EPTHi, I am specialist. I have 3 Grandmasters accounts in North American server. I wanted to share this strategy for fellows terrans that are having hard time vs protoss.
This build is exclusively made/used by me, inspired by my former mentor, FourKWarden. The main reason I am posting this is so that possibly protosses will be aware of this and come up with some hard counters so that I stop my addiction to this build. This build has worked vs all NA protosses except only a handful.
This is a execution-oriented strategy, requiring high apm and decision making. The plus side of this build is that it is very flexible to w/e the protoss tries to do. It is pretty much all-in build because scvs are integral part of the battle, however it’s just not blind all in where you cross your fingers and hope for the best. The reactionary side of this build makes the death push to be very strong vs any kind of composition that protoss throws at you. The foundation of this build arises from the fact that 1 base terran overpowers 1 base protoss. With proper micro and decision making, this 1 base build shall triumph vs all protosses in NA. As you read through this build, I hope you will learn something.
Before you bash me for posting an all-in build, please be mindful that this build is flexible and gets you the win at high percentage rate even at the highest NA server level. I think just because it’s all-insh, you should not hate terran players because it’s a strategy that works best for terran (same argument can go to say that it is nearly impossible to beat protoss death ball), at least in my own opinion.
Build Order
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10 depot
12 rax
13 scout
13 gas
15 orbital
15 1st marine
16 gas steal
17 2nd marine
18 2nd depot
20 factory
21 bunker
22 3rd depot
25 2nd gas
reactor on rax after 3rd marine
28 starport
32 4th depot
2nd starport after medivac from the 1st starport (around 40ish)
Load medivac with 3 hellions and 2 marines and drop harass
Take tech lab into first starport after medevac
Get raven as soon as the tech lab from 1st starport finishes
Keep making marines/hellions/banshees
Attack at appropriate time*
***while doing all this, keep constantly making marines/hellions/banshees****
12 rax
13 scout
13 gas
15 orbital
15 1st marine
16 gas steal
17 2nd marine
18 2nd depot
20 factory
21 bunker
22 3rd depot
25 2nd gas
reactor on rax after 3rd marine
28 starport
32 4th depot
2nd starport after medivac from the 1st starport (around 40ish)
Load medivac with 3 hellions and 2 marines and drop harass
Take tech lab into first starport after medevac
Get raven as soon as the tech lab from 1st starport finishes
Keep making marines/hellions/banshees
Attack at appropriate time*
***while doing all this, keep constantly making marines/hellions/banshees****
The Pointers
1. Scout @ around 12-13 scv, so that you can steal one of the protoss’s gas. This benefits you in several ways. First, it does not cost much as you can stop fully making the structure and cancel it. Second, early scout leads you to notice proxy gate cheese rushes very quickly. Third, it prevents toss from going high tech route, which is really helpful. Fourth, it usually leads protsses to do one of the following: 4 gate all in or fast expo. Both of these options are perfect for terran for a set-up at earlier stage of the game for this specific strategy.
2. The drop should consist of 1 medivac with 3 hellions and 2 marines. This drop is very powerful and you need to do only marginal damage for 1 death push that you will execute later to perfectly work out. I would say killing around 5 probes will be sufficient damage for rush to work. With proper micro, this should be an easy task. The added bonus to this is that you can also outright finish protoss with this, if you kill enough probes.
A. How to properly micro the drop
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i. You have 2 marines and 3 hellions. The 2 marines are the “distractors” and 3 hellions are the probe roasters. If you see protoss early exposing, try to drop 2 marines behind expo’s minerals and cleverly drop 3 hellions inside the protoss main. Many protoss will 1 A move entire army to marines and get frustrated with hellions inside the main. If they don’t expand, try to drop at the edge of protoss’s base and let 2 marines target fire the pylon, then move the hellions to the mineral line. This is to ensure that you get maximum amount of damage done. If they do not target marines first, you get at least a pylon down. If they do target marines first, the chance for probe roasting is dramatically increased. Lastly, make sure to shift-rally back the medivac to your main after dropping all three hellions, as it will prove very useful during the death ball push.
3. You get the raven first to save up enough mana for point defense drone. When the death push occurs, it is still around only early to mid stage of the game. Thus, the pdd will practically deny all the stalker/phoenix shots that can kill banshees.
4. Get the bunker at the ramp after first 3 marines. This build is very vulnerable to 4 gateway all-in. Thus, having a bunker at the ramp helps a lot. It is because as soon as protoss notices you have a bunker at the ramp with scout, they will most likely give up trying to all in.
5. Be proactive with your hellions. Hellions are really mobile so they can give you a lot of information quickly. The most important role for them is to spot when the expo goes down. When both you and protoss stay in 1 base for a long time, be suspicious and scout with hellions for any hidden ninja expansions. If you spot the expansion, which is most likely be out at protoss’s natural, your timing is NOW. Also, take watch towers with hellions, because you will have at least 4 and they can take out even a single stalker.
6. Timing: The attack timing occurs whenever protoss throws down the expansion. Let’s attack after protoss completely finishes their nexus and move some parts of army there. This is so at multiple reasons. First, you already dropped with hellions so protoss will be insecure with his main and put some army there, splitting his ball of army. Second, with scvs tanking/repairing, it is virtually impossible to lose vs toss just as he expands. Third, it is harder to fight up the ramp than to fight in a plain field. Exception to this is when protoss goes for early DT/HT build. As soon as you see protoss is going on that route, you can just push despite them not exposing and get rather an ez win b A moving up the ramp.
7. Push Composition
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A. Sets of banshees from 2 ports – annihilating all protoss army on ground
B. SCVS – bring at least 12 to all – tanking the damage (set all on auto-repair if you bring less than 13, and set only some to repair if more than 13)
C. Hellions – roasting zealots and probes
D. Marines – countering basically everything (DERP)
E. 1 medivac from the drop – full of energy, extreme support
B. SCVS – bring at least 12 to all – tanking the damage (set all on auto-repair if you bring less than 13, and set only some to repair if more than 13)
C. Hellions – roasting zealots and probes
D. Marines – countering basically everything (DERP)
E. 1 medivac from the drop – full of energy, extreme support
8. What you need to be careful of
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A. Proxy gateways – you should be able to defend this easily with 1 rax only. I can make tips guide on this. Basically you want to make depot near one gas and make bunker there. With gas, make 2 concussive shelled marauders after making 2-3 marines in the bunker, then proceed with the build (make bunker @ ramp, reactor for rax, factory making hellions, etc)
B. Early phoenix – Don’t let this confuse you. As soon as you spot stargate tech, swap starport’s tech lab with factory. Make 3-4 tanks with siege mode. Stop making banshees and get Viking now with left over gas (gas priority goes to tanks). Bring everything you have after 3-4 tanks and you will win.
C. Collosus tech – If you spot colossus tech, you simply have to start making Vikings instead of banshees. The attack timing is the same (after expo).
D. Blink stalkers – you just have to be extra careful while moving to protoss’s base, but in straight engagement, your army will be guaranteed to overwhelm him.
E. Force fields – pdd hard counters it
F. HT tech – just go before he has the storm upgrade
G. DT tech – most easy win you can get because you will have denied early fast 2nd gas and ravens are up relatively fast. Push with all your army as soon as you detect them.
H. Void ray rush – with marines, medivac, and bunker, it should be relatively easy to hold off. Get Vikings from the starport instead of banshees.
I. Early warp prism inside your base rush – Get marines off your bunker ASAP. Cancel raven to get as fast viking as possible. You will need to pull some scvs. Do not over extend yourself. Stay calm and defend, trying to lose as few scvs as possible.
J. Insanely tight protoss building placement – if protoss sets building up in a way the hellions kill 0 probes (cough cough ogsVINES), sheer amount of toss units off 2 base can kill your 1 base push. If you absolutely decide that you can do no damage, just bring your stuff back.
K. Classic 4 gate all in – Just have to be prepared. Defend and it’s 100% win (with a bunker you probably will).
B. Early phoenix – Don’t let this confuse you. As soon as you spot stargate tech, swap starport’s tech lab with factory. Make 3-4 tanks with siege mode. Stop making banshees and get Viking now with left over gas (gas priority goes to tanks). Bring everything you have after 3-4 tanks and you will win.
C. Collosus tech – If you spot colossus tech, you simply have to start making Vikings instead of banshees. The attack timing is the same (after expo).
D. Blink stalkers – you just have to be extra careful while moving to protoss’s base, but in straight engagement, your army will be guaranteed to overwhelm him.
E. Force fields – pdd hard counters it
F. HT tech – just go before he has the storm upgrade
G. DT tech – most easy win you can get because you will have denied early fast 2nd gas and ravens are up relatively fast. Push with all your army as soon as you detect them.
H. Void ray rush – with marines, medivac, and bunker, it should be relatively easy to hold off. Get Vikings from the starport instead of banshees.
I. Early warp prism inside your base rush – Get marines off your bunker ASAP. Cancel raven to get as fast viking as possible. You will need to pull some scvs. Do not over extend yourself. Stay calm and defend, trying to lose as few scvs as possible.
J. Insanely tight protoss building placement – if protoss sets building up in a way the hellions kill 0 probes (cough cough ogsVINES), sheer amount of toss units off 2 base can kill your 1 base push. If you absolutely decide that you can do no damage, just bring your stuff back.
K. Classic 4 gate all in – Just have to be prepared. Defend and it’s 100% win (with a bunker you probably will).
9. What maps to veto?
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A. Antiga and abysmal caverns (big) and Tal-darim (no ramp)
10. How to properly engage in battle
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A. Pull scvs to the front: select some to auto repair (mules are still going strong)
B. Raven’s the priority: make sure to put pdd near the expansion so that you will at least safely destroy expansion if toss decides to back up to the ramp of the main
C. Don’t forget to A move
D. If you unexpectedly notice a few phoenixes out of nowhere, target fire them right fast with the marines.
B. Raven’s the priority: make sure to put pdd near the expansion so that you will at least safely destroy expansion if toss decides to back up to the ramp of the main
C. Don’t forget to A move
D. If you unexpectedly notice a few phoenixes out of nowhere, target fire them right fast with the marines.
Replays
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Conclusion
Shoot me a pm with any questions you might have with the build. I will also watch some replays if you want a critique on execution side of the build vs real opponents. Also, a reminder is that don't get addicted to this build like me! =)
Check out the execution of this build @ justin.tv/specialistsc !
It hard counters the blind-counter to 1-1-1 (immortals, zealots, few stalkers) and so if protoss skimps on scouting at all they can kind of just lose...
