The story continues after Brood War, when admiral DuGalle has committed suicide and Kerrigan has regained control of the Zerg forces. According to Brood War epilogue, no UED ships returned to Earth, but some UED forces remained on Char. The game starts with exactly the same prologue which Brood War has as an epilogue.
It has 3 episodes: Zerg, Protoss, Terran.
Episode VII
Mission 1: Handcuffs coming off
Kerrigan wants to go Shakuras, to destroy the Xel'Naga Temple, but her youngest cerebrate, Gzorn, inform her that Shakuras moves very fast around its star and it is in a shadow zone actually. Gzorn has a plan to move upon Auir first, and there use a teleport gate, which has been rebuilt by the protoss forces after the zerg left Auir. Kerrigan decides to clean the remaining UED forces from Char first. They cant survive without generators, so she want to power off the generators. There are 3 generators at a well defended colony, but there is a fourth in a small colony which contains some discs that could power off the others. Because the Overmind is dead, Cerebrates cannot resurrect, so Kerrigan suggests they to cooperate without any complains.
Objective
Bring a drone to the terran beacon at the generator.
Strategy
Before you take the drone to the beacon, ensure you surround it with a massive defense force. There will be a time counter set for 15 minutes, because the drone will have to go inside using the air-shaft tunnels. You have to deal with mass battlecruisers and wraiths without cloak ability. They attack both the generator and your base at north. It's recommended to set up a base at the mineral fields near the generator and defend it with mass spore colony, defilers and hydra. Around the generator hydras hardly attack battlecruisers because of the cliffs.
Mission 2: Rampage of the queen
This is an installation mission. Gzorn couldn't locate the discs so Kerrigan will have to find them. Gzorn reports to Kerrigan some intercepted but encrypted transmissions. One emergency call from a marine and an other one from Arcturus Mengsk, which is roughly encrypted, so can't be decoded. Kerrigan guesses that Mengsk is on Char.
Objective
Bring Kerrigan to the discs. Kerrigan cant use cloak ability because the generator interfering her power.
Strategy
First go south and turn on the cameras to see the discs. You have to deal with marines and goliaths without reinforcements. After this is done, you go north. Use ensemble ability against firebats. At the junction go east and get the first disc. You have to deal with some installation weapons and siege tanks. Then go back to junction and go to the teleport room. Note: You can't use teleport backwards until you find the reverse switch. You got some reinforcements at this point. Then you have to enter the last disc room but do not attack yellow terran units, because they are invulnerable due to a shield in that room. You have to turn it off.Afterwards, Gzorn will open a door for you in the teleport room. You find another teleport to sector C. You have to bring Kerrigan to the appropriate terran beacon. Bring her to that beacon which is next to destroyed gas canisters (at left). Then you have to reverse the teleport function and go to the third disc. After you downloaded all data from the third disc, Gzorn will inform you that he made some zerglings attack the entrance of the generator, so you can bring Kerrigan back, without counter attack.
Mission 3: The overture of genocide
Kerrigan is planning to attack the heart of the UED forces on Char. Gzorn informs you about 3 UED bases, the strongest base on the north, also a defensive line in a valley which has been spotted by some Gorefields (special zergling unit), and the third base which has been set up by some rescue forces to the west. According to Gzorn, the leader of these forces is Arcturus Mengsk. All three bases have a generator which can be self destructed by a disc. Kerrigan wants revenge on Arcturus Mengsk, and the destruction of his base. Gzorn suggest that we should destroy only the generators, but Kerrigan orders the destruction of Mengsk's base first. In the start of the mission, you can easily conclude that Gzorn misinformed Kerrigan about Arcturus Mengsk's base location. His base is on the nort-west (red), and as we can see in the first scenes his and the UED forces are in battle.
Objective
Your first task is to destroy Mengsk's base in the north-west. You can easily underestimate this mission, but after you destroy the red base, you have to deal with the others.
Strategy
You are able to build air units, like guardians and devourers. You can easily destroy the red base with some guardians and mutalisks without any difficulty. Be sure that you have some defense on your base while you are attacking. Do not be surprised if you meet with some UED forces while attacking the red base.
After destroying that base your only task is to bring the 3 discs to each base with drones, but when you attack a base, the AI starts to build units constantly. You have to deal with battlecruisers using yamato gun, cloaked wraiths, valkyres, goliaths, tanks, marines and ghosts with nukes. Defilers can be helpful but be aware about the spidermines. You may need to expand many times.
At the end of this mission, you will see a conversation between Kerrigan, Gzorn and Mengsk. Mengsk asks Kerrigan to cooperate against the UED forces, Gzorn disagree with that, but Kerrigan tells Mengsk that she will think about it. After Mengsk leaves, Kerrigan explains to Gzorn that she could examine Mengsk's mind telepathically and knows about his plan. He wants Kerrigan to help him escape from the planet by destroying UED forces, but Kerrigan also wants to use him to destroy some UED forces and after that, kill him.
Mission 4: Blockade
The briefing starts with a conversation between Kerrigan and Mengsk. Kerrigan doesn't understand Mengsk, why he wants to cooperate with her, after he and the UED attacked Kerrigan once (in Brood War missions). Mengsk claims that after he's taken back the control over Korhal, the UED realized that they have to cooperate with him, unless Kerrigan's forces attack them. Kerrigan mention that she and Mengsk were enemies already at that time. Mengsk tells that after Kerrigan destroyed his fleet, the UED realized that he is the real opponent and this is why DuGalle admiral committed suicide. After that he was under arrest, but he escaped and was hiding in the space. He wanted to go back to Raynor to Aiur but he got the emergency call and he denied to help. After that he found Kerrigan. Kerrigan doesn't trust him, but Mengsk offer that he clean a place where Kerrigan can set up a base. Kerrigan accept it and Mengsk tells her about the UED defense. According to Mengsk there are four UED fortresses and the weakest is in the middle. He suggest to destroy that and while there is panic at the UED forces, Kerrigan can escape to Aiur.
Objective
All hives must survive.
Strategy
The mission starts with a scene while Mengsk's forces destroy a little base. You have to set up a base early because you have to deal with early attacks. You can do some sunken colony first and after that you can build some air units. Although 5-6 teams of guardians and devourers were always enough for Brood War missions, in this mission you have to rebuild a lot of units during the fight. After you destroyed the white base, will be easier to destroy the brown on the north. At the end of this mission there will be the first contradiction with Starcraft II. Kerrigan kills Mengsk. According to Kerrigan's explanation Mengsk wanted to escape, but why did he just go to Kerrigan at the end of the mission? He just let himself killed. Altough you may think this event is so unreasonable (especially if you have completed Starcraft II campaign), there will be some exciting missions.
Mission 5: Space intruders
Gzorn cancelled traveling to Auir. He explains that the remaining UED fleet has been gathered, and blocked their way, and apoligize that he didnt count on this step of UED. Kerrigan wants to order him attack them with all forces we have, but Gzorn suggest wait while they preparing to attack and set up a defense line. Gzorn informs you that there will be some reinforcements during the 20 minutes before the attack. He warns you avoid to destroy too many ships, unless they rebuild them. He mentions also that Hudson Rheims is the leader of the UED fleet and you can destroy his ship if you want. It is the key of the secret mission.
Objective
You have to destroy all the battlecruisers and all your hives must survive.
Strategy
At first sight, this mission may seem impossible, because you have only 20 minutes, they get constantly reinforcements and you may cant do even all your workers until the first attack. Although this mission can be pretty easy with some tricks. You have to build spire and many scourges. 2 scourge can destroy a dropship. Ensure that you put some scourges to the right place in the way of the reinforcements. You can easily destroy Hudson's ship with several scourges. If you destroy more than about 5 ships, Gzorn will inform you about the reinforcements. So it can be useful to save and try out the exact limit. However, you can do pretty much damage on the other ships but be sure you wont destroy them accidentally. After the 20 minutes elapsed, battlecruisers and mass valkyres-wraiths will begin to your base. In this mission, you can make Scantolisks, the new zerg unit. It can be useful againts wraiths but you should rather do several spore colony and some hydra. You don't have to destroy valkyries to victory.
Hidden mission
You get this mission if you destroyed Hudson's ship in zerg mission 5. You will handle Hudson Rheims steps until the rescue ship. So it is certainly an installation mission. The only difficulty is to keep in mind which doors are closed and which will be opened after you destroy a generator. In the briefing adjutant explains to Hudson that there are 2 generators responsible for the doors be able to operate. If one of them destroyed, the circuits wont be balanced and some doors cant be used. But if you destroy the another generator, that will activates the emergency state and you will be able to use the doors. This mission begins with a long scene while everybody get killed around Hudson. Its a good idea to check out all the doors because in some cases even if you get to a closed door, the adjutant inform you how to solve the next tasks. When you get into the generator room, adjutant mentions an emergency tank. Be aware, while you are in the tank, your HP wont regenerate, but you can easily micro hydras, because the tank has wider firesight. Teleports can be used only with the tank, due to the security rules. The tank hasnt got siege mode. You have to find the three specialist mechanics, who can handle some necessary changes in order to use the siege mode. When you find them, an overlord begins to harm them and you have to arrive befor the overlord kill them and turn on the security system. (Yes, overlord cant attack, interesting). After you find them, you have to escort the mechanics into the service room. Will be a small labirynth to find the right way to continue, but the service room is under an unverealed point of the map. There are few scenes in this map, when you arrive in the right place. After you destroyed the generator, you have to find the dropship on the south from the generator. Note: you may meet the bug when you did this mission, you will be avaliable to choose missions until mission 9 when you click on episode VII.
Mission 6: Return to Auir
There are some texts before this mission, all of those saying, that the UED was finally defeated and no one survived. Artanis and Zeratul came back from Shakuras and set up a base at the teleport gate on Auir. They hope to discuss about peaceful new order with the new council, but they not even suspect how soon comes the time of much much suffering to them. Almost all of the briefing is about chat fighting between Kerrigan and Zeratul. Zeratul apoligizing about killing Raszagal. He explains that when that was happened, he felt anger againts Kerrigan, but now he feels only compassion. Zeratul implicitly mention that Artanis is the new Executor. Gzorn tell that he could locate the teleport gate and it is surrounded by the walls of an ancient temple. He says that he can capture it if you remove the units around it. There is a note in the beginning the mission "You cant use air units, because the energy of the gate prevents it." This is obviously not completely true, because you can use overlords and queens, in fact, both are air units.
Objective
Destroy the base around the teleport gate (yellow).
You only have to destroy the buildings but that wont be easy.
Strategy
You may think at first this mission will be difficult because of the air unit handicap, however the enemy does not use mass carriers, only 5-6 scouts, which can easily shot by couple of hydras. But arbiters can be very annoying with the freeze ability. The blue base surrounding your base, so if you want to attack yellow, its needed to cut your way out the blue base. You can destroy the whole blue base pretty quickly, but when you attack yellow base, they will constantly rebuild units. This mission easily can end up with attacking 200 supply worth units in waves, but you destroy only a few buildings. Thats because mass reavers and high templars. Protoss can also build the new unit, psy templar. That counts as a half archon and attacks very effective. Maybe you can try to kill all probes and destroy the 2 nexuses, but all of them certainly are at the farthest point on the map. You may have to expand several times. Its recommened to build up some hatcheries close to the enemy base, because the whole map is like a labirinth and its not easy to handle 5-6 teams of ultralisks and hydralisks. You can meet with dark archons also, but they use only the feedback ability on your queens or defilers. Important: you have to destroy all yellow buildings in order to victory, not only those which are surrounded by the ancient wall. At the end of the mission, you will see a scene, when Zeratul walks into the teleport gate, and says "I am going to destroy the gate if I arrive to its other side". Kerrigan goes after him with a few hydra and drone.
Mission 7: Forced alliance
In the briefing, Gzonr inform you that we cant contact the other side of the teleport gate, and our plan is to build up mass forces on Char, our forces already began to go back Char. He apoligize about Kerrigan, he mention that he is afraid maybe we lost her already. Meanwhile an obscure templar contacts Gzorn, Fenidus. He claim that he is a survivor of the Auir battle, but he is a traitor and he wants to help us. Gzorn start to questioning that if he traited protoss forces, why is it sure that he would not trait againts the zergs. Fenidus explain that his only intent to go somehow to Shakuras, and he mention about an other teleport gate on auir. Gzorn asks that if his only task to go to Shakuras, why does he need cooperation with us. Fenidus tell about the two heroic Darkeners, who defend the gate and we need the Khaydarin crystal to destroy them. He claims that when the zergs destroyed the protoss ancient temple with the crystal, all of the energy of the casualities gathered in it. Now it is in the centre of the new council's colony. Gzorn notices that its foolness to attack such a big colony, but Fenidus explains that there is a Nexus, which gives the power of the colony, and if we destroy the ancient high templars arount it, we can destroy also the Nexus.
Objective
Destroy 18 high templars, Nexus on Fenidus's base must survive
Strategy
Based on the mission objective, you may think you have to handle two bases at the same time, but this is a cooperative mission. As you can guess, not your ally will solve the mission, so they will send only small teams againts the enemy. According to Fenidus, the base of the new council must be very large, but this mission will be very easy. You can easily beat both enemy base with only one team of mutalisk and one team of guardians, your only task is to focus on nexuses and probes to prevent the enemy from rebuild. Important: do not attack the nexus, until you kill 18 high templars, because your units will be dead arount it. At the end of the mission, you will see a short scene when Fenidus escaping with the crystal.
Mission 8: Guardians of the portal
Gzorn begins to swear at Fenidus, and he mention that he have known this will happen. Gzorn thinks that Fenidus wanted to get the crystal in order to make the Darkeners being his slaves. Fenidus explains that he didnt betrayed the protoss, he is only againts the new council. He mention that the teleport not prepared yet, but after he reach it, he will destroy it. He thinks that the new council is much much dictatoric than the former one, leaded by Aldaris. Gzorn order you to reach the teleport before Fenidus do. He also informs you about the storm on the planet, while the protoss forces are weaker.
Objective
Get to the portal in 14 minutes, after that, get into your base in 7 minutes and destroy the darkeners
Strategy
This is a speedrun mission, you dont have to destroy all of the buildings and units, in fact, you dont have time for that. You will get enough reinforcements which you can get to the portal. At this point, you will see a scene while Fenidus enter into the portal and darkeners kill Gzorn. Kerrigan just arrives from the other side of the portal and notices she will inform you about everything. After that you only have to destroy the photon cannons and use Kerrigan cloak ability to get into your base. Because the lack of time, you have to do some hydra and get all your forces into overlords. You have to land in the same island where darkeners are. Important: According to Kerrigan, you have to destroy only one darkener, because they were made from the same ancient matter and if one of them destroyed, that will eliminate the other. You have to do this before the time elapsed. You can use Kerrigans cloak ability and consume some overlords.
Mission 9: Bloodly revenge
Kerrigan mention Gzorn's death only in one sentece, she says that because of he were only a Cerebrate, he doesnt deserve too much compassion. She sum up the plan in a short speak. We are here because of revenge on those protoss, who destroyed so many zergs with the Xel'Naga temple (in Brood War missions).
Objective
Bring Kerrigan to the temple, and destroy it. Kerrigan must survive.
Strategy
This mission can be pretty easy. You can do it even without unit loss. You have to use units first, you wont get base until you bring Kerrigan to the temple. But strongly recommened to destroy the yellow base on the south before you do that. You can easily beat all units, with Kerrigan's psychonic storm ability and if you attack cannons, bring an ultralisk before your Cerberuses. They wont start to rebuild until you bring Kerrigan to the temple. After you eliminated that base, you cant beat the other ones, because those are on an island and you havent got overlords. When you bring Kerrigan to the temple, she will surprise about they are teleporting the temple. Protoss forces will destroy the teleport gate, but there is an other one on the island. You can easily beat the remaining base with anything.
Mission 10: Fall of the grandmasters
Kerrigan explains that the teleport gate has two destinations on Shakuras. The one which was used by Fenidus, and a hidden gate where Kerrigan arrived. According to her, the temple is not far from the hidden gate, and she already set up a base there near to the gate. She think that the only way to destroy the temple is destroying all protoss forces in this mission. The mission begins with a scene when Kerrigan order some ultralisk to destroy the gate, preventing any protoss from escape. After that, she notice that her base is destroyed.
Objective
Destroy the white pylons and after that the Xel'Naga temple
Strategy
You dont even have overlords, hatchery, drones or money in the beginning. There is a stairs on the west within your revealed area when the mission starts. Go there and you will find a protoss base. A protoss hero, Mojo explains that he is also a traitor and he dont like to fight on the protoss side just because protoss are weak, and he hopes that Kerrigan's forces will be stronger. This is the only reason why he joins to Kerrigan. First Kerrigan deny it because the same idea was failed about Fenidus but Mojo easily persuate her. Mojo explains that he worked on a Carrier and he was a smuggler during the battle on Shakuras. He claim that protoss leaders know about the riot but dont know about the leaders. He mention that the new council arrested him in the orbit of Auir. He mention also that there are 17 pylon which make a shield around the temple. You can build almost all protoss units, but no carriers, no arbiters and no psy templars. Though you are able to make dark archons, so you can mind control every type of unit if you want. Recommened to get two expansion right after you find Mojo's base, one with protoss on the south, and one with zerg on the east. You can easily beat all bases with some guardians and scouts. You only have to deal with mass dragoons, mass archons and some reavers, scouts, psy templars. At the end of the mission there will be a scene which contains quite big contradictions with the whole starcraft history. Kerrigan arrives to the temple and claim her victory over the protoss. Zeratul arrives with 2 reavers and explain to Kerrigan that all her forces are dead because dark templars can appear quickly anywhere. After that, Duran immediately appears and kill Zeratul. Kerrigan starts to questioning him about where were he been until now. Duran just tell that he will be the new leader of zerg swarms and kill Kerrigan.
Epilogue
Altough Zeratul killed in the battle at the Xel'Naga temple, Artanis is about to escape from the captured planet with some forces. He's looking for alliance to take back their homeworld. Meanwhile Mojo quietly joined to their forces, and Artanis, the new Executor shared his citadel with him without any suspicion. Zerg forces leaded by Duran slained everything over Shakuras, destroyed all protoss cities and murdered troughout the planet. New Cerebrate has got also under Duran's infuelce. The united swarms started to eliminate all protoss on the planet and set up new colonies where were protoss cities before. Kerrigan will never see what she was been fighting for, capturing Shakuras.
