Narud Co-op Commander Concept

Hello all!
I have been playing a huge amount of Co-op recently (it’s practically the only reason I play SC2!) and the more recent commander in the form of Mengsk made me wonder if we’d ever get another villain commander. Narud always struck me as an interesting idea due to his scientist facade and secret Xel’Naga identity, which is why I made this ideas sheet. There are a lot of numbers so if you find it hard to read I could always make a second version with a lot of the detail cut out.

Narud, Corrupt Xel’Naga

  • Narud is a research heavy commander that focuses on unique but strong units.
  • Narud gains Void Essence whenever enemies die dependent on how much Supply they are worth. This Void Essence can be either spent on abilities or powerful Hybrid units.
  • Recommended for experienced players (but aren’t they all?).

Structures

Command Center

  • Cost: 400 Minerals, 100 Seconds
  • Requirements: None
  • Health: 1500
  • Armor: 1
  • Trains: Umojan SCVs
  • Upgrades: Additional Supply
  • Supply: +20

Shield Depot

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 20 Seconds
  • Requirements: None
  • Health: 200
  • Shields: 400
  • Armor: 1
  • Abilities: Lower/Raise Shield Depot

Missile Turret

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 25 Seconds
  • Requirements: Science Bay
  • Health: 250
  • Armor: 0
  • Attack: 12 * 2 every 0.8608 seconds, Air, 7 range

Railgun Turret

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 25 Seconds
  • Requirements: Science Bay
  • Health: 200
  • Armor: 0
  • Attack: 25 every 2 seconds, Ground, 6 range

Barracks

  • Cost: 150 Minerals, 46 Seconds
  • Requirements: Command Center
  • Health: 1000
  • Armor: 1
  • Trains: Umojan Guard, Umojan Enforcer, Umojan Bio Engineer
  • Upgrades (Tech Lab): Photon Shield, Multi-Targeting Projectiles, EMP Shells, Emergency Shell, Nanite Infusers, Biometric Duplication
  • Extensions: Tech Lab, Reactor, Tech Reactor (Level 6)

Science Bay

  • Cost: 125 Minerals, 35 Seconds
  • Requirements: Command Center
  • Health: 850
  • Armor: 1
  • Upgrades: Umojan Weapons, Umojan Armor, Advanced Shielding, Defensive Barriers, Magnetic Scoping

Starport

  • Cost: 150 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 50 Seconds
  • Requirements: Science Bay
  • Health: 1300
  • Armor: 1
  • Trains: Umojan Wraith, Umojan Science Vessel, Umojan Weapon Platform
  • Upgrades (Tech Lab): Dark Encapsulation, Void Battery, Anti-Matter Rounds
  • Extensions: Tech Lab, Reactor, Tech Reactor (Level 6)

Photon Core

  • Cost: 150 Minerals, 150 Vespene Gas, 65 Seconds
  • Requirements: Starport
  • Health: 750
  • Armor: 1
  • Upgrades: Photon Propulsion, Phasing Hull

Umojan Portal

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 30 Seconds
  • Requirements: Science Bay
  • Health: 500
  • Armor: 1
  • Effect: Can garrison units and transport them to any other existing Umojan Portal or Void Rift

Hybrid Lab

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Requirements: Start game with one, Can only have one
  • Health: 1250
  • Armor: 1
  • Trains: Hybrid Juggernaut, Hybrid Devastator

Units

Umojan Guard

  • Cost: 75 Minerals, 24 Seconds, 2 Supply
  • Requirements: None
  • Health: 65
  • Armor: 0
  • Attack: 9 every 0.61 seconds, Ground and air, 5 range
  • Speed: 2.25
  • Upgrades Used: Photon Shield, Multi-Targeting Projectiles, Magnetic Scoping, Umojan Weapons, Umojan Armor, Advanced Shielding

Umojan Enforcer

  • Cost: 125 Minerals, 50 Vespene Gas, 36 Seconds, 3 Supply
  • Requirements: Tech Lab
  • Health: 175
  • Armor: 1
  • Attack: 12 (+12 against Armored) every 1.5 seconds, Ground, 6 range
  • Speed: 2.25
  • Upgrades Used: EMP Shells, Emergency Shell, Magnetic Scoping, Umojan Weapons, Umojan Armor, Advanced Shielding

Umojan Bio Engineer

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 50 Vespene Gas 32 Seconds, 2 Supply
  • Requirements: Tech Lab
  • Health: 80
  • Armor: 1
  • Energy: 200
  • Speed: 2.25
  • Abilities: Nano Repair (functions same as Heal but can target friendly flying and mechanical units)
  • Upgrades Used: Nanite Infusers, Biometric Duplication, Umojan Weapons, Umojan Armor

Umojan Wraith

  • Cost: 150 Minerals, 150 Vespene Gas 40 Seconds, 2 Supply
  • Requirements: None
  • Health: 125
  • Armor: 0
  • Energy: 200
  • Attack: 5 (+5 against Armored) * 2 every 1.25 seconds, Air, 5 range. 8 every 1.25 seconds, Ground, 5 range
  • Speed: 3.75
  • Abilities: Cloak
  • Upgrades Used: Automatic Firing Protocol, Dark Encapsulation, Umojan Weapons, Photon Propulsion, Phasing Hull, Umojan Armor

Umojan Science Vessel

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 200 Vespene Gas 48 Seconds, 2 Supply
  • Requirements: Tech Lab
  • Health: 200
  • Armor: 0
  • Energy: 200
  • Speed: 2
  • Abilities: Photon Matrix (target unit gains a 50 hit point Shield that lasts for 60 seconds, costs 20 energy, can be autocast), Interference Matrix, Irradiate
  • Upgrades Used: Reinforced Energies, Void Battery, Umojan Weapons, Photon Propulsion, Phasing Hull, Umojan Armor, Advanced Shielding

Umojan Weapon Platform

  • Cost: 150 Minerals, 150 Vespene Gas 43 Seconds, 3 Supply
  • Requirements: Tech Lab, Photon Core
  • Health: 180
  • Armor: 0
  • Attack: 5 * 2 every 1.29 seconds, Air, 5 range. 75 every 1.14 seconds, Ground, 10 range
  • Speed: 4.72
  • Abilities: Defender Mode, Fighter Mode
  • Upgrades Used: Void Cloak, Anti-Matter Rounds, Umojan Weapons, Photon Propulsion, Phasing Hull, Umojan Armor

Hybrid Juggernaut

  • Cost: 500 Minerals, 250 Vespene Gas, 90 Seconds, 10 Supply
  • Requirements: None
  • Health: 500
  • Shields: 500
  • Armor: 1
  • Attack: 25 every 1.69 second, Ground and air, 7 range
  • Speed: 2.81
  • Abilities: Void Expulsion (deal 50 damage in a small area around the Juggernaut)
  • Upgrades Used: Advanced Shielding

Hybrid Devastator (Level 3)

  • Cost: 350 Minerals, 350 Vespene Gas, 90 Seconds, 10 Supply
  • Requirements: None
  • Health: 1000
  • Armor: 2
  • Attack: 30 every 1 second, Ground, Melee
  • Speed: 2.81
  • Abilities: Abyssal Blast (deal 300 damage to an enemy after charging for 2 seconds)
  • Upgrades Used: Advanced Shielding

Upgrades

Additional Supply

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 50 Vespene Gas, 30 Seconds
  • Effect: Increases Supply by 15, can be repeated until Supply is 200.

Photon Shield

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Every Umojan Guard gain a 20 hitpoint Shield.

Multi-Targeting Projectiles (Level 4)

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Umojan Guard attacks deal 25% of damage in a small area around attacked enemies.

EMP Shells

  • Cost: 75 Minerals, 75 Vespene Gas, 45 Seconds
  • Effect: Umojan Enforcers stun the target enemy when attacking.

Emergency Shell (Level 4)

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Instead of dying, Umojan Enforcers gain 100 Shields for 10 seconds. Occurs every 60 seconds.

Nanite Infusion

  • Cost: 75 Minerals, 75 Vespene Gas, 45 Seconds
  • Effect: Units being healed by Bio Engineers attack 25% faster.

Biometric Duplication (Level 4)

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Bio Engineers can heal a second target, restoring 50% as much health.

Umojan Weapons Level 1

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 160 Seconds
  • Effect: Increases the damage dealt by all Umojan Units, goes up to level 3.

Umojan Armor Level 1

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 160 Seconds
  • Effect: Increases the armor of all Umojan Units, goes up to level 3.

Advanced Shielding

  • Cost: 150 Minerals, 150 Vespene Gas, 120 Seconds
  • Effect: All of Narud’s Shields gain +2 Armor.

Defensive Barriers

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 90 Seconds
  • Effect: All buildings gain a 200 hitpoint Shield.

Magnetic Scoping

  • Cost: 125 Minerals, 125 Vespene Gas, 90 Seconds
  • Effect: Guard and Enforcer units gain +1 attack range.

Automatic Firing Protocols

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Umojan Wraiths can attack Ground and Air enemies at the same time.

Dark Encapsulation (Level 9)

  • Cost: 75 Minerals, 75 Vespene Gas, 45 Seconds
  • Effect: The first attack from Umojan Wraiths after cloaking stuns the target enemy for 3 seconds. Occurs every 5 seconds.

Reinforced Energies

  • Cost: 75 Minerals, 75 Vespene Gas, 45 Seconds
  • Effect: Photon Barriers created by Science Vessels last 20 seconds longer and have 15 more hit points.

Void Battery (Level 9)

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Science Vessels gain +1% Energy Regeneration for every point of Void Essence currently stored.

Void Cloak

  • Cost: 75 Minerals, 75 Vespene Gas, 45 Seconds
  • Effect: Weapon Platforms Cloak when in Defender mode.

Anti-Matter Rounds (Level 9)

  • Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene Gas, 60 Seconds
  • Effect: Weapon Platforms deal 5% of the target’s health as damage in Fighter mode and 10% in Defender mode.

Photon Propulsion

  • Cost: 125 Minerals, 125 Vespene Gas, 120 Seconds
  • Effect: Increases Wraith, Science Vessel and Weapon Platform movement speed by 35%.

Phasing Hull

  • Cost: 125 Minerals, 125 Vespene Gas, 120 Seconds
  • Effect: Wraith, Science Vessel and Weapon Platform units have a 15% to evade incoming attacks.

Hybrid Lab Augments

When you click to produce a hybrid, you must first choose if you want any augments for the hybrid. This only affects the produced hybrid and so augments may be repeated.

Hybrid Juggernaut:

Augmented Hide

  • Cost: 25 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Juggernaut gains +2 Armor.

Rampage Implants (Level 13)

  • Cost: 50 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Juggernaut’s attack speed increases up to +50% for 7 seconds.

Enhanced Expulsion

  • Cost: 25 Void Essence
  • Effect: Void Expulsion now restores health to the Juggernaut equal to 50% of damage dealt.

Charging Jets (Level 13)

  • Cost: 50 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Juggernaut gains the ability to charge in the target direction, dealing 30 damage and stunning enemies along the path for 2 seconds.

Too Horrible to Die (Abominable Creator)

  • Cost: 75 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Juggernaut will revive on death with 50% of life. Occurs every 180 seconds.

Hybrid Devastator:

Empowered Strikes

  • Cost: 25 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Devastator deals +15 against Armored on attacks.

Enfeeblement Attachment (Level 13)

  • Cost: 50 Void Essence
  • Effect: Enemies hit by the Devastator gain -4 Armor.

Link to The Void

  • Cost: 25 Void Essence
  • Effect: Abyssal Blast now deals 500 damage.

Enslavement Beacon (Level 13)

  • Cost: 50 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Devastator gains the ability to mark a non-Heroic enemy. If killed within 10 seconds the enemy will be resummoned as a Void Shade under the player’s control. Only one Void Shade maximum for each Devastator.

Terrible Psionic Power (Abominable Creator)

  • Cost: 75 Void Essence
  • Effect: The Devastator constantly produces a psionic storm around it, dealing 50 damage to any Massive or Heroic enemy units within.

Abilities

Open Void Rift: Costs 50 Void Essence. No cooldown. Summon a Void Rift at the target location within vision radius. This Rift behaves the same as an Umojan Portal and even interacts with Portals. Lasts for 120 seconds.

Oblivion (Level 10): Costs 100 Void Essence. 180 second cooldown. Deal 200 damage in a huge area over 20 seconds. Enemies that die within this area are resummoned as uncontrollable Void Shades that expire once Oblivion ends.

Levels

Essence of The Void (Level 1): Narud has access to Void Essence, which is obtained by killing enemies. Narud can store up to 200 Void Essence. Narud starts with a Hybrid Lab.

Mining Protocol (Level 2): SCVs now harvest and move 30% faster.

New Creations (Level 3): Allows for the creation of Hybrid Destructors, a powerful psionic ranged Hybrid unit.

Barracks Upgrade Cache (Level 4): Unlocks the following upgrades at the Barracks Tech Lab:

  • Umojan Guard attacks deal 25% of damage in a small area around attacked enemies.
  • Instead of dying, Umojan Enforcers gain 100 Shields for 10 seconds. Occurs every 60 seconds.
  • Bio Engineers can heal a second target, restoring 50% as much health.

Scientific Breakthroughs (Level 5): Allows Narud’s structures to research two upgrades simultaneously.

Tech Reactors (Level 6): Combines Tech Labs and Reactors into a single add-on which contains upgrades for units while also allowing two units to be built simultaneously.

Assistance from The Void (Level 7): Void Rift now also summons 2 Void Shade Zealots and Hydralisks that last until the Rift is destroyed or dissipates.

Technological Warfare (Level 8): Umojan Weapons, Umojan Armor and Advanced Shielding can all be upgraded an additional time.

Starport Upgrade Cache (Level 9): Unlocks the following upgrades at the Starport Tech Lab:

  • The first attack from Umojan Wraiths after cloaking stuns the target enemy for 3 seconds. Occurs every 5 seconds.
  • Science Vessels gain +1% Energy Regeneration for every point of Void Essence currently stored.
  • Weapon Platforms deal 5% of the target’s health as damage in Fighter mode and 10% in Defender mode.

Oblivion (Level 10): Allows the use of Oblivion. Deal 200 damage in a huge area over 20 seconds. Enemies that die within this area are resummoned as uncontrollable Void Shades that expire once Oblivion ends.

Warp Technologies (Level 11): Umojan Portals build 50% faster. Both Umojan Portals and Void Rifts can now be used by your ally.

Advanced Defences (Level 12): Railgun Turrets gain +3 range, Shield Depots build instantly and Missile Turrets gain an area-of-effect ground attack.

Experimental Cache (Level 13): Unlocks the following augments at the Hybrid Lab:

  • The Juggernaut’s attack speed increases up to +50% for 7 seconds.
  • The Juggernaut gains the ability to charge in the target direction, dealing 30 damage and stunning enemies along the path for 2 seconds.
  • Enemies hit by the Devastator gain -4 Armor.
  • The Devastator gains the ability to mark a non-Heroic enemy. If killed within 10 seconds the enemy will be resummoned as a Void Shade under the player’s control. Only one Void Shade maximum for each Devastator.

End Times (Level 14): Oblivion lasts for 10 seconds longer and affects a 25% wider area.

True Face Revealed (Level 15): Can now store up to 300 Void Essence. Gain 1 Void Essence for every 2 Supply your ally loses in killed troops.

Masteries

Power Set 1:

Upgrade Resource Cost: -1.5% per point.

Combat Unit Build Time: -1% per point.

Power Set 2:

Void Rift Duration: +3% per point.

Oblivion Duration: +2% per point.

Power Set 3:

Starting Void Essence: +2 per point.

Hybrid Combat Stats: +1.5% per point.

Prestiges

Portalmancer (Level 1):

  • Umojan Portals cost 25% less resources.
  • Void Rifts cost 5 less Void Essence and additionally spawn 4 Void Shade Marines.
  • Oblivion is unavailable.

Technological Mastermind (Level 2):

  • Structures can teleport to any visible location every 120 seconds.
  • Extensions cost 50% less resources.
  • Void Rift and Umojan Portals are unavailable.

Abominable Creator (Level 3):

  • Hybrid Juggernauts and Devastators gain a new Augment each.
  • Hybrids build 30% quicker.
  • Umojan units cost 25% more resources.

Achievements

The Most Advanced Tech: Research all possible upgrades in a single mission on Hard difficulty.

Dark Developments: Spend 1000 Void Essence on Hybrid Augments.

Hybrid Racing: Train a Hybrid within 5 minutes with at least 2 Augments.

Thinking with Portals: Transport 500 allied units with portals.

I am open to any forms of feedback in terms of design and balance, thank you! :smiley:

1 Like

The part that is viewable upon initial opening of this page I agree with but the rest, I’d leave to ActivisionBlizzard to sort out so that the commander can be balanced based on what they assume to be a balanced character to the overall gameplay so that there is something for them to patch in the future.
Keep people in a job.

TL;DR I got bored half way through this solid idea, and a few of the parts of what I did see led me to the conclusion that the developers have their jobs for a very good reason.

2 Likes

Hi there, thanks for the feedback!

I went into detail with this concept because I feel he probably won’t be added in the future (more likely we’ll get Niadra or Tosh as the final Co-op commander). And plus I just like spending lots of time on these sorts of ideas. If they did implement Narud exactly like this, though, I’m sure it won’t be too hard to balance. After all Blizzard loves OP characters on launch so they can always patch him later!

Again, thank you for your feedback! :smiley:

Except there’s one little problem here. Narud is Xel’Naga. He is servant of Amon.

Hi there, thanks for the feedback!

I know it’s a logical leap, but so is Tychus, Zerutal and Mengsk so I’m sure it’d be ok!

Yeah, but they are not servants of The Fallen Xel’Naga. Big difference.

I think that, given the history of the character throughout the starcraft series, he would be a welcome character but given that blizzard is now known as activision blizzard, I wouldn’t expect anything other than a massive amount of money to play the character.

1 Like