Armor: Heavy
Hit Points: 200
Ground Attack: 0
Air Attack: 0
Attack Range: 8
Gas Required: 300
Minerals Required: 25

The Science Vessel isn't really an offensive weapon, but once you researched all its considerable abilities it will add a great deal to your offensive and defenseive powers. The Science Vessel carries a very high Vespene cost, and so usually you won't build it in quantity. However, one or two Science Vessels can turn the tide of a scenario with one of its three special abilities.

The Science Vessel's first special ability is the Defense Matrix. It can set this special shield around any unit (except itself) for a much higher level of protection thatn normal armor and shield provide. When you must get units behind enemy lines, enhance a Dropship with the Defense Matrix so it can drop cargo without getting smoked by anti-air defenses. You can also give the Defensive Matrix to a Battlecruiser or Siege Tank to protect the forward unit of an assault. Uses for this shielding are limited only by your imagination. All good things must end, however, and after a short time, so does the Defensive Matrix shild. Keeping several Science Vessels around to protect a unit continually is a common strategy, but a protected unit still takes hits, nevertheless-just very small ones.

Another special ability, the Electromagnetic Pulse Shockwave, is effective only against units that use special electronics or have shielding. The EMP Shockwave removes special energy or shielding from units within its blast radius (including your own). Obvisously, this has no practical application against the Zerg, who are entirely biological, but when you're facing off against the Protoss, what better way to eliminate their units' shielding? One popular way to use the EMP Shockwave is to punch a hole in enemy lines by reducing the shields of all the units given area, evening the playing field for an assult.

The Science Vessels' third special ability is Irradiate. This wide-area weapon does considerable damage to all biological units and can wipe out a closely clustered group quickly. Try not to use Irradiate unless you have a terrific opportunity-say, if eight Hydralisk are clumped together just asking for it. Using Irradiate on lone units isn't usually an efficient use of Science Vessel energy, so choose your battles carefully.

Role: Mobile Research Station
Armament: None

Many Colonies have placed Explorer Vessels at strategic points throughout the galaxy to further study anomlous phenomena, and the Corps' own Epsilon Squadren uses them extensively along Confederate borders for surveillance and study. Recently, as alien forces have begun to infringe upon Colonial space, Explorer Vessels and crew have been recalled to provide electronic warfare and combat support. The primary ability of the Explorer is detecting concealed enemy units. Bu outfitting the Explorer with special modifications, several other useful effects can be created.

Ability: Defensive Matrix

Confederate scientists are still working on creating stable, long-term force field generators, but early research has enabled the deployment of a short-lived defensive matrix that can absorb significant punishment. This energy matrix can be created around any unit within short range of the Explorer and is standard issue on all Science Vessels.

Ability: EMP Shockwave

By generating a massive, short-ranged electromagnetic pulse, the Explorer can disable shields and special electronics on any nearby units. Although the vessel creating the EMP is not affeacted, and friendly units within the radius of the EMP pulse are subject to its effects.

Ability: Irradiate

Targeting a unit with this effect will bathe it in a high-energy stream of radioactive particles, saturating it with damaging energy. The radioactive field will damage any personal within the close proximity of the irradiated unit. The field will lose energy over time, but not before it deals considerable damage to clustered troops.