Legacy of the Void’s Archon Mode is making me a better StarCraft II player

Or at least it’s trying its best to break some of my worst RTS habits. Legacy of the Void – StarCraft II’s third and final piece – launched last week Tuesday with a plethora of changes additions and Protoss puns (ok that’s a lie), but it’s most interesting addition is one I never thought I’d actually play. Archon Mode is StarCraft II online – a realm of the RTS game that I’d never really explored because, well, I’m just terrible at strategy games.

Archon Mode is the reason I don’t have to be good. Because with it I’m able to be a terrible player and rely on a friend to carry me through the experience. Which is exactly what happened when I first played the mode with fellow Porra Ranger, Matty.

Archon Mode puts two teams of two against each other on a map, with two players taking control over the same base and forces. This basically means that normal folk like Matty and I can finally match the APM of single professional players. Or at least try get really, really close. I wasn’t exactly helping the cause, as you can see.

It’s an incredibly interesting mode for rookies like me and professional players alike. For online newcomers it provides a safer ground to get to grips with the core mechanics of online play, such as surviving early rushes and prioritising certain resources over others. Professional play is a different story though, and I’m actually excited to see some of the insanity that ensues when you combine the world’s fastest StarCraft II players into paired teams.

Either way, it’s a fantastic addition to StarCraft II that I can see myself sinking hours into as I carry on with the RTS. There’ll be much more on the mode when Matty publishes his review for Legacy of the Void soon.