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GameSpot's Guide to Starcraft

Bonus Mission: Dark Origins

Overview
Guide Zeratul and a small but powerful escort of Dark Archons and Dragoons past Terran defenses ill equipped to deal with your assault team, all to uncover a startling secret.

Possible Expansions
Because this is a tactical mission, you will not need to deal with base management.

Key Points
This mission is accessible if you accomplished the ninth Zerg mission in less than 25 minutes. You need all your Dark Archons to succeed, so let none of them come to harm. Their Maelstrom ability will be of little use, but you'll need to use Feedback and Mind Control often. Feedback will kill enemy Science Vessels and Wraiths, while you should reserve Mind Control for the enemy Battlecruisers. The Terrans have no Comsat Station in the area, so use Zeratul to kill all enemies not near Missile Turrets or Science Vessels.

Dragoons disarm the Photon Cannons by destroying their Pylons from a long range.

Walk-through
Move your forces east. When you see the Marines, approach with just Zeratul and kill them and the Siege Tanks nearby. A Science Vessel should approach, and you can kill it quickly with Feedback. You'll find three more Marines near a Missile Turret further east, but all you really need to do is destroy the Turret with Zeratul. He can absorb not just the Marines' attacks, but also a hit or two from a Siege Tank on high ground to the south. Once the Turret is gone, Zeratul can get rid of Marines and Siege Tank alike. He'll take some Photon Cannon fire when he goes for the Siege Tank, but you can ignore it for the time being.

Mind Control the enemy Battlecruisers, and try to use Feedback on the Ghosts before they use Lockdown on your new fleet.

After the tank is dead, move Zeratul back and trigger the first beacon. You'll noticed that those Photon Cannons are powered by exposed Pylons. Use your Dragoons to attack the Pylons from just outside the range of the Cannons. Enemy Marines may show up to try to stop you, and if so, withdraw your force from the Cannons, stop the Marines with Maelstrom, and use Zeratul to dispatch them. A Battlecruiser may also come around, and you should take it with Mind Control. Continue to hammer the Pylons. Once both are destroyed, the Photon Cannons are no longer a threat, and you can walk Zeratul south to the next beacon.

With no Missile Turrets around to detect him, Zeratul can slaughter legions of Terrans single-handedly.

You'll find Marines and a Barracks as you continue west, but with no cloak-detection, Zeratul can kill them without fear of retaliation. Use Feedback on the Science Vessel further west, and keep your other forces back while Zeratul goes straight for the Missile Turret, deals with more Marines, then triggers the third beacon. As you continue south then east, you'll find a bunch of Firebats, which you should halt with Maelstrom. Beyond that, a fleet of Wraiths, which can be destroyed with Feedback. A few more Battlecruisers will show up, and you should be able to Mind Control each of them, then use them to kill the enemy Siege Tanks. Feedback can also be used against the Ghosts on high ground, while your Battlecruisers' Yamato guns can take down the three Missile Turrets in the area. Once the Turrets are gone, Zeratul can safely move past any remaining Terran defenses and reach the last beacon. Having gained no small bit of knowledge, you will now proceed to the final Zerg mission.

Next: Mission 10: Omega
 

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