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T-280 space construction vehicle

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"Have you ever dreamt of exploring distant planets and then working overtime there for minimum wage? Well, your dreams have been answered, pardner! It just so happens that the Dominion has a use for your undying loyalty and pathetic fear of the battlefield frontlines."
T-280 Space Construction Vehicle
SCV SC2 Art2
Earliest sighting

2480 (old model)
2500 (current model)




Bipedal walker


Legs, thrusters


Just over 12 feet (approx. 3.7m)






1 (pilot)

The T-280 space construction vehicle (or SCV) is a type of terran general-purpose engineering vehicle.

SCV pilots are called "SceeVees." Nicknames include "plas-jockey", "lug nut" and "wrench swinger".[1]


"I'm locked in here tighter than a frog's butt in a watermelon seed fight."

- An SCV pilot(src)

SCV SC1 Art1

An SCV during the Great War

The T-280 SCV is a reliable vehicle[2] used to construct and maintain everything from remote outposts to space platforms as well as harvest resources[3] and general reconstruction efforts.[4] They are used by both military and civilian interests throughout the Koprulu sector for their versatility and reliability,[3] and are regarded as a foundational unit for terran forces.[5]


The T-280 is a bi-pedal walker,[6] the pilot's arms and legs extending into its exoskeleton.[7] It stands just over twelve feet tall[8] and is constructed out of neosteel.[6] SCVs have been observed to be equipped with fusion cutters[3] plasma welders,[8] a power drill, utility clamp, and heavy-duty thrusters. the thrusters allow an SCV to hover. These thrusters were added after SCV prototypes proved unable to keep up with projected efficiency rates. Due to last minute integration, the thrusters were barely optimized for day-to-day operation, and are prone to overloading whenever they are set to high burn. The T-280’s manufacturer began work on new, more energy-efficient thrusters, but discarded the project upon learning that SCV races were popular in certain parts of the sector. As one would expect, this has not deterred the pilots from making "personal" adjustments.

SCV SC2 Art1

An SCV harvesting minerals

Older SCVs had reinforced plating until the manufacturer decided to cut back on “unnecessary expenses”. This decision proved very unpopular among SCV pilots, and even spurred riots—which were quelled fatally by security forces—on one or two remote planets. Yet, the body count from the protests was dwarfed by the 58.8% increase in casualty rates due to flimsy vehicle plating.[6]

Within a few months of the end of the Brood War, a new SCV model had been introduced,[9] albeit still retaining T-280 designation.[10] It features improved motivators, allowing smoother operations.[9]

The scent of rig grease from SCVs can be used by the zerg to track them.[1]


TheFightin&#039;SceeVees Cover1

An SCV under attack by zerglings

The SCV's cockpit is equipped with multiple displays that provide critical information to the pilot—fuel readouts, structural integrity data, and real-time 3D topography mapping algorithms. Designed to operate in hazardous atmospheres, all SCVs boast the latest version of the COMFORtroller climate control system, which regulates, cycles and purifies the air inside the cabin—allowing the vehicle to operate for up to two weeks in a vacuum. Nonetheless, it’s common to see jury-rigged SCVs successfully getting the job done, despite being held together with components as unusual as gardening equipment or beer cans.[6]

SCVs are known to be outfitted with various feedback modules to help improve pilot feedback and performance. One such module is the onboard force feedback module (or OFFM, referred to as OFF ME), which allows the SCV pilot to move the SCV arms and generate a force proportional to the motions of the pilot, allowing for greater range of movement and greater combat effectiveness against close range attackers such as zerglings. Bill "Pearly" Bousquette developed a feedback module known as the biometric accumulator, which contains a learning heuristic that naturally adapts to the pilot's quirks and preferences.[1]


SCV SC2 Cncpt1

A post-Brood War SCV

The T-280 model became prominent for its performance during the construction of Tarsonis' space platforms.[3] It was widely adopted and became a staple in terran engineering by 2489[11]

During the reign of the Terran Confederacy, volunteering to pilot an SCV appeared to be an alternative to military service.[12] The PEB (Preferred Experience Base) was hostile environment engineering, with combat experience a plus.[13]

Risks associated with SCV operation has had little impact on the Dominion's ability to recruit pilots who, fearful of the front lines, are willing to work overtime on distant planets for low wages.[6]

Game UnitEdit


For StarCraft gameplay information see: SCV (StarCraft).
For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft I SCV Quotations.

StarCraft: GhostEdit

SCV SC-G Game1

SCV in StarCraft: Ghost

StarCraft Ghost Logo2


SCVs could be controlled in StarCraft: Ghost. Their boosters could be used to make them hover. They could carry objects between their arms using an electric field. This including enemies.[14]

StarCraft IIEdit

For StarCraft gameplay information see: SCV (StarCraft II).
For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft II SCV Quotations.

Known SCV PilotsEdit

"Be kind to a SceeVee; he might just be your dad!"

- Popular marine joke on the average age of SCV pilots(src)

SCV SC2 Head2

An SCV pilot

SCV VariantsEdit


  2. 2014-08-28, Fight for Your Freedom, Fight for Your Future. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-05-09
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Units: SCV. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2014-08-28.
  7. Irvine, Alex. "Command Performance." (March 28, 2013). Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft Lore: Command Performance Accessed 2013-03-28.
  10. Personality Exam: SCV, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2010-06-19
  12. SCV. StarCraft Compendium. Accessed on 2007-12-03
  13. Beta. Accessed on 2008/01/28
  14. 2015-02-03, The Art of StarCraft: Ghost. YouTube, accessed on 2015-02-04

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