StarCraft II — How to Play
What it is
Blizzard's sequel, told in three campaigns: Wings of Liberty (2010, the Terrans and Jim Raynor), Heart of the Swarm (2013, Kerrigan and the Zerg) and Legacy of the Void (2015, Artanis and the Protoss), plus the Nova Covert Ops missions. Multiplayer is played on the Legacy of the Void ruleset.
The modes
- Campaigns — the story, with upgrades and choices between missions.
- Versus — unranked and ranked 1v1 and team games. The ladder runs in seasons, from Bronze to Grandmaster.
- Co-op Missions — two players with commanders against the AI.
- Arcade — custom maps and mods made by players.
The basics
- Workers gather minerals and vespene gas; every unit costs supply.
- Spend your money: a high bank means an army you have not built.
- Scout early to see what your opponent is planning.
Starting out
- StarCraft II is free to play: the multiplayer, Co-op and the Wings of Liberty campaign cost nothing.
- Play the campaign or a few games against the AI, then pick one race and one build (see Build Orders).