With the second phase of beta up and running, and release only two weeks away, you might be wondering just what exactly StarCraft II is all about. You don't have to be a real time strategy veteran, or even touch the first one to have fun playing it. But if you're looking to get into the game and put up a fight, you'll need to have some kind of semblance of what the hell is going on. Fortunately, we've got you covered with this Total Newbie Primer for StarCraft II!

Even if you’ve never played a Command and Conquer, Warcraft, or Homeworld in your life, StarCraft II will amaze you and entertain you for hours on end. And once you get used to it and go online with it that entertainment value can expand to days, weeks or even years. Warcraft III is almost dead from a competitive base game perspective, but the custom maps have given it life far beyond that of any other RTS, and StarCraft was no different in the late 90’s.