StarCraft/Enslavers

StarCraft Enslavers may be found in the Campaign directory of the Custom Maps database, and is considered a veteran level campaign not because of any inherent difficulty but because the missions are time-consuming. There are only five stages divided into two paths--the first instance of path splitting in StarCraft, since the only case in which the Episodic campaigns use path splitting comes in Brood War's Emperor's Fall.

Enslavers follows the hunt for the 'second-rate smuggler' Alan (Allen) Schezar, who has managed to establish multiple extensive bases as well as gain control over a Cerebrate. The question of whether to aid the Protoss being held captive by Schezar or to kill the Cerebrate results in a split path. In (a), players ignore the Protoss plea and kill the cerebrate, leading to the last level's Protoss and Terran enemies. In (b), players save the Protoss instead, leading to the last level's Zerg and Terran enemies. The (b) path provides players with Protoss allies in addition to the Terran forces, but also adds in the Ultralisk hero Torrasque, which is periodically resurrected. Both paths have a trick in the last level: in (a), destruction of the Protoss Temple will prevent the Protoss enemies from Warping In additional units, while in (b), destruction of the Zerg Cerebrate will prevent the return of Torrasque.

Scenario 1 Strategy
It's important to immediately move your units to the base location central to the gas and minerals, so quickly take your superior numbers there to clear the few marines guarding the area. While one SCV builds the command center, have the other build supply depots at the 12 and 9 o'clock positions (relative to the command center and at the same distance or so as the gas and minerals). These depots will operate as scouts in the immediate area, drawing the attention and fire of the raiding parties so you can move your guys in to surprise the attackers.

Immediately start your command center producing SCVs to gather minerals and take one SCV to build a barracks. Place the barracks and other buildings in a circle, filling in the gaps between the initial supply depots and the resources and each other. In other words, create a perimeter of buildings, and keep your men inside the perimeter. Get a second barracks and begin pumping marines and medics. Two or three marines per medic works fine. Begin getting all upgrades for the marines, and consider tanks to help take the base to the north. Go slowly, and keep your numbers up, but don't go too slowly or you'll run out of resources.

Begin to create a perimeter, especially where you see the enemy coming from, with marines, tanks, and turrets. After holding the east side of the map, you should have two bases with gas and another base with just minerals. You should have enough resources to build three starports. You can then run the rest of the map with 12 Battlecruisers (with minimal or no repairs), so at that point, the game is won.

Scenario 2a Strategy
Immediately begin building SCVs and gathering minerals. Build a supply depot at 9 o'clock about three supply depot distances away from the command center. Begin making marines while making more SCVs. Consider a bunker to hold the first four marines just inside the supply depot. Build a second supply depot at the 4 o'clock position, where drops will be coming from, maybe a little closer than the first supply depot was. Build an academy (upgrade here) and a second barracks and more supply depots to form a perimeter. Build a third barracks and keep pumping marines and medics. Build an expansion at the gas to the east. When you have enough marines and medics for two groups with nine marines and three medics in each, and another two groups to leave one each at the main base and the expansion, scout to the west with them and take out the Zerg base there. Begin upgrading with two engineering bays, but don't wait for upgrades to go ahead and attack. As you're attacking, continue to pump around four marines and one medic from each barracks to reinforce your troops that die.

Build a second expansion there while upgrading marines' attack and armor. Begin building three or four starports, and take out the Zergs in the north for a third expansion. Here you decide if you want to attack the Cerebrate or free the Protoss. If you free the Protoss, you go to Scenario 2b where you have a small army with heroes, and have to free more Protoss with a small base wherever you free the first one. If you kill the Cerebrate, you have to go to Scenario 3a with no Protoss help.

To free the Protoss, take about 12 battlecruisers along the north side of the map straight into the human camp. When you get to the Protoss, you win. To kill the Cerebrate, start on the west side of the map and go straight at the Zerg camp.