Supernova

Supernova is a StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty mission. Raynor's Raiders tried to collect a xel'naga artifact before being terminated by an imminent supernova.

Background
At the beginning of the Second Great War, Raynor's Raiders was hired by the to retrieve the components to a xel'naga device (secretly for Prince Valerian Mengsk). The Foundation directed the Raiders to Typhon XI and the fourth component. The Tal'darim anticipated the move from previous encounters and were already dug in around the component when the terrans arrived.

The operation assumed even greater urgency when the output of the local star jumped 500% as a prelude for going nova. The planet surface was already being affected by massive firestorms. The Raiders had mere hours before the stellar event.

The Mission
The Raiders cleared an initial base location with newly acquired Banshees. The terrans realized they could use their mobile structures to keep ahead of the firestorm. A large supply cache was established planet side precluding the need for supply depots.

Once again the Tal'darim failed to stop the terran intruders.

Heir Apparent
"Sir, Dominion ships warping in. Mengsk's flagship is leading them."

- Matt Horner to Jim Raynor

vPy9LCdqca0 Raynor's Raiders kept a scheduled rendezvous with after Typhon XI. They were surprised to be met by Dominion battlecruisers, led by the imperial flagship Bucephalus. The Dominion ships took no hostile action, but Raynor ordered Hyperion to latch onto the enemy flagship for a boarding action. The rebel expected Emperor Arcturus Mengsk to be aboard. However, having fought through the defenders, Raynor was surprised to confront the Emperor's son, Prince Valerian Mengsk, instead. The prince revealed his ownership of the Foundation and offered an opportunity to save Sarah Kerrigan.

Aftermath
The prince explained the components formed a xel'naga device capable of deinfesting Infested Kerrigan. Raynor accepted Mengsk's offer for an alliance. Matt Horner and Tychus Findlay feared Raynor's personal feelings were leading them into a Dominion trap. These concerns were shared by other Raiders and doubts on Raynor's leadership began spreading.

Conversations after Mission

 * Main article: campaign quotations''

Gameplay
The environment hazard is the sea of flame advancing from the left side of the map. Units caught by the wall of flame will take 10 damage per second regardless of armor. Use Lift Off to move key structures to safer locations. 200 supply units are automatically provided so supply depots are not required.

The enemy has few air-to-air units and detectors are limited to mainly static photon cannons. On brutal difficulty the protoss use carriers as well. Prioritize the photon cannons to give cloaked Banshees total freedom.

The protoss base northwest of the starting position may be destroyed with 8-12 Banshees. Destroying the nexus leaves a resource cache. This can useful since the emphasis is on building units rather than making a robust economy.

The mission consists of steadily moving right while destroying protoss bases, thus providing new areas to establish a base ahead of the fire. The goal is to assemble a large force during the move eastwards, enough to assault the main base on the east side of the map.

Trivia

 * The dropship is seen unloading five marines and a marauder during the introductory interlude, but the player actually starts with four marines and two marauders.

Akilae on Typhon XI?

 * The protoss photon cannons destroyed at the beginning of the mission carry, perhaps by mistake, the Akilae Tribe decal instead of the usual Tal'darim Standard. This also occurs in the mission "Welcome to the Jungle" (read Welcome to the Jungle).