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GameSpot's Guide to Starcraft

Mission 9: The Reckoning

Overview
You begin with a fully developed base and have 30 minutes to destroy a fairly powerful Protoss outpost to the east. You will do so by means of Hydralisks and Zerglings, supported by Guardians and Overlords.

Possible Expansions
You will have all the resources you need to complete your mission at your starting location.

Key Points
If you can accomplish this mission in less than 25 minutes, you will proceed on to the bonus mission, Dark Origins. The Walk-through below describes a method that should be fast enough for you to reach the bonus objective. For once, you needn't worry about units like Queens and Defilers. You simply need to build as many Zerglings and Hydralisks as you possibly can, gather them at the entrance to the Protoss base, and send them in with Overlord support. The enemy Reavers, Archons, Carriers, Dark Templars, and Dark Archons will not be able to handle the numbers you will have time to produce. Note that a Terran force exists all along the north, south, and western borders of the map, and will harass your position primarily with infantry attacks. A few Sunken Colonies will be more than enough to handle that. Concentrate exclusively on organizing a huge strike force, because your worst enemy on this mission is the clock.

A massive force of Hydralisks and Zerglings prepares to strike the desperate Protoss.

Walk-through
Use both your Evolution Chambers to begin upgrading ranged and melee attacks. Get your Drones mining, and use those resources to keep building Drones until your mineral field is saturated. Keep an eye on your control, and keep hatching Overlords so that your unit production does not slow. As you can afford, research your Zergling, Hydralisk, and Overlord upgrades. Research an air attack upgrade from your Greater Spire, and send your two Guardians to the south, then to the east, where near the southern edge they'll find a Siege Tank and a Bunker. Destroy them, then move your Guardians just north of the southeast corner of the map. You'll eventually mount your attack from there.

You'll need Guardians to finish off the defenses around the stasis cell holding the Protoss Matriarch.

Build another Hatchery, and if you like, another after that. Build a third Evolution Chamber to upgrade armor in addition to weapons, and start a new upgrade as soon as one is finished. Start turning out Hydralisks in swarms. You'll want about three dozen. Group them and move them to the southeast, near your Guardians. Build Zerglings by the dozen as well. Keep building units and grouping them at the entrance of the Protoss base until you have 15 minutes on the clock. You should have seven dozen or eight dozen units ready to attack, with four or six Overlords backing them up. Send them in, all at once if you can.

Send your Hydralisks first, and keep your Overlords in front, because Dark Templars are present. Send the Zerglings behind. Follow with your Guardians. You'll lose many units right away, but eventually they'll breach the enemy perimeter and will start wreaking havoc on the Protoss structures. Take this time to hatch some Mutalisks and turn them into Guardians. You'll need to use Guardians to destroy the Photon Cannons and Pylons around the stasis cell. Send Zergling and Hydralisk reinforcements as necessary. If you worked quickly, you will have destroyed the entire Protoss base within 25 minutes. Not only have you succeeded, but you also proceed to the bonus mission.

Next: Bonus Mission: Dark Origins
 

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