History YMMV / StarcraftIILegacyOfTheVoid

* BreatherLevel: "Templar's Charge" is more or less a rehash of ''Wings of Liberty'''s "Maw of the Void", in that you simply mass up an army of air units and steamroll your way to the objectives. You do have limited resources to work with, but with the Spear of Adun's Reconstruction Beam and the AI's general ineptitude at dealing with Carriers (namely their tendency to target the Interceptors rather than the Carrier that launched them), you generally won't be suffering too many losses that need to be replaced. And even then, there are plenty of resource pickups scattered around the map that can be easily reached by dropping a Pylon and warping in a Zealot to pick them up, which incidentally also makes the Mastery Achievement for this level a cakewalk. Finally, enemy attacks on your base consist entirely of air units which can be easily dealt with by a squad of Phoenixes.

** The sight of a Xel'naga [[spoiler:Kerrigan]] should be awe-inspiring and cool, except that the character's model has a very large, naked butt, complete with visible buttcrack, which will be visible to players for a majority of the mission they feature in.

* DisappointingLastLevel: "Amon's Fall" is considered a subpar ending to the saga. The map gives players two expansions right next to their starting base and Kerrigan has the Twin Drones ability, so it is easy to get three fully saturated bases in a few minutes. The player can then pump their economy into their army upgrades, an army which includes Mutalisks that rapidly heal out of battle, Brood Lords, and Torrasque Ultralisks that revive when killed every 60 seconds. With Kerrigan to spam her healing ability (which has a very large area of effect), the player's army is pretty much invincible. For the enemy, the map is fully revealed to you and consists of Void Chasms that continuously spawn enemies and can only be temporarily destroyed, and constantly spawning Constructs that deal massive damage and have thousands of HP. Your target is the Void Crystals, which you're always told about when they appear and they slowly move over the terrain before they submerge and become vulnerable again. Kerrigan also has abilities to instantly teleport herself and nearby Zerg to any location with creep (so base defense is simple) or to wipe out all enemies on the map. The mission boils down to the player rapidly upgrading their army unit of choice on a bloated economy, then waiting for the Void Crystals to appear so they can attack move to it, destroy it, and then retreat and wait for the next Crystal. Repeat six more times.

** The ''Spear of Adun's'' three ultimate abilities are Purifier Beam, Solar Bombardment, and Time Stop. The latter freezes all enemy units and structures on the entire map for 20 seconds, while the former two deal damage over a large area to the point their effects are basically "click on the thing you want to die, even if it's an entire enemy base or incoming army." As dampeners, you can only choose ''one'' of them to use within a mission, while Time Stop and Solar Bombardment requires solarite.

** The humble ''Zealot'' becomes a Game Breaker via get the Centurion variant. Their Shadow Charge ability is the same as the normal Charge, but it cloaks them and moves them through other units to reach their target, which already helps the problem of Zealots getting caught behind your ranged units. However, their true power is their Darkcoil ability, which stuns non-Massive units nearby when they attack, and Massive units are hit with a 50% slow. The great part is that it is automatically set to autocast, ''and'' thanks to the smartcasting of the sequel's game engine, they won't activate Darkcoil on targets already stunned. The result is that a comparatively small group of Centurions can chain-stun enemies almost indefinitely, rendering them helpless to do anything but sit there and let you kill them.

** The Tal'darim Vanguard (Immortal variation) outclasses any other ground-to-ground unit once it's unlocked thanks to their ability to deal tremendous splash damage. In particular they get a heavy damage buff against armored units, but non-armored enemies tend to have low HP anyway so that's a moot point. On a choke point and with Centurion and Havoc support, defending Vanguards are a nightmare to behold, destroying entire divisions in seconds, and even Hybrids will quickly fall before them.

*** The exploit for "Last Stand" is basically cheezing the timer with the Solar Lance top-bar ability. By quickly jumping in-and-out of Solar Lance's targetting interface over and over, the total number of Zerg on Shakuras will actually go up faster compared to if the level was played out normally. However, YMMV as to whether it's worth it or not as repetitively going in-and-out of Solar Lance is quite a slow process for the player.

** The twitch streamer, [=GiantGrantGames=], discovered some ''really'' convoluted exploits revolving around the Spear of Adum's top-bar abilities to make playing certain missions easier. His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnkgBf4FYLI&ab_channel=GiantGrantGames No Production Run]] for ''Legacy of the Void'' displays these bugs to their fullest potential while playing the "Last Stand" and "The Host" levels.

** If you're struggling to complete "Last Stand," there's a way to cheese it with an exploit revolving around the Solar Lance top-bar ability. Basically, by quickly jumping in-and-out of the Solar Lance viewpoint over and over, the total number of Zerg on Shakuras will go up faster than it would if the level was playing out normally. However, YMMV as to whether it's worth it or not as repetitively going in-and-out of the Solar Lance's viewpoint is quite a slow process for the player.

** "Templar's Return". Part 1 is simple enough. Part 2 is where the fun starts - it is an UnwinnableByDesign[=/=]UnwinnableByMistake level where proceeding is impossible if you do not have an army totalling 60 seats. Kill off too many mechanical enemy units? You're hosed, since there's hardly enough resource to build an army of 60 (and it's just too easy given Fenix's eagerness to rush into battle). And then there's Part 3, with it's AdvancingWallOfDoom and corrupted zerg pulling off a constant unending ZergRush on you.

*** The ''Children of the Void'' short story that acts as background for this expansion ends up [[spoiler:killing off Mohandar]] in an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome.
*** [[spoiler:Urun]] make absolutely no appearances.

** The ''Children of the Void'' short story that acts as background for this expansion ends up [[spoiler:killing off Mohandar]] in an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome. Many were hoping to see his character expanded upon in-game after witnessing his brief-cameo from Wing's of Liberty's ''In Utter Darkness'' level.

** [[spoiler:Urun]] make absolutely no appearances in the game despite his cameo in Wing's of Liberty's ''In Utter Darkness'' level.

** [[spoiler:Selendis]] is brainwashed after the second mission, and doesn't do anything for the rest of the story. No, taunting Artanis doesn't count. This is despite the fact that it was hinted she would play an important role in the story.

** The Marauder now deals two attacks of 10 damage instead of one attack of 20 damage. In tandem with the Ultralisk's buff (see TierInducedScrappy further down), Terran players are complaining that what could have been one of their best units to handle Ultralisks is now worthless against them.

** If you're struggling to complete "Last Stand," there's a way to cheese it with an exploit revolving around the Solar Lance top-bar ability. Basically, by quickly jumping in-and-out of the Solar Lance viewpoint over and over, the total number of Zerg on Shakuras will go up faster than it would if the level was playing out normally.

** "Templar's Return". Part 1 is simple enough. Part 2 is where the fun starts - it is an UnwinnableByDesign[=/=]UnwinnableByMistake level where proceeding is impossible if you do not have an army totalling 60 seats. Kill off too many mechanical enemy units? You're hosed, since there's hardly enough resource to build an army of 60 (and it's just too easy given Fenix's eagerness to rush into battle). And then there's Part 3, with it's AdvancingWallOfDoom and corrupted zerg pulling off a constant unending ZergRush on you.

** Amon's follower , the unnamed Xel'Naga best known as Samir Duran or Emil Narud, disguised himself as a Terran soldier, allowing the Zerg to overrun the Earth forces in several battles, killing many. When the officer Alexei Stukov realized what Duran had done, Duran framed Stukov as a traitor and had him murdered. Allying with the Zerg, Duran helped the Swarm overrun entire worlds, all while experimenting on captives to create the Protoss-Zerg hybrids Amon sought in order to help free his master from the Void. Devoted to Amon's nihilistic ambitions and seeing all other beings as pawns in his grand game, Duran achieved a level of damage in the galaxy few could match in order to free his master and bring about the end of all other species.

** Amon, The Dark Voice/The Fallen One, is the Greater Scope Villain of the franchise as a whole and the Big Bad of Legacy of the Void.. A fallen Xel'Naga who broke the noninterference policy towards other races, Amon sought to shatter the eternal cycle all races were bound to by genetically altering the young Protoss to suit his needs. Finding and enforcing a Hive Mind slavery on the Zerg, Amon unleashed the ravenous swarm on the other Xel'Naga when they attempted to stop him from creating Protoss-Zerg hybrids that would be used to annihilate all other forms of life. The Xel'Naga were destroyed, but Amon was imprisoned within the Void. Retaining some influence over the Zerg, Amon was responsible in part for their rampages over the galaxy that claimed countless lives. When freed, Amon had his agents murder the rest of his sleeping enemy Xel'Naga, while also marshaling his forces in the heretic Tal'Darim; Protoss who worshiped him in hopes of "ascension," that was only, as Amon knew, horrible death in the end. Amon corrupted the telepathic network of the Protoss, the Khala, possessing multiple Protoss and forcing them to fight their own brethren and then directed his forces to cleanse the galaxy of all other life he could not control. Even while claiming good intentions in ending the cycle races are bound to, a protoss who touches Amon's mind revealed the truth: Amon is filled with nothing but intense loathing towards all the other races and wishes them to suffer and die for the sake of his twisted megalomania.

* AssPull:
** The repeated uses of [[spoiler:the Xel'naga artifact/the Keystone]], which can variably absorb, store, and/or release different types of energy depending on how the user calibrates it. The writers attempt to justify this by saying its creators were highly advanced with their understanding of the universe and physics, including how to transmute different types of energy into matter or into each other, and to use psionic energy to store consciousness or information. However, it comes off as AppliedPhlebotinum, the thing able to do whatever the characters say it can do in each mission. Given that its purpose is to [[spoiler:be a map to Ulnar, and then awaken the sleeping Xel'naga there]], this comes across as SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids, as there is no reason for it to be able to do any of that (except ''maybe'' sample protoss and zerg DNA to unlock itself, which it does on a massive scale and fatally).

** Ouros makes it quite clear that only a Xel'Naga can kill another Xel'Naga. Despite that rule, the game allows [[spoiler: Stukov, a normal infested Terran, to [[{{Revenge}} land the finishing blow]] against Duran/Narud]] at the end of "Into the Void."

** Ouros makes it quite clear that only a Xel'Naga can kill another Xel'Naga. Despite that rule, the game allows [[spoiler: Stukov to [[{{Revenge}} land the finishing blow]] against Duran/Narud]] at the end of "Into the Void."

* AssPull: The repeated uses of [[spoiler:the Xel'naga artifact/the Keystone]], which can variably absorb, store, and/or release different types of energy depending on how the user calibrates it. The writers attempt to justify this by saying its creators were highly advanced with their understanding of the universe and physics, including how to transmute different types of energy into matter or into each other, and to use psionic energy to store consciousness or information. However, it comes off as AppliedPhlebotinum, the thing able to do whatever the characters say it can do in each mission. Given that its purpose is to [[spoiler:be a map to Ulnar, and then awaken the sleeping Xel'naga there]], this comes across as SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids, as there is no reason for it to be able to do any of that (except ''maybe'' sample protoss and zerg DNA to unlock itself, which it does on a massive scale and fatally).

* MagnificentBastard: Alarak is a [[BloodKnight Tal'darim]] warrior who uses both schemes and power to climb the links of the Chain of Ascension and establish himself as an Ascendant of his people, killing rivals along the way and pitting his enemies against each other to advance his standing by proxy. When he's roped into a confrontation between the three Ascendants above him and the [[EvilOverlord Highlord Ma'lash]], Alarak surveils the situation and then sits things out, letting the other four kill and weaken each other until he sweeps in and cleans up what's left, leaving only Ma'lash outranking him. Alarak then reaches out to the Daelaam, who have been enemies of the Tal'darim for centuries, and makes them an ally to kill Ma'lash. As Highlord, Alarak turns his people against their traitorous GodOfEvil Amon and helps the Daelaam banish him back to the Void and eventually kill him. He's brutal, he's powerful, he's cunning, and he's merciless -- Alarak is the pinnacle of what other Tal'darim aspire to be.

** Nova's claim that Project Shadowblade creates psychotic killers ends up being VindicatedByHistory once Amon arrives on the scene. To be fair, all of Moebius Corps are brought under control of the Hybrids they have created but the Spectres' reliance on Terranize pretty much gives them Amon on speeddial. Sadly, the fate of notable characters like Gabriel Tosh was unconfired too, but presumably they lost their sanity from Amon considering their vulnerability to the Hybrids' psychic screams.

*** The Dark Archon is better than ever. Their attack isn't as good as the Archon's attack, their new Confusion spell more than makes up for this by making a group of enemies attack each other, and they can be warped in directly from a Gateway/Warp Gate. Their infamous Mind Control is back too - it costs less energy, doesn't drain their shields, and controlled enemies cost no supply. A large force of Dark Archons can and will swiftly seize control of powerful enemy units permanently, and what isn't worth controlling will be Confused to attack their allies.

** The Reconstruction Beam passive may seem boring, but automatically-repairing mechanical units can be invaluable. It has great synergy with Sentinel Zealots who are robots and will automatically repair from this ability, letting them fight again at full health without the need to die and resurrect. Very handy if Carriers are unavailable or unselected for a mission. The only units who aren't mechanical besides the biological Zealot variations are High-Templar & Dark Templar variants, which isn't much. Combines well with Carriers for even faster repairs.

** The Reconstruction Beam passive may seem boring, but automatically-repairing mechanical units can be invaluable. It has great synergy with Sentinel Zealots who are robots and will automatically repair from this ability, letting them fight again at full health with the need to die and resurrect. Very handy if Carriers are unavailable or unselected for a mission. The only units who aren't mechanical besides the biological Zealot variations are High-Templar & Dark Templar variants, which isn't much.

** The Reconstruction Beam passive may seem boring, but automatically-repairing mechanical units can be invaluable. It has great synergy with Sentinel Zealots who are robots and will automatically repair from this ability, letting them fight again at full health with the need to die and resurrect. Very handy if Carriers are unavailable or unselected for a mission. The the only units who aren't mechanical besides the biological Zealot variations are High-Templar & Dark Templar variants, which isn't much.