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 Sector.

Public Enemies
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 start the revolution.

The Mission
Raynor and Raider marines deployed at the outskirts by 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. 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.

Throughout the mission, Raynor encounters several giant Mengsk holograms broadcasting propoganda. Raynor may destroy these as an optional objective; however, they yield no research points or additional credits should they all be destroyed.

Gameplay
Raynor is a particularly tough marine; use him as a meatshield for the other marines to conserve numbers, but don't let his health too low for the risk of getting him killed. When the drop pod reinforcements arrive, have the ones to the left fall back and help out the ones on the right first; concentrated firepower will bring down the dominion marines faster and thus Raynoor's men will take less damage. When the vikings appear near the end of the mission, bear in mind that marines can still hit them while they're in the air.

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.

Development

 * Previously, the Raiders received 50.000 credits for completing the mission.