Resurrection IV

Resurrection IV is a two-player secret mission only available in the Nintendo 64 version of StarCraft. To date, it has never officially been made available for personal computers, although an unofficial version has been created and released by Zero and Drake Clawfang of StarCraft Legacy.

It is the sequel to Deception and Mercenaries II.

Finding the Secret Mission
To reach Resurrection IV in StarCraft 64, the player must beat all the levels, including Dark Origin, after finding all the cheats but not activating any of them. The specific cheats required are found at StarCraft 64 cheats.

Background
Alexei Stukov was killed in the Raid on the Psi Disrupter led by United Earth Directorate adviser Samir Duran. He was reported dead (allegedly dying bravely on Char) and his coffin was shown being buried in space.

Stukov was resurrected by cerebrate Kaloth, however.

Infested Stukov allied with Confederate remnants and was visiting a science facility which held secret data files including information on how to resurrect terrans as infested terrans, how to maintain sanity in infested terrans and data on the Skullder Unit 001, when it was infiltrated by the Kimeran Pirates. The Pirates stole numerous secret data files.
 * The Pirates may have seen Stukov and may have been followed by cloaked Wraiths. The exact events are uncertain, as Infested Stukov's presence is a "top secret" and skillful players of the Deception map will not have their ship pursued by the Wraiths.

Stukov located enemies of his, whom he called "Detestable Vermin", on a dark planet. He hired mercenaries to destroy them. One group of mercenaries had access to the Skullder Unit 004. Stukov's mercenaries destroyed the opposition, including a band of terrans led by the Kimeran Juggernaut.

Synopsis
Jim Raynor had received a transmission from Artanis and arrived quickly.

Artanis told Raynor that Alexei Stukov has returned to finish his original plans, which are a great danger to Terrans and Protoss alike. Jim Raynor had already heard the rumors of Stukov's reappearance.

Artanis continued -- Stukov had been infested by zerg cerebrate Kaloth, who had recovered Stukov's body and regenerated Stukov's cells, bringing him back to life. Now he lorded over his own secret Zerg Brood. Raynor found this hard to take in, believing Stukov would never sell out to the zerg, but he was reminded what infestation did to Sarah Kerrigan.

He wasn't being summoned to kill Stukov, but to save him. Artanis' scientists have developed a nanotech serum which could reverse the infestation process. The protoss had tracked Stukov to Braxis.

Raynor was hoping Zeratul could give him backup, but Artanis said nothing of him. He would provide assistance in the form of the old protoss warrior, Taldarin. He and Raynor had worked together in the past.

On Braxis
On the surface of Braxis, Raynor asked Taldarin his story. Taldarin was so old he remembers Adun personally, which impressed Raynor. Taldarin was alive today because he was the first ever protoss dragoon, but he had to spend a very long time in a stasis cell before the dragoon was invented.

Raynor's escort consisted of a pair of medics who carried the serum, a marine and some ghosts; Taldarin was accompanied by two other dragoons, a dark templar, and a dark archon.

The protoss detected Stukov northeast of the insertion point. While Stukov himself could be seen, there were zerg defensive colonies, a huge cocoon, nydus canals and four unnamed cerebrates at that location.

New Recruits
After killing some terran opponents, Raynor and Taldarin encountered an unarmed terran. Raynor's marine nearly killed him, but the Terran claimed he knew how to operate a siege tank and where to find one.


 * The heroes encountered a damaged terran base, including a "Relay Station" of unknown purpose, surrounded by zerg and terrans loyal to Stukov. After defeating their foes, they commandeered a siege tank and an SCV.


 * Taldarin located a small depowered protoss base, from which he acquired new forces (an observer, archon and two zealots).

The New Swarm

 * Further into Stukov's area, Raynor and Taldarin encountered a terran base, surrounded by zerg. There was also an infested command center there. A small number of terrans and regular zerg defended it, along with a large number of infested terrans. Taldarin said that Stukov was not up to full strength, so his minions were weak.

The infested terrans only dealt 50 damage when they exploded (one tenth the regular amount). The other zerg units were at full power, however.

The Skullder Unit

 * Raynor and Taldarin could encounter another rebelling terran base on a branch path, which included power generators for unknown reasons. They rescued a siege tank and a soldier piloting a Skullder Unit 001 goliath (the same type found in Deception and which is superior to the Skullder Unit 004 from Mercenaries II). The soldier was trying to take on Stukov's forces by himself. He knew the assault was impossible, but with Raynor as backup, he believed he could do it. Raynor, however, was somewhat skeptical, while Taldarin was amused by this display of human arrogance.

Heavy Defenses
Raynor and Taldarin encountered more rebels in goliaths. They used to work for Stukov, but they said he had gone crazy. As they moved on, the party noticed a heavily fortified base with missile turrets. The turrets would spot any cloaked ghosts or the dark templar if they attempted to attack it. Taldarin suggested finding another way past the base.


 * There was a small terran base on a raised area of land, including a stasis cell. If Raynor and Taldarin destroyed the cell, they found inside two dark templar, who pledged loyalty to Taldarin until the end of their days.

Stealthy troops could use a nearby transport beacon and sneak past the enemy troopers in order to deactivate a computer system. Doing so shut down the missile turrets at the heavily fortified base. Now the stealthy units could destroy it, provided they avoid any prowling science vessels.

Unfortunately, directly behind the (now-destroyed) base was a plasma fence. Any soldier that crossed it ran the risk of being destroyed.


 * A fast unit, such as Raynor using his StimPack, could attempt to race the barrier to the security beacon behind it (which shut the fence down).

Unexpected Allies
The next area was maze-like and filled with power generators plus large numbers of terran troops. The heroes had little choice but to carefully assault this area. Past the maze were a derelict battlecruiser, terran troops, spider mines and zerg.


 * A branch path from here lead to a hidden encampment consisting of an archon and three firebats, including Sergeant Bud Morris, an old friend of Raynor's. Morris said he knew Raynor would come through for him.


 * The archon said that he has been unworthy since his capture, and that he should have died in battle. Taldarin agreed, and said the archon could make amends.

Another heavily guarded base, complete with missile turrets, could be weakened if the heroes use a teleport beacon which lead to a small enclosed area. Unfortunately, the area had heavy artillery, so only stealthy troops could make it. The enclosed area had a security beacon which would shut down the turrets. Even without the turrets, the next area was crawling with terran troops and vehicles and had to be carefully assaulted.

On the way to Stukov's presumed location, the terrans encountered a "friendly" starport and dropship. Unfortunately there were troops, moderately thick on the ground, around this area and all the way to the giant cocoon.

The Final Battle
The final area consisted of the giant cocoon, the four unnamed Cerebrates, power generators, two nydus canals, an infested command center, and numerous defense structures (mainly zerg). The area had to be assaulted carefully.

As the heroes got close, the cocoon exploded, releasing a pair of ultralisks, other minor Zerg, and Infested Stukov himself, who shouted: "Now you will taste the vengeance of the New Swarm. Destroy them!"

During the battle, Raynor's medic tackled Stukov and injected him with the serum, which reconstructed his cells. The process was very quick. Meanwhile, Raynor and Taldarin were defeating the zerg.

Stukov was not happy about being uninfested, even after the process was finished. He told Raynor he would never understand the clarity he had lost. However, he was willing to flee to the starport with Raynor and Taldarin, as the zerg were turning against him. A flood of zerg emerged from the nydus canals, chasing Raynor, Taldarin, and Stukov to the friendly dropship. The rest of Raynor and Taldarin's forces were attacked by the zerg...

Purification
As the heroes escaped, Praetor Artanis prepared to "purify" Braxis.

Explosions rocked the entire place. The surviving troops that accompanied Raynor and Taldarin, plus any rescued allies, were most likely killed in the explosions.

Blizzard Reaction
When asked to comment on Resurrection IV years after it was released, Andy Chambers described Infested Stukov as the result of an experiment for the zerg in terms of infesting humans as leaders.

The Nintendo 64 version of StarCraft has also been referred as "semi-canonical" and Blizzard is only including bits from it.

Download

 * 2009-04-03. Bonus Maps. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2009-05-20. (StarCraft Legacy download version.)