StarCraft

Blizzard Entertainment have a habit of developing unique and enthralling games, so it’ll come as no surprise that the sequel to the massively popular Starcraft doesn’t break the ranks.

Rarely does a video game really enthral fans like StarCraft does, and over the recent years it has become a staple of esports competitions around the world, attracting Earth’s top gaming talent and their loyal fans. First timers will probably find StarCraft II harder to pick up than any other game they’ve ever played – mainly due to its intense strategy element – so here’s all of the general basics you’ll need to get started up on StarCraft and a little bit about what makes the game special.

StarCraft is a real-time strategy game (RTS), and puts the player at the head of humanity’s futuristic army, the Terrans. In the campaign mode, players guide the Terrans through an intergalactic rumble, meeting interesting characters along the way that aid (and/or sabotage) their efforts. It plays out like any other campaign: on a mission based format. Players take a birds-eye view of the map, and at the beginning of each mission, are tasked with setting up a formidable base of operations.

From their base, the player can assign SCVs (Space Construction Vehicle) to build more buildings around the base. As the player starts to build it their presence on the map, they can start to erect a military and dominate the map with force.

Starcraft II Expansions

In addition to the standard campaign and races, there are two big expansion packs for StarCraft II that add plenty to the gameplay and available arsenal. This is great news for anyone looking to expand their Starcraft experience, and without insisting, we really do recommend you to have a look at these packs to give yourself the most authentic experience.

This expansion pack focuses mainly on the Zerg race, and adds a completely new campaign in that vein. It directly continues the story from the base game, adding a whopping 20 missions to the total campaign.

This time, you’ll be playing as the Zerg, desperately attempting to conquer enemy space with massive hordes and determination. We probably don’t need to explain you that this adds a great change of pace to the game.

Several units were added in this expansion, and they are only usable in the core game if the expansion pass has been purchased. The Terran’s received their famous Widow Mines, which are used incessantly in competitive gameplay.

Protoss were treated to the Oracle, the Tempest and the Mothership Core. The Oracle is used for stifling the opponent’s production while providing surveillance, while the Tempest and Mothership Core are two ridiculously powerful aerial combatants.

The Zerg get the Viper, and the Swarm Host. The Viper functions very much like the Protoss’ Oracle, while the Swarm Host burrows underground and spawns ally locusts to attack for them.

If you’re the kind of gamer who really gets into their experiences, we’d say that Heart of the Swarm is a must-get. It adds so much to the game in terms of combat units, that aren’t just more powerful versions of the core game’s offerings, but utility options that provide a different tactical approach when you’re in a mess.

If you’re not that kind of gamer, we’d still highly recommend you buy this expansion back. It’s universally and critically acclaimed, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a Starcraft fan who disapproves of this add-on.

If you enjoy the main game, definitely pick this up.

Legacy of the Void

This expansion adds a similar number of missions to the campaign as Heart of the Swarm, and concludes the trilogy of stories the developers originally intended to tell.

In this pack, the Protoss received the Adept unit, which has proven to be near invaluable in tight games due to its hit-and-run style of attacking. They have excellent mobility and definitely strengthen the Protoss ground-game. They also received the Disruptor, which requires the Robotics Bay to build and can deliver massive damage in a single shot.

The Terran’s got the Cyclone missile mech and the Liberator, which has the ability to fight on the ground or in the air. Much of the Terran arsenal remained unaltered, although there were small tweaks to the Widow Mines and the Battlecruiser.

As for the Zerg, the only new unit added was the Ravager, which serves as a quasi-artillery unit used for taking on mechanical enemies on ground or in air. It can also melt force fields with its corrosive bile.

It’s pretty much the same deal as Heart of the Swarm – if you enjoy StarCraft II’s gameplay, you absolutely need to have Legacy of the Void. While the new units are fun, it’s the campaign closure you really need from here. The final part of Starcraft II’s story is contained in Legacy of the Void’s Protoss based story missions, and it’s basically a no brainer.

Once again, the expansions received immense critical acclaim and has continued to be utilised in esports competitions throughout the world since its successful release.

Starcraft II’s gameplay offers some choice to players stating to build up their base. SCVs, probes and drones can build any number of the general buildings available to the player. Although each playable race has a different set of structures at their command, they all have a similar function.

While the Terrans serve as the protagonist race in StarCraft II, multiplayer games offer a wider choice.

There are three total playable races in the game, each with its own unique style, structures and units. The individual units controlled by each race are designed to counter popular tactics of other races, resulting in a fairly balanced game regardless of races played.

Terran

Descendants of an Earth expedition gone wrong, the Terran’s are StarCraft’s version of humans. Their units are set up to overwhelm their foes with massive amounts of firepower. This kind of all-guns-blazing approach works perfectly when they’re facing down a horde of Zerg.

The Terrans are described as “the masters of survival”, mainly because of ancient lore telling how the Terran’s managed to continue reproducing despite being native to a barren planet with hardly any resources. Their Widow Mines are constantly utilised in high-stakes gameplay, as they have the ability to hide from opposing players on the map, and the Terran’s also have access to some seriously scary mechanical warriors.

Zerg

The Zerg were one of the antagonist races of the original StarCraft game, and focus more on their numbers than their firepower. Hardly intelligent, these monsters dogmatically follow the orders of a single “Overmind”, and fuse to halt their endless march until they have conquered – or assimilated – the entire universe.

The Zerg Swarm does not use weapons or armour in their fight – rather, they mutate their own bodies to fit the need of the swarm. This unlocks abilities and functions as the player progresses with his Zerg army, which goes some way to replacing the heavy machine guns they could be holding. Sure, it may sound like the Zerg stand very little chance up against a heavily armoured Terran tank, but their later mutations – the Brood Lord springs to mind – are gigantic beasts of war and are well capable to making more than a dint in the armour of any opponent.

Protoss

The big bad guys, the world eaters, the mastermind antagonists of the whole Starcraft series so far is the Protoss. They are a race of exceptionally advanced beings who combine unimaginable technology with psionic powers on the battlefield.

The Protoss (a.k.a. Firstborn) were considered to be the most powerful beings in the Galaxy, until the Zerg invaded their home world. The desperation of the Protoss though has made them probably the most powerful race of all in StarCraft II universe – each individual Protoss soldier could definitely kill any other equal singular combat unit. Their fleet is insanely well developed, and once a Protoss player manages to fully upgrade their technology, it’s their game to lose. Some of their ship units – Phoenix, Void Ray, Mothership – are basically unmatched in the StarCraft II gameplay, and have the ability to completely decimate entire legions of standard troops.

It is important for the player to tactically decide which order they will build these structures, as more often than not, an overarching strategy hinges on quick construction.

Starcraft was the dominant real-time strategy game for more than a decade and Blizzard’s decision to remaster the classic RTS brought it back into the spotlight. In South Korea it has restored much of its lost appeal, with Starcraft news announcing the return of major tournaments. The Afreeca Starleague and the KSL StarCraft Esports events are the biggest, even though the guaranteed prize pools pale in comparison to what Dota 2 and League of Legends tournaments pay.

In South Korea the battle between the original game and the expansion is still intense, but worldwide Starcraft 2 news talk exclusively about Legacy of the Void events. This is the first chapter in the StarCraft 2 trilogy and throughout the year there are more than a dozen major tournaments scheduled. They start with the World Championship Series winter events and continue with the spring, summer and fall iterations. StarCraft Esports is adding new tournaments every year, with bigger prize pools.

South Koreans no longer dominate the Starcraft Esports Scene

For nearly 2 decades players from South Korea have crushed opponents in Starcraft tournaments, but this is no longer the case. In the final expansion, the name of one player frequently pops up in Starcraft 2 news and it is a professional gamer from Finland. Serral has emerged as the best in the world, winning major tournaments, including a few hosted in South Korea. He is the most dominant figure on the StarCraft esport stage in recent years and more than a match for many of this South Korean opponents.

The GSL Versus the World hosted every year in the Asian country pits the best South Korean players against their international peers. Serral is constantly ranking high in the preferences of top bookmakers, who offer him the lowest odds for the outright win. The Finnish players is a favourite among StarCraft 2 betting fans who seek decent odds and don’t want to take high chances. Koreans compete in the strongest competitions, namely the AfreecaTV GSL Super Tournaments and the Global StarCraft League.

When it comes to the guaranteed prize pools, Starcraft 2 news leave no doubt about which are the best paying events. The Intel Extreme Masters tournaments have had prize pools of $400,000 and above, with the winners claiming six digit figures. Arguably the best paying competition of the year is the World Championship Series Global finals sponsored by Blizzard. The total prizes and at $700,000 and in 2018 Serral won the lion’s share worth $280,000. In 2019, Reynor shook the StarCraft Esports stage with his victory over Dark, while the Finnish superstar was eliminated in the semifinals.

Blizzard’s deal with ESL & Dreamhack floods Starcraft 2 News

StarCraft and Warcraft are expected to spend more time in the spotlight, as Blizzard Entertainment has signed a new deal. The partnership with ESL and DreamHack in one of the best StarCraft esports news of 2020, as it breathed fresh life into the popular franchise. These two organizations are the driving forces behind the Pro Tour events, which are watched by millions of people every year.

The ESL and DreamHack competitions attract top players and with Blizzard funneling more money into the prize pools, major milestones should be set this year. For StarCraft Esports, this brings a few major changes, such as the fact that the finals will be played at the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice. Bigger prizes will help the game on short-term, but also in the long run, as it should provide new players with the impetus to join. Not only StarCraft 2, but also the remastered Brood War will benefit from this deal.

StarCraft 3 rumors are still flooding the Internet, but unfortunately for those hoping for a new installment this is most unlikely. Blizzard has extracted an astonishing amount from this franchise, but adding a new chapter would fill forced and unnatural. They still have plenty to offer through StarCraft 2 and StarCraft remastered, not to mention their other projects. This game has had an amazing run, but instead of dwelling on dreams and false promises, fans should rather enjoy all that StarCraft Esports have to offer.

Having such a storied and successful competitive scene makes Starcraft one of the original esports betting titles in the industry. With the first wagers taken in the early 2000s, Starcraft has come a long way in shaping the esports industry as we know it today.

Starcraft betting is still one of the core markets across most esports betting sites, with odds and markets available daily. The high level of competition and stability of the scene make some of the most stable esports betting markets, with odds favorites firmly established ahead of each competition. However, each event has its unique kinks and upsets, making predicting winners and figuring out betting against the grain a real art form.

StarCraft II is one of the greatest real time strategy games ever made. The diversity in its playable units and the lengths to which it forces players to make quick decisions in the heat of battle make playing this video game an absolute joy.

The expansions packs add more of the same greatness, and while it would have been nice to see a whole encyclopaedia of playable races, the three we have in StarCraft II are comprehensive and stylistic.

We have no doubt that this game will be continued to be played at a professional level until it is replaced by a sequel, and fully endorse it as a worthy purchase for any gamer. The StarCraft Esports stage if getting more competitive every year and South Koreans have their work cut out for them. New events are being added every year and the prize pools get better, which attracts more young players.