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Into the Darkness is the sixth protoss mission of Episode III of StarCraft.

History[]

Background[]

Executor Artanis and High Templar Tassadar descended to the surface of Char to find Dark Prelate Zeratul. Tassadar believed only with the Dark Templars' help could the zerg invasion of Aiur be halted.[2] Upon entering the installation where Zeratul and the other Dark Templar was believed to be hiding, Tassadar could not sense his presence, and had to search for him on foot.

Tassadar and his escort explored the infested installation, aided by terran survivors that had survived the zerg attacks.[3] After fighting their way through heavy zerg resistance, Tassadar and his allies found Zeratul and the other Dark Templar. Tassadar asked Zeratul to return to Aiur with him and Artanis to aid in fighting the zerg. Though Zeratul was reluctant to return to the ancient homeland his people had been banished from, and knew the Conclave would retaliate against them for their actions, he agreed.[4]

Walkthrough[]

This mission is heavily dependent on Tassadar. His psionic storm and hallucination abilities are invaluable, and he is able to tank a bit more damage than the zealots. The player is advised to stop and rest to let their forces recover shields and energy, and take their time with this mission. Throughout the map, infested terrans can be found, and their suicidal charges deal massive damage, enough to kill Tassadar even at full health. The player should use Tassadar's hallucination to create false units that can bait the infested terrans into blowing up harmlessly. Otherwise the opposition in the mission is limited to zerglings, hydralisks, and automated defense turrets.

There are handfuls of zerg ahead that can be killed easily without the need for spells. An infested terran is down the path to the left, and the player should send a hallucination to destroy it before it pursues the player's forces later. The second hallucination created from the use of the spell should be kept for a minute later. Through the door the player will find some marines that will join them. To the left is a side-passage with more hydralisks, and more marines will join up with the protoss in a room here. South are small clusters of zerglings and another infested terran, which the second hallucinated unit should be used on.

To the north the player will find a path south-east, and one north-east. The north-east doors lead to a wide-open area with three paths going north-west. The left and right paths contain nothing but zerglings, while the center path contains some hydralisks and flame turrets, and leads to a teleport pad where two zealots and a dragoon will warp in for the player's forces. The player can then move south-east. When the player brings marines to this corner of the installation, a few hydralisks and an infested terran will spawn beneath them and unburrow. The trigger executes depending only on the presence of marines, so the player can move their zealots to the far right corner to attack the unburrowing hydralisks, and let their marines quickly shoot the infested terran that spawns to the left of the hydralisks.

South the player finds a four-way fork. To the south-east a number of marines will be found fighting a large zergling horde, Tassadar's psionic storm and the player's forces can help even the odds. Any surviving marines are the player's to control. The north-west path hold another triggered ambush, zerglings will spawn in front of the player's forces and an infested terran spawns behind them. The player can use Tassadar's hallucination again against the infested terran, as another one lies further down the hallway. The path eventually leads to a beacon guarded by some hydralisks, the beacon unlocks a door further in the installation.

Now the player can return to the four-way fork and take the south-west path. Three infested terrans lie down this hallway, spaced out, and the player should use hallucinations to scout them out and destroy them. Ahead the player finds some auto-turrets and the door they previously unlocked. More zerg, including another infested terran, wait behind the door. In a small room to the south-west here the player can rescue more terrans, including several firebats and a ghost.

When the player moves their units down the hallway, it will trigger the zerg in the hallway ahead to swarm them. The player should prepare for this by forming a blockade. Position zealots in front, firebats directly behind them, and all other forces behind them. Advanced a lot down the hall to trigger the ambush, then retreat it back into position and let the zerg attack. This placement of forces will optimize their efficiency in fighting the zerg. An infested terran attacks in the ambush; the player is near the end of the mission, so any loss of forces is acceptable if they cannot kill the infested terran before it explodes, as long as Tassadar is back from the frontlines and is not caught in the blast.

With the zerg dead, the player can advance to the end of the hallway. A few auto-turrets attack here, but they are the final defense. When the player reaches the beacon the door to Zeratul's cell unlocks, and the player can bring a unit to the beacon and end the mission.

Starcraft_-_Protoss_Mission_6_Into_the_Darkness

Starcraft - Protoss Mission 6 Into the Darkness

Notes[]

  • Removed mission briefing dialogue has Jim Raynor speaking to Tassadar, stating that Kerrigan is the leader of the zerg in the installation. This dialogue is retained for the StarCraft 64 version of the mission.[5]
  • Taking marines to some parts of the map will trigger additional enemies, where marine will say "Did you hear that?" before zerg unborrow nearby.
  • In early builds StarCraft: Ghost, several text strings for StarCraft maps exist as missions, incidating they may have been playable in some form. One of the strings under the "The Jacobs Instillation" mission batch has the objective "Rescue Zeratul," indicating "Into the Darkness" may have been playable in some form.

References[]

  1. Blizzard Entertainment, Mass Media Inc. StarCraft 64. (Nintendo of America, Inc.) Mission: Into the Darkness (in English). 2000.
  2. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Choosing Sides (in English). 1998.
  3. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Darkness (in English). 1998.
  4. Zeratul: "Greetings to you mighty Tassadar. I knew that you would not forsake us. For in the time that you have spent with us, you have learned to value our ways and our methods. You have learned to channel our dark power as well as that of your masters; thus, you alone have found completeness beyond the scope of the Khala. But I fear that the Conclave, in its pride, could never bring itself to welcome outcasts such as we."
    Tassadar: "Outcasts though you may be, it is your vision and courage that may yet save our Homeworld from the Swarm. I beg of you, Zeratul, return with us to Aiur. Though they are petty, and have, in ignorance cursed your kind for generations... help me save our people."
    Zeratul: "Since our banishment long ago, we have never failed in our responsibility to Aiur. Though it shall cause us great pain to see our homeland once more, we shall return with you, Tassadar. We will do what we can." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Into the Darkness (in English). 1998.
  5. (2000). StarCraft 64 (manual). Mass Media Studios.
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