EPTIntroduction
Hello, and welcome to my first guide. A little about me; I'm a protoss player who's played broodwar since I was 8 years old but never got far and mostly played for fun. Later I played Warcraft 3 and DotA at a higher level and then played WoW to the highest of the arena bracket, at 2800 rating and above.
I've been reintroduced to Starcraft when the beta first came out and my friend who worked at Blizzard was able to get me a key. I quickly reached the top of the ladders and after a month of playing had reached the top of platinum league (the highest at the time) and since release sit at the 1400-1500 range.
By no means am I an amazing player and find flaws with my play all the time and am still working hard on reaching the top. I made this guide because I see many protoss having trouble with the transition period between warpgate and beyond.
This guide, at the time of reading this message, is still a work in progress. I plan on adding much more to the later chapters, adding more pictures and graphics, and adding information to the glossary and replays. Lastly, I hope it is useful to you as a protoss player in becoming a better player.
Listening Music
Contents
I. Basic strategy
II. Mid Level Strategy
III. Advanced Strategy
IV. Scouting Quick Reference Guide (Glossary)
V. Replays
VI. Resources
Chapter 1: Basic Strategy
Introduction to Protoss
So if you came this far I'm assuming you know how to pick protoss as your race and understand the basic mechanics of the race. In case your unfamiliar, here's a quick introduction of the units.
Firstly, pat yourself on the back for choosing to play protoss. It is easy to see that protoss are the most micro intensive race, with each unit having a unique ability in combat, and each unit is worth more than their zerg or terran counterparts. This means that each unit, especially at the higher tiers, requires good game sense and proper reaction to use to its maximum ability.
In this section, I'll go over each important unit and explain how it incorporates itself into a 3 gate robo opener army, explain the general build order, and explain some basic tips for how each unit should be used.
The Build
This is the general build I use for almost all match-ups where I plan on playing standard. It is hugely flexible, gives me quick observers and Immortals, and allows me to make a safe expand into the mid-game.
For those just interested in the build order, it is listed here below. Credits to the YABOT map-makers, where I got the general layout from.
9 Pylon
13 Gateway
14 Assimilator
15 Pylon
17 Cybernetics Core
19 Zealot
23 Robotics Facility
24 Pylon
24 Warpgate Tech
25 Assimilator
26 Stalker
30 Pylon
30 Warpgate
30 Observer
32 Warpgate
33 Sentry
35 Pylon
36 Immortal
This build essentially protects you from any early push from Terran, puts you in a safe position to expand vs. a Fast Expanding zerg, and is flexible enough to let you deal with any cheese coming.
Naturally, it is not set in stone, and it is absolutely essential to react accordingly to all information you have.
Meet the Team
Please keep in mind, this section is based off the usage of these units in a 3 gate robotics facility build. I realise there are many different uses for each unit and they are all stronger and weaker in different builds. As such, are explained in a way that is relevant to this guide.
This section will be exceptionally longer than the others, as I will be going over many of the basics of protoss units and their usage. If you are an experienced player and don't think you would benefit from this I recommend skipping it.
Sentry
The sentry is, without a doubt, the most important unit for surviving protoss early game. It is a gas-heavy spell caster which has 3 abilities of varying usage.
Forcefield
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Forcefield is one of the most powerful abilities in the game. Without high tier massive units in the game (namely Thors, Ultralisks and Colossus) a forcefield creates an impassable wall that has the ability to push units back, trap units, and split entire armies.
An entire guide could be written about forcefield usage, however, here are some basic tips to laying down good forcefields.
A good forcefield will either force your opponent to pull units back, trap several units in place so that melee units can attack them, or block units from accessing your ramp and your base.
Example of a good forcefield:
![[image loading]](http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/5946/goodforcefield.png)
for the cost of 50 energy, i was able to delay his attack as well as kill several units.
Bad forcefields, on the other hand, can be doubly as damaging if not moreso. A bad forcefield can trap units on the other side, trapping melee units from attacking ranged units, or even trapping your own units in place for the enemy.
Example of a bad forcefield:
![[image loading]](http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/2108/badforcefield.png)
Like I said, entire novels could be written on proper forcefield usage. These are just a few basic uses. With something so integral to protoss strategy, It is important for any serious player to master forcefields and do everything they can to use them to their maximum potential
Guardian Shield
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Guardian shield is probably one of the most useful abilities in the game for dealing with lots of low damage ranged attacks, specifically marines.
Just some math, Un-upgraded marines do 6 damage. With 3 armor upgrade, Zealots have 4 armor. With guardian shield up, the marines damage is reduced to 1. Keep in mind, that it is impossible for any attack in starcraft to do 0 damage.
While there will very rarely be an occasion where you will have 3 upgrades and the opponent will have 0, Its no doubt that guardian shield is definitely worth using.
Hallucination
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While hallucination is rather irrelevant to this build as you will have access to plenty of observers, Its worth mentioning in case your opponent is doing something to deny scouting. It is also useful for spawning high-hp units to soak up damage, though I've never seen any high level player get it for this reason or use it effectively
Zealot
Zealots are one of the biggest damage dealers in your army. They are extremely cheap for a protoss unit, do a high amount of damage, have 2 attacks, and later in the game become extremely powerful with the charge upgrade.
Zealots are units that heavily benefit from the proper usage of forcefields, as their main weakness is that they are slow. Zealots have no chance of catching up to a terran ball unassisted without charge, and often times zerglings can simply run past them and wreak havoc on your mineral line.
Zealots are good for blocking walls, as they come out early and are excellent at stopping zergling run-bys.
Zealot Walling
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Zealot walling is one of the most important and one of the most fickle skills in the PvZ match-up. It is very easy for a wall to fail, and zerglings to enter your main. I can't tell you how many times I've lost a game due to this, but It's something you have to live with as protoss.
While many maps have different ramp layouts and entry points, here is the most basic wall you will find, using 2 zealots to block off a normal sized ramp.
![[image loading]](http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2394/zealotwall.png)
It's up to you to use proper judgement in determining the size of your wall. Its worth mentioning that using 2 zealots to block off a ramp, both zealots need to be facing nearly parallell to the bottom of the ramp. If they are facing sideways zergling will frequently slip through and into your base.
Zealots do exceptionally well against Marines and Zerglings in the earlygame, being able to take on at least 4 of each without micro. This expands to hydralisks and marauders, as well as several other units, once they get charge in the late game.
In a 3gate Robo Build, zealots are going to be where the majority of your minerals are spent in the late-game when both players are playing standard. They are extremely cost effective units and counter nearly every light unit in the game.
Stalkers
Generally, I tend to avoid stalkers. While they are useful, they get absolutely wrecked by marauders and hydralisks.
Although the above is true, stalkers are a unit I highly value in the early game, as they are great support units for zealots and they are quick. If your zealots are getting kited by marauders stalkers are essential for getting hits on them as they are running away.
They are also useful if your opponent is going roaches, as they technically do counter them 1:1, but immortals are much more useful for this task.
Immortals
I would argue that this is one of the most undervalued unit in the game. Not because they are underused, but all too many times I see players completely skip them and come to ask 'How the hell did I lose that?.
Immortals do 50 damage to an armored target and 35 to light targets. This basically makes them moving siege tanks, although sacrificing splash damage.
Immortals are absolutely necessary in this build for fending off early terran and zerg attacks. At higher levels it is absolutely necessary to use your immortals to focus on armored targets, especially marauders.
Immortals are also units that suffer from being slow, and, like the zealot, require the support of sentries and stalkers to use them at maximum efficiency.
Immortals are also notable for their extremely durable armor, which reduces all attacks down to 10 damage while their shields are up. This makes them EXTREMELY good vs siege tanks, ultralisks, and stalkers. as well as almost any other armored target in the game. If I sense that my opponent is going siege tank heavy or is teching to ultralisks, immortals are my first priority in every game.
Colossus
While I tend to avoid colossus in my build in most PvT games, Colossus are almost always essential in PvZ and absolutely necessary in PvP.
The reason I don't tend to get Colossus in PvT is that, generally, they are exceptionally good against marine heavy builds, but get wrecked by marauders and vikings, which any terran will have easy access to in any situation.
The only time I've found that colossus are useful in PvT is if I'm absolutely sure that my opponent won't have vikings before I can make my colossus useful.
In PvZ, Colossus are one of the most essential units in the game. They absolutely dominate all zerg ground, especially with forcefields, and are also very good against roaches, with stalker support. However, if your opponent is going very heavy on corruptors it is important to have a way to transition out of colossus and in to high templar.
In PvP it should be said that Colossus are one of the only units in the game without a cost effective counter. When playing standard, a PvP game will generally come down to who has the most colossus.
Observers
There’s not much to say about this unit, except how awesome it is.
I frequently get at least 5 observers in a standard macro game. Starcraft is all about scouting and information, no unit does it better than this one.
If my opponent is denying scouting, having an observer positioned outside of his base will let me know when he's expanding, when he plans on attacking, and a wealth of other information.
Late game, I like to have 1 observer guarding the back of my base, so I am warned of any dropships incoming that much faster.
1 observer I keep lying around in-case my opponent is abusing high ground, especially on maps like Delta Quadrant and Lost Temple. Having sight of the high ground above your natural is essential.
I generally keep an observer outside my opponents base so that I am warned of any incoming attacks, and a general glance at my opponents army composition so I can pick out essential targets and know exactly whats coming.
I keep 1 observer scouting the map for hidden expansions, so I always have tabs on what my opponent is doing and how many bases he has
Finally, I keep an observer with my main army, so that in combat I'm not caught off-guard by any sneaky stealth play.
Many people might call this excessive, but I simply cannot play in the dark. Starcraft is a game about information, and without it, you will always be behind your opponent.
High Templar
HT's are one of the most versatile and essential units in the game, and also one that requires some of the most tech to be useful. Here’s a quick rundown of their skills
Psi Storm
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Psi storm is one of the most powerful spells in the game. It does 80 damage over 4 seconds to an area roughly the size of a forcefield, and is absolutely essential for dealing with terran and zerg, once he has sufficient corruptor numbers to counter your colossus.
Proper psi storm usage is one of the biggest game-deciders out there right now. It is worth noting that a bad psi-storm can and will damage your own units and possibly kill them, which goes without saying, is bad.
Feedback
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Feedback is probably an underused spell, but I find it to be probably one of the most useful, especially in the PvT matchup. Feedback allows you to burn the energy of an enemy spellcaster and deal the same amount drained in damage. This is essential when playing someone who goes ghost-heavy, as frequently the outcome of a PvT matchup is a battle between storm and EMP. Feedback is also extremely useful in dealing with Ravens and Banshees, as well as nullifying any medivacs on the field, and can be quickly used to smack a Thor or Battlecruiser for 200 damage.
Phoenix
While phoenix' are not a part of a standard 3 gate robo build, I put them here because 1. They are my favorite unit in the game and 2. They are your only way of effectively dealing with mutalisks.
I cannot stress this enough, using your observer know exactly what tech structure your zerg opponent is getting after he upgrades to a lair
I cannot tell you how many times I've been caught with my pants down because I wasn't watching my opponents base with an observer and it turns out my opponent had 20 mutalisks waiting and his spire hidden in the corner.
If he drops an overseer before getting a tech structure, first, get another observer, then drop a starport because it's highly likely that he is trying to catch you off-guard with mutalisks. If I catch it early enough, hell, I'll drop 2 starports, because if he did go mutalisks it is almost a guaruntee that he won't have any anti-air for a very long time, leaving you free reign to drop every overlord and drone in sight.
Back to phoenix, Phoenix' strength lies in their speed and range, Theoretically allowing you to kite an infinite number of mutalisks without taking any damage from them at all. It is hugely important that you properly micro your phoenix, as without micro they are considerably weaker.
Now, You're probably wondering what this has to do with a robotics facility build. Well, I can say with a straight face that I have never beaten a zerg player going mass-mutalisk without getting phoenix if I opened robotics facility. However, observers from the robotics is absolutely essential for this to work properly.
Chapter 2: Mid Level Strategy
This section goes over some of the higher strategies employed with this build, including timings, when to expand, and transitioning.
Timing and Expanding
Timing is one of the most important pieces of information in a game of starcraft. Knowing exactly if that is a 6 pool or a 10 pool, knowing when your opponent is expanding, and knowing when he is most vulnerable attack is what will determine whether or not you will be winning the game.
The most basic timing to learn, is when to expand.
Generally, an expansion before 6 minutes is considered early, while one at 9 minutes into the game is considered late. It is extremely important to know exactly when your opponent is expanding as well, and this is where observers come in handy.
Honestly, entire guides could be written entirely on this subject alone, but here are a few things to take in to consideration before expanding
1. Is my opponent planning on being aggressive? If the answer is yes, it is probably not a good idea to expand before you have fended off his initial aggression or have secured some kind of advantage over him.
This is best exemplified in the terran build, 2 tech-lab Reactor push. This is one of the most deadly pushes in the game and one I frequently see people complaining about on the forums.
Expanding when your opponent is using this build is generally very dependant on whether he himself has expanded, and whether or not you have an advantage in unit count, or you can catch him out of position with the usage of forcefields.
2. Has my opponent fast expanded? If the answer is yes, I would advise getting at least one immortal out before dropping one of your own, especially on maps with an open natural.
3. Do I have some kind of advantage? This is one of the most situational, and requires a good game sense to truly master. Some basic things to keep in mind are that an expansion costs 400 minerals, so to have an advantage while expanding, you should take in to account how much money of your opponents have you taken away.
One of the easiest ways to explain this is, say your opponent goes for a fast 2 helion harass or a 3-4 helion drop. Say you defend it with no losses, You've essentially put your opponent behind the cost of an expansion. Taking in to account situations like this is one of the most essential things to think about when expanding.
Another advantage would be if you have completely countered your oponnents build. Say your opponent went for a heavy roach build, you already have roaches best counter, the Immortal. Immortals eat roaches for breakfast, its a fact. Going roaches vs a 3 gate robo build is basically saying EXPAND ME.
The final part of an advantageous expand is if you are putting pressure on your opponent and know that he wont be able to extend pressure back for a while. The best example of this would be if you had just won a major battle, have a solid contain on your opponent, or have been successful in dealing damage with harassment utilities.
Transitioning
Now, Its probably obvious that you can't continue making immortals and gateway units all game, It's necessary to tech up to something more powerful. In this section I will explain all of the transitions and their pro's and con's in regards to a 3 gate robo opener.
Robotics Bay
Robotics bay is one of the most straightforward transitions, as it unlocks colossus. Colossus are immensely useful in many situations. Here are a few situations where colossus would be a proper transition.
Barracks Pressure Terran
If you are playing an extremely aggressive terran, templar might be too far away to tech to to be useful. If your observer doesn't scout a starport, it might be safe to get colossus. This, of course, comes to your own judgement.
It's worth mentioning that if your opponent is going exceptionally marine heavy or is trying for some kind of marine rush, colossus are certainly a very viable choice.
Late game terran
Something that a few people might not utilize, but Colossus in addition to high templar absolutely seals the deal vs any kind of bio play from terran.
It is a very costly road to go down, but if you can afford to produce colossus and HT, without any major screw ups, the game is pretty much won.
Zergling pressure
Colossus absolutely rape zerglings, no question. If your opponent is going exceptionally zergling heavy, colossus are a very viable choice.
Hydralisks
Colossus are the most effective unit in dealing with hydralisks, as on creep, it is very hard to get effective storms off.
If your opponent is going mass hydralisk I highly recommend going colossus, as you will force him to get a unit he doesn't want, the corruptor.
However, Once enough corruptors are out, it is essential to be able to transition out of colossus and into templar before you are at a significant disadvantage.
Protoss
In PvP, Colossus have no counter. When starting with a 3 gate robo build i see no reason why you would not then transition into colossus, as they are just so ridiculously good in this match up, no matter what your opponent is getting.
Templar
Templar are generally the second option when it comes to a 3 gate robo opening. They are exceptionally useful, and often the only option, in dealing with the following situations.
Barracks Pressure with Starport
This is generally where most PvT matches end up, and is where templar are the best option for dealing with this.
If you scout that your opponent has the means to nullify colossus, getting templar quickly in addition to the Zealot Charge upgrade is essential. I cannot stress how important it is to have templar in late game PvT.
Late game PvZ
In the same way Vikings wreck Colossus, If your opponent has enough corruptors to nullify colossus play, high templar are generally the best option in dealing with mass ground builds.
It is also worth mentioning that archons are exceptionally good vs mutalisks, though I do not recommend making them for only this purpose.
Stargate Play
Mutalisks
As explained above in the Phoenix section, transitioning into phoenix is generally the only option when it comes to mass mutalisk play from a zerg.
Voidrays
Generally I do not like using voidrays unless I am sure that my opponent won't have the means to counter them, or I have the necessary units to support large numbers of them, something that doesn't happen until the late game.
As a mid game unit I feel that voidrays are the weaker of the 3 options protoss have. Of course, if your opponent is doing something like 3 tech labs, voidrays can win the game right there. It just comes down to scouting.
Chapter 3: Advanced Strategy and Management
Coming soon
Scouting Glossary
Coming soon
Replays
This section will be a repository for replays of mine and player submitted replays of people using this build, as such, it might take quite a while to fill. I plan on updating it as frequently as possible, check back often!
http://screplays.com/replays/hakker/10213 - 1300 Terran, shows exceptional scouting and catching your opponent out of position to ensure victory
http://screplays.com/replays/hakker/10219 Top 200 Zerg, shows proper expansion timing, transitioning, and reacting to scouting information.
http://screplays.com/replays/hakker/10221 1300 Terran
http://screplays.com/replays/hakker/10223 1400 terran, shows advantageous expanding, proper usage of scouting information, as well as catching opponents out of position.
Resources
Coming soon!
