View source for Nuclear Missile

{{StarCraft Unit Infobox
|image=File:Nuclear Missile.png
|type=Unit
|race=Terran
|hp=100 [invulnerable]
|minerals=200
|gas=200
|supply=8
|build_time=1500 frames - 62.5 seconds - 100 editor time
|armor=1}}
'''Nuclear Missiles''' are the [[Terran]]s' most dangerous weapon in ''[[StarCraft]]''. Nuclear Missiles are constructed at [[Terran Nuclear Silo|Nuclear Silos]], and launched by [[Terran Ghost|Ghosts]]. They do a huge amount of damage to a large area.

Nuclear Missile damage is calculated individually for each [[unit]] in the missile's blast radius. Large units lose either 500/250/125 [[hit points]], or two thirds/one third/one sixth of their maximum HP depending on their distance to the center of the explosion -- whichever is greater. Missile damage is explosive, so the damage inflicted on small units is halved, and medium-sized units take only 75% damage.

== Unit quirks ==
*Nuclear Missiles do not register as "[men]" or "[any unit]" in [[trigger]] conditions. They can be detected if the condition specifically checks for "Nuclear Missile", though.
*Prior to being launched, Nuclear Missiles exist inside of their Nuclear Silos, and can be detected there using the Bring condition. This makes it possible to check if a specific Silo is armed.

== Techniques ==
=== Tracking a Nuclear Missile launch ===
It is possible to track the individual stages of a Nuclear Missile launch using the Bring condition and [[death counters]]. However, multiple concurrent launches by the same [[player]] cannot be tracked, and "lost" nukes (launches that have been canceled, or prevented by killing the Ghost) cannot be accounted for.

Reserve a death counter for this method; for the purposes of our example, [[Alan Turret]] will be used. For simplicity's sake, the triggers below assume that we are only tracking Player 1 nukes, that Player 1 has only one Nuclear Silo, and that we have a [[location]] ("NUKE SILO") centered on that Silo.

{{StarCraft Trigger
|description=Detecting Nuclear Missile construction
|players=
*Player 1
|conditions=
*Player 1 has suffered exactly 0 deaths of Alan Turret.
*Player 1 brings at least 1 Nuclear Missile to NUKE SILO.
|actions=
*Modify death counts for Player 1: set to 1 for Alan Turret.
*Preserve trigger.
}}
{{StarCraft Trigger
|description=Detecting Nuclear Missile launch
|players=
*Player 1
|conditions=
*Player 1 has suffered exactly 1 deaths of Alan Turret.
*Player 1 brings at least 1 Nuclear Missile to Anywhere.
*Player 1 brings exactly 0 Nuclear Missile to NUKE SILO.
|actions=
*Modify death counts for Player 1: set to 2 for Alan Turret.
*Preserve trigger.
}}
{{StarCraft Trigger
|description=Detecting Nuclear Missile going off-screen
|players=
*Player 1
|conditions=
*Player 1 has suffered exactly 2 deaths of Alan Turret.
*Player 1 brings exactly 0 Nuclear Missile to Anywhere.
|actions=
*Modify death counts for Player 1: set to 3 for Alan Turret.
*Preserve trigger.
}}
{{StarCraft Trigger
|description=Detecting Nuclear Missile coming back on-screen
|players=
*Player 1
|conditions=
*Player 1 has suffered exactly 3 deaths of Alan Turret.
*Player 1 brings at least 1 Nuclear Missile to Anywhere.
|actions=
*Modify death counts for Player 1: set to 4 for Alan Turret.
*Preserve trigger.
}}
{{StarCraft Trigger
|description=Detecting Nuclear Missile detonation
|players=
*Player 1
|conditions=
*Player 1 has suffered exactly 4 deaths of Alan Turret.
*Player 1 brings exactly 0 Nuclear Missile to Anywhere.
|actions=
*Modify death counts for Player 1: set to 5 for Alan Turret.
*Preserve trigger.
}}

=== Automatically training and launching a Nuclear Missile ===
Start by giving the desired computer player a [[Terran Command Center|Command Center]] with an attached Nuclear Silo, and centering a location (we'll call it "NUKE SILO") on that Silo. Now, run the [[AI script]] "Broodwar Teran 2 - Town B" at NUKE SILO. (Remember that this is a [[campaign]] AI script. It may have other actions tied to it, such as creating Ghosts.)

You can detect the missile's completion by detecting when the computer player brings at least 1 Nuclear Missile to NUKE SILO. If you so desire, you can then give the Command Center to another player; however, the Nuclear Missile inside the silo will remain under the ownership of the computer that ran the AI script. You can remedy this by explicitly specifying the Nuclear Missile in a Give Unit action. (Note that missiles acquired in this manner do not automatically play the "Nuclear missile ready" sound clip.)

Alternatively, you can have a computer launch it using the "AI Nuke Here" script, if the computer has a Ghost ready.

This appears to be the only way to automatically train and launch Nuclear Missiles; the Modify Unit Hangar Count does not work on Nuclear Silos, and using Create Unit to produce a Nuclear Missile does not allow it to be launched.

[[Category:Terran]]
[[Category:StarCraft]]