Introduction

In a groundbreaking achievement for the StarCraft 2 community, an ingenious player has cracked the long-sought way to defeat the notoriously challenging mission, "In Utter Darkness," after a staggering 14 years. This mission has frustrated gamers with its lethal design, which seemingly guarantees failure, but thanks to some clever tactics, players can now secure a dramatic new outcome—albeit one that locks both enemies and allies into an eternal stalemate.

The Challenge

The mission tasks players with eliminating a slew of enemies while desperately trying to protect their Protoss units from being overrun. For years, seasoned strategists have attempted to defy the odds, but none have succeeded—until now.

The Strategy

YouTube content creator Davey Gunface has shared the secret behind this victory, showcasing the refinement of a strategy that has been playfully dubbed the "Archon Toilet." In a detailed 39-minute video, Davey Gunface dissects his strategic approach, which hinges on expertly manipulating the enemy AI.

By luring them into vulnerable positions, he has devised a formula to outwit them effectively. The key to his success lies in the final wave of reinforcements, with Artanis making his grand entrance aboard the formidable Shield of Aiur.

The Heart of the Strategy

Once regarded as a "meta-defining badass," the mothership had sunk to meme status, even being labeled as one of the game’s least effective units. Yet in this peculiar scenario, it proves invaluable.

The heart of the strategy involves a clever combination of two powerful abilities: Vortex, which sucks nearby units into a black hole, and Mass Recall, allowing for quick redeployment. By strategically cramming around 24 Templar units into a small, unreachable crevice, they can morph into Archons.

The Result

This maneuver gives the Protoss a power boost that allows them to decimate the waves of aerial adversaries, turning the tide of battle. As the battle ensues, Davey Gunface continues to lure enemies to their demise, leading them into a trap where, after losing some units, the Protoss eventually reaches a point where no reinforcements can spawn.

This creates an impasse—a battlefield dominated by ground enemies unable to touch the cleverly positioned Protoss, who bask in their newfound invulnerability.

A Different Kind of Victory

While this strategy won't net you a traditional victory screen (a somewhat unsatisfying consolation for some), it does provide an unprecedented survival tactic. Notably, players can even achieve complete annihilation of all enemies except for Overseers, which pose no threat.

The surviving Overseers then retreat to the map’s boundaries, marking what Davey refers to as "a very realistic win condition."

Conclusion

Ultimately, the lore behind this mission and Davey Gunface's victorious twist may remain a niche footnote in StarCraft history. Still, it presents an extraordinary takeaway: even the most seemingly impossible challenges can be transformed into "victories," leaving players not only alive but thriving—unexpectedly marking the Protoss as eternal survivors in the face of relentless darkness.

Can other insurmountable missions be next on the chopping block? The community is buzzing with excitement, and speculation is rife!