Gates of Hell

Gates of Hell is a StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty mission.

Dangerous Game
In preparation for the assault on Char, Prince Valerian Mengsk not only acquired the components to a xel'naga artifact, but also took nearly half of the Dominion fleet as well. The prince was acting parallel to Emperor Arcturus Mengsk, and neglected to share all the details with his father. Only upon reaching Char did Valerian reveal his intentions to Arcturus: to defeat the Queen of Blades and prove himself a worthy successor.

The emperor was pleasantly surprised by his son's initiative and daring, but doubted whether Valerian had the experience to succeed. On the other hand, Arcturus was unpleasantly surprised to find Valerian had entered into an alliance with Jim Raynor, and Raynor's Raiders. Nonetheless, it was too late for the emperor to recall the expedition.

Gaining a Foothold
The initial landing was a near disaster. Most battlegroups were destroyed before reaching the surface, and those that survived were badly scattered. The chaos was aggravated by communication difficulties between ground units and higher command.

Jim Raynor took command of his sector and rallied terran forces in reach. Dominion units, continuing to land by drop pod, attached themselves to Raynor's Raiders in the absence of orders.

Card To Play
Jim Raynor rescued General Horace Warfield.

Aftermath
Raynor's Raiders established a foothold on Char.

Gameplay
A number of drop pods arrive at certain locations across the map. The player has the choice to "greet" their arrival, or abandon them to the Zerg. If the player chooses the latter, it is unlikely that soldiers in drop pods will have the chance of surviving encounter with the Zerg, thus hindering their availability to join player's army. The last few drop pods come in waves in different parts of the map, making it extraordinarily difficult to collect all the troops.

Halfway through the mission, General Horace Warfield attempts an emergency landing due to his ship being severely damaged by the Zerg. The player must destroy 3 nydus worms blocking Warfield's defense perimeter from the player's main base.