Cyclone
Terran Mobile Assault Vehicle
The cyclone was a fast terran assault vehicle developed by the Dominion to keep personnel out of harm's way, armed with twin Typhoon missile pods and a lock-on system that let it fire on the move. It began as a robotic drone before becoming a piloted machine.
The cyclone was a fast terran assault vehicle developed by the Terran Dominion to keep personnel out of harm's way. Armed with twin Typhoon missile pods that could engage both air and ground threats, it featured a sophisticated lock-on system allowing it to concentrate fire on an enemy while staying in motion. Originally conceived as a robotic drone, the cyclone evolved over several iterations into a terran-piloted machine. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void; StarCraft Field Manual)
Design#
The cyclone was armed with twin Typhoon missile pods that engaged air and ground threats, and it featured a sophisticated lock-on system that allowed it to concentrate fire on an enemy while on the move. It rode on all-terrain treads, used a clutchless transmission, and carried an advanced target-acquisition array. Fast and mobile, it was intended as an early mechanical option for harassment and defense, functioning as a front-line anti-armor damage dealer that could harry enemies with hit-and-run tactics. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void; StarCraft Field Manual)
History#
To keep personnel out of harm's way, the Terran Dominion developed the cyclone as a mobile assault drone. It was originally designed as a robotic vehicle, but the cyclone evolved over several iterations to become a terran-piloted vehicle, a change driven by the creativity of human operators, which some would call insanity, that artificial intelligences could not match. Some variants piloted by an AI nonetheless remained in use by the Kel-Morian Combine. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void; StarCraft Field Manual; StarCraft II co-op missions)
During the Defenders of Man Insurgency, cyclones were present at both Sharpsburg and General Carolina Davis' compound on Vardona, where they were deployed in the effort to stop Nova Terra. (StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops)
Variants#
Several terran factions reworked the cyclone for their own needs. The Dominion Special Forces extensively redesigned theirs for greater maneuverability, adding exposed treads that could cross difficult terrain and tight spaces more readily. Mira's Marauders modified their cyclones with extra armored plating and spikes, though their hasty engineering produced no actual improvement in the machines' ability to absorb damage. The Umojan Protectorate was able to copy the cyclone and incorporate it into its arsenal. The Knights of Tyrador used their cyclones for amusement-park displays, and during the Battle of Tyrador IX many were deployed armed with nothing but harmless fireworks. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cyclone in StarCraft?
- The cyclone was a fast terran assault vehicle developed by the Terran Dominion to keep personnel out of harm's way. It was armed with twin Typhoon missile pods that could engage both air and ground threats and featured a lock-on system allowing it to concentrate fire while staying in motion.
- Why did the cyclone change from a drone to a piloted vehicle?
- The cyclone was originally designed as a robotic assault drone but was reworked into a terran-piloted vehicle. The change was driven by the creativity of human operators, which some would call insanity, that artificial intelligences could not match. Some AI-piloted variants remained in use by the Kel-Morian Combine.
- What is the cyclone armed with?
- The cyclone carried twin Typhoon missile pods that engaged air and ground threats, paired with a lock-on system that let it concentrate fire on an enemy while on the move. It rode on all-terrain treads, used a clutchless transmission, and carried an advanced target-acquisition array.
- Which factions used the cyclone?
- Several terran factions fielded their own versions. The Dominion Special Forces redesigned theirs for greater maneuverability, Mira's Marauders added armored plating and spikes, the Umojan Protectorate copied the design, and the Knights of Tyrador used theirs for amusement-park displays.
- Where did cyclones appear during the Defenders of Man Insurgency?
- During the Defenders of Man Insurgency, cyclones were present at both Sharpsburg and General Carolina Davis' compound on Vardona, where they were deployed in the effort to stop Nova Terra.
Gallery
Images via StarCraft Wiki
Sources
- GameStarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, Blizzard Entertainment, 2015
- GameStarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops, Blizzard Entertainment, 2016
- GameStarCraft II co-op missions, Blizzard Entertainment, 2015 onwards
- BookStarCraft Field Manual, Rick Barba, Insight Editions, 2015
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Carolina Davis
General Carolina Davis was a Terran Dominion officer and lifelong loyalist of Arcturus Mengsk who came to lead the Defenders of Man insurgency against his son Valerian. She engineered zerg attacks on Dominion worlds to discredit the Emperor before Nova Terra brought her down.
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The Defenders of Man Insurgency was a conflict fought after the End War between the Terran Dominion and the separatist Defenders of Man, who lured feral zerg onto Dominion worlds to discredit Emperor Valerian Mengsk. It was exposed and crushed through the efforts of the ghost Nova Terra.
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