Maw of the Void | Campaign - Artifact missions SC II: WoL Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Main objectives:

1. Clear the Landing Zone
2. Destroy the Xel'Naga Vault
3. Rescue the Protoss Prisoners

Additional objectives:

Prince Valerian already knows where the last, fifth Artifact is. You will head to quadrant Sigma, where Tal'darims are protecting their precious treasure on an abandoned ship of an ancient race. It definitely won't be easy, mainly because of the Rip-Field Generators. Whoever enters it, and doesn't have proper protection like the Protosses, is being slowly destroyed.

[#1]

Luckily you have the mighty Battlecruisers at your disposals, and they're quite resistant. You will test out their abilities right at the start, when you'll have to clear the area for your base. As for the generator [#1], use your Battlecruisers' powerful Yamato Cannons. Three shots will get rid of the troublesome Rip-Field. Keep that in mind for later on.

You will learn of more generators [1] once Raynor's men settle a base on the cleared platform. all the generators are protecting access to the Xel'Naga Vault [2], which you of course have to destroy. Overall the mission awards using the newly-gained Battlecruisers and you should focus on making them.

[#2]

As for defence, note that you're in an almost isolated location. The enemy however will try to surprise you from time to time by sending some transporters towards your base [#2]. Place a couple Turrets and maybe a bunker at the western edge of the platform [3]. Also move the Battlecruisers there and that way you will quickly shoot down the enemy units.

[#3]

Additionally there's quite a bit of Gas and Mineral Pallets in the starting area, which will definitely aid you from the economical side in the beginning. Just look out for the local Tal'damirs, who will surely defend their goods. You will find more Pallets throughout the whole ship [#3] and they will definitely come in handy considering the rather low natural resources.

[#4]

Eventually it will become clear that the only thing that can save you from a financial crash is taking over the nearby Protoss base [4] [#4]. It will require destroying at least one generator (use Battlecruisers), which will also activate the additional mission. It will turn out that the Tal'damirs have imprisoned many Dark Templars who rebelled against them. If you free them from the prisons [5] [#5], they will gladly join you. You will receive research points in return the help.

[#5]

Basically you should focus on producing units in the Starport. Besides Battlecruisers, you can also invest in Banshees or Vikings, though those units won't last too long inside the Rip-Field. You can however use them to neutralise the enemy transporters and other units produced in the Stargate, which will systematically keep attacking you from the west. The local Protosses will send out Void Rays and later on even Carriers. A large number of Battlecruisers will deal with such a threat, but it wouldn't be bad to aid them with other air units.

If you built a base in the place of the mentioned enemy mini-base, be ready for likely visit of Archons, Immortals and Colossuses. Despite that, don't waste money on infantry. Instead, keep investing in your Battlecruisers fleet - their Yamato Cannons can work miracles. Additionally you will have the powerful Dark Templars at your disposal (if you've saved them), who will bring shock and awe to the battlefield thanks to their invisibility.

[#6]

I'd suggest using a similar combination while devastating the enemy infrastructure [#6]. The Templars are vulnerable to the Field, so use them to destroy the Protoss defence, retreating if you see any Photon Cannons (detection). When you do come across some, send the Battlecruisers into action - one shot from the Yamatos will solve the case. The enemy bases are dominated by air units, though you will also encounter ground units. Take over the area step by step and retreat from the Rip-Field from time to time in order for the needed repairs. It's good to have a team of SCVs or Science Vessels nearby.

[#7]

It won't be long before the Tal'darims call in a Mothership [#7]. Its main advantage is the ability to cloak nearby friendly units and temporarily send the attackers to another dimension. The huge units will patrol the area round the target Vault, however a condensed Battlecruiser attack (you can also consider some Vikings) should do the job [#8].

[#8]