Return to Char

Return to Char is the sixth protoss mission of Episode IV of StarCraft: Brood War.

History

Background

After retrieving the Uraj from the surface of Braxis, the protoss traveled to Char to retrieve its twin crystal, the Khalis. Char was still under the control of Daggoth's Renegade Swarm, and the second Overmind had nested near the Khalis. Though there were numerous zerg defenders, Sarah Kerrigan believed a strike force could break through them and retrieve the crystal. Praetor Artanis instead suggested an assault on the Overmind, doing enough superficial damage to send it into remission and temporarily pacifying the zerg.

As the protoss established a base camp, Kerrigan took control of a nearby brood, allowing them to reinforce their numbers with zerg. Together, the two combined armies were able to hold off the hostile zerg long enough to retrieve the Khalis and escape the planet. With both crystals secured, the protoss and Kerrigan returned to Shakuras.

Walkthrough

The most significant gameplay change in this mission is that the player receives control of a zerg base. The player has access to the zerg tech tree up to a lair and associated units and upgrades, with the sole exception of being unable to mutate lurkers. The zerg base is the only one with a vespene geyser, so the player should quickly build an assimilator there and begin mining. Note that probes and drones can gather gas from either an assimilator or extractor, and can return resources to either a nexus or hatchery. If the player needs more gas, there is a small mineral field with a second geyser south of the zerg base.

Once the player's economy is established, they can begin deciding which of the two objectives they wish to pursue.

Retrieve the Khalis

The area around the Khalis is full of spore colonies and scourge, so the player will need to move in on foot. The path to the Khalis contains numerous sunken colonies and zerg defenders. Without their adrenal gland upgrade, the player's zerglings will not be at their full power, so the player should focus on zealots as their attack forces, and supplement them with dragoons or hydralisks. The player should also have some reavers to handle masses of zerg and destroy the sunken colonies out of their range. This mixed force can fight their way through the zerg to the Khalis, ending the mission when a probe or drone is in its radius.

Assault the Overmind

The Overmind is nested below an unguarded cliff, allowing an air force to slip past most of the defenders. There is a zerg base to the west the player should destroy as soon as they are able, and claim it their own with several hatcheries. At their main base the player should build stargates and warp in carriers, at least eight, and supplement them with mutalisks, as many as the player can muster. Both should have their weapons and armor well upgraded. This force can fly far south along the western edge of the map to reach the Overmind. While the player's mutalisks engage the zerg as a distraction, the carriers can focus their fire on the Overmind to defeat it and end the mission.