- In the beggining of a game, some players first put their workers on minerals, and then build a worker. I build a worker first, then put them on minerals.

- Against comp, ALWAYS build defense.

- Against human in a no rush game, do not build tower or choke point defense. It wastes time, money, food, and it’s not needed. Just have anti-air detection towers (eg. Missile Turrets) scattered around your base.

- ALWAYS have detectors handy

-Always use a high speed broadband connection to avoid game lag and have an advantage over those on slower connections.

- When attacking, ALWAYS leave units behind in your base.

- When attacking, go for the workers, supplies, and key production buildings.

- As Zerg, build Nydus Canals in your expansions. This allows quick back-up against attacks.

- NEVER attack without detectors.

- NEVER have more than 2 workers per mineral field, and 4 workers per geyser.

- Attacking with a mix of units is more effective than attacking with bunches of the same unit.

- Combining spells with attacks can greatly increase your chance of winning a battle.

- Be prepared for anything.

- Go Overlord hunting with Devourers, Corsairs, and Valkyries. Zerg players often put all their Overlords in the back of their bases, near their primary resource area.

- Cloaked units work well against humans early in the game.

- As Terrans, ALWAYS build a comsat on your first Command Center; NEVER a Nuclear Silo.

- Against Zerg, don’t bother attacking Larva or Eggs. Attack eggs only if you have strong units.

- Always keep your eye on your food.

- Trick your opponents by doing a small attack with air, and after he/she spends tons of money on anti-air, do a massive ground attack, or vise-versa.

- As Terran, don’t nuke buildings unless you have more than one nuke available. If you only have one, go for units (nuking a bunch of burrowed units kicks pompis!).

- When playing big money maps, always do frequent attacks on your opponent to wear him down.

- Attacking 1 unit at a time is a lot more effiective then having all your units attack different things. To do this, use the shift key. Hold down shift while issuing commands, and your units will finish each one before moving on to the next.

- A very cheap, but useful, tactic is to parasite critters (especially kakarus because they fly). The critter will walk around the whole map for you, and when near enemy defense, it will not get attacked!

- If your Protoss, mind control enemy workers so you can start a new race! Recommended only for games when you have an ally. – Submitted by ?

- If you are Zerg, burrow Zerglings at all the resource areas; its cheap and easy; so when they expand there, go kill the expansion before it is up.
P.S. Try burrowing it at the place the person is likely to put his townhall. You will be surprised at how many people never knew that the problem was a burrownd Zergling, especially if you went random. – Submitted by [G]Primantis!

- When Fighting zerg you can always run in and try to kill as many overlords as humanly or alienly possible! This will mak it so that the zerg cannot produce more units for a little while! – Submitted by Goldenjack9!

- When your toss and have dark archons with Mind Control, don’t waste it on stupid units like marines use it for the big units like bc or carriers imagin 6 carriers commin for your base u have 6 darcharchons mind comtroll all of them to pi$$ him off lol – Submitted by [G]Primantis!

- When your playing against humans, it is a good idea to not only defend your sides from drops but to put defense by your workers so your oponents guys just dont fly right by your turrets and into your workers – Submitted by [G]Primantis!

- As Terran, first build supply depots (3) at your front entrance. After that build bunkers (3) behind the depots. Put marines in the bunkers and the protoss zealots will run away when you hit them. – Submitted by Sherman

- When I start out with the protoss use a maphack (”yuck” – CreepColony) or hurry and find their base. After that I make a pylon in front of the opponents base and make photon cannons in front of them. They can’t get through very easily! You have to cover their perimeter though. A good strategy against everyone! – Submitted by Pmkkim

- After joining or creating a game (doesn’t matter if you start it), always resign on bnet if you’re gonna create or join another game.

- Spider Mines are semi-detectors (the actual spider mine can see cloaked units but the controller can’t) so use them as defense against nuking ghosts and sneaky dark templars. – Submitted by Aouro

- If you’re Terran and attacking with an army of air units, send in some flying buildings first as a decoy. – Submitted by Aouro

- For those of you who like to put a bunch of sunkens and and spore colonys in the front of ur base put the sunken in back and spore in front so that the spore can hit the air from the front and the sunkens can protect the spore from the back… – and if u like to surround your base with spores DONT- go spore spore spore sunken spore spore spore sunken…..etc – Submitted by Seminole425

- In $$$ maps, if you have a lot of money like 40,000+ minerals/gas, kill all your workers to get more supplies – Submitted by zeLOT`~[DK]

- If you play a use map settings map that has 255 upgrades make upgrade centers first (Forges, Evolution Chambers, or Engieering Bays) and never stop upgrading. This will secure your victory but make sure to make men. – Submitted by David

- Build a pylon then build forges well in front of the pylon then behind the pylon build cannons. It’s a duplicate of Terran’s but it works or make cannons then in front of each cannon always put pylon’s – Submitted by ~ng~krysten~ng~

- When being terran build 3 supply depots and bunkers and so on. Then start a new set of supply depots,bunkers,sigetanks and turrents. This will help u worry less about your defense because u have enough back up. Also have turrents and bunkers around the perimeter of your base which really help and get ready to kick some a$$. – Submitted by {EXS}Recon_7

- When you go big like carriers or battle cruisers always build more starports,gateways,stargates,ect. When you have enough money you build men in each one of the buildings which cuases more mass production. So you dont have stand there lkie and idiot build one 5 things at a time in one building and kick some a$$ instead. – Submitted by {EXS}Recon_7

- If you are playing a shared bases game, in the beggining, you know how they call out top or bottom? Call out the opposite side you are on, this way you dont have to scout to know what race they are. – Submitted by =drunk_n_tiger=

- Make sure that before u go attack a comp or another person that u have a good defense becuz if u dont and your attack fails then the comp will retaliate – Submitted by PimpMaster510368

- This is a cool thing to do with toss. First get a few Dts and GET MAD KILLS! Then just join em into a Dark Archon. The Archon will have the kills of both the Dts stuck toghether. Might alredy know this but WTF? who cares? – Submitted by Cugel

- Always make a combination attack!Don’t just rely on your air assault or on your ground.Try to use them both by attacking infront by ground assault with a small combination of air assault then try to sneak at the back with an air aasault this will give your opponent a good distraction,and always try to make a back up by clicking on your structures that produces units before making an attack for easy reinforcement. – Submitted by Dennis Catoc

- This one is called the bluff. it will only work on human players. first gather as much minerals as you want to build as much bunkers as you want. spread them out away from your base but not too far. put 1 marine in some of them and put 4 firebats in the other(in case they find out your bluffing)that way they walk up to your bunker and bamn they’re toasted. now they should retreat most attacks thinking you have a very high defense. – Submitted by cRe8zNbOi

- In BGH maps when you have reached your limit and have excess cash…like heaps….build tonnes of overlords….They dont add to your limit…..ANd they take enemy fire while your other units are laying the smack down on him… – Submitted by Brad

- *Dont BackStab unless its necessary ( for instance,if an ally attacked u)

*Dont be stupid! Figure out what ur opponent is trieng to pull off, if hes not pulling off anything, well then, forget this tip..

*If someone is using a hack, WHO CARES?! ITS THEIR CHOICE TO GET FINED BY BLIZZARD, AND TO GET PPL PI$$ED OFF, AND STUFF..JUST BE CAUTIOUS OF WHO UR UP AGAINST!!

*When in a well known channel, that is infact yours, always be cautious and bring a bot to obtain ops..

*If for some reason your opponent has a huge army and has a defense you could not get through, and…umm….WELL FIGURE IT OUT!

*Be a happy moo moo =)

*DONT BE A FUDGIN TARD! which means Dont be a f’ing Retard!

*COME TO THIS SITE EVERY DAY! – All submitted by sHiZoT

- When you have protoss and you make a big attack, make sure to bring a prob than, when attacking, build a pylon and somes shield batterys so you can recharge your inits and attack at the same time!!!next, build some photon canons to take the control of the place. – Submitted by UnDeAd_Spawn

- If you are playing a rush game,your enemy will most likly only have 4 scv mining until it has 150. so you can scv rush them-just get 10 scv and go to their base and attack! You’ll win in least than 3 minute! (by this this time they will only have about 3 scv mining and 1 just finish build a barrick or what you call it) – Submitted by Luou

- Ever gotten annoyed by enemy forces? Get some sort sort of strong yet expendable unit(zealot) and lure the enemy to another enemys base. Watch them fight! – Submitted by battlesword

- Ok, to reduce lag during a game… simply turn off sound (Ctrl+S) music (Ctrl+M) and potraits (The little moving picture). This will cause less lag cuz sound and music wouldnt b transfered in the game. NOTE: i reccomend doing all of these except the SOUND. DO THIS BECAUSE U MITE NOT KNOW WHEN SOME1 IS LAUNCHING A NUKE!!! – Submitted by MarineBrigade

- If for some reason your opponent is turtling (going mass defense), he’s probably a newbie. Usually he’ll leave a space for a drop. If you’re toss, instead of dropping, recall and dweb all their defense. Sit back and watch the carnage.. – Submitted by -Cake-

- This really only works against cpu… and if u have a partner…Have 1 guy send an scv to your opponets base and just start to attack… when u have the minerals attention…. they will chase after you to kill you…. run you @$$ out of there to a remote end of te map… and u just basically halted the entire cpu’s production… with 1 scv/probe/drone… if u have a partner, he is now free to attack the cpu – Submitted by James

- If you are a newbie and have heard that defense helps! Your wrong! The best Defense is Offense!!! By building men at the start of a game, instead of building tons of defense(Cannons or Sunken Colonie’s) You would be able to kill any left men surrounding your base for a next attack! So, what I mean is with men as defense, you can be saved from an even larger attack, which will come in the next couple of minutes, unless you have completely scared your opponnent off!(Only happens in a Melee type w/ over 2 players!) – Submitted by {GH}Kornkob

- When going for an air attack.. send in one or two “scouts from one side… give em a minit or two to kill those on one side of the base, then attack from the other side… works best with big maps. – Submitted by tG`CmpGd~]BRU[~

- When your zerg you will almost NEVER need more than two sunkens. With zerg's production speed, their defense is their offense and units are the only thing that matter. The same goes with toss and terran, except on a smaller scale. - Submitted by Pack.A.Lunch

- If your your on a really quick rush 7on1, 6on1, 5on1, etc. always be zerg for quck lings. - Submitted by silver' crusier

- If your not a newb, than you probably already know, but ALWAYS make 3 forges, 3 evolution chambers, and 2 engineering bays so you can upgrade everything at once.
Also do this for anything else you want to upgrade FAST and use this for barracks, gateways or whatever so you can build more people at one time. - Submitted by Pure2k1

- Don't hack! - Submitted by Soy_Bomb

- Never let your guard down. - Submitted by Shadow Breaker23

- Don't focus about makeing only one strong expensive unit, if your oponent knows how to counter them u r in trouble. - Submitted by Shadow Breaker23

- Make defense and offence equaly. - Submitted by Shadow Breaker23

- Ensnare/Plague cloaked units to see them. - Submitted by KrillinKC

- Parasite Carriers/BC's to annoy your enemy. if (s)he runs that ship from his/her base, it's an ez kill. - Submitted by KrillinKC

- Burrow a few units outside of the enemy's base so you know when they're attacking. also, burrow units just outside of your base for tank ambuses (some terrans are smart and scan the outside of your base before attacking. if (s)he does, burrow your units even further out because that is most likely where (s)he'll seige his/her tanks.) - Submitted by KrillinKC

- Broodling tanks and templars. - Submitted by KrillinKC

- At the beginning of the game, clone your workers to gather minerals. (to clone: 1. select all workers, 2. right click on a mineral patch, 3.press shift and click on the wireframe of 1 of your selected workers, 4.repeat steps 2-3 until you have only 1 worker selected. if you don't understand how this works, just try it and you will.) THEN build your 5th worker. - Submitted by KrillinKC

- This works for both Zerg and Protoss. Just use your probe/drone and go into the enemy base. Find his gas geyser and make a gas above it. Only works for toss/zerg cause they dont need to build their buildings but they build themselfes. Your enemy will then either have to use his workers to kill the building and waste time or wait for military units. - Submitted by Da~Warbringer

- Irridate- If your oppenent casts this on on of your gusy with high hp or is not biological jsut run the infected unit into a group or your opponents biological units and it will kill them as well. - Submitted by [G]Primantis

- Dark Swarm- if the other player casts this over hes ranged units for protection from some of your defense just go under it with him wil your guys too, you might nto be able to hit him but u wont get hit either (send in melee dudes liek bats/lings to really pi$$ him/her off lol) – Submitted by [G]Primantis

- Psi Storm- this might be tricky to pull off, but if u surrond a templar sometimes the other player might target one of the units by him and kill him self as well(works well with lings cause there fast) – Submitted by [G]Primantis

- Parasite- ok so the other player parasited one of your good units and u dont wanna waste him, so heres what to do (without meds, or with u choose). first get a few units that might be of some threat to your oppenent then gather them with the infected unit (now the otehr player can see your force) after this send them on route to his/her base or expansion, now this is where the real fun begins.. the other player will most likely divert all their attention to defending the base ur goin attack with the parasited units. now take your real force and send it to their other base, odds are they wont be suspecting this attack hehe. (doesnt work to well for comps) – Submitted by [G]Primantis

- Don’t use scourge unless against carriers and battlecruisers, their way too expensive in gas, use them only if u have the gas and if you know that u have some mutas to finish the work, don’t try and let the scourge take the unit out if only 50 health is left. – Submitted by Champion69

- If you recall units, like reavers or dark templars, always put some air units like a few carriers or scouts with them, so you can recall more units at once (flying units can fit atop of ground units so they don’t take up extra space in the recall range). – Submitted by [DRH]AndaRaper

- When Playing agisnt zerg target these buldings in this order: Overlords (heh) Hydra Den, (Greater) Spire Spawning pool ultra cavern then the tech, never go for hatches because it wont work if you can get the tech down AND the hatches then they screwed, i would know i play Zerg a LOT. – Submitted by Ender~Xenocide

- Before you attack anyone, always send in a detector to see what you are up against. – Submitted by BFC19

- ALWAYS! I MEAN ALWAYS! YES, ALWAYS! ALWAYS USE SPELLS! Energy attacks will WIN YOU A GAME! like, your facing some newbie/weirdo who is actually trying to kill you with straight carriers/bcs, and you are terran, 6 ghosts can lock them ALL down, and send in like 10 wraiths and kill them, and then fly in and kill their workers. Or, if he is going mass hydras, you can use Irradiate! Same with mass mutas! I have used 8 science-vessels and destroyed entire armies of mutas. One game, my opponents were going mutas, and i and my partner almost WON because of irradiate! Same kind of thing with lockdown! And recall? Recall in reavers and then stasis everything air that attacks you! Or, as happened to one of my friends once, 8 arbs came into his base, and destroyed his nexus, because they just stasised everything! And ensare, which slows down enemies+their rate of fire, someone is attacking you, with, say, 5 doz. lings, and your lurks are about half-way done. What you do is, u take this queen, ensare them so they take a while to get to your base, and VIOLA! your lurks are done, and they are just arriving. Also, if you have BCs attacking a terran or zerg, bring along some medics, and use Restoration when they get ensared, or plagued, or attacked by devs (acid spores) or locked down! When your opponent is attacking you with tons of ground ranged untis (hydras, goons, etc) besides splash damagers, use dark swarm on them, and send in 1-2 doz. lings! They get eaten alive, and ur lings never get hit! I hope this helps give you more skillz on spell-using, if not, then… Well, what would this game be coming to, if spells didn’t help? Good luck, and have fun! – Submitted by FoxLisk

- Do not play money maps, they do not require any strategy and they will make you get you lazy. Only join games that have the Blizzard check or Ladder symbol on them. – Submitted by Hector Z

- If,a terran opponent is puting spider mines all over the map, then have an overlord drop a zergiling.If a ton of mines are grouped then you’ll have gotten rid of a ton of mines. – Submitted by Someguy

- Build like a hatchery or more in front of the entrance so men can get throw and put def behind it. This works on many boards. – Submitted by -BW-Hydralisk

- Never just stare at the screen waiting for stuf to finsh building. Constantly be clicking and checking the minimap for stuff. – Submitted by bud316

- If you have an ally of a different race, try using some of yur spells and his spells together. Examples are: plague and emp against protoss, plague and yamato guns, plague and nukes, dark swarm and disruption web, and emp and nukes. The downside to this tactic is that attacks are kind of difficult to coordinate. – Submitted by matt

- Early in the game make your first building be a gateway/barracks/spawning pool and not a gas colecter such as a refinery. – Submitted by Hidden Dragon

- Don’t always go for mass something, always mix around with different units. This ensures you of winning the battle. – Submitted by Anthony K.

- If you find that your enemy is going mass defense, dont send units that will get killed by the defense, enstead sendd units that outrange the defense i.e. guardians, nukes, reavers, seige tanks, or if your protoss just disruption web. If your zerg place some dark swarms and burrow lurkers in the dark swarms to kill defense. Also when your using these def killers make sure to back them up or they will be killed. If you find that youir enemy keeps sending un ranged units at you and keeps dying on base def then you pretty much won the battle!(this tip works best on shared base maps). – Submitted by jammno

- When attacking with a large army (especially slow units like gardians) take a minute to spread them out BEFORE you attack. If you bunch your units up they can be picked off easilly by psi storm or irradiate… By spreading them out you will greatly reduce the damage caused by special’s like storm. Also try broodling templars before a large attack and for gods sake USE DEFILERS!!! They OWN!!! Just think if some stupid newbie decided to build cannons everywhere… just use dark swarm with zerglings and hydras and go kick pompis!!! – Submitted by TallonA111

- Attack with air a few times and then switch to land he should have more anti air by then and you can do more damage never attack with the same unit combos more then twice unless its really working.. (try land 1st then air it works 2) changing attacks can win u a game if u do it right. – Submitted by -=ShadowStorm=-

- If you’re Zerg, don’t cluster your overlords together. Spread them out over your base, your ally’s base and other key locations (like 2nd base spots). They not only provide you with detection of invisible units, good survalance of the map, only cost 100 minerals, and recon of whats happening, but become very useful, when you need to send units to clear out an enemy in any sector of the map. 2) Make it difficult for the enemy to kill all your farms all at once, which sucks. Valks and Corsairs are especailly good reasons to spread your farms out. – Submitted by Dustin

- For Protoss-Feel free to ask your allie to have permission to mind control his/her’s worker if he/she is a different race than you to build your own different race force easier. – Submitted by Weng Fung

- Use hotkeys as it might save you some time. Even though it saves you a few seconds, it is useful because the seconds would add up and that can give you a big difference between winning and loosing. – Submitted by Weng Fung

- Don’t always put defense at your entrance, but also put some at your mineral spot. And don’t forget to put detectors at the side. – Submitted by Anthony K.

- When making large attacks, start with ground units and then bring in the air force. This way the ground units can kill the missle turrets/spore colonies/photon cannons/bunkers – Submitted by overlord999

- Never, EVER, have only perimeter defense! Build Missile Turrets, Photon Cannons, etc. inside (and distributed around, of course) your base(s). If you only have turrets and units around the perimeter of your base(s), your enemy can sneak/run past them! – Submitted by Syntax_Error

- Don’t forget, always have advanced defense. Drop in some distruption webs to stop swarms of dragoons and scouts. When using zerg, don’t forget about the dark swarms. And when using Terran, EMP shockwave is great for protoss and blinding people is cool too. – Submitted by jabbermouth

- When playing as Terran, hotkey the ComSat Station (yes, you can do that!) to 0 or 9, whatever. Now, whenever you’re being attacked by Dark Templars, detection is only two keystrokes and a click away! – Submitted by Cataphract_40

- Focus your defence around your entire base (this dosn’t mean surround the perimiter of your base with cannons.) If you only defend your choke, expect and attack from the side. More improtantly units are much beter defence then structures, and micro, spells, and units are the best defence there is! – Submitted by DarkSaber

- If your attack is going nowhere, pull back, it’s not worth losing all your units. However, sometimes when you attack very frequently, you give up after about 6 attacks, right when your breaking your opponents back! – Submitted by Mark Berge

• New Units
• Protoss Campaign
• Terran Campaign

Zerg Missions

Zerg Mission 1

Vile Disruption

When the mission starts, you’ll spot a small Zerg force of six Hunter Killers and two Zerglings. Check the minimap for the locations of their seven Hives. The closest and easiest to reach is in the map’s upper-left corner. Group your small band and send it north to save the first Hive.

As your forces approach the first Hive cluster, a band of eight Zerglings moves in and attacks the buildings around it. When your force comes into visual range, it falls under attack, as well. You should be able to defeat easily the eight renegade Zerglings assaulting this small base. When your forces move close enough to the Hive, a group of friendly Zerglings pops up from its burrows to assist you. This triggers another renegade force of six more Zerglings into the camp. You must also destroy these units before you can move to the next area.

Kerrigan reveals that you’re unable to control the buildings you’re rescuing, making reinforcements all but impossible. Thus, it’s imperative that you use your forces wisely. You’ll find additional friendly Zerg units at each Hive, but you don’t have the limitless supply of units a Hatchery would provide.

You’ll notice on the minimap that another Hive cluster has come under attack. This one lies in the map’s upper-right corner. Send your Hunter Killers to the new location, but expect some resistance along the way. After you reach the second Hive cluster and defeat the attackers, move one of your units next to the Hive to gain control of it, and you’ll acquire four Hydralisks to assist you.

A third Hive now becomes highlighted on the minimap. As you make your way toward this Hive, you’ll be ambushed, so keep your forces together to fight off any assailants. When you reach the third Hive, you’ll gain control of a swarm of Scourges. These are useful immediately, because a Sunken Colony near the fourth Hive is under attack by three Zerg Guardians. If you don’t defeat the Guardians before they destroy the Colony, they’ll move on to the Hive cluster, so route your Scourges toward them right away. You have more than enough Scourge units to kill all three Guardians, so move any extras south to find two more Guardians waiting in ambush.

As your ground forces move toward the fourth Hive (in the center of the map), blocking terrain forces them to meander around. Along the way, they’ll find a group of three Zerglings attacking a Spore Colony. Beware of this deception: the other two renegade Zerg Guardians lurk just west of the route that your ground forces will travel after defeating the three Zerglings. Attack each Guardian with all your units at once to kill it quickly before it can weaken your strike force.

Be on alert as soon as you gain control of the fourth Hive. The Hive cluster falls under attack from north and west. Keep half your forces on those two sides of the camp. A Sunken Colony will assist you, so let the enemy attackers come into range of the cluster before defending against them. If you keep your six Hunter Killers on the west side of the camp and let them contend with the attackers there, the Hydralisks you gain at this fourth camp will supplement your remaining Hydralisks and Zerglings. Station these to the north of the camp. Be wary of attackers coming in waves: don’t let your guard down until the next Hive is highlighted.

The fifth Hive is in the middle of the left side of the map. Move your forces toward it when you get the message that it’s under attack. You’ll find a renegade force of Hydralisks and Zerglings there that you can defeat after a short battle. As soon as you control the Hive, two Ultralisks will head up from the south and attack this camp. You gain control of four Queens, as well, but don’t use their special powers yet.

When this fifth Hive cluster is safe, move your forces south toward a group of Ultralisks attacking a small outpost of Zerg buildings. Use the Queens’ Spawn Broodling ability to wipe out these mammoth beasts. Another Ultralisk may be revealed to the east, battling four newly acquired Hydralisks. You should have one Queen left with enough energy to destroy the Ultralisk.

The sixth Hive cluster lies in the map’s lower-left corner. It’s under attack by eight Mutalisks. Move your forces there to engage the renegades and save the Hive.

At the sixth Hive cluster, locate the Nydus Canal as quickly as possible. It lies just north and east of the Hive, and is the only way to get your units into the area around the seventh Hive. When you get the message that the seventh Hive is under attack, you’ll see on the minimap that quite a large contingent of renegade Zerg units causing wanton destruction. Your best hope is to reach the final Hive structure, because controlling it will give you a host of new units with which to fight. You’ll probably find this new host very useful, as countless more renegades pop up for the final battle. If you reach the Hive quickly enough, the battle will be long but the outcome will be favorable.

Zerg Mission 2

Reign of Fire

This mission starts with a few minutes of scripted action as Raynor’s Raiders destroy the generator that powers the Psi Disrupter. Once you gain control of the Terran SCV with the Psi Emitter, you can wander around and find Zerg units to control. You’ll find two Zerg Drones immediately left of the SCV. Touch them with the Psi Emitter and build a Zerg Hatchery near the mineral fields and Vespene Geyser in the area. Another resource patch lies along the left side of the map, in the middle. You’ll encounter Terran Marines, Firebats, and a few Medics, so you must capture a force of Zerg units before taking this area

There are eight Zerglings you can convert with the Psi Emitter in the area around your camp. There are three Hunter Killers at the bottom of the ramp leading down from your base. Use these nine units to work your way along the valley leading north to the next mineral patch. You’ll find some Devouring Ones (hero-level Zerglings) by the time you finally reach the minerals. The resistance you encounter mainly comprises Terran Marines in Bunkers backed up by a Siege Tank. If you send the Zerglings straight for the Tank and let the Hydralisks cut away at the Bunkers, you should minimize your losses. If you head east from the mineral fields, you’ll find the awesome Ultralisk, Torrasque.

The valley leading away from your base branches right, where you’ll find another Terran Bunker and Siege Tank. The same strategy you used earlier will be as effective here. Farther beyond is a group of three more Hunter Killers. These are the last of the native Zerg units you’ll find. At this point, the Terran SCV you’ve been controlling finally loses his nerve and calls for dust-off. You must build up forces on your own from now on.

While you explore and secure the valley, expand your base, building plenty of Spore colonies to repel air attacks. After securing the valleys and establishing production at the second mineral patch, concentrate on building up your forces to attack the Psi Disrupter. Plan to attack with at least four full groups of units, mixing Zerglings and Hydralisks to make sure you can counter any air threat. You’ll have to send more units to resupply your attack force during the battle, but I recommend a minimum of four groups of attackers before the first assault.

You’ll find the Psi Disrupter in an alcove in the upper-right corner of the map, about a quarter of the way in from the right edge. You don’t need to destroy all the Terran buildings, because once the Disrupter is gone, your mission is complete. You’ll have less trouble with the Disrupter, however, if you destroy the bulk of the Terran base first.

Zerg Mission 3

The Kel-Morian Combine

You must attack a small Terran base northeast of your starting position and destroy all enemy buildings there to set up your Hatchery and begin harvesting resources. A small detachment of Marines and Goliaths, and one Bunker containing four Marines, protect the Terran Base. Your force of Zerglings and Hydralisks can handle the Marines easily, but you should send your Ultralisks to destroy the enemy Bunker

Take time to build up your first base before attacking any of the other Terrans. You’ll have enough minerals and Vespene Gas at your first camp to build all the base structures available to you. Upgrading all your warrior units is also a good idea. The Terran camps are all of about equal strength, so there’s no best one to attack first. You must hit them hard right from the start.

If you attack each Terran base with three or four full groups of units, you’ll make good progress. Four groups won’t be enough to overwhelm the Terrans in one wave, so you’ll have to rebuild more groups. But because the Terrans won’t replace their buildings, you’ll not lose much ground. Trying to control more than four groups of units is too difficult in the narrow valleys of this mission, so concentrate on directing the units that you can manage effectively.

Your task in this mission is to infest the Terran Command Centers. To wear the Command Center down enough for your Queen to infest it, you must defeat the forces protecting it. Keep an eye on your units so they don’t inadvertently destroy the Command Center before the Queen is finished with it. Although you don’t need to infest any of the Command Centers to win the mission, the more you capture, the better off you’ll be in the next mission.

Zerg Mission 4

The Liberation of Korhal

You begin in the lower-right corner of a short, wide map. Three of the Terran Command Centers you infested in the previous mission are at your disposal, along with four Hatcheries and some Drones. You must build this base up quickly to fend off regular attacks from your enemies-in this case, Terrans and Zerg. Expect to see an enemy Zerg Ultralisk within a few minutes.

You start with the 10,000 minerals you gathered in the previous mission, but there’s a desperate shortage of Vespene Gas on this map. You have one Vespene Geyser at your base, but only one won’t allow you to harvest fast enough for your needs. A second resource patch, including a geyser, lies north of your position. It’s occupied by a small group of Terrans in three Bunkers and three Missile Turrets. This should be your first conquest. Zerglings and units that don’t consume much Vespene Gas should be the brunt of your attack force. Once taken, build a Hatchery and fortify the area with Sunken and Spore colonies

Spend some time building structures to upgrade your warriors. Focus on Zerglings and Hydralisks; one or two groups of Guardians will come in very handy, however, so build a Greater Spire and upgrade air attacks. Once the initial attack is met, move your units to the west across the ridge to the outskirts of a heavily fortified Terran base. Clear away the scattering of Zerg and Terran forces in this area, but do not engage the base until you have a solid group of Guardians to call on. Use these forces to wipe the Terrans in the area of the face of the planet. Then build two Hatcheries, and fortify the area with both Sunken and Spore Colonies.

Your next goal is the Zerg base to the northwest. If you set the rally point for your Hatcheries/Hives to a position near the enemy Zerg camp in the northwest corner, you can maintain a steady supply of units. Continue the strategy of producing large numbers of cheap units, such as Zerglings and Hydralisks. By the time you’re ready to attack the Zerg base, you should have at least six Hatcheries and Hives. When you have at least five or six full groups of units, you can begin your assault. A group of Mutalisks can clean up the remnants of the Zerg base, and then morph into Guardians for the attack on the remaining Terran camp.

The last camp lies in the southwest corner of the map, and is accessible only to land units, through the area where the enemy Zerg main base was. The Terrans have strategically located a Siege Tank on a plateau your land units can’t climb. Guardians are the best units to use to take out the Siege Tank, but protect them with Mutalisks, Hydralisks, and Overlords, because the Terrans will send Wraiths and everything else they have left. You must create wave after wave of units to wear down Terran defenses, so organize your rally points so new units are delivered near the battle.

Zerg Mission 5

True Colors

Once you gain control of your base, you have six minutes during which the Terrans and Protoss produce no new units. Use this time to destroy as much of the enemy forces as you can. Because the Terrans are slightly closer to you, they’re the best to attack. Send your Hydralisks and Zerglings to the first Terran camp in the northwest corner and wipe out everything. During the game’s opening minutes, you should produce only Zerglings and Hydralisks. Set your existing Drones to collect minerals, but don’t bother creating new Drones or structures: it’s critical to wipe out as much of the Terran bases as you can. In the six minutes at the beginning of this mission, you should be able to do enough damage to disable the first two Terran camps completely. After the counter runs out, concentrate on fortifying the areas you captured, including your original base.

Notice that the two areas you captured from the Terran army are accessible from only one direction-a bridge at the south end of the area. Position your warriors near the entrance to this bridge so you can contain any intruders. The Protoss will attack your main camp from the south and east. Expect most of the action to come from the south.

When you’ve upgraded your units and built a sizable attack force, concentrate on wiping out the first two Protoss outposts-the ones located in the northeast and east parts of the map. The Protoss use Dark Templars, Arbiters, and Observers quite often in this battle, so keep a few Overlords around to spot hidden units. Your attack groups should comprise a mix of Zerglings and Hydralisks.

After destroying the first two Protoss outposts, you’ll discover a bridge leading to each remaining base. A bridge connects the two camps, as well, so as you attack one, locate this connecting bridge and block it with units so you don’t get caught from behind.

In the main Terran base, you’ll find Battlecruisers, Wraiths, Siege Tanks, and all the other regular Terran units. A couple of Siege Tanks strategically perch atop a nasty plateau you can’t ascend, so if you have Guardians available, you may find them useful when you spot these Tanks. Sending in a full group of Hydralisks is a great way to destroy a Battlecruiser. The Hydralisks aren’t expensive to produce and they make short work of the Terran air unit. Keep your Zerglings and Ultralisks busy on Siege Tanks and Missile Turrets, while the Hydralisks go after these and other air units.

In the Protoss camp you’ll find a seemingly limitless supply of Reavers and Carriers. The Reavers take up a position on their side of the bridge and make it difficult for you to get enough units across to do any real damage. To counter this tactic, use air units such as Mutalisks or Guardians: Reavers can’t attack air units. But the Reavers are seldom alone, and the other Protoss warriors can cause a lot of trouble for a Guardian, who also can’t attack air units. When you find Fenix, he’ll speak to Kerrigan briefly, and then attack you. You must destroy Fenix to win the mission.

Zerg Mission 6

Fury of the Swarm

You have four outposts located on the ring islands, but they fall under attack immediately. Don’t bother trying to save the outlying bases on the ring islands; instead concentrate on building your central base.

You’ll need to defend your central island from air assaults, so you’ll need Spore Colonies. Because your space is limited, use Hydralisks and Zerglings for ground defense instead of building Sunken Colonies. You must build a Spawning Pool and Hydralisk Den because the ones in your ring camps will be destroyed. Keep ground defenses stationed on your central island throughout this mission to fend off transported enemy units.

The enemy attackers that eliminate your camps will disperse when their job is done, leaving several prime locations for setting up expansion bases. Of course, you’ll have to research Ventral Sacs for the Overlords before you can lift your units to the new resource patches. Because enemy Zerg Hatcheries already are being developed at the vacated resource nodes, send Hydralisks and Zerglings along with your Drones to clean up the enemy structure in each area. A few Lurkers await you on these islands, as well, so use Overlords to spot them

Your three enemies’ main encampments lies along the west edge of the map. There’s only one land route in the north and one in the south from which your expansion bases are accessible, so station your warriors at the choke points leading west. Build two Hatcheries at each of the two resource nodes you find. Spend equal resources building and upgrading air and land units. If you use your eastern most camp to build air units, and send those air units to attack the ring islands that still have enemy Zerg camps, you can build up a large number of ground units at the chokepoint leading to the main camp in the west.

After you’ve researched all upgrades and have a large attack force massed, you’re ready to assault the main bases. Early in the mission, your objective changes from destroying enemy Zerg to killing all Terran Scientists. You’ll find the Scientists in the Terran camp in the middle of the west edge of the map.

To reach the Terrans, you must eliminate the Zerg base in the northwest or southwest corner. You will make the best progress with Hydralisks and Ultralisks. Because you have at least three resource patches from which to draw minerals, you should have enough to build several groups of Ultralisks. Guardians also are useful when attacking the main base.

The Terran base is accessible only via a bridge on either side, making for a very difficult chokepoint. Rather than fight your way across the bridge, rush your units to the open spaces on the other side before letting them engage. You must move at least three or four groups of units into the Terran base to clear a safe zone on the other side of the bridge. If you let your units attack the Terrans as they move they’ll stop fighting and block the bridge. The rest of your forces will be useless as they wait for the few on the bridge to inch forward or die. When all 30 UED Scientists are dead, the Terrans lose control of the Zerg armies and you win the mission.

Zerg Mission 7

Drawing of the Web

You begin this mission in the map’s lower-right corner with a fairly substantial base. But that doesn’t mean you can relax. Capture the areas northeast and southwest immediately, and fortify them with Sunken and Spore Colonies as soon as you can. Keep fortifying these areas as you build up your resources and climb the tech tree.

Once your starting base and the expansion bases are secure, build up a force of Zerglings and Hydralisks (24 of each) to sweep over the Protoss base in southwest corner of the map. This is the last area of resources you should need to capture to complete this mission. When this area is secure, move your forces up along the west edge of the map until you reach a land bridge and a plateau. Build a Nydus Canal connecting you to your home base.

When attacking the areas surrounding the Beacons, keep the supply of units flowing. Attacking with four groups of 10 Hydralisks and 24 Zerglings isn’t unheard of, so be aggressive right off the bat or you could end up losing an entire strike force. While your attacks on beacons 1 and 2 are underway, the main Protoss base is likely to launch an attack on your main base. You can repel these attacks, but be aware that Duran is often the target of these attacks, and if Duran dies the mission ends. After Duran activates beacons 1 and 2, do the same to beacons 3, 4, and 5. You must move slowly and attack with overwhelming forces every time you attack.

Zerg Mission 8

To Slay the Beast

Start out by building a strong economy while getting your defenses going immediately, on both ends of your base. You’ll get hit by both the white and the orange forces fairly early in the game, so increase the defenses at your main base right away. Move an Overlord and a Dark Templar to each end of your base and split up your initial groups of Hydralisks and Zerglings to defend the entrances.

After weathering a few attacks and once your economy is going strong, get out a fairly large number of Hydralisks with Lurker support to remove the enemy base just east of your starting position. Twenty-four Hydralisks with four to six Lurkers as support should be more than enough to clean out this base, but you’ll want the extra troops there to hold it. At this point, you should hunker down and build a Hatchery to mine resources from the area you just captured. Although you should build a few Spore Colonies there for air defense (and as Detectors), you’ll primarily defend this area with all the troops left over from the initial attack on the base. You can be sure that the computer will come calling more than once. Once the area is secure, and you’ve begun to mine this base, you should turn your eyes northward.

To attack the base to north, send 24 or so Hydralisks with Lurker support. Don’t pull these units from defending your new base. You’ll need them there. Make new ones. Send your troops north and watch the white town crumble. You must leave the units there, as the enemy will try to take this town from you, as well. Keep your units away from the lava cliffs. Enemy Guardians will make short work of any ground unit that strays too close to the edge.

Your next task is to set up an expansion at the resource area in the south east corner of the map. You must build a Nydus Canal in your main base, but don’t place the other end, yet. Then build 12 or so Hydralisks and a couple of Drones and put them in an Overlord headed for Area C. Once they arrive, drop off the Hydralisks and kill the few Lurkers hiding at the resource node, then build a Hatchery when you’re done. Once the Hatchery is complete, select the Nydus Canal you just built and place the other end in your new base. Be sure to defend the area as you’ve been defending your other areas.

For the assault on the final base in the north east corner, you’ll need as many Queens as you can manage to take care of troublesome enemy units. Also, bring in half a dozen or so Ultralisks to lead the charge and to absorb the bulk of the damage, as well as a large number of Hydralisks to clean up the town and take care of the air units.

When you begin your assault, lead with Ultralisks and follow with Hydralisks. The enemy probably will cast Dark Swarm to protect himself, but if you get your Ultralisks inside fast, this can be turned to your advantage. This is the game’s most difficult assault. If it fails, you should still be in a strong position with plenty of resources to send a second wave similar to the first.

After you break through the defenses of the lower plateau, wipe out the entire area. All that remains now is to assault the plateau, where the Overmind resides. Once more, use Queens to parasite one or more enemy units on the plateau, and then use Spawn Broodling on whatever you find most offensive. After you’ve thinned out the enemies, deposit another round of Hydralisks and Ultralisks on the ledge on the south side of the plateau and overrun the Overmind defenses. Make sure you have lots of Overlords to cover your advance because the Overmind is virtually ringed by Lurkers.

Zerg Mission 9

The Reckoning

This key to this level is speed and your ability to harvest resources while conducting attacks as efficiently as possible. Begin by having your Hive and Hatchery build two Hydralisks each; at the same time, move your Guardians south. In the southwest corner you’ll find a Terran base you must destroy. You’ll need the minerals and gas at this base, so get moving posthaste.

Move to the ramp in central potion of the map’s southern edge and take out the Siege Tank. Then send your Ultralisk into the base in the southwestern corner, followed immediately with everything else you start with-all the Zerglings, one of the two Lurkers, and all the Hydralisks, including the four you just made. This force should be enough to take out the base. Once this is done, spawn a Hatchery there immediately. At this point, you must gather resources as quickly as possible. Assign two Drones per mineral patch at each base, and four Drones per Assimilator.

Make sure you get all Hydralisk, Ultralisk, air unit, and Overlord upgrades. You’ll especially need the Overlord Speed and Transporting upgrades, because part of the enemy base lies atop a cliff and you must get your troops up there.

Now, begin preparing the large Hydralisk hammer you’ll use to crack the Protoss base. You must build 48 Hydralisks and a support force of five Guardians. You’ll need at least five Ultralisks to lead the charge and take the brunt of the damage from enemy Reavers and Psionic Storm. As you build your attack force, use your expansion base in the south as a staging area, foiling attacks from the Terrans holding out in the north west corner. Group a bunch of your Overlords and send them in to spot the enemy Dark Templars. You can go whenever you feel ready, but you should assume it’ll take at least five minutes to clean out the base, so try to attack somewhere around the 10-minute mark.

As the attack begins, send in the Ultralisks, followed closely by the Hydralisks. The Ultralisks should draw most of the Reaver fire and Psionic Storms, thus sparing the Hydralisks. You must use your Guardians to pick off enemy Reavers and Templars trying to engage your Hydralisks as they make their way through the base. After defenses have folded, send the Guardians to destroy the cannons up on the plateau, while the Hydralisks destroy everything left in the main area. If you have no more Guardians left, you’ll need to transport some Hydralisks up to the plateau with your Overlords and let them finish the deed.

You’ll get a secret bonus mission automatically when you complete Zerg Mission 9 with more than five minutes remaining on the 30-minute counter.

Zerg Mission 10

Omega

Your starting base lies in the middle of the space platform with three ground entrances leading into your main stronghold. All three enemy forces will send considerable troops into your base early and hard, so fortify your holdings immediately. Enemy attacks can occur at any of the three entrances, so place many more Sunken Colonies to guard all the ways in. Keep a mobile force of Hydralisks and Zerglings ready to reinforce your static defenses at a moment’s notice. You must begin producing Mutalisks, as well, as a mobile reserve. Siege Tanks and Reavers have a longer range than your Sunken Colonies, and you’ll need the Mutalisk’s fast air attack to break up their attacks.

Attacking Mengsk’s bases to the west with ground troops is difficult. His Siege Tanks, Marines, Firebats, and Ghosts can decimate Zerglings, Hydralisks, and even Ultralisks quickly. Defilers and Queens are a must for supporting any ground attack with their Dark Swarm and Spawn Broodling abilities. Engage Mengsk with a sizable air force, including Guardians and Devourers-but don’t assume he’s defenseless in the air. He controls numerous Wraiths and Science Vessels that can disrupt your air attacks, and the enormous number of stimmed Marines can chew up Mutalisks quickly. Remember to bring in Overlords to spot the Wraiths, Ghosts, and Spider Mines. In taking out Mengsk, you eliminate two key threats-Siege Tanks and Nukes. Both can cause real problems when you are trying to defend your resources and the Hive clusters.

The UED to the north are more vulnerable to strong ground attacks, but they compensate with a powerful air defense. You’ll need a strong Hydralisk force to take down the defending Battlecruisers, but Zerglings (with the Adrenal Glands upgrade) and Ultralisks also will be a big help in taking down ground-based defenses. The Defiler’s Dark Swarm ability can quickly turn the tide, as the UED has few units here that can affect your melee attackers operating under the cloud of a Dark Swarm. Taking out the UED is a priority, if you’re having real trouble defending your Overlords from marauding Valkyries.

You can attack your final opponent from both ground and air, but the defensive abilities of the Protoss are quite nasty. Dark Archons will mind-control key units, or maelstrom entire masses of Zerg units at once. Templars, with their Psionic Storms, are always a danger, and both Arbiters and Corsairs can break up attacks in a frighteningly effective way using Stasis Field and Disruption Web. Once the Protoss are gone you’ll no longer have to worry about Corsairs disrupting your Sunken and Spore Colonies, and you will have put an end to their powerful attacks

When you destroy the last enemy force, victory is yours.

• New Units
• Protoss Campaign
• Zerg Campaign

Terran Missions

Terran Mission 1

First Strike

This mission begins in the lower-left corner of the map, and, although you have plenty of minerals at your disposal, you don’t have a lick of Vespene. Build up a force of ten Marines and two Tanks (which you start with, anyway) and move quickly up to small base in the southeastern corner of the map. Take out the enemy units, and be sure to destroy the Barracks there so the enemy can’t build new units from that location. After cleaning out the area, head north to find Duran’s camp.

At Duran’s camp Duran (a Ghost) and his forces offer to help. This is a boon: you obtain a second base without having to build it yourself; plus, Duran’s forces have a Vespene Geyser, which you desperately need. Research the Siege Tank ability, and then place three tanks and four Goliaths near the land bridge due west of Duran’s camp. These units can fend off all air and ground attacks the enemy sends through that area.

After the land bridge in front of the enemy base is secured, your goal is only to climb the tech tree and upgrade all your units as you build a force of four or five Siege Tanks, a dozen Marines, and about 10 Goliaths.

When you’re ready, take this force up to the rear of the Terran Base and destroy the Barracks there. As you get close, you’ll face waves of attacks from the enemy base, but you can deal with these if you simply set up your Siege Tanks with your Marines as backup. If any enemy Dropships or Wraiths come by, your Goliaths will shred them. With the forces you have, and the ability to reinforce them quickly, the Terran base should fall with very little trouble.

Terran Mission 2

The Dylarian Shipyards

For the first drop, you only have Bunkers to worry about. Move your Marines and Medics in force against each successive Bunker. The enemy will wound your Marines, but your Medics will heal them as fast as they take damage. This Medic-Marine combination will make this area easy to secure. After destroying all the Bunkers, send each Pilot to a beacon.

In the next staging area, Siege Tanks are guarding each beacon. You can have your Ghosts lock down each Tank, and then have your Pilots run to the beacons. This can be hard on your Ghosts, because they must take a hit before they can launch their Lockdown missile.

At the third staging area you get your hands on four Nukes. You’ll need them to get past heavy enemy defenses. The Science Vessel is the biggest impediment to Nuking enemy encampments. Have a Ghost lock down the Science Vessel and then bring in a Medic to render it blind with an Optical Flare. Then have another Ghost target a Nuke on the central unit in the enemy cluster. This will take out all but a few stragglers in the Bunkers. Do this three times in the three enemy camps: watching the Nukes go off is very satisfying. Move in with your Ghosts and Medics to clean up surviving enemies, or simply cloak your Ghosts and go after the helpless Marines and Firebats with stealth.

In the fourth area, your two Tanks get locked down by a nearby enemy Ghost. Use your Medic’s Restoration ability to “unlock” your Tanks so they can crush the Ghost. Move your Siege Tanks down the path a short distance, and then go into Siege Mode. This takes care of any advancing enemies and a nearby Bunker.

Several pesky Siege Tanks are positioned throughout this area, but your Ghosts have the answer. First, have your Ghosts Lockdown any nearby Science Vessels (or use an Optical Flare); then cloak your Ghosts and Lockdown and destroy each Siege Tank. Continue moving through this area until it’s enemy-free. Move your Pilots to the beacons and get ready for some hot-and-heavy air-fighting.

You get a group of Battlecruisers equal to the number you “liberated” from the Dominion. A large group of enemy Battlecruisers approaches quickly from the north, so be ready for them. Your Battlecruisers are equipped with Yamato Cannons, so use them. As the enemy approaches, have two Battlecruisers target their Yamatos on one enemy Battlecruiser. Do this with all your units right off the bat, and you’ll destroy half the enemy fleet before the action heats up. When you’ve exhausted your Yamatos, use your Battlecruisers en masse to attack one enemy at a time. This tactic ensures your troops a victory.

Terran Mission 3

Ruins of Tarsonis

First, build some Bunkers and Missile Turrets on your base’s perimeter. They’ll provide the defense you need to survive the Zerg’s initial attacks. After building your Bunkers and filling them with Marines, use a Dropship to transport an SCV to the area behind your base. This area has plenty of resources and you can exploit it quickly and in relative safety. Once you’ve set up both bases, climb the tech tree as fast as you can. You must upgrade all your units’ abilities before you can mount an attack on the Zerg.

When you have Siege Tanks, Wraiths, and about 10 Marines (with Medics), load them into Dropships and deposit them on the ridge above the first Zerg Hive (just east of your base). The Siege Tanks will rain terror on Zerg defenses as your Marine-Medic group moves down the ramp to take out the Hive. Be ready with Wraith support, in case the Zerg respond with Guardians or Mutalisks. When attacking a Zerg base, keep a Science Vessel handy to identify burrowed units. If you can spot them, your Siege Tanks can take them out in one shot.

Next, move your attack force to the middle of the map and build a Command Center. This area will undergo numerous attacks, so keep your Siege Tanks nearby and build Bunkers to defend the perimeter. You must build new units continually to manage the many Zerg attacks, but if you keep on top of it, with all three resource areas running, you won’t have a problem.

The second Zerg Hive (just west of your new base) is your next objective. Have a Dropship transport your units to the ridge where the Hive lies. A Science Vessel, three Siege Tanks, and a Marine-Medic group should be more than enough to take out this Hive.

Hive 3 (in the north west corner of the map) is difficult to approach over ground without taking a lot of casualties. I recommend dropping off Siege Tanks and Marine groups on the nearby ridge east of the Zerg base. After securing the ridge, you can take out the Hive with your Siege Tanks and never have to descend into the Zerg base. The Zerg will attempt to drop Ultralisks on the ridge using their Overlords: Keep your Marines ready to shoot the Overlords from the sky if they come near. Upgraded Goliaths also will do the trick.

You can approach the final Hive (northeast corner) over ground, but it’s very well defended. Use a slow-moving line of Siege Tanks and Marines to work your way toward the Hive, but be ready for attacks from Guardians, Queens, and Mutalisks. You’ve neutralized all the other Zerg hives, so pull all your forces together to wipe out this last Hive. Then move Duran to the Psi Disrupter to claim victory.

Terran Mission 4

Assault on Korhal

You must choose whether to destroy the enemy Physics Labs or wipe out their Nuclear Silos. The following strategies are for the destruction of Korhal’s nuclear capabilities.

First, build a new Command Center to the west of your starting position to double your resource income. Then lay down a defensive perimeter around your bases-Bunkers (filled with Marines), Siege Tanks, and Turrets (to spot cloaked units). You needn’t build too many Turrets. Build Science Vessels, instead; they’re mobile and have other abilities (such as Defensive Matrix and Irradiate).

Climb the tech tree and upgrade your weapons and armor while you defend your two bases. After you reach these goals, send four to six Siege Tanks and a group of Marines and Medics to attack the rear of the enemy base to the east of your starting point. Have a Science Vessel accompany you in this attack, because plenty of cloakable enemy Ghosts are standing by. After securing this area, send in an SCV to build a new Command Center. Be sure to build a defense network around this area as well, because the enemy will try hard to retake it.

From your new base, move to take out the Nuclear Silos to the south. Use a balanced force of Siege Tanks and Marine-Medic groups to move up on enemy positions inch by inch. Keep a few Wraiths, a Science Vessel, and a pair of Ghosts with this attack group. The Wraiths can fend off air attacks, and the Science Vessel will let you see cloaked Ghosts or Wraiths. Use the Ghosts to target Nukes on problem areas of the enemy’s defense network. If there’s a pair of Bunkers you’re finding hard to crack, nuke ‘em to take them out, and then move your forces in to mop up.

Terran Mission 5b

Emperor’s Fall (Birds of War)

As this mission begins, a fleet of Battlecruisers annihilates all of your peripheral outposts. As they head for your main base, you’ll receive reinforcements consisting of upgraded Goliaths and Ghosts. When the Battlecruisers come into visual range, first use Lockdown on them and then unleash the Goliath’s Hellfire rockets on the helpless targets.

After you repel the Battlecruiser attack and assess your damages, start rebuilding your base as quickly as possible. This usually starts with your Command Center, which will probably need repair to get out of the red zone. Your next priority is to build up your base to produce enough units to take the area immediately north of your base for its resources as well as to block the enemy’s attacks from the bridges in the areas east and from the extreme north west corner of the map.

Take the resource nodes in areas north and east of your base and build up appropriate defenses for these areas. Use the resource fields to the east as a staging area for a Command Center with a Nuclear Silo attached. Build a force of Siege Tanks, Medics, a Science Vessel, at least one SCV, and a Ghost or two. Move this selection of units up to the land bridge north east of you original base and let your Siege Tanks take out the Bunkers/Turrets there.

As soon as you start pummeling the southeast enemy base, the enemy will send a team of Ghosts in to use their Lockdown ability on your Siege Tanks. Unlock them using your Medic’s Restoration ability. If you’re having trouble taking the bridge area, cloak a Ghost and nuke the area to kingdom come. After securing the bridge, keep several Siege Tanks and a Science Vessel on alert to keep the enemy from crossing.

Move your attack force to the southeast corner of the map and build a base there if you need more resources. Move north up the map very slowly using a combination of Nukes and Siege Tanks with Medic-SCV support.

Eventually you’ll punch through to Mengsk’s Command Center. Whenever you come across a large group of structures, use your Nukes to take them out en masse. Finally, remember that although you need only take out Mengsk’s Command Center to complete the mission, you’ll undoubtedly need to crush plenty of enemy units to get there.

Terran Mission 6

Emperor’s Flight

As this mission begins, you’ll get to see the incredible power of a large group of Valkyrie Frigates as they unleash their attack on a wing of Zerg Mutalisks. After the Valkyries secure the area, shuttles drop a group of SCVs and Marines, and several structures will float in, as well. This will more or less give you an instant starting base. Fortify it quickly, because the Zerg base in the southeastern corner of the map will start launching attacks on your position soon.

After establishing your base, take the resource nodes to the immediate north and northwest of you base. Neither is particularly difficult to capture, but once you’ve moved your troops in and set up a Command Center you can expect frequent attacks from both Zerg and Protoss encampments.

When you’ve established your bases, set up a defensive perimeter, and upgraded your units accordingly, make your move against the Zerg base in the north west corner of the map. Send a group of Siege Tanks, one Science Vessel, and 10 Marines supported by two Medics to assault the base. It’s also a good idea to send your remaining Valkyries to take out the swarm of Mutalisk waiting in there. Don’t rush your attack. Move up slowly, healing your units as you go.

By the time the Zerg base is under your control, you should be close to the top of the tech tree. Thus, you’ll be ready to mount an attack on the Protoss base. It won’t be easy, and requires considerable resources and time. Consider mounting two attack waves, one from ashes of the northwest Zerg base and one from your existing bases to near the middle of the map.

You may have to reinforce your attack several times, but once you gain a foothold in the outskirts of the Protoss base, you’ll be able to work your way in toward the Command Center yard by yard. This requires lots of resources-and perhaps more than one attempt-so keep busy building reinforcements as you attack. Once you destroy the Command Center, you’ll view about a minute of story line activity, and then you’ll be awarded a victory.

Terran Mission 7

Patriot’s Blood

The key to this mission is to keep both Medics close to your Marines at all times. If you lose your Medics, you may lose the mission, so keep a close eye on them. This is an installation mission, so there’s really only one way to play it.

As you wind through the twisting corridors of the base watch out for floor and wall traps, and remember to hop onto any beacons you come across. A UED Marine must activate beacons, so make sure you lead with them. You will eventually reach a large chamber, and see a bunch of Goliaths that are ripe for the taking, as long as you can reach them before their Pilots can get to them and activate their defenses. If you get to them first, you’ll have your own set of shiny new Goliaths to maneuver through the rest of this mission.

Even if you act quickly to get the Goliaths, you’ll still end up fighting a Goliath or two in that area, so your newly acquired Goliaths probably will need repair. Don’t worry, the chamber to the southwest has an SCV you can take with you on your travels.

Continue moving through the installation until you reach a chamber near the southwest corner of the map, where Duran confronts Stukov. After this point, the Terran units in the installation will be your allies.

As you continue on, traveling northeast, you’ll discover that not only do you have only a few precious minutes to throw the Override switch on the sabotaged reactor, but the base is overrun by Zerg. Keeping your Medics close to your Marines as you pass through the base is more important than ever. Near the north east corner of the map, you have a unique opportunity to shred a group of Zerg with the automatic floor guns mounted in the area. To lure the Zerglings into this area, move one of your soldiers to activate the door that’s holding back the Zerglings, and then sit back and watch the carnage.

Continue following the map path toward the Override Terminal. You’ll encounter heavy Zerg resistance just before reaching the terminal, but again, simply keep your Medics close to your Marines as the battles rage on and you’ll be fine. When you get past the Zerg resistance, you’re almost home free. Simply get any unit onto the Override beacon to win the mission.

Terran Mission 8

To Chain the Beast

This mission is a strange one in that many enemy defenses are indestructible until after you destroy one of the Zerg Cerebrates. This detail is something to worry about later, as you must begin this mission by building up your defenses very quickly. Put up a line of Bunkers, Turrets, and Siege Tanks around the perimeter of your base. A strong ground defense is important, as you will have to face one Torrasque after another. What is a Torrasque, you ask? Torrasque is a very tough, fully upgraded Ultralisk hero killing machine that will continue to harass you until you’ve vanquished Cerebrate that controls it, so be sure you check that you have your Bunkers and Siege Tanks in order at your base. Also, you will need to build a Command Center near the resource nodes to the east to maximize your resource gathering.

Develop your tech tree until you can build Battlecruisers and Valkyries. Then build four Battlecruisers and six Valkyries and get ready to rumble. The Zerg Cerebrate to the north makes the red Sunken Colonies around your base invulnerable. You’ll have to destroy that Cerebrate in order be able to attack and destroy the Sunken Colonies it controls. Move your Battlecruisers and Valkyries straight up to the first Cerebrate and target it with four Yamato blasts, while the Frigates provide cover against any air attacks. Once the Yamatos have hit, finish off the Cerebrate quickly. As soon as it’s been killed, Zerg forces there will fall dormant.

After you kill Cerebrate 1, you’ll face one Torrasque after another. The Cerebrate to the east produces these Ultralisk Heroes, and they’ll continue harassing you until you vanquish that Cerebrate. You’re probably already amply set up to handle the Torrasque, but check to make sure you have your Bunkers and Siege Tanks in order at your base.

You’ll take out the second Cerebrate the old-fashioned way. First, though, move your Battlecruisers along the route to Cerebrate 2 and take out all the Sunken Colonies along the way. After the Sunken Colonies are gone, you’re ready to launch a ground attack. Build at least four Siege Tanks and three groups of 10 Marines and two Medics each; include a Science Vessel to spot Lurkers. As long as you keep your groups together (with their Medics), you can storm the Cerebrate en masse and kill it off. When it dies, the Zerg units around it will become dormant.

There are two ways to get to the third Cerebrate: you can pound right up through the middle of the base with Siege Tanks and support units, or you can use a group of eight Dropships to deposit a pair of Siege Tanks and a horde of Marines and Medics on the Cerebrate. It takes time to build up the forces, but less time and expense to mount the attack in the long run.

To make a landing successful, you must take three or more Battlecruisers up to the destroyed Zerg base to the north of your starting point, then up and around the final Zerg Hives and approach in the north. Use their Yamato Cannons to take out the first wave of Spore Colonies. Once those are destroyed, move your Dropships in quickly and let loose on the Cerebrate. Remember that you need to destroy the Cerebrate to silence the Zerg forces.

After you destroy the final Cerebrate, you need only place one Medic on each of the four beacons surrounding the Overmind.

• New Units
• Terran Campaign
• Zerg Campaign

Protoss Missions

Protoss Mission 1

Escape from Aiur

Although Zeratul is invisible to all but detector units (Spore Colonies, Overloards), you really can’t take advantage of this ability. Vast numbers of Overlord detector units prowl this map. Instead, have your units stand ready for general attacks while you use Zeratul’s very powerful attack to destroy each of the many Nydus Canals you will encounter with a few quick swipes of his blade

After wading through several Nydus Canals and groups of Sunken Colonies, two Zealots will encourage you to follow them into battle. Do it. You’ll come to a group of Zealots furiously fighting a large Zergling swarm in front of five Nydus Canals and a Sunken Colony. Set your troops to destroying the Nydus Canals as fast as they can. The longer you wait, the more Zerg troops will pour through the Canals, so get to it! In the meantime, have Zeratul take out the Sunken Colony so your other troops can concentrate on the Canals and Zerglings. When the dust settles, you should have more troops than you started with.

After the great battle you will come across a large group of Sunken Colonies within the pass you must get through to progress to the missions end. Be aggressive, especially with your newly acquired units. Charge up through the pass destroying Zerg defenses as you go.

Continue up through the pass until it splits. Take the canyon pass to the right to collect some reinforcements and dispatch another Ultralisk. Now go back to the split and take the left canyon. You’ll collect even more new units and have an opportunity to recharge your shields with shield batteries.

To the south is a nasty area that has a Nydus Canal and many, many burrowed Hydralisks. The key to getting past this area is to use your Templars to cast Psionic Storms around the Nydus Canal, and then rush the area with all your troops. That is, spray the area around the Nydus Canal with three or four hits of Psionic Storm, and then take out the Nydus Canal before more Hydralisks show up.

Proceed south through the canyon, but rush in yet. A pair of Sunken Colonies guard this canyon, and there are burrowed Zerglings and Hydralisks, as well; again, use your Templars’ Psionic Storm ability to clear out as many burrowed Zerg as you can before rushing in to take out the Sunken Colonies. If you don’t want to take out the Sunken Colonies, simply run past this area as fast as possible

All that stands between you and the Warpgate to the south are a few Ultralisks. Soften them up with a few Psionic Storms before rushing them with every thing you’ve got. The rest is cake.

Protoss Mission 2

Dunes of Shakuras

You begin this mission with Zealots and Probes in the upper-central map area. You must move your units to the mineral field in the map’s upper-left corner, but expect to meet Zerglings along the way. Once you’ve made it to the mineral field, build a Nexus and get the ball rolling by harvesting minerals.

After establishing your base, place a series of Photon Cannons near the ramps to the south to stem the tide of Zerg attacks and allow you to build up structures and technologies. Then you must take at least one of the two other major resource fields before taking on the main Zerg Base.

After taking your second mineral field, build a Nexus and some Photon Cannons to protect it. Then begin building an attack force to mount the assault on the main Zerg base-12 Zealots, 12 Dragoons, and at least two Reavers (three or four would be better). Systematically move this force toward the main Zerg base. Lead with your Reavers, which will take out Sunken Colonies with just three Scarab hits. Keep your Dragoons close by to fend off Mutalisk attacks; likewise, keep your Zealots nearby in case you run into a Zergling swarm. Destroy all the structures to complete the mission.

Protoss Mission 3

Legacy of the Xel’Naga

You begin with a sizable base in the central-right area of the map, with plenty of Zerg activity nearby in the lower-left corner. There are two main resource areas to exploit (and you’ll probably have to) in this mission, but first, you should build at least four Photon Cannons at the south end of your base while you build up your structures and technology.

Just after the mission begins, you’ll get help from four Shuttles and four Corsairs moving to take the resource area in the north west corner of the map. Concentrate the firepower of the four Dragoons dropped into this area to take out the Sunken Colony and any Zerg units that happen by. After toasting the Zerg structures, move your Dark Templars and one Probe to the area and construct a Nexus. Be sure to build a pair of Pylons and several Photon Cannons south of the minerals to help fend off occasional Zerg attacks.

Spend the time to climb the tech tree completely and upgrade all your units to the max. Then address your attack force: build at least six Scouts, four Corsairs, five Shuttles, and numerous ground forces, including Reavers, Zealots, Dragoons, and, most importantly, Dark Templars. Only Dark Templars can destroy Cerebrates, so don’t skimp on these units. A coordinated air and ground attack, along with the Corsair’s Disruption Web technology, will make killing the Cerebrates a lot easier than it would be with an unbalanced attack.

The Cerebrates are heavily guarded by Spore and Sunken Colonies; using Disruption Webs and Scouts to take out Zerg defenses is your best bet. After you clear out Spore colonies on the Zerg frontier, it’s safe for your Shuttles to land while your Scouts and Corsairs move in to wreak havoc. The Reavers will plow a quick pathway to the Cerebrate, where your Dark Templars must do the killing.

Protoss Mission 4

The Quest for Uraj

As this mission begins, three Shuttles drop three Reavers and three Dragoons smack-dab in the middle of a Terran base. Once the initial defenses are disabled, another Shuttle arrives with Kerrigan and four Probes. Once you get control of your units, the first thing you must do is finish clearing Terran structures from around the mineral field. As you establish your base, take your Reavers and relieve the Terrans of four of their Bunkers.

After destroying the Bunkers, have Kerrigan cloak and take out the Siege Tank protecting the Terran camp to the south. As soon as Kerrigan begins her attack, the Terrans will use a Comsat Station to scan the area, so after the Tank is destroyed get her out of there. With the Siege Tank gone, the door is open for your Reavers and Dragoons to move in and crush the Terran base. Don’t overextend yourself: move slowly and deliberately until you’ve cleared an area for building a new Nexus.

When the Terrans are gone, build some Pylons and Photon Cannons along the south edge of the walled area that you’ve just taken; this route will bring you plenty of visitors. After this area is secure, start building a balanced force of air and ground units for your attack on the remaining Terran forces.

If you go down the left side of the map to the southwest corner you can sweep down and under the bulk of enemy forces with minimal fighting. You’ll still have to deal with a few Bunkers and a Siege Tank or two. To make this approach work, you must move aggressively to take out southwest corner. After eliminating the resistance in that area and the Missile Turrets north of it, you need only get past the bottleneck at the bottom of the map to reach the crystal to the east.

Protoss Mission 5

The Battle of Braxis

You must approach this mission one power generator at a time. After destroying each generator, you’ll get a group of reinforcements ranging from Dark Templars to Reavers and Scouts.

There are several ways to approach this mission and several routes you can navigate successfully to take out all the generators. What follows is just one workable option. To reach the first Power Generator you must land your troops (via Shuttle) in the area left of the generator. From there, take out the nearby Missile Turrets using Zealots and Dragoons.

Next, you have two Bunkers to deal with. There are a couple of ways to take these out. Probably the best is just to use brute force and bring all your forces to bear on each Bunker, one at a time. If any units’ shields get low, move them out of the area. Remember, shields can recover, but damaged units are damaged for good.

Destroying the first Power Generator disabled enough Missile Turrets for you to move to the right with your Shuttles. The key to taking out the Bunkers you will encounter, is to use your newly acquired Dark Templar reinforcements. The units in the Bunkers won’t see the Dark Templars, so you’ll make short work of them.

Use your Scouts to take out the Siege Tank northeast of the Bunkers you just destroyed. Next, creep toward the second Power Generator near the center of the map. Two Bunkers and several Missile Turrets guard this generator. A good way to succeed here is to storm the Bunkers and take them out as quickly as you can. Once the Bunkers are gone, you can destroy the second Generator easily.

Now backtrack to the map’s lower-right corner. From this position, work your way toward the third Generator, but you’ll have the usual assortment of Bunkers and Siege Tanks to deal with. Use the same techniques to chip away at the Bunkers: Move Scouts or Dragoons up to pound the Bunkers into the red zone. Once you have defeated the Terran defenses, follow the platform southeast and then northeast until you come to a row of active Missile Turrets. Use your Dragoons to take these out at range. Have your Shuttles drop several Dragoons immediately behind the fallen turrets and then attack the third generator that lies directly north.

The fourth Generator poses a unique challenge. It’s surrounded by Spider Mines, Missile Turrets, and Ghosts at the four corners. Adding insult to injury, two Siege Tanks and a pair of Goliaths sit right beside the generator. To get at the generator, you’ll have to send at least a pair of Observers to locate the Spider Mines. Once they show where the mines are, your Dragoons can destroy the mines methodically from a distance and clear a path to the generator.

The Templar’s Psionic Storm also is an excellent weapon against Spider Mines. Use it to take out the Ghosts at the corners of the generator platform. Take care not to get too close to the platform or you’ll get smoked by Siege Tank fire.

After taking out the Missile Turrets along the path to the generator platform, load your Reavers and as many other ground units as you can muster onto Shuttles. Quickly move the Shuttles over the generator platform, and then drop all the units as fast as you can. If you do this fast enough, you probably won’t lose a Shuttle; your Reavers will destroy the Siege Tanks almost immediately. The generator soon will follow.

Approach the final Generator by dropping all your ground units near the central part of the top of the map. After you destroyed Generator 4 you received Corsairs, Scouts, and an Arbiter. Use your Arbiter as cover for your air units, and then have your Corsairs use Disruption Webs to incapacitate the various Missile Turrets standing between you and Generator 5.

Finally, drop all your ground troops near the generator and rush it with an all-out attack. Several Battlecruisers guard the generator, and unless they’re checked, you’ll fail miserably. Fortunately, you have an Arbiter at your disposal. If you take out at least two Battlecruisers with a Stasis attack, and use your Scouts to distract the Goliaths and any remaining Battlecruisers, you should be successful.

Protoss Mission 6

Return to Char

This mission may overwhelm at first glance: The entire map is infested with Zerg Spore Colonies and Scourge units. Thus, a direct air attack isn’t a good idea. Instead, use large numbers of basic warriors to clear a path to your objective and wreak havoc. Because the Zerg Overmind is less heavily defended than the Khalis Crystal, make it your primary target.

You begin with a Zerg camp in the map’s upper-right corner and a Protoss camp left of it, in the upper-central area. The Zerg camp is vulnerable to ground attack from the south, so position your first Sunken Colonies and Zerglings immediately south of the camp. The Protoss camp is vulnerable to attack from the southeast, so station your first Defenders in the narrow pass below and right of the camp.

Use your Dark Templars to defend your camp. Build Photon Cannons along the south side of the Protoss base: Zerg Mutalisks and occasional groups of Zerglings and Hydralisks will attack regularly from the air. Don’t venture your units too far south of your camps, lest they awaken waiting Zerg forces.

The best way to reach the Overmind is to capture the resources held within the Zerg base to the west of your starting point, then move south. An especially effective attack is to build a small fleet of Carriers once you have taken the resources to the west. Following the map’s western most edge, you will find a plateau overlooking the Overmind’s position. Send your small Carrier fleet (4 or 5 Carriers are adequate) along with an Arbiter to hold position above this plateau.

Next, send a pair of Zealots, 4 Dragoons and an observer to clear out the few ground forces that reside there. Follow that up with a probe to build a support base on this plateau heavy with shield batteries and photon cannons. 3 to four of each should be fine.

Finally, use the Arbiter to cloak the Carriers as you slowly take the Zerg base apart. Keep the Arbiter back so that it is covered by the photon cannon fire, but still allows the Carriers the cover they need to destroy the Zerg base. Keep a close eye on your Carriers, and send any that have taken a few hits back to the shield generators to recharge. Inch your way toward the Overmind, and let your Carriers do all the hard work for you.

Protoss Mission 7

The Insurgent

Immediately take your two Dark Archons, a Probe, and a pair of Dark Templars to the northwest. Along the way you may run into an enemy unit or two; simply use Mind Control to beef up your forces. When you reach a pair of land bridges, build a pair of Pylons, and then secure the leftmost bridge with a row of Photon Cannons. Securing this area will stop 50 percent of the enemy attacks on your base early in the game.

Next, cross the bridge to the right of your new fortifications. Several enemy Photon Cannons and Pylons stand in your way there and usually a small contingent of Zealots shows up to stem your attack. Move a group of Zealots into the area to take out the Photon Cannons, while your Dark Archons Mind-Control any enemy Zealots that enter.

Build up a force of ground units to escort a group of several Dark Archons, and then go after the Templar on the lower left-hand side. Although this Templar is nothing more than a hallucination, it’s good practice to get your troops close enough for your Archons to mind-control him. To do this, move your ground units in to take out the Photon Cannons while your Dark Archons hang back and get ready to mind-control any enemy units threatening your Archons. Save one Dark Archon for the Mind Control on the Templar. Simply move close to the platform and use the Mind Control ability on the Templar.

The real Aldaris is directly north, so if you just go after that area, you can win a little quicker. To get to Aldaris, drop a large force of ground units, with at least four Dark Archons, into the unguarded peninsula northeast of the position of Aldaris’ Hallucination. When the enemy senses your arrival, he’ll throw everything he’s got at you, including Carriers. Use your Dark Archons to mind-control the Carriers and increase your chances of surviving your first attack wave. You may have to make several Shuttle drops on this penisula before you can get close to the real Aldaris.

Protoss Mission 8

Countdown

As in the last mission, it helps a great deal if you can upgrade your units as the mission progresses. But don’t put all your resources into upgrades: divide them up to build an attack force for taking the temple. Once you have a group of Dragoons, Zealots, and a few Reavers, move (along the ground) toward the temple, taking out Sunken Colonies and enemy units as you go. You meet some light resistance at the temple, but as long as you have a few Dragoons for air cover, your Reavers can do most of your ground work.

At the temple, you must work quickly to build a Nexus so you can begin harvesting the vast nearby mineral resources. Place Pylons around the entry points to the temple area so you can set out a protective grid of Photon Cannons. To be safe, lay down lines of Photon Cannons one or two deep, with ground units nearby to back them up. Surrounding the temple with Photon Cannons is expensive, but the Zerg will hit you with a huge onslaught once the crystals are on the Beacon, so you won’t be sorry.

Once your base is built up around the temple, you can bring Artanis and Zeratul to the Beacon. This starts a 15-minute countdown during which all your bases will fall under attack-none more than the temple area. Although you have Photon Cannons defending the temple area already, you should have plenty of Dragoons to deal with enemy air units that get past your perimeter defenses. Likewise, a group of Scouts goes a long way toward eliminating the threat of Guardians breaking your defensive line. It’s a good idea to keep a Reaver at each temple entrance, as well, in case a group of Zerglings manages to get past your Cannons. After the timer runs down to zero, victory is yours.

• Protoss Campaign
• Terran Campaign
• Zerg Campaign

New Units

Zerg Lurker

The Lurker is a new unit for Brood War and it has one of the coolest attacks ever. The Lurker burrows (even if you haven’t researched burrowing) and lies in wait for the enemy units to happen by. When one gets near, the Lurker sends a line of spikes through the ground to heavily damage the enemy.

The Lurkers only draw back is that it has no attack or defense when it isn’t burrowed. And even when it is burrowed, it can be spotted by enemy detector units and Sensor Sweeps. These drawbacks aside, the Lurker is an excellent addition to the Zerg force, providing extra elements of surprise and defense.

Zerg Devourer

The Devourer has an air only attack that affects nearby units as well as the target unit. Devourers, like Guardians, must be evolved from Mutalisks.

The main attack’s secondary effect is like a splash. It hits adjacent units with acid spores that make the affected units more vulnerable to damage and increases the time it takes for them to fire their next shot. This bonus can cripple a group of enemy air units quickly.

Terran Valkyrie Frigate

The Frigate is the Terran equivalent of the Devourer. It’s an air to air only attack, but its attack is very deadly, especially against groups of slow units, such as Overlords. The Valkyrie fires a salvo of eight missiles at once; each missile damages not only the unit it hits, but nearby units, as well. Three of four Valkyries grouped together can take out bunches of enemy units at once.

Terran Medic

The Medic is another unit new to Brood Wars, with far reaching implications to troop management. Medics not only heal your troops when you order them to do so, they’ll even do this automatically, if they’re close enough to injured units. Keeping a pair in a group of ten Marines is a great way to keep everyone healthy and happy.

Although Healing is the Medic’s base ability, this unit can obtain another pair of abilities- Restoration and Optic Flare. Restoration removes almost any effect afflicting a unit, including Parasite, Plague, Lockdown, and Irradiate. Optic Flares, the Medic’s final ability blinds a target unit so that it can only see a very short distance (one matrix square). The best part is that it’s permanent; after a unit is subject to the Flare, it’s sight will always be short. If you expose detector units, such as Overlords or Observers, to an Optical Flare, they won’t be detecting anything anymore. A blinded unit still can fire on you if there’s a unit nearby to spot for it.

Protoss Dark Archon

The Dark Archon is arguably the game’s most influential unit. Although it’s of no value in melee combat, its two main abilities are invaluable.

The Dark Archon’s Mind Control Ability allows you to make an enemy unit your own. Obviously, this is very powerful, so using it comes at a high cost, draining your Dark Archon’s energy and shields! But if you can mind control a filled enemy transport, you gain all the units it carries, as well as the transport itself.

The Dark Archon’s Maelstrom ability affects biological units and acts like the Terran Ghost’s ability of Lockdown, freezing those units in place so you can target them easily. Maelstrom’s area of effect will lock down all an area’s biological units so you can launch a Psionic Storm.

The Dark Archon also has an ability known as Feedback. When cast on a unit, Feedback will cause that unit to lose all of its mana, and also take an amount of damage equal to the mana lost.

Protoss Corsair

The Corsair is new to Brood Wars, but its Disruption Web is a critical component in many missions. Although the Corsair can fight only in air-to-air combat, and its attack is very weak, it has a penchant for getting into fights. If an enemy unit comes anywhere near it, the Corsair will sprint off after it, even if its path is over 100 Spore Colonies.

The Disruption Web special ability generates a white web that prevents anything under it from attacking you.

• Terran Campaign
• Zerg Campaign
• Protoss Campaign
• Multiplayer

Multiplayer Strategy

Battle.net

To use Blizzard’s free multiplayer service you must have a connection to the Internet. If you have a dial-up account that uses a modem to connect to the Internet, make sure you connect successfully before starting StarCraft. This saves time and frustration, especially if you must troubleshoot problems.

From the main StarCraft screen, select Multiplayer and then Battle.net. A message will indicate the game is searching for the fastest server; then you’ll see the login screen. To create a new account, follow the onscreen instructions; otherwise, enter the user name and password for your existing account. Once you’re logged on, you’ll find yourself in one of many chat rooms.

In the chat room you can meet friends for a prearranged game or find other players to battle. To join a game, hit the Join button and pick a game from the list, or type the name and password of a game you’ve previously agreed on with friends. To create a game, hit the Create button and type in a game name and password (optional). Using a password restricts entry to your game to those players who know the password. If you create a game, you may select the number of players, their species, and the map you’ll play on.

Updates

Periodically, Blizzard updates its game software. When you sign onto Battle.net, the network determines whether you need to upgrade and, if you do, it automatically sends you the newer version of the game. After the new software is downloaded, the game restarts on its own and applies the upgrade. You must have the most recent version of StarCraft to play games on Battle.net.

Troubleshooting

The Internet can be a great way to play games interactively, but it can be like trying to communicate by using tin cans and a string. If you have problems getting StarCraft to work on Battle.net, keep these points in mind:

1. You must have a 32-bit connection to the Internet. It’s difficult to know whether your connection is a true 32-bit link, but if you have any doubt, just remember that most connections are 32-bit connections.If you use Dial-Up Networking to connect, you most likely are getting a 32-bit connection.

If, however, you use a terminal program or third-party dialer, you’ll probably get only a 16-bit connection and be unable to play StarCraft on Battle.net.

If you play other games on the Internet, you’ll probably have no trouble with StarCraft.

2. The reason you need a 32-bit connection is because the game uses UDPs (Universal Datagram Packets) to send game information back and forth while you play. If your ISP(Internet service provider) doesn’t allow these types of packets through, you won’t be able to play on Battle.net. This is important to know if you use an account at your place of business or educational institution; often these types of ISP don’t allow such game packets through.

3. If your connection is too slow, your game will be jumpy and unreliable. Your modem’s (or other connection method’s) line speed together with Internet conditions determine the speed of your connection.

Is the Connection Good?

Latency is a major factor in online gaming. In simple terms, latency is a measure of how long it takes your computer to communicate with the host computer that’s running the game. Low latency is good, because it means the two computers communicate quickly. High latency is bad, because it means there’s a significant delay between the events happening on the host computer and what you’re actually seeing on your screen.

Once in Battle.net chat room, the latency bar next to your name shows your latency to Battle.net. In the list of games to join, your latency bar shows your latency to each game, which may be different than your latency to Battle.net. Short green bars mean you have very little latency. Longer yellow or red bars mean you’ve got significant latency.

The Multiplayer Experience

Multiplayer gaming differs significantly from single-player. For one thing, single-player missions are “set” while multiplayer affairs are like stories yet to be written. For another, human opponents provide an entirely different kind of gaming experience.

Multiplayer gaming also has more of an element of surprise, especially when you’re playing with three or more opponents. Will your allies turn on you? Will your closest enemy ally with another player to crush you? The permutations that can occur in multiplayer games is mind-boggling, making multiplayer gaming the “spice” that keeps StarCraft interesting.

The Human Factor

Humans provide a much deeper and more challenging opponent than even the best computer AI. The rewards of playing against humans are many, and will make you a better StarCraft player, greatly improving your strategy skills.

What makes multiplayer action so much better? There are a few theories about that.

The Brain

Sure, Deep Blue can mentally outmuscle Gary Kasparov at chess, but those of us with everyday PCs on our desks don’t have much to worry about. The human brain is still far and away the superior thinker when pitted against gaming AI. StarCraft’s AI is excellent, but once you know how to defeat a scenario, that’s the end. However, when a human’s at the enemy controls, you have no idea what will happen next. A human is a smart and unpredictable being, and that’s what makes him or her such a great adversary.

You may understand human tendencies-they like to build 35 Siege Tanks, for example-but in the end, you never really know what a human will do.

The Grudge

Losing to a human usually makes you feel worse than losing to a computer. The resulting grudge will inspire you to try harder the next time you face off. Many of this book’s best strategies came from two humans bashing on each other in a multiplayer game of StarCraft.

Gloating

The feeling of pride you get from defeating your friends can be a big motivator for improving your gaming skills. The satisfaction that comes from winning a multiplayer StarCraft game ranks much higher than kicking the computer’s AI.

Taunting

For many, defeating a human usually means a chance to rub it in. Sure, it’s juvenile, but taunting your enemies can throw off their game. Although it can backfire, big talk from a player can inspire crippling doubt in his or her opponent. If you get a message that says “I hope your flank’s protected,” does it mean that enemy is going to attack your flank? Is another player going to attack your flank? Or is he or she just messing around with your mind?

Multiplayer Tips

If you’re new to the real-time strategy genre, or just want to brush up on your skills, consider the following helpful multiplayer tips.

Speed

The first thing you’ll probably notice about human opponents is the speed with which they get their act in gear. You might still be tinkering with your base, defenseless, when suddenly a horde of enemies comes knocking on your door. This is especially common when your opponent(s) plays Zerg, because those cheap, easy-to-build Zerglings can cause havoc in the game’s early stages.

Stay fast and focused during the first few minutes of your game. Build only the essentials and always keep an eye on defense. Don’t build extraneous stuff until you’ve got a strong production chain and several combat units. And make sure you get lots of resource harvesters (such as SCVs) into action as quickly as possible. The more of them you have, the faster you can build your war machine.

Keep Your Scan Going

You should play StarCraft in a high energy state, always looking around the map for new areas to explore, new units to build, new resources to exploit, and new enemies to corner and kill. Never sit still to watch and wait for units to be completed or to reach their destinations. Time spent idly will cost you the game when you play against skilled opponents.

Establish a rhythm of scanning your units, building new ones, strengthening defenses, and mining new resources. Developing a methodical way of consistently reviewing your units can increase productivity and awareness considerably. Keep your mouse pointer busy.

For example, if you find a new area with resources to exploit, instead of waiting for new Drones to be built and move to the new area, send existing Drones now and have the new ones take over the old ones’ activities. Also, don’t let your buildings sit idle. If you’re running too low on resources to build new units continually, increase the number of Drones/Probes/SCVs mining for minerals and gas (or find new sources of these resources).

Defending

Don’t let your guard down. When you send a task force of soldiers to attack your enemy, keep some in reserve to defend your bases, and be sure to build a decent network of defensive structures. Clear-thinking players realize the best time to attack an enemy base is when the enemy is attacking yours. This forces the opponent to divide his or her attention and troops.

Establish a second and third base as soon as you can. If your opponent takes out your only base, the game is over. If your opponent finds an auxiliary base and destroys it, you’re still in the game and can strike back.

Having large numbers of cheap units is the most efficient way to wage war in the beginning and middle parts of the game, but once you’ve researched the tech tree fully you’ll need to create more powerful defensive units. Don’t neglect your research!

Attacking

Once you commit to an attack, don’t back down. Keep producing and sending units to attack until you break the opposition. If it looks like you aren’t making progress, don’t give up! You’ll win because most enemy players will be too preoccupied with defense to mount an attack of their own and come after you. Too often players attack with one or two waves of units and then give up, even though they’re very close to breaking their enemies’ backs.

It’s helpful to build attacking units near your opponent’s base. That way you can send reinforcements as soon as they’re completed. StarCraft’s ability to queue up production and set “focal” (rally) points for units is a great aid for players mounting a sustained attack.

Although it can be tempting to make a couple of large groups of your most powerful unit, this can be risky if your opponent knows how to counter that unit. Therefore, it’s important to attack with at least two unit types. Include one unit type that can hit air targets and one that can hit ground units. This way your attack force can’t be wiped out by one or two defenders it can’t even touch.

As in real-life battle, your initial attack probably will be most effective if it comes from two or more directions at once. This forces the enemy to divide his defenders and attention while your forces pour in. Even if your other attacks are simply diversions, you’ll force the enemy to defend against them all.

• Terran Campaign
• Zerg Campaign
• Protoss Campaign
• Multiplayer

Protoss Missions

Protoss Mission 1: First Strike

This mission starts in the lower-right corner of the map. Move your units up and around the body of water and through a couple of Zerg patrols to get to the base at Antioch. Liberate all the units simultaneously by capturing the Nexus. As you set up your base to produce more units for your attack, take all your offensive units (except two Zealots) and group them into an attack squad.

Take the attack squad up into the main Zerg base and wreak some havoc. Beware: Many Zerg units on this map are buried, so keep an eye on your attack squad as they move across the map. When you run into Sunken Colonies and Hydralisks, move your Zealots in aggressively and take out as much as you initially can. This quick attack sets the Zerg back on their heels and gives you time to build structures to create the group of Dragoons you’ll use to clear the skies of the Mutalisk menace.

When you have a solid finishing force-six Zealots and six Dragoons will do nicely-you can sweep the rest of the map and take out the remaining Zerg infestation.

Resource Management

This is the first Protoss mission, so take your time and get used to Protoss conventions. Specifically, Pylons equate to Supply Depots (Terran) and Overlords (Zerg), and you can build new structures only within a specified radius of one of these structures. Once a Probe opens a warp rift, the rift will continue to open by itself, leaving the probe free to perform other tasks.

Protoss Mission 2: Into the Flames

First, you’ll need to place your existing offensive units near the ramp leading up to the platform where your base sits. The Zerg will launch attack after attack on this position, as well as an attack or two from the plains north of your base. As with the last mission, plenty of Zerg units lie in wait underground.

As soon as your resource pool is rising, build a pair of Photon Cannons at the top of the ramp. This will save you huge amounts of trouble later. Build up an army of Zealots and Dragoons and just sit tight until the requisite 15 minutes have passed.

After 15 minutes, Fenix and his group of units will appear in the upper-right map corner. Distract the Zerg forces with attacks against their base, just below Fenix’s troops. At the same time, move your attack force out of your base and head toward the lower-right map corner, where the Cerebrate awaits his death. There are plenty of Sunken Colonies and buried Hydralisks and Zerglings en route to the Cerebrate, so pay close attention; above all, keep moving forward. After you reach the Cerebrate, five or six Zealots can kill it in fairly short order. Consider using a pincer attack, with your two forces meeting up just before the final push toward the Cerebrate, but take care to keep Fenix alive or the mission will fail.

Protoss Mission 3: Higher Ground

You begin with your forces nicely established in the map’s lower-right corner with only one entrance/exit to this area. The goal is to build up an attack force sufficient to take out both major Zerg populations.

First, group your available ground forces (Dragoons and Zealots) into one squad that can react to Zerg attacks. The Zerg consistently will mount attacks against your base, so you must be ready from the start. Build Pylons so you can build eight or nine Photon Cannons around the perimeter of your base.

After building up a force of eight or so Zealots and a couple of Scouts, move them toward the map’s lower-left corner, where you’ll find a large resource area. Beware of burrowed Zerg units when you explore this area. Once you’ve secured the area, have a Nexus in place, and are harvesting resources, build Pylons and Photon Cannons to defend against an attack from down on the left side of the map.

After setting up your second base, build up at least 12 Zealots (preferably 20), eight Scouts, and ten Dragoons; then move up the middle of the map to take out the base on the left. With the Scouts providing air cover, move your attack force into the left-hand Zerg base and attack aggressively. It won’t be pretty, and you can expect to lose about half your units. As this battle rages, the other Zerg base ferries units over to help out, but your Scouts should be able to catch them before they disrupt your attacking forces.

After you destroy the left-hand Zerg base, build a Nexus and harvest any remaining minerals and gases. Having destroyed half the Zerg, you can sit back and rebuild your attack force, this time making it a little larger. When everything is in place, mount an attack on the right-hand Zerg base. If it falters, it should be very easy (in terms of resources) to get a mop-up force in place quickly.

Protoss Mission 4: The Hunt for Tassadar

You begin this mission in the lower-right corner of the map with a small but potent force of Protoss units. The goal is to find Tassadar, who’s at a Protoss base in the upper-left map corner (diagonal to your position).

As you work your way toward Tassadar (and the base), try to use your Templar’s powers to ease your task. The Psionic Storm (the same as Kerrigan’s) can take out entire groups of Hydralisks or Zerglings at once, saving the lives of the units you start with. Once you hack your way up to the base, a dialogue will ensue between the Judicator, Tassadar, and Raynor. You’ll learn you must return both Raynor and Tassadar to the Beacon. Large numbers of Zerg have appeared-and, in fact, block the path to the Beacon.

Build up a new army and when you’re ready to make your move toward the Beacon, try to ensure that the units you take can fight units in the air. Several large (and nasty) groups of Hydralisks also wait along the route, so include a pack of Zealots.

Protoss Mission 5: Choosing Sides

You must take Tassadar and Raynor to the Beacon which lies in the lower-right corner of the map. Your starting point is in the upper-left map corner. The terrain around the six main islands is impassable by land, so mounting an air attack is top priority.

Take time to build up a substantial base (complete with plenty of Photon Cannons for defense) before venturing into the unknown. Once you have a fleet of six Scouts, take the time to move around the map and define the perimeters of the Zerg bases. The base of greatest interest to you is the island roughly in the center of the map. You need it as a staging area for your assault on the southeast bases.

When you have six to ten Scouts and three or four loaded Shuttles, move in and attack the central island. Have your Scouts take out air units while your ground troops concentrate on the ground units and Spore Colonies. Be sure to follow up your initial attack with supplementary Shuttles with Dragoons, Zealots, and a couple of Probes. Next, set up a Nexus and begin to build a solid base to launch from.

Continue producing ground units and Scouts as you gather the central island’s resources. Balance your strike force carefully with Scouts, Zealots, and Dragoons. After assembling the strike force, move in your Scouts first to occupy the Spore Colonies; then quickly move in your Shuttles and drop your Zealots so they can begin the ground war.Once the area is secure you can bring in Tassadar and a couple of Zealots in order to satisfy the victory conditions.

Protoss Mission 6: Into the Darkness

As you move your Protoss units into the installation, you’ll come to a room where Terran Marines have been slaughtered. However, five Marines still stand around waiting for something to happen. Walk up to them to get control of them; you’ll need them.

Follow the path through the installation. Along the way there are plenty of wall-mounted guns, buried Zerglings and Hydralisks, and Infested Terrans. The Infested Terrans pose the biggest threat in this mission, and can take out Tassadar single-handedly, so take care as you walk the halls. Infested Terrans also pop out of secret hiding areas in the floor here, so lead with an expendable Marine or Terran Civilian rather than risk losing Tassadar-and, thus, the scenario.

As with the other installation missions, you must get to a Beacon to unlock a door that will admit you. As you make your way toward the cell block area you’ll face many Zerglings and Infested Terrans, so be sure to liberate teams of Terran Civilians and Marines, Ghosts, and Firebats along the way. These extra units will help get Tassadar to the Beacon.

At the Beacon, four guns pop up out of the floor, taking your forces by surprise. Take them out with whatever you have; if you’re low on units the Psionic Storm can do the job. Once you step on the Beacon, the Dark Templar’s cell door will open. Take Tassadar into the cell to meet them. It’s not easy to see the Templar initially, so don’t worry. They’ll appear when you walk into the room far enough.

Protoss Mission 7: Homeland

Tassadar and the Dark Templar are under attack from Protoss forces. Fall back to your base (in the map’s upper-left corner) right away. Don’t stay to fight. Enemy forces will follow you back to your base, and your Photon Cannons will take them out before they can break through your line. Then start harvesting minerals and gas and use the cash you have in reserve to build up a defensive force of Zealots, Dragoons, and at least three Scouts.

Continue building an attack force comprised of at least eight Scouts, 10 Zealots, and 10 Dragoons. You may also want to use some Archons as well. When this attack force is ready, move down the ramp at the front of your base and secure the open area beyond. This area will have enemy units constantly flowing into it, so you must be vigilant in eliminating enemy activity. The enemy probably will throw a couple of larger attacks at you as punishment for expanding.

Group your Scouts into one large group or two smaller groups. If they are in two smaller groups the two can support each other and it gives you greater protection from Arbiters. Also, enemy Scouts and Arbiters will fall quickly to two large groups of Scouts pounding from two sides. Once you’ve secured the central area, move a Probe up to the mineral deposits in the map’s upper-middle portion and build a Nexus. Start harvesting resources from this area as fast as possible, and continue building units to replace those you’ll lose during the skirmishes that follow.

When your second base is up and running, move your troops down to the bridges in the map’s center. Zerg bases lie on either side, but the one you want is in the lower-right corner. Airlift three or four Reavers (with upgraded Scarabs) in to round out your attack force; then move in for the kill. Have your Reavers target the Photon Cannons (their Scarabs will destroy the Cannons in one shot) while your air group of Scouts moves deep into the base to take out ground units. Your Zealots and Dragoons can follow up and destroy any structures that remain.

As you push on toward the Nexus, you’ll probably come up against a pair of enemy Carriers. Attack these one at a time with the full force of your air group and Dragoons and they should give you no trouble-but don’t ignore them! If you don’t take a pair of enemy Carriers seriously, they can ruin your day. Once you’ve destroyed the enemy (yellow) Nexus, you’ve won the scenario.

Protoss Mission 8: The Trial of Tassadar

Your base lies in the upper left corner of the map and is mercifully contained by a large wall that has only two entrances/exits. Place Photon Cannons in bunches (at least six) at the entrance/exits of your base. This may sound excessive, but a group of six Photon Cannons probably can’t hold off the attacks so put a fully loaded Carrier at each entrance as well.

Obviously, this mission will involve some hunkering down to defend the base while you build up your forces to the point that you can make an effective strike at the Stasis Cell. The Stasis Cell lies roughly in the central-lower portion of the map, and is on a somewhat isolated island that’s defended by the Ara Tribe. The best way to reach the Stasis Cell is to move two groups of Carriers and Scouts in from the air, with Raynor in his Battlecruiser as backup.

The enemy will continually launch attacks at the two openings in your bases’ walls, but don’t waste too many resources on these defenses or you won’t be able to assemble an attack fleet. Keep building Photon Cannons to replace any that are destroyed, and build Zealots as backup.

Once you have four fully loaded Carriers and six to eight Scouts, group them into two equal units and fly toward the Stasis Cell. Take care not to get too close to the Ara Tribe bases along the way. When you get to the island that houses the Stasis Cell, be prepared for some hot-and-heavy action, including getting put into Stasis by an enemy Arbiter. If this happens, the “stasised” units cannot be harmed, but they also cannot move or attack effectively, and so become temporarily useless. Keeping your attacking units physically distant from each other is your best defense against a Stasis attack, so we recommend using two smaller groups of ships in this scenario.

When you hit the island, all of the Photon Cannons, Scouts, Dragoons, Carriers, and Arbiters giving you their undivided attention may prove distracting. But, any attempt to clear out all the enemy units will only result in failure, so you should move straight for the Stasis Cell and attack hard. If you’re having trouble punching through to the Cell, divert the enemy units with one group of Scouts while your Carriers make their move on the Cell. The Stasis Cell falls quickly under heavy fire, so being aggressive can bring you victory.

Protoss Mission 9: Shadow Hunters

You begin with a small contingent of units that includes Fenix and Zeratul. You also have some Probes you need to put to use building several Nexii in the mineral fields near your starting point. You must build up a grid of Photon Cannons in the central area of the map to take care of the Zerg that will flow frequently down from the north.

Build up a group of at least six Carriers and four Scouts, then add your Arbiter (which you start out with) and an Observer (which will let you see buried Zerg). After you build up all the structures you need and research the tech tree, building a fleet of Carriers complete with eight Interceptors in each won’t be easy. You’ll have to scrape together the resources if you want to do it in a timely manner. Send this attack north to clear out the lower-middle area of the map. Once this area is secured (and it’ll take a while), park your Carriers at the mouth of the three pathways and use them to take out any Zerg units that come south.

You can now prepare for the final push. Start building Templars by the handful so that you can create a large group of Archons to compliment your air force. Once you have seven or eight Archons in place, move them up the central pathway along with eight or so Zealots and Zeratul. When you come to the first Cerebrate, clear out all the enemy units that threaten Zeratul. Then use Zeratul to kill the Cerebrate. If you need any extra support at this time, move your Carrier force up to clear out or distract any enemy units that are getting in your way. Move to the right along the top of the map to the last Cerebrate and repeat the death scene with Zeratul.

Protoss Mission 10: Eye of the Storm

This mission is the game’s greatest challenge, as it should be. It may take a few tries to get established enough for victory. You start with two bases under your control-one Protoss (in the lower-right corner) and one Terran (in the upper-left corner)-and you must cultivate and protect both against massive and unpredictable Zerg attacks.

First, hotkey the Terran Command Center and the Protoss Nexus to keys 0 and 9. This way you can jump quickly from base to base without having to scroll across the map. Managing two bases is very important in this mission, and you’ll probably end up with four or five before it’s over.

The Zerg will attack both your initial bases with Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Mutalisks (usually in separate large groups), so build up solid defenses. You may have to restart this level more than once if you underestimate the Zerg.

In the beginning, both of your bases are vulnerable to Zerg attack, so build up defenses in both locations if you want to survive the first half-hour of play. In the Terran base it’s hard to beat a line of Bunkers filled with upgraded Marines, but you can be sure that the Zerg will throw a group of 12 Mutalisks at you, so build Missile Turrets or more Marine-filled Bunkers behind your front lines.

The Protoss have the Dark Templars and Tassadar as backup, but take care not to lose either Zeratul or Tassadar or the mission will end. However, these special units afford you an extra measure of protection while you set up a grid of Photon Cannons and build Zealots and Dragoons for defense.

After moving out to harvest some of the extra resource pools scattered across the map, concentrate on upgrading all your units’ abilities and technologies. As this is going on, build up a massive, balanced attack force comprising at least eight groups of 12 units each: Zealots (two groups), Dragoons (one group), Scouts (one group), Carriers (one group), Firebats (one group), Marines (one group), Wraiths (one group), and Battlecruisers (one group). If you like, assign your last hotkey to Dragoons. Hotkey all your groups to keys 1 through 9 and your Comsat Station to 0.

When all your groups are ready to rumble (this will take a long time), you can defeat the Overmind using a simultaneous Terran-Protoss double-pronged attack. Using your Comsat Station, expose the Overmind. Then quickly move through your groups, telling each to attack the Overmind. All 100-plus units will make a run for the Overmind and attack in a flurry of Interceptors, acid sprays and bloodshed. If you’ve constructed your groups properly, the Overmind will die before the last of your units bites it.

Keep a close eye on your special units (Tassadar, Zeratul, and Raynor) because if you lose one, the mission ends. It’s all too easy to group Tassadar or Raynor with bunches of units being sent to their deaths near the Overmind, and if they die, you lose.

If you don’t want to endure the final battle as all units converge on the Overmind, move against the Overmind’s position slowly by inching Siege Tanks toward the objective. Zerg defenses are thick, however, and a long, slow battle may drain your resources before you get there. The large strike provides the spectacular conclusion a great game like StarCraft deserves.

• Terran Campaign
• Zerg Campaign
• Protoss Campaign
• Multiplayer

Zerg Missions

Zerg Mission 1: Among the Ruins

This mission is a giant leap down in difficulty from the last scenario (Terran Mission 10), but you’re learning to use a new race, so the reprieve will be welcome. The solution here can be summed up in one word: Hydralisk. Follow the natural progression of technological advancement and then build 20 Hydralisks to crush the inferior Terran race.

The key to this mission that is worthy of special attention is the Chrysalis. Keep a group of at least six Zerglings nearby at all times to protect this special unit from Terran attacks. It’s also a good idea to build at least a pair of Sunken Colonies near the Chrysalis. The enemy will attack along the ground and the Sunken Colonies will provide an extra measure of support in case you get overwhelmed.

After building up two groups of 12 Zerglings and Hydralisks each, move up the right side of the map and take out the installations you come across. After you reach the main base, the attack force probably will be down 50 percent-a good indication that you should bring up another group of units. If you haven’t produced them yet, Zerglings are quick and come two to an egg.

The only other area you must clear is in the upper-middle portion of the map, but you can approach it only from the left. A Starport and some light resistance await you there. Once you’ve swept the Terrans away, you win.

Resource Management

Although much Zerg resource management resembles that of the Terrans, you need to know a few key things before you venture forth. First, whenever you create a new structure, you lose the Drone that created it. That’s because the Drone mutates into the structure-becomes it rather than builds it. Drones that have built a structure aren’t free to do something else. They’re gone forever.

In this scenario (as in most) you should create as many Drones as possible early on and build a Spawning Pool and a Hydralisk Den. An Evolution Chamber will help strengthen your weapons, but it’s not necessary. However, you should explore new technologies to their fullest in every mission. Being comfortable with the methods and powers of each unit and structure will benefit you later in the game and in multiplayer battles.

Zerg Mission 2: Egression

Your fellow Cerebrate has given you the use of six Hunter Killers. These units are essentially double-power Hydralisks and will aid you greatly in taking out the Protoss lying between you and the Beacon. Send a unit to the Hunter Killers to activate them. Immediately you have a force of six Hunter Killers and three Hydralisks. These nine units are strong enough to take out the entire initial string of Protoss structures and units. Move forward and attack, but as soon as you start losing units, fall back and nurse your wounds.

Don’t move off the Creep until you are ready to keep your attention on your attacks. It’s probably a good idea to build five or six extra Hydralisks before you attack the Protoss if you’re unsure of your tactics.

As your resources grow, you’ll gain the ability to mutate Hydralisks. Make as many of these units as you can so you can have two large groups of Hydralisks (some will be Hunter Killers) that you can move through the map. After setting up this force, move them down toward the Beacon (in the lower-right corner of the map) destroying enemy units you meet along the way.

Rather than have a Drone bring the Chrysalis down unprotected, send a group of Hydralisks to escort the Drone to the Beacon.

Zerg Mission 3: The New Dominion

Quickly building up a strong attack force will let you take the high ground to your north, speeding this mission along. You’ll also want to set up a Sunken Colony on the upper-left edge of the Creep to defend against Terran attack (and they will attack).

After setting up a defensive perimeter, start producing Mutalisks and Hydralisks in bulk (the Mutalisks are more important). The sooner you can amass at least 10 Mutalisks, the better. Use your large group of Mutalisks to clear the high ground to your north (in the center of the map) so you can build a Hatchery and harvest the minerals and Vespene resources there.

Expect at least a couple of waves of Terran attacks, all from the left side of your base. Generally, your large group(s) of Mutalisks can stop any of these attacks, but you also should keep three or four Hydralisks and a Sunken Colony or two active around your base just to be safe.

Once you have two groups of 20 Mutalisks (ten in each group), keep building more to replace those you’ll lose; then head up the map, aggressively confronting enemy Missile Turrets and Marines. As your Mutalisks fall, fly replacements up to keep the strike force at around ten units or so.

If you’re having trouble cracking the Terran defensive perimeter, attack with your Mutalisks in the upper right corner of the map. This is where the Terrans are the weakest, and it’ll be all you can do to gain a foothold on their territory. Be wary of marching ground troops north because the Terran Siege Tanks will obliterate anything in seconds. Use your Mutalisks to take the Siege Tanks out first.

Zerg Mission 4: Agent of the Swarm

Build up a solid defense matrix of Sunken Colonies and Spore Colonies around your base as soon as possible. The Terrans will regularly drop in small groups of Marines and Firebats, and although the Hydralisks and Zerglings you start with will provide some defense, you’ll need backup.

After you secure your main base, you should create a modest group of Mutalisks to fly over and secure the air space over the central island. You should take enough Mutalisks to defend the island until you can build up some Spore Colonies and Sunken Colonies for defense. An Overlord must drop in at least one Drone in order to start a new Hatchery, so be sure to protect the Overlord as it lumbers over to the island.

Use Kerrigan

Have Kerrigan help secure the central island if you’re having trouble with the Terran troops dropping in. She’s very powerful and can do substantial damage to the enemy.

Vast Terran forces lie in all corners of the map except the upper left (where you started. Don’t pick fights; just stay cool and establish your base on the Central Island. Once this base is up and running, continue to build a force of Mutalisks to act as your primary strike force against the Terran Command Center. Two full groups of Mutalisks should be more than enough. Because the Command Center can’t be reached by land, the air attack is a prudent strategy.

When you first begin your aerial assault, bring your ships in two waves, with the first wave taking the Missile Turrets quickly, and then the second wave to attack miscellaneous ground units, such as Marines and Goliaths. Mutalisks are good for these kinds of targets because their attacks bounce from one enemy unit to another, inflicting collateral damage on adjacent units. After the Missile Turrets have been destroyed, you can bring in your Queen and infest the Command Center to win the mission.

If you don’t like the idea of an all-out air attack, you’ll need to research Overlord Transport and pack up some Zerglings and Hydralisks to bring along. If you choose to go this route, be sure that the first row of Missile Turrets has been destroyed before you try to drop your troops on enemy ground. This takes careful timing because of the slow movement of the Overlords, but if you want a ground war, you’ll have to transport your troops over.

Zerg Mission 5: The Amerigo

This mission offers you only the units on the map. Although you can get reinforcements later on, you can’t manufacture new units The Amerigo is a technological maze, so it would be pointless to describe how to wind through to the Supercomputer. The only proviso is that there’s a teleport pad that takes you directly to the Supercomputer area once you’ve wound through much of the base. You also must walk onto all Beacons to unlock all the doors.

As you negotiate the corridors you’ll encounter Marines, Firebats, Ghosts, and Vultures, but usually not more than four at a time. Your ace in the hole is Kerrigan, whose 400 hit points, Cloak, and powerful attack give you the edge you need. Whenever things get hot, have Kerrigan move in to kick some butt.

Kerrigan’s cloaking also can help you scout areas where you suspect there may be wall-mounted guns or enemy units. In fact, using Kerrigan as a scout who can walk past and flank enemy troops while your Hydralisks mount a frontal attack can work very well.

Zerg Mission 6: The Dark Templar

The Protoss attack regularly with Zealots, Dragoons, and, later on, Scouts. Don’t go looking for trouble by wandering toward the lower-right corner of the map or you’ll have reams of Dragoons flowing up to your main base. Branch out to the resource areas in the upper-middle and left-middle map areas, and try to set up defenses for these areas, as well.

It won’t be easy to handle the Protoss onslaught up the left side of the map, but if you can build up a solid base of Hydralisks you can defend yourself adequately until you can do the research you need to get Guardians. Hydralisks are relatively cheap, and they’re excellent against both ground and air units. They’re not completely effective against the powerful Protoss units, however, so always attack and defend in numbers.

Your strike force in this mission should be three groups of ground and air units. You’ll need to have eight to ten Mutalisks, and convert eight to ten additional Mutalisks to Guardians. For the ground units, the Hydralisk is unsurpassed. This combination gives the Guardians the raw bombing power they need to take out a Photon Cannon in two vollies, while the Mutalisks can deal with Scouts that may come to take out the Guardians. The Hydralisks serve three purposes: They can attack stray ground units, back up your Guardians by attacking air units, and effectively level buildings on their own.

Move down the left side of the map, across the bottom, and up the right side. This combined air/ground force should be able to take out the entire Protoss installation, but it’s not easy, and you may end up losing your attack force. Therefore, you should have a smaller backup force under construction as you make your initial attack run.

After you’ve taken out enough structures, Tassadar challenges Kerrigan to a duel in the central map area. Have an Overlord transport Kerrigan over (it’s only accessible from the air), and make sure that she isn’t near death. When Kerrigan arrives, Tassadar appears and exchanges a few words with Kerrigan, then disappears and the level is over. You win.

Zerg Mission 7: The Culling

This mission can be tough. Get too aggressive right off the bat, and you’re guaranteed to get smoked by enemy Zerg.

You begin with a sizable force sitting in an area the enemy surrounds. There are two paths out of the canyon where you start out, but again, you shouldn’t move any units out until after you establish a Hatchery and a Sunken Colony for defense. Set up your new Hatchery at the mouth of the pathway to the right; then build a Creep Colony (followed by a Sunken Colony) as soon as the Creep is established.

Group your Hydralisks and Mutalisks separately. After the Hatchery and Sunken Colony are in place, move your attack force up to the enemy Hatchery just to the north of your starting position. The enemy Creep is lightly defended and you shouldn’t have too much trouble clearing out the Garm Brood Hydralisks, Zerglings and buildings. As you clear away the enemy base, move your Drones up to build another Hatchery closer to the Vespene and mineral sources.

You begin with only a finite number of resources and no initial base, so be careful that you don’t get into a situation where you lose your Drones. If you lose your Drones before you have established a Hatchery, the game is over.

As you build up your base, be sure to build Spore Colonies and Sunken Colonies to defend against stray attackers. After you establish your base and take the mineral fields in the lower-left map area, build up two groups of 12 Zerglings each. Take these Zergling groups and follow the path to the enemy installations. Don’t let anything panic you! Send your Zergling groups in to attack anything and everything. You’ll overwhelm the enemy with these vicious little creatures and sweep through a large portion of the enemy infrastructure before they’re wiped out.

Now that the enemy’s back on its heels, you can take time to build up a solid strike force of Guardians and Hydralisks to finish the job. Keep going until you’ve wiped out every last structure, but be wary of Ultralisks awaiting you at the top of the map. These are very powerful and will cut through Zerglings quickly, so keep Hydralisks and/or Guardians nearby when moving into enemy territory.

Zerg Mission 8: Eye for an Eye

Once you’ve got a solid force of Drones collecting resources, build up a defensive force of Hydralisks to keep an eye on your bases and Beacons. If even one Dark Templar slips by the Beacon areas, you’ll lose, so it pays to keep a few extra units handy. You can divide the units among the three locations or use the Nydus Canal to send them to attack the sources. The enemy will constantly test the Beacon sites, and even attack your bases on occasion, so your Hydralisk support forces will serve you well.

The Nydus Canals are handy little structures that enable your forces essentially to teleport from one area to another almost instantly. The Nydus Canals can get units to hot spots in a few seconds, and since Zerg Mission #8 has a Nydus Canal network already in place, you can use it as a defense transport between your bases.

Build up a force of 10 to 12 Hydralisks by your base in the upper left corner of the map; then move toward the resource area in the upper-middle area of the map. You’ll encounter some Protoss resistance, but nothing that a group of Hydralisks can’t manage. During the fighting consider building a secondary Hydralisk force that can continue to protect the area for a while. (If you’ve earned the ability to make Mutalisks, you might want to use them for defense instead of the Hydralisks.)

After you’ve got another base raking in resources in the upper-middle area of the map, sit back (defend) and concentrate on researching missing structures or abilities. Once you feel you’re ready, make an air group of eight Guardians and four Mutalisks, a ground group of eight Hydralisks and four Ultralisks, and two single-unit groups with a Queen in one and a Defiler in the other. This will give you the power you need to take out the entire right side of the map so you can secure the resources fields there.

Move your air units up to the edge of the right-hand Protoss base; just close enough to provoke an attack. Once the Protoss come after you, use your ground group to tackle the Dragoons and Zealots while your air group moves in and destroys any Photon Cannons. After the Photon Cannons are gone, the air group can either help with ground units, or pummel the structures into the ground. If a group of Scouts starts to give you trouble, use your Queen to Ensnare them. Likewise, to whittle down an enemy structure or group of units, use the Defiler’s Plague ability to leech the life force out of the targeted units. Plagued units usually require only a few hits to destroy.

Once the Protoss force is gone, build another Hatchery near the mineral fields and start harvesting the vast resources that line the map’s right side. Use these resources to build up another attack force, roughly double in size (to do this right) with a few Zerglings thrown in just for good measure. The Protoss base in the bottom left corner of the map has plenty of Templars standing by, and they won’t hesitate to use Psionic Storms to kick your butt.

When you mount the attack on the main Protoss base, take four or five Queens with you to Spawn Broodlings on any Templar they come across. This will help to take care of most of the Templar threat, but you must use Mutalisks to ensure that the body of your attack force doesn’t get Psionic deep-fried. After the lower Protoss base falls, the mission is academic. You need only sweep the remaining Protoss off the map to win.

Zerg Mission 9: The Invasion of Aiur

There are enough high-end Protoss units in this scenario to pound you into the stone age, so don’t attempt a war of attrition. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t get your hands dirty. Indeed, there’s plenty of fighting ahead.

The Khaydarin Crystal sits just below the center of the map; many Protoss units literally surround it. Setting up some defenses (Sunken Colonies and Spore Colonies) is critically important to protecting your base, although you shouldn’t pour tons of resources into a massive defense matrix. Stay in defense mode until you can create Hydralisks, Zerglings, Queens, Scourges, and Overlord Transports.

Try to be quick about this mission. The longer you wait to build up your forces, the greater the chance the enemy will show up with a bunch of Dragoons and a Carrier or two to ruin your day. Build up a force of full groups of Zerglings (2 full groups), Hydralisks, and Scourge. The Zerglings and Hydralisks are cheap, but in force they can ensure success in your push through the canyons to the Crystal.

Follow the path shown in figure 5-28 and use your Zerglings as the first-wave attackers, with the Hydralisks close behind. The Zerglings are so plentiful (24, at least) that the Protoss units and Photon Cannons will have difficulty zeroing in on any one target, leaving the door open for your more powerful Hydralisks to do the real damage. The Scourge are basically Carrier killers, in case one comes after your units. If you do see a Carrier on the horizon, send all the Scourge at it at once. Don’t hesitate for a second, because a Carrier can decimate your force very quickly.

Counterpoint

If you take too long to mount your offense and you find yourself falling into defensive mode just to keep the Protoss out of your base, you’ll end up in a resource drain. This isn’t the end of the world; you just have to move on to Plan B. There are three resource areas in the north portion of the map. All are lightly defended by the Protoss, but not colonized. The problem is you must find a way to get a Drone to one of these areas alive. The upper-right map corner has two of the best areas (two mineral fields and one Vespene Geyser), and they aren’t directly defended. If you can get a unit to this area, build a Hatchery, and then a Nydus Canal, you can double your resources quickly. From this resource base you’ll have a fighting chance to hit back at the Protoss forces.

Once the pathway to the Crystal is clear, you can either move a Drone down (via the ground) or you can transport it with an Overlord. Both routes can be risky, but if you use an Overlord you must be careful to follow the path you cleared. If you go as the crow flies, your Overlord will get toasted by the array of Photon Cannons lining the ridge between you and the Crystal.

When the Drone enters the Crystal, it triggers a 10 minute countdown as well as a Protoss attack. You’ll need to continue to move units down to the Crystal in order to hold the location while the Crystal is being harvested. Enemy units that are particularly devastating at this point include Templars, Carriers, and especially Reavers. The Reavers can take out a row of Hydralisks with just one or two Scarabs, so stay cool and use Guardian Air support if you can. If you successfully hold the Crystal for 10 minutes, you will win the mission. Don’t go picking any fights either, the Protoss forces in the lower left and right corners of the map don’t need to be awakened.

Zerg Mission 10: Full Circle

Build and conquer-that’s the name of the game in this scenario. Once you’ve produced a pile of Drones and two new Hatcheries to maximize harvesting and unit production, build Sunken Colonies and Spore Colonies galore around the perimeter of your base. It’s also a good idea to have a team of 12 Hydralisks ready in case of Protoss attack.

After fending off Protoss attacks and climbing the tech tree until you have Guardians and upgraded Hydralisks, build a force of eight Guardians and four Mutalisks (one group), 12 Hydralisks (one group), 12 Hydralisks (one group), and mixed units (one group). Hotkey these units to keys 1-4, and move them up the map toward the temple, Destroy any Photon Cannons or offensive Protoss units you come across. The Guardians can take out Protoss structures quickly, so sweep a clean path for your Drone to follow with the Crystal.

En route to the Temple you’ll face some stiff opposition from Photon Cannons and ground forces (Zealots and Dragoons), and a Carrier awaits you at the temple. Target it first to eliminate that threat. When the enemy presence at the temple is almost gone, hit it with your Guardians while your Hydralisks mop up Zealots and nearby structures. When the Crystal Drone appears, grab an Overlord and transport the Drone to the Beacon near the temple rubble.

• Zerg Campaign
• Protoss Campaign
• Multiplayer

Introduction

StarCraft’s complexity inspires almost as many different strategies as it has players, so it’s safe to assume you’ll find ways to defeat a scenario that differ from these. That’s OK. If you follow the basic Fast Track Guide walkthrough you’ll win, but this guidance isn’t the be-all and end-all. Rather, it’s distilled from tried-and-true methods of defeating each and every mission.

I recommend you attempt to defeat each scenario by yourself first-give it at least a couple of tries. Then, if you have trouble completing the mission, use the help found in this Fast Track Guide, or purchase Prima’s strategy guide for more detailed mission strategies and additional reference material.

Terran Missions

Terran Mission 1

Wasteland

Your Marines and SCVs start in the upper-left corner. The Command Center and Supply Depot lie some distance away in the lower-central map area. Divide your troops into Marines and SCVs, and move the Marines toward the Command Center. After passing the bridge you’ll run into Jim Raynor and one or two isolated Zergling groups. Terminate the zerglings, then move down to provide support for the base. Once the base is secure, move your SCVs down and start mining minerals.

After retrieving sufficient minerals, build a Barracks and manufacture the 10 Marines you need to complete this mission. Jim Raynor and a couple of Marines can continue moving around the map mopping up Zerglings, but it’s not necessary for victory. Remember, if you lose any Marines, you must replace them to hit the production target (10).

Terran Mission 2

Backwater Station

Your forces are grouped in the lower-left corner of the map, which gives you some measure of protection against the Zerg in the early going. After you’ve set up your SCVs to collect resources, set your Barracks to produce Marines until you have a squad of 12 ready to kick some Zergling butt. Take advantage of Jim Raynor’s awesome power when you hunt Zerglings, and if he gets damaged, simply order an SCV to repair Jim’s Vulture.

After you have 12 Marines, group them into one attack force and move northeast taking out the Zerglings waiting there. Move north up the ramp revealing a Zerg structure guarded by a half-dozen Zerglings. Your 12 Marines will shred the Zerglings, leaving you free to annihilate the Zerg structure.

Now move your group of Marines north until they capture the Backwater Station Command Center. When you get a unit close enough to the Center, all the other structures and units fall under your control, including two SCVs and five Firebats. Order the two Barracks to produce three or four Firebats each. Then park your Marines on the east (right) side of the station.

Once you’ve created the Firebats, form another group made up entirely of these units. Now you have two groups-eight to 12 Marines (depending on how many have survived) and at least ten Firebats. Move your Marines southeast and have them take out any Hydralisks and Zerglings they encounter while the Firebat group follows up to destroy structures. This one-two punch is an effective tactic in these early missions, so keep moving throughout Zerg territory this way.

The scenario ends when you destroy the infested Command Center in the upper-right corner of the map.

Terran Mission 3

Desperate Alliance

Your objective in this scenario is to survive for 30 minutes, and there are a couple of ways to go about it. You can either build your defenses and sit tight, waiting for Zerg attackers to strike your position, or you can take an offensive stance and attempt to deal a blow to the Zerg before they come looking for trouble. The latter approach is more fun, and will give you some valuable experience managing an attack force.

First, you’ll need to repair the burning Bunker on the lower road with an SCV. After that’s done, throw the full complement of four Marines into each of your two Bunkers; this provides your base with a more than adequate defense as you build up your attack force.

Your attack force should consist of two (preferably three) groups of 12 Marines each, and one group of 12 Firebats. Upgrade Marine weapon range and armor strength before you set out. If all goes well, everything for your attack should be in place by minute 15. (You’ll need extra Barracks to mobilize your army this quickly.)

Bunkers are incredibly powerful structures: They take the damage instead of your units, allowing you to defend an area against a large attack with only a few Marines. If you can, it’s a good idea to keep an SCV around to repair Bunker damage. A Bunker with four Marines and a repair SCV can hold out a long time against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Group your units into groups of 12; then move then out en masse (Marines first, then Firebats) up the lower road. Begin a sweeping motion that systematically wipes out the heart of the Zerg Hive. Generally, Marines are your best weapons against Hydralisks and Mutalisks because they have greater range and their weapons penetrate Zerg armor better than Firebat weaponry.

Continue creating Marines at your base; you can use them as reinforcements if you need to. Remember, your objective is only to survive, not to obliterate the Zerg. If you launch this massive attack on Zerg positions, they’ll have little chance to launch a counterattack. Now you can just let the clock tick toward victory if you want, but you should still stock your Bunkers with Marines. Just to be safe, keep a few extra emergency units (probably Marines) hanging around your base in case Mutalisks fly over. The key to this strategy is speed; if you are too slow the Zerg will have enough time to build a vast army.

Terran Mission 4

The Jacobs Installation

Because this is an “installation” mission, the map is like a maze, and offers a number of superfluous pathways. At several locations in this mission you’ll encounter hidden floor and wall-mounted guns and Missile Turrets. Don’t panic if the floor opens fire on you; simply target the spot and have your Marines destroy the turret.

As you move northwest you reach a room with a raised area serviced by three stairways. Several Marines and one Goliath defend this area, so don’t head in there until you’ve grouped your attack force tightly. When you fight the Marines above you, remember they have a height advantage. You have only a 70 percent chance of hitting them when you’re lower, while they have a 100 percent chance of hitting you. Therefore, always attack when your numbers are at least three times theirs.

Be sure to activate any Beacons you come across as you wind through the installation. The first two Beacons you’ll run across disable floor-mounted guns and release a number of friendly (and not-so-friendly) prisoners. The Third teleports your men so they can proceed along the optimal path and collect the disks. Once you grab the disks and return them to the starting Beacon, the mission will end in victory for you.

Terran Mission 5

Revolution

This mission begins with your troops in the upper-left corner of the map. Group them and proceed south until you run into Kerrigan. After Kerrigan and Raynor engage in a brief verbal fencing match, proceed south until you reach the three Missile Turrets on the roadway. Destroy them. Continue along the road (now leading northeast) and take out the waiting Vulture.

The Confederate Wraith that stands in your way affords an excellent opportunity to use Kerrigan’s Lockdown ability. Next, turn north and head to a clearing just left of some Confederate Bunkers. Your Marines must take out a Confederate Wraith guarding this area, but otherwise you’ll be safe there for a while. Separate Kerrigan from your group; then move your troops in to take out the Bunker directly to your right, and then the Missile Turret beside it. Missile Turrets are detectors and can see cloaked Ghosts, so you must take it out before you can sneak Kerrigan past.

Once the turret is gone, move your troops back; then cloak Kerrigan and move her up to the Beacon. With the turret destroyed, enemy units can’t spot her when she’s cloaked, so getting to the Beacons will be easy. After the Antigan base is liberated, the Antigan Bunkers will destroy most Confederate Forces near the base. You can move Raynor and the Marines in to mop up the last few Confederate Marines after the Confederate Bunkers succumb.

After you liberate the Antigan base, your objective becomes destroying the Confederate base (that sprawls along the bottom of the map). You must get the Antigan base up and moving forward to generate the military oomph it will take to crush Alpha Squadron. Fortunately, the Antiga Prime base is substantial, and you needn’t build a lot of infrastructure to win.

First, repair any buildings (or Jim Raynor’s Vulture) that have taken damage; then set your Command Center to produce as many new SCVs as you can afford. After setting up your resource gathering, start producing Marines and Wraiths, as well as Missile Turrets, along the base’s southern border. The Confederate base lies along the lower quarter of the map, so the best staging area for your attacks lies to the south.

Build up a strike force of 12 Wraiths (with cloaking ability and Apollo Reactors), and 12 or so Marines with upgraded weapons and armor (if possible). Cloak your Wraiths and head to the lower-right portion of the map, where a Confederate Refinery and plenty of SCVs rush resources back to the Command Center. As your cloaked Wraiths fire on the SCVs and Refinery, many Confederate Wraiths will fly in to stop the carnage; because your ships are cloaked, you can lay waste to them quickly.

After clearing the lower-right map corner of the Confederate menace, load the Dropship with Marines and transport them to the secured area. Move as many as you can; then collect them into one or two groups. Now you’ll move from east to west across the bottom of the map with your Wraiths and Marines. There may be Spider Mines in this area; send lone Marines ahead of your main attack force to detonate them. Use your cloaked Wraiths to take out air and ground units while your Marines move forward to knock out Missile Turrets that would give your Wraiths’ position away. Using this method, you’ll quickly sweep the Confederate base off the.

Terran Mission 6

Norad II

Your base is in disarray following a Zerg attack, and several of your buildings will need repair. Your first priority is to mobilize Raynor (in his Vulture) and the Marines and Firebats around him to secure the base. While you’re moving your Marines into the existing bunkers, use your SCVs to fix up any buildings that are terminally damaged (in the red zone). If a building that is in the red zone is not repaired, it will eventually explode and be lost.

When the Norad II comes online, you’ll notice that you have a pair of SCVs and some other units (Goliaths, Marines and Firebats). This position will undergo fairly heavy Zerg attacks in the early part of this mission, so repair any Bunker damage you may have taken. Then, put your units (including the SCVs) into the Bunkers. As the enemy swarms attack, your Bunkers will take a beating, but, whenever they need to be repaired you can simply pop one of your SCVs out of the Bunker to fix it, and then pop it back in.

During quiet periods (when the Norad II isn’t under attack), use your SCVs to repair the ship. However, always keep a look out for enemy attacks; your SCVs are too valuable to lose them. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to build any units near Norad II, and don’t attempt to launch any attacks from this position. If you do, you’ll bring the wrath of the Zerg down upon you, and the mission will be over.

After thwarting the initial Zerg attack, there’s only a short period of time before the next onslaught. Continue repairing damaged structures while you put Marines (and/or Firebats) into the existing Bunkers.

Once you have a defense perimeter of Marine-filled Bunkers, you’ll have a shield Zerg ground attacks can’t penetrate. Your next priority is to build up a fleet of Wraiths and a large contingent (20) of Vultures, Goliaths, and Marines to mount an assault on the Spore Colonies guarding the airways between the base and the Norad II.

Once your troops are ready to go, move the Dropships to the edge of the ridge east of your base where the Spore Colonies can’t hit your ships. Once your troops are up on the ledge, move systematically from one Spore Colony to the next, clearing an area for a Dropship to come through. At this point, expect the Zerg to throw plenty of Mutalisks and some ground units at you; you should have your Wraiths ready for backup.

Send one Dropship back for reinforcements and to pick up Jim Raynor. When you’re fairly sure you can sneak a Dropship to the Norad II, fly it in and drop Raynor onto the Beacon. That’s it. You win.

Terran Mission 7

The Trump Card

As soon as this mission starts you must pull back some of your units and buildings. The area in the lower-middle part of the map probably will be destroyed before you can help it, and the area at the top of the map (where Kerrigan and the Psi Emitter are) also come under attack quickly. Let the lower area fall, but try to hang onto the northern camp to use as a staging area for your attacks. Launch the Science Facility and the Spaceport, and move them south (out of range of the enemy Bunkers). Immediately send up reinforcements from your main base for defense.

To reach the Beacon (where you must drop the Psi Emitter), you must punch a hole in Confederate defenses. You can use two routes for this-the central path and the northern path leading from your northern staging area. Either way, a fair bit of fighting must occur, but because fewer Missile Turrets guard the northern route it allows for better use of Wraith fighters for attack.

Build up a force of about 10 Siege Tanks, 12 Wraiths, 10 Goliaths, and 12 Marines. Then move systematically along the northern corridor. It’s a good idea to send your Science Vessel ahead of your other troops to warn you of waiting Siege Tanks. Creep forward using a systematic pattern of Goliaths and Marines followed closely by Siege Tanks, with the Wraiths nearby for backup. Bring a couple of SCVs to repair damage to your units along the way.

Remember to use ground units, such as Goliaths and Marines, to take out Turrets, Wraiths, and Siege Tanks. When you come to the mineral field at the top of the Confederate base, take out all the SCVs and the Command Center to cripple the Confederate ability to create more units.

Then move your Siege Tanks into the center of town. Once these tanks enter “siege mode” the carnage really begins, and enemy structures fall very quickly. At this point, get the Psi Emitter into a Dropship to fly it up to the Beacon. Fly the Dropship along the pathway your ground forces cleared; otherwise, Missile Turrets may shoot it down.

Drop the Psi Emitter (transported by an SCV) near the Beacon; then move it in. The mission ends with Kerrigan wishing that she is never forced to contribute to human death again by luring Zerg to attack.

Terran Mission 8

The Big Push

Load your SCVs and Marines into Dropships. Then group the Wraiths with Duke and move them left to the deserted base. Once there, have your air force take out the Confederate Marines and Firebats dotting the area. It shouldn’t take much to clean them up.

Move your structures to the new base, placing your Command Centers between mineral fields and Vespene Geysers. You can drop your buildings beside add-on buildings such as Machine Shops and Nuclear Missile Silos for instant upgrades. Immediately get your SCVs gathering minerals while you create Siege Tanks and Marines.

After you’ve sorted out what buildings go where, move your air units to the raised area above your base. You can also add a few Bunkers and any Siege Tanks you create, so they’ll be in place for your slow, grinding assault across the central portion of the map.

Build up your forces as you did in the last mission-three large groups of Siege Tanks, Goliaths/Marines, and Wraiths. Move these groups up the central and left portions of the map where you can capture vast mineral and Vespene deposits. If you build Command Centers near these new deposits, you can speed up your defeat of the Confederates.

This is the first mission where you get to use Nukes, and if you build plenty of Command Centers around the extra mineral deposits, you can have extra silos (and therefore extra Nukes). Several Confederate installations on this map have closely grouped buildings-perfect targets for the awesome power of a nuclear device. Use a cloaked Ghost to get in close to a target; then let the Nuke go.

Terran Mission 9

New Gettysberg

A large force of Zerg lies just north of your position; however, you can’t attack the Zerg actively because destroying even one Zerg building will result in mission failure. Instead, you must place Bunkers (filled with Marines) near the ramps leading up to Zerg positions. As resources allow, also place a few Missile Turrets and some spider mines in the area to protect against Mutalisk attack.

Send your Dropship with some SCVs to claim the mineral deposits in the left-center and bottom-center portions of the map. Then build an Armory, a Starport, a Refinery (if you haven’t yet), and a Science Station. As this is going on, build a pair of Bunkers on the path behind the mineral field at your base.

After setting up your two new Command Centers and protecting the main base sufficiently, build an extra Starport and a Control Tower. Build eight or ten Battlecruisers.

Once you have the fleet of Battlecruisers, fly them down to your lower Control. Before you begin your attack, group four to six SCVs as a repair team that can repair badly damaged Battlecruisers quickly. Use your Comsat Stations to locate enemy Photon Cannons; then move your fleet of Battlecruisers in for the kill.

Before you move a large fleet of Battlecruisers into battle, remember to prioritize the units you’ll attack. Photon Cannons, Dragoons, and Scouts, which fire back, take priority over shuttles or other buildings.

As you work your way through the Protoss base, don’t be afraid to use your Yamato Guns to take out larger structures. Most structures will succumb after two Yamato shots; use this weapon together with the other Battlecruisers’ lasers to go through the base like a hot knife through butter. The remaining Protoss structures lie in the upper-right corner of the map.

Terran Mission 10

The Hammer Falls

There are two main groups of enemy Terrans in this mission-the Sons of Korhal (red) and the Alpha Corps (white). The red force, which has troops stationed on and behind the raised area directly north of your starting position, poses the immediate threat to you. Providing a proper defensive barrier should be your first priority, so build Bunkers and Missile Turrets in the area at the top of the ramps. Take care not to wander too far or the Siege Tanks just out of your range will smoke you.

After securing the area, build a pack of 12 Marines and group them together; then grab your two Siege Tanks and head down the road to the right. At the intersection you’ll encounter a group of red Goliaths and Marines, but they should be no problem for your Marines. After you’ve secured this area, quickly move north to the next intersection and build a pair of Bunkers blocking the road to the left. The red forces will attack along this route from both the air and the ground, so it would behoove you to put a couple Missile Turrets here to spot cloaked Wraiths.

What you’re doing is essentially blocking off key attack access points for the red force. Defending these two areas well will prevent any red attacks from breaking through. You now have access to a pair of large resource deposits directly above you to the left and right. These will give you the resources you need to take out the Ion Cannon.

The enemy won’t take lightly your setting up Command Centers near these newly discovered mineral fields, and will likely launch waves of Wraiths (capable of cloaking) at them. To prevent your excursions from becoming disasters, build Missile Turrets around each Command Center. These will serve both to shoot down enemy airborne units and to spot cloaked Wraiths. If you fail to block off all enemy paths of attack, you can still win. Just make sure you establish a strong presence somewhere near the central resources and start packing the area with Bunkers, Missile Turrets, Goliaths, and Siege Tanks in Siege Mode.

If victory seems impossible, start over and this time try to spread into the central resource area faster. Once you’ve gotten there, don’t stop building defenses until the area is completely blanketed. This is the hardest part of the mission; once you’ve established yourself in that central area, started harvesting resources, and started cranking out Battlecruisers, you’ve practically won. Turn down game speed if things get too hectic.

After securing these areas, begin to build a strong strike force of Battlecruisers, Wraiths, Science Vessels, Dropships, and, of course, the entire gamut of ground units. To take out the Ion Cannon, you must move your Battlecruisers in first to destroy the Missile Turrets at the edge of the platform. Once these have been neutralized, you can either land Dropships in the clear spot or proceed with your fleet of Battlecruisers and slowly annihilate all resistance.

A walkthrough for every Starcraft and Brood War mission, and a tutorial for Starcraft Campaign Editor. Walkthrough and tutorial were made by Prima.

StarCraft: Terran Campaign
StarCraft: Zerg Campaign
StarCraft: Protoss Campaign
StarCraft: Multiplayer

StarCraft Brood War: New Units
StarCraft Brood War: Protoss Campaign
StarCraft Brood War: Terran Campaign
StarCraft Brood War: Zerg Campaign

StarCraft Campaign Editor: Tutorial