This will be a pretty long mission, no matter how you attempt it. One tip that will stand throughout the entire mission is that the scouts you build are crucial to your success. It's worth it to build a fleet beacon and upgrade their speed for this reason. Keep a total of four at your base at all times! My method for beating this mission is as follows: Your combat units start at the center of an intersection. Keep them just a little north of there to repel zerg attacks. The probes should head all the way to the west and build a nexus near the minerals. While the nexus is being warped in, build some pylons, well spaced, along the northern cliffside. Later you should build two photon cannons next to each to help repel air attacks.

When your nexus is done, build a total of twelve probes on minerals, then get a forge, gateway and cybernetics facility. Start building some dragoons to reinforce your troops at the entrance to your base. When you've got about four of them, start building eight more drones. If you head east of the intersection, you'll find another mineral zone. Build another nexus and set the eight drones to that patch. Now you'll need two stargates. Build them where ever you like (I prefer the western side) and make four scouts. While these are warping in, be building six probes. Use three on the gas near your first mineral patch and three on the patch all the way to the east. Build a nexus next to each. When your scouts are done, hotkey them to quickly respond to any zerg air attacks, especially guardians.

Now your resources should be coming in much more quickly and you can research as many upgrades as you can, building two more forges to help you do so more quickly, then get up two robotics facilities. Build four shuttles, then load them with eight zealots and four dragoons. Use them to drop on the raised land north of your eastern-most nexus. The land mass there has another mineral patch but has numerous zerg colonies which you should first destroy. When the area's secured, bring in some probes to build a nexus and harvest the minerals. Use as many probes as there are mineral patches. Leave the forces you used to conquer this area here, to defend it.

Now do similar to the raised land north of the western-most nexus of your base. There is gas here, and you'll want to build another nexus with three probes after you've cleared all the colonies. Build a pylon with three photon cannons near each. Now, amass a force of twelve zealots, twelve dragoons and six reavers. Place zeratul into his own group and head him north of the intersection you started at, destroying the sunken colonies. If he's detected, kill the enemies (if they're very very few in number, then retreat him to your base. Use a probe to build a shield battery near the center of your base to regenerate his shields if he's hurt.

Zeratul should be able to cut a path all the way north of the starting location. You'll come to another intersection. This will be the intersection I refer to for the rest of the walkthrough. From this area, you want your entire army (the 12s and reavers) to head to the east. Send Zeratul ahead to clear anything he can, then charge your other units in. Destroy this entire base, then set up yet another expansion here. The number of minerals is quite crappy, but there is also a geyser. This will really aid your cause. Now head back to the center of the intersection and guard the area while you replenish your forces.

Send them west this time, once they're ready. This will go much like the first. Set up yet another base, then start building a lot of high templars. Build another gateway if you like, to speed up this process. Your goal is to get a total of twelve archons, twelve zealots and six reavers (use units from your original assault group if you like. When they're ready you can deal the final blow the enemy. You'll see just how vulnerable the zerg are to masses of archons.

Head dead north of the intersection with all your forces (scout with Zeratul and kill of anything he can, first). When you reach the northern edge of the map you'll have to choose between west and east. I took west, and slaughtered everything there. Make sure Zeratul gets the last hit on the cerebrate to ensure its destruction.

Now, replenish anything you're lacking (if you still have a nearly full force of reavers and archons you'll do fine) and do the same thing to the branch of the base on the eastern side. When the cerebrate falls to Zeratul's blade, you're victorious.