Liberation Day

Liberation Day is the first mission of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

Raynor's Raiders struck a major blow against the Terran Dominion on Mar Sara by taking the logistics base at Backwater Station. The local population was inspired by the Raiders' example to take arms against the Dominion. The attack marked a major reappearance of Raynor's Raiders in the Koprulu Sector.

Public Enemy
getJjpg6Lfk Shortly after the fourth anniversary of the end of the, Jim Raynor decided to resume operations against the Dominion, after being provoked by a press conference by Arcturus Mengsk. The Raiders were on Mar Sara and chose to attack Backwater Station, the hub of Dominion activity on the planet. Recent troop redeployments had left it understrength.

Raynor projected that taking Backwater would cripple the enemy on Mar Sara. The local population was already anti-Dominion and merely needed resources and leadership to take up arms. He told his adjutant to begin the operation.

The Mission
Raynor and Raider marines deployed at the outskirts by a Special Ops dropship and continued on foot. They found the town mostly deserted but occupied by a strong Dominion force. Raider reinforcements deployed into the town square by drop pod, and the Raiders pushed through.

As the rebels neared the Dominion headquarters they discovered a holding camp of civilians. Some of these people were marked for mine labor. One of those being lined up to move off to the mine attempted an escape, and was gunned down by Dominion marines. Infuriated to see civilians shot on, Raynor and the Raiders moved in to free them. After Raynor liberated them, the civilians took up improvised weapons and joined the assault on the Dominion base.

The Dominion garrison was quickly overwhelmed and the headquarters destroyed.

Aftermath
The Raiders and the civilians helped themselves to the seized weapons and supplies. Kate Lockwell of UNN reported on the attack, but her broadcast was cut short when she started to explain that the locals were hailing Raynor as a hero. With Dominion forces in disarray, the entire planet revolted.

Conversations after Mission

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Gameplay
Concentration of fire is vital to conserve strength. Use Raynor, a hero marine, to draw enemy fire. Have the drop pod reinforcements regroup toward the right when they arrive to clear the enemy marines facing Raynor. At the end, catch the Vikings while they're still in the air. The civilians the player rescues help by throwing molotov cocktails to attack the Dominion forces, but they aren't very effective and will be gunned down if left on their own. There are sixty-one civilians in the area that the player can save, but they receive no reward for doing so, though when they complete the mission the victory screen displays how many were lost.

The six holo boards in the area can be destroyed as an optional objective. Four of the boards are directly in the player's path, while two others can be found in side areas off the town square near where the drop pods land.

Video Walkthrough (Brutal Mode)
thumb|500px|nowrap|Brutal Mode Walkthrough - Courtesy of CleverNoob.com

This is the first installment of the Starcraft II video walkthrough on Brutal Mode, courtesy of CleverNoob.com

Development
In previous versions of Wings of Liberty, the following achievements could be gained for this mission: