heart of the swarm update

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/6306259/Heart_of_the_Swarm_Update_-_New_Video-6_8_2012#blog

my thoughts so far, Zerg gets a Big buff with the Viper, Protoss gets a HUGE buff with the Mothership Core, Tempest, and the Oracle, and then Terran gets.........F'd.

Here are the Heart of the Swarm unit changes as they stand today:

TERRAN

Widow Mine
A basic factory unit – no tech lab or armory required – widow mines leap up and attach themselves to the first enemy unit that comes within range, detonating after a few seconds for huge splash damage to that unit and anything around it. They move under their own power and cost supply like any other unit, and are cloaked and immobile when armed. Widow mines are a fantastic tool to break up big army masses and protect your workers from enemy raids.

Warhound
Warhounds have an auto-casting missile attack that automatically targets any mechanical unit in range for heavy damage. Say goodbye to your sentry/stalker problems.

Hellion
Now possessed of the ability to transform into a walking mech form with dramatically upgraded armor and health, Hellions are a much more versatile unit in Heart of the Swarm. Their flamethrower becomes a cone attack instead of a line in this form. Currently the transform ability has a relatively long animation, so plan ahead.

Battlecruiser
The speed boost ability for the iconic terran battlecruiser takes energy, meaning fewer yamato cannon shots, but should more than make up for it by getting your fleet into the right place at the right time.

Reaper
These infantry have lost their building-demolishing charges in favor of a passive regeneration upgrade that quickly refills their health outside combat.


ZERG

Swarm Host
Swarm hosts continually spawn air- and ground-attacking temporary locust units while burrowed, which is a nightmare for detection-impaired opponents. If your enemy doesn’t have good micro skills, sending in locusts just ahead of your main advance absorbs quite a bit of damage your real army doesn’t have to take.

Viper
A new flying caster for the zerg, the viper has the terrifying ability to yank a unit from a range of nine (turrets, for reference, are range seven) to its position. This is about as hard of a counter to an emplaced siege tank as has ever existed. Thors, archons, and more will all learn to fear the viper. Additionally, vipers can create a blinding cloud that reduces any biological unit’s range to just one – a deadly threat to the iconic marine/marauder ball.

Ultralisk
Burrow charge now lets ultralisks effectively teleport short distances, making it far easier to get these hulking death dealers where they need to be. Ultralisks have lost their frenzy ability, though.

Overseer
Changelings can now be spawned at range, making them much harder for your enemy to spot.

Hydralisk
A new upgrade allows hydralisks to move faster while off of creep.


PROTOSS

Tempest
Reminiscent of the zerg guardian aspect, tempests are big expensive fliers with an insane range – currently 22 when upgraded, dwarfing every other StarCraft II unit’s reach. They’re relatively slow, though, and don’t hit all that hard.

Oracle
The oracle is a fast, harassment-oriented aircraft that can shield mineral fields, preventing them from being harvested until the forcefield expires or is destroyed. Cloak field replaces the mothership cloaking passive, cloaking everything but the oracle itself (or any other oracles), but it costs energy unlike the old mothership ability. Finally, oracles can temporarily grant vision and detection to a building.

Mothership Core
The core attaches to an existing nexus (and can teleport to any friendly nexus) and provides defensive firepower, a powerful mass recall ability, and the capability to recharge a friendly unit or building’s energy at the cost of its own. The core is unique – you can only ever have one at a time.

Replicant?
The previously announced replicant unit is currently cut from Heart of the Swarm multiplayer, like so many units before it.

Carrier?
Carriers are on the chopping block. StarCraft II design director Dustin Browder says that the team is going back and forth every day on whether to include the iconic protoss warship.

HotS Battle report #3

I really can't wait till this game comes out!

Beta is coming!
From Blizzard:
We are preparing to invite testers for the Heart of the Swarm beta very soon! To be clear, this test will be for the multiplayer experience only. We will begin with a select group, including many players who assisted us in testing Patch 1.5, as well as some pro-gamers and press. Over time, we will add more and more testers into the mix.
If you are interested in participating in the beta test, please make sure you are opted in for beta testing. You can do this by clicking "Beta Profile Settings" under the Account Management section of your Battle.net account. Note that the opt-in doesn't guarantee entry, but gives you a chance at joining the beta test. Also, we'll be working with your favorite fansites and community personalities to give away more entries to the beta test, so keep an eye out for invites coming from the greater StarCraft community over the coming weeks.
We can’t wait to get the public test started for Heart of the Swarm, and we look forward to collecting your feedback.
The Swarm is coming!
http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/6983561/Heart_of_the_Swarm_Beta_Coming_Soon-8_15_2012