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Scythe of Amon is a Co-op Missions map added in Patch 3.13. It is based on "The Host" from Legacy of the Void.[1]

Background[]

AlliedCommanders SC2-LotV Art1
This article or section contains information derived from Co-op Missions, and should not be considered part of the official StarCraft storyline.
Xel'nagaTemple SC2-LotV Game2

The voidshade hybrid being summoned from the temple

Lyrak, a Nerazim scout of Matriarch Vorazun, tracked the operations of Amon's Forces to a xel'naga temple. There he discovered Amon was using void slivers to channel energy into the temple and summon a voidshade hybrid, one of Amon's most powerful weapons. These slivers were protected by void rifts that spawned void shades. Lyrak requested the aid of allied commanders to destroy these slivers before the voidshade hybrid could awaken. During the battle, Lyrak requested that the commanders also help evacuate the local population of the surrounding city who were escaping in warp prisms.

The commanders were successful in destroying the slivers, preventing the manifestation of the voidshade hybrid.[1]

Gameplay[]

"Scythe of Amon" plays similar to "The Host," there are several void slivers that must be destroyed in a time limit. In addition to the usual randomly generated race of enemies, there will also be void rifts that spawn void shade manifestations of every race to defend the void slivers. Players will need to constantly monitor the remaining time and decide when is the best moment to send forces on the offensive.

Triple Threat[]

Unlike most Co-op maps, this map will require players to face all three races simultaneously, both in the form of the void shades defending the void slivers and in the various bases scattered throughout the map. While defenses start light on the slivers, they ramp up fast with each sliver destroyed. Slivers can be targeted by ground and air units. Each sliver has void rifts that spawn void shades, which can be destroyed to temporarily stop them from respawning, but they will reappear after a time which decreases with each sliver destroyed. In addition, the later defenses contain death grip crystals, which will stun a number of allied units and, after a short time, instantly destroy them. These crystals need to be focused down as they can cause massive damage to commanders with high value units. These crystals have 250 shield and health. The void slivers themselves will attack the players units with an area of effect lighting attack that deals significant damage, and a stun that impacts a large area round the sliver.

Time is Short[]

The timer on this map is fairly unforgiving, so the right balance must be struck between building up a sizeable force and not waiting too long to strike. A large failed attack will often mean failure on this map as there won't be enough time to rebuild, and void shades will quickly repopulate around slivers. Attacks should be done with the allied player and with balanced force, as the void shades will have all units from all different tiers. Near the final slivers, units such as void rays and immortals that deal heavy damage to the larger tier 3 units will be invaluable, but beware as the AI will pick off more expensive units with yamato cannons.

Economy is Key[]

Economy is key on this map, as there are two slivers between the player and their expansion. A small force (supported by a hero unit such as Kerrigan, Nova, or Fenix) should be able to clear out the first two slivers on the way to the next mineral field easily and allow for a quick expansion to be taken. This will be important as defenses ramp up quickly after the first two slivers are destroyed, and enemy attack waves will come much larger much quicker than on other maps. Rapid repositioning abilities (i.e. dark pylons' recall, Kerrigan's Omega worms or Nova's tactical airlift) will aid a lot on this map. There is a lot of ground to cover and these large attack waves have a habit of spawning on the opposite side of the player's push.

Strategies[]

It is useful to have hero units spearheading the first attacks on the slivers - and the best army composition is to have one commander producing mass units to soak up damage, while the other deal as much damage per second as possible.

While this strategy is effective in most cases, careful attention to the pairing of commanders is needed. Swann and Karax have armies that are reliant on slower and generally more expensive units. Attempting to force one of them to be the meat shield is terribly ineffective due to their armies slow build time and exorbitant cost. Death grip crystals will shred Thors and Immortals in a matter of seconds. This will leave the mech heavy player scrambling to field even a token force for the rest of the game, and all but guarantees the destruction of the evacuation vessel.

On the other hand, Fenix, Artanis, Raynor, Zagara, and Kerrigan have immense advantages on this battlefield. Fenix's variable suits will be critical in the early game, while the other four commanders have a very fast start once they hit level 15. This beginning will enable them to rapidly field an army and seize the offensive early. Zagara, Raynor, and Kerrigan have speedier forces that can allow them to hit areas of the map very quickly, while Artanis' ability to place a power field anywhere he has vision will allow him to warp in warriors for base defense or to protect the evacuation vessel.

Due to the time constraints and the death grip crystals players should not rush their super units. Thors, ultralisks, carriers, wrathwalkers, etc., are all slow to build and they are slow moving, a combination that makes them far less useful on this map in spite of their high firepower being appealing for shattering the void slivers.

Commanders[]

Alarak and Nova provide the perfect balance. While the Nova commanders focus on shooting down enemies and Void Slivers, Alarak's army of supplicants function as "meat shield" while Alarak himself can hold off attacks with his Destruction Wave. Enemy attacks targeting the commanders' bases can be intercepted using Alarak's Structure Overcharge or with quick reaction from Nova's Tactical Airlift and Griffin Airstrike (though on Brutal, it is recommended that the Heroes and their armies are present to fight alongside base defenses), and if necessary, the Death Fleet itself. Nova can keep her army alive using Defensive Drone while Alarak devastate enemy positions with Empower Me, activated at the most opportune moments.

Vorazun is perfect for this mission with her Time Stop. Destroy the first sliver with Shadow Guards, field a small army of about 8 regular Dark Templars, wait for Shadow Guard to recharge then use Time Stop to assassinate the second sliver guarding the expansions, while the other Commander focuses on protecting the Evacuation Ship. Gradually build up your forces according to the enemy's compositions, and remember to up the number of Dark Templar/Void Rays to quickly destroy the slivers during the 20s of Time Stop.

Bonus Objective[]

The bonus objective of this map is to prevent the destruction of warp prisms carrying away civilians. The players will have two chances to keep the evacuation ship from being destroyed. This bonus objective is much harder than on most Co-op maps, so it is recommended that the map be played a few times to learn the timings before it's attempted. The ship first moves to the point north if your main base. If the ship is destroyed the first time it travels, it will move to the south-western base on its second trip. If the ship survives to the first base, its second trip is based on how players decide to clear the map, giving players the choice of where they want the ship to go second. If players finish the mission before the ship finishes its travels, they will not receive full credit for the bonus objective.

Mutators[]

Scythe of Amon

Initial minimap vs Terran

The following mutators have been applied to "Scythe of Amon."

Quotations[]

See: Scythe of Amon Quotations

Notes[]

  • The ending victory scene of the voidshade hybrid's crystal being bombarded will change depending on the races of the commanders played.
    • Terran commanders will either nuke the crystal or bombard it with Yamato cannons.
    • Zerg commanders will launch biological missiles or scourges at it.
    • Protoss commanders will fire a purifier beam at the crystal.
  • The non-void shade protoss and zerg bases on this map consist of corrupted Khalai and infested terran defenses. The zerg on this map use sunken colonies.
  • Lyrak's introduction voice lines have a chance of being different if the player is playing as Vorazun.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Blizzard Entertainment. Co-op Missions. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Scythe of Amon (in English). 2018.
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