Strategy games are a special breed. They take patience, quick wit, and perseverance under stressors to defeat. Definitely not for everyone, but one particular style of strategy game has stood out quite well: the Real-Time Strategy. Though they still require patience, they also are much faster-paced and thus demand even quicker wit, even more cool-headedness. Of these mighty games, there are a few titles which have truly stood out and made the world take notice. It is to be noted that any series is counted as one game, including branches and spin-offs with the same umbrella-like title. Without further ado, here are the top ten (and runner-up) RTS titles in history:

Runner-Up: Empire Earth Series?Empire Earth was created by the same mind behind the development of the original Age of Empires, and much of the game shows this. However, the game is quite a bit more complex than its counterpart. With more epochs (ages) and many more units, plus an urgency to the historical accuracy, the game plays very differently. It's also entirely 3D and covers all of history as opposed to a small section. The sequel added some very nice innovations to the RTS genre, such as picture-in-picture and systems which allow all micromanaging of citizens and resources to one nice screen. Overall, the series is a fantastic set of games, but its high learning curve and lack of a wow factor leave it stuck as the runner-up.

10. Myth Series
Our tenth-ranked game is a series which stands out far from any other title, even the other ones on this list for many good reasons. Dark, realistic, and gritty, the Mythseries is very mature and has quite a bleak sense of war. Instead of the general theme of two (or three) armies fighting over a plot of land (or a solar system), Mythis about Hell itself coming up to take over the land. The Legion is a congealed group of diverse land-dwellers calling themselves "the Light" and determined to rid the world of "the Dark". Providing varied and very unique units, an extremely ahead-of-its-time game engine complete with realistic physics, and a very grim but fun storyline, Mythgames (especially Myth II) are either fond memories of are sadly missing from your shelf.

9. Homeworld Series
A defining gem in the realm of RTS games, Homeworld will forever be immortalized for its engrossing storyline and for the addition of a third dimension. One of the only games to ever allow movement on the third axis (vertical), Homeworld has a big learning curve but a fantastic blend of gameplay. Once you get the controls and HUD down, you'll be guiding your fleet through dust clouds for cover (both from radiation and other ships), navigating asteroid fields, taking out comets, and of course annihilating the aliens that stole your planet. With a fantastic storyline and very unique characters, the Homeworld series is not to be missed, especially the original title.

8. Dawn of War
There are a few games that have headed to space, most notably StarCraft and Homeworld, but each did it a bit differently. Well Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was no exception. Going in a far different direction regarding resources, units, and even overall universe, the space factor is almost the only similarity. Dawn of War brings squad gameplay and king-of-the-hill strategic points to the forefront in a devastatingly fun way. With an amazing universe behind it, Games Workshop found the right guys to handle their baby. Relic brought another A+ title to screen, and With a second expansion on the way, it's not likely to leave there anytime soon.

7. Total War Series
The Creative Assembly is a group that certainly knows war. They love to create games about it, and it shows. One of the most tactical series of games in history, is so great that the History Channel uses it to show dramatic events in the past. The series started with Shogun, then headed to Medieval times, finally landing on Rome. There aren't any three civilizations in history more knowledgeable about combat, so instead of finding a new one, Creative Assembly is reworking and expanding upon their ideas in Medieval II: Total War. If tactical combat on a Risk map is your thing, you already play these games.