Features

Twisting Nether brings the four Warcraft III races into StarCraft II. They use StarCraft II's economy, speed and controls, and every unit is balanced against a StarCraft II counterpart. Each race also gets new research and abilities, many of them for getting around cliffs.

Crossing the cliffs

Every race has its own way to get units onto high ground.

Cargo Straps (Human)

Flying Machines carry one small ground unit each: Footmen, Riflemen, Priests and the like. Load Nearby (N) makes every selected machine pick up the closest unit, so a squad of Flying Machines lifts a squad of infantry in one click. The passenger hangs under the machine at its real size and is dropped wherever you point. Researched at the Workshop.

Mine Shaft (Human)

Peasants can dig a Mine Shaft (needs a Keep), then dig one exit anywhere within 10, even onto high ground nobody has scouted. The two ends work like a portal: units that walk in come out of the other end three seconds later, one after another. Your allies can use your tunnels too. If the entrance falls, the exit collapses with everyone inside.

Mount Mastery (Orc)

Raiders leap up and down cliffs like Reapers, their wolves tilting through the jump and landing in a cloud of dust. Researched at the Beastiary.

Strong Roots (Night Elf)

Uprooted Ancients stride straight up and down cliffs, slower while they climb. Researched at the Tree of Ages.

Improved Intelligence (Night Elf)

Mountain Giants pick up a friendly ground unit and hurl it up to 10 away, up or down a cliff, where it lands with a thud. Pick Up Nearby (W) lets a group of Giants each grab a unit at once, and one click throws them all. Giants and the unit walk towards each other to meet. Massive units are too heavy. Researched at the Ancient of Lore.

Ancient Protectors throw too (Night Elf)

With Improved Intelligence, Ancient Protectors pick up and throw Light units such as Archers and Dryads. A rooted Protector calls the unit over; a walking one meets it halfway.

Hardened Claws (Undead)

Burrowed Crypt Fiends tunnel underground, even under cliffs; enemies without detection see nothing but a ripple. Burrowed Ghouls can move too. Researched at the Crypt.

Signature abilities

Strong Branches and Improved Stability (Night Elf)

Every Ancient except the Protector carries up to ten Archers in its branches, rooted or walking. If the Ancient falls, so do they. With Improved Stability (Ancient of War) the Archers fire from the canopy while the Ancient marches, each with its own arrow.

Ghoul burrow (Undead)

Like Zerglings, Ghouls burrow and wait unseen until detection finds them. With Hardened Claws they tunnel to their prey and burst out among the enemy.

Sacrificial Nexus (Undead)

The Halls of the Dead teleport up to ten nearby units to any point you can see, after a three-second cast. Needs a Black Citadel.

Goblin Laboratory (Orc)

Peons can build a Goblin Laboratory (needs a Stronghold). It trains Goblin Sappers, Goblin Zeppelins that carry eight units, and the Goblin Shredder, a walking saw that harvests 50 minerals a trip and fights like a small siege machine.

Magic Sentry (Human)

Researched at the Keep, Magic Sentry can be added to any Human tower: a 15 second upgrade that gives that tower true sight, revealing invisible units around it.

Ancient Sentinel (Night Elf)

An Ancient Protector can become an Ancient Sentinel: a rooted guardian with true sight that reveals invisible units around it.

StarCraft II-style active abilities

Researches that used to give a passive bonus now unlock an active ability, like the Marine's Stimpack: press it, every selected unit gets the boost for 11 seconds, then a 30 second cooldown. No health cost, no slow.

Altars cast spells

There are no heroes. Each race's altar casts seven spells instead, in three tiers: tier 1 right away, tier 2 with the second town hall, tier 3 with the third. Each altar pays its own way:

• Orc, Altar of Storms: energy that recharges on its own.
• Human, Altar of Kings: minerals and gas.
• Night Elf, Altar of Elders: energy channelled from your Moon Wells.
• Undead, Altar of Darkness: energy from Acolytes sacrificed on it.

Targeted spells reach anywhere you can see. Blizzard, Earthquake, Flame Strike and Starfall are not channelled, so the altar is free to cast again.

Economy and structures

Gas Extractors

Every race builds its own gas building on the Vespene geysers. Each rises out of the ground inside its race's construction frame (Human scaffolding, an Orc frame, an Undead summoning circle, Night Elf roots) and vents green gas once it runs. The Night Elf one uses up its Wisp, like a Zerg Extractor uses up its Drone.

StarCraft II economy

• Minerals and Vespene gas, 12 workers and 15 supply at the start, 200 supply maximum, no upkeep.
• Peasants and Peons carry a mineral chunk or a gas canister on their backs.
• Every structure matches a StarCraft II counterpart by role: cost, hit points, armor and build time.
• The Moon Well replenishes nearby units automatically, like a Shield Battery.
• A day and night cycle: nights are moonlit, and the game starts in the morning.

Siege weapons

Every race fields a siege weapon somewhere between a Siege Tank in tank and siege mode, firing on the move, and each one plays differently: the Mortar Team is fast and outranges the others, the Glaive Thrower cuts through lines, the Meat Wagon is the all-rounder, and the Demolisher is the slow, armored heavy hitter. See Balance.

The feel of StarCraft II

• Units turn, accelerate and sidestep like StarCraft II units, and armies clump like SC2 armies.
• Attacks land quickly after the swing starts, so stutter-stepping and kiting work the way you expect.
• No random damage: every hit does the same damage.