nova now sends a threat signal to the opponent on detonation instead of during the launch phase.

Patch 5.0.11
Purification Nova's radius reduced from 1.5 to 1.375.

Patch 5.0.12
Supply cost increased from 3 to 4. Model scale reduced by 9%. Radius increased from 0.5 to 0.625 (does not affect collision with buildings).

Patch 5.0.14
Purification Nova radius increased from 1.375 to 1.5. Purification Nova damage reduced from 145 (200 vs shields) to 100 (200 vs shields).