Starcraft: Strategies

[beaner692]

I've been hooked on Starcraft again for the past few weeks, trying to get ready for SC2. I've been playing on Battle.net with some pros and such trying to get better.

Basically this thread is to improve your Starcraft skills in MP, and to get some old players playing again. If new strategies are posted I will keep editing the thread and adding them in, unless they are terrible.


PROTOSS:
"The Reaver Drop"

Fast Map Strat:
First make a pylon right when you get 100 mineral (should be around 6/9 psi). Keep building workers and sending them to mine. Right when you have 150 mineral build a Gateway next to your pylon. While this is building, build another pylon next to the first, and another near your resources, and also build an assimilator. Right when the gateway is complete build a cybernetics core near the pylon by your resources, along with a forge, and remember to keep making zealots. When your assimilator is done, send 4 of your miners to it and have one of them make 2 more assimilators (keep in mind for reaver drop strat you want a lot of gas). Now make an additional Nexus closest to the edge of the map, along with a 2-4 photon cannons by your workers for now. Build another Gateway or 2 for now, and right when you have 200 gas build a robotics facility by your gateway(s). At this point you should be getting minerals pretty heavily with duel Nexus, so make sure you have at least 5 assimilators at this point. Don't forget to keep building more Gateways, producing dragoons, upgrading in forges, and also don't forget to make photon cannons by the entrance of your base (huge). Make another robotics facility before the other is done if you can. When it is done immediately build a shuttle, and robotics support bay at the same time. When the shuttle is done start building your first reaver, and more robotics facilities. When the support bay is completed, get the more damage add-on. I like to have 6 robotics facilities for this strat. 6 reavers and 3 shuttles will do the trick, so pack them with reavers and load them into your shuttles. Send your dragoons to whoever your going to attack. Send 1 or 2 dragoons in so they know battle is about to happen. Send in all your dragoons, and at the same time fly your shuttles straight to your enemy's resources and unload at once. They might kill one of the shuttles, but even 2 reavers will do heavy damage and wipe out every worker the enemy has. Most of the time the enemy sends their defense to your dragoons, while your shuttles come in and completely take out their resource ability, thus ending their chances in that game. This is one of my favorite strategies, because it works most of the time, and its f**king halarious. Work on your speed, you need to be very quick.
IMPORTANT: Make your reavers control-1, so when they land you can hit 1 and click their resources, so that you can before your reavers get killed.

"ZEALOT RUSH!!!!"

Ahh, the ever hated zealot rush
Heres a step by step how to:

Mine and build probes until you have 100 mineral (make sure you move very fast for this strat) and build a pylon somewhat far away from your nexus. Send the probe that made the pylon out to find the enemy. Keep building probes, build a gateway next to your pylon. Now build another pylon next to your resources, and another on top of the pylon next to the gateway. Right when the gateway is built spam "z" so it starts right away. I like to build pylons so that they are all in a straight verticle line, with gateways going up and down on either side. Right when the first zealot is ready send it towards the enemy. By the time it gets there the second one should be done, so send it as well. The trick is to sneak around and kill a few of their workers and slow down their money process. If the enemy is zerg, they might have a sunken colony up already, so wait for a few more zealots, and rush in for the kill. Make sure by the time you have 5 zealots or so you have built a forge and cyber next to your resources, some photon cannons by your resources, and a few more gateways, not to mention an assimulator or 2. If you are playing on a fastmap, then build 10 assimulators and way too many photon cannons. On a fastmap I like to have around 30+ gateways and way too many workers so that my dragoons never stop coming. The zealot strat is one of the best in my opinion, it is rough to beat and never stops coming at you.

"DT Rush (Brood War)"
Pylon on 8 Psi
Gateway on 10 Psi
Assimilator on 11 Psi
Cybernetics Core on ~13 Psi, should be right about when Assimilator finishes
Ensure constant Probe production and build Pylons as necessary.

From here, build a Dragoon, and put up a Citadel of Adun when your money allows for it (by this time there should be an enemy scout in your base, make sure you kill it before you put up the citadel or else the enemy will know that you're going DT rush). Get a second Gateway, then the Templar Archives. Your Gateway should finish while the Templar Archives is in the middle of building, then just pump Dark Templar and send them to the opponent's base.

If you're playing against a Terran, the following should be your priority targets:

1) Finished turrets
2) Building turrets
3) Finished scanners
4) Building scanners

If you can keep all of these down, then your opponent can NOT hurt you, unless he has mines. And if he puts mines in his mineral line, then lol. Drag one to the workers = boom. Otherwise, just keep killing workers.

Against zerg just avoid the observers and take out drones here and there, but if your 1v1ing a zerg enemy don't use this strat

If the opponent is protoss, he will have observers soon after you get your DTs to his base if he played extremely safe. Probes die in one hit though, so micro your DTs, kill the Robotics Facility if plausible to prevent any observers, and you win.

I'll add more later, I gotta run to work. Post your strats though in the mean time.

[emerald000]

Fast-money maps are just lame. The whole game revolves about being able to keep a good base management. Money maps just destroy that aspect of the game.

[Relambrien]

Pylon on 6? Seriously? Also on most maps, 3 workers on gas is ideal.

Protoss - DT Rush
Pylon on 8 Psi
Gateway on 10 Psi
Assimilator on 11 Psi
Cybernetics Core on ~13 Psi, should be right about when Assimilator finishes
Ensure constant Probe production and build Pylons as necessary.

From here, build a Dragoon, and put up a Citadel of Adun when your money allows for it (by this time there should be an enemy scout in your base, make sure you kill it before you put up the citadel or else the enemy will know that you're going DT rush). Get a second Gateway, then the Templar Archives. Your Gateway should finish while the Templar Archives is in the middle of building, then just pump Dark Templar and send them to the opponent's base.

If you're playing against a Terran, the following should be your priority targets:

1) Finished turrets
2) Building turrets
3) Finished scanners
4) Building scanners

If you can keep all of these down, then your opponent can NOT hurt you, unless he has mines. And if he puts mines in his mineral line, then lol. Drag one to the workers = boom. Otherwise, just keep killing workers.

In PvP, the opponent will have observers soon after you get your DTs to his base if he played extremely safe. Probes die in one hit though, so micro your DTs, kill the Robotics Facility if plausible to prevent any observers, and you win.

In PvZ, Overlords rape your DTs, which is why you'll usually pair them with Corsairs. That's a totally different build, though.

[Izzy]

I like people that think they own cpu when they play on money maps. Cpu is not programmed to perform in that environment of bloated resources. Destroys the game as said before.

[dore]

Originally Posted by Izzy

I like people that think they own cpu when they play on money maps. Cpu is not programmed to perform in that environment of bloated resources. Destroys the game as said before.

compstomps are soooooo fun though

[beaner692]

Relambrien, the only problem with that strat is the lack of gateways

And Emerald I somewhat agree with ya, but they are still pretty fun to max psi real quick
Especially fun with zerg =)

[beaner692]

updated - also I agree comp stomps are ghay

[Wineandbread]

Eh, money maps are not very fun in my opinion. But I suppose it is good for working on micro and never worrying about resources basically.

P.S. I'm pretty sure Relam is talking about non-money map.

[beaner692]

Relam's strat is Brood War, I only play OG SC lol

I will put it up there though

[Relambrien]

Yeah, strategy is for normal, non-money maps. I don't play BGH or Fastest or anything.

[Izzy]

I like fastest on non money maps, even computers are a bit of a challenge like that. It's nice.

[Relambrien]

What do you mean? Fastest IS a money map. It's the biggest money map in the game.

Unless you were referring to game speed...but I was under the impression everyone played on that speed anyway. I've never played anything else.

[l2awr]

Originally Posted by beaner692

I've been hooked on Starcraft again for the past few weeks, trying to get ready for SC2. I've been playing on Battle.net with some pros and such trying to get better.

Basically this thread is to improve your Starcraft skills in MP, and to get some old players playing again. If new strategies are posted I will keep editing the thread and adding them in, unless they are terrible.


PROTOSS:
"The Reaver Drop"

Fast Map Strat:
First make a pylon right when you get 100 mineral (should be around 6/9 psi). Keep building workers and sending them to mine. Right when you have 150 mineral build a Gateway next to your pylon. While this is building, build another pylon next to the first, and another near your resources, and also build an assimilator. Right when the gateway is complete build a cybernetics core near the pylon by your resources, along with a forge, and remember to keep making zealots. When your assimilator is done, send 4 of your miners to it and have one of them make 2 more assimilators (keep in mind for reaver drop strat you want a lot of gas). Now make an additional Nexus closest to the edge of the map, along with a 2-4 photon cannons by your workers for now. Build another Gateway or 2 for now, and right when you have 200 gas build a robotics facility by your gateway(s). At this point you should be getting minerals pretty heavily with duel Nexus, so make sure you have at least 5 assimilators at this point. Don't forget to keep building more Gateways, producing dragoons, upgrading in forges, and also don't forget to make photon cannons by the entrance of your base (huge). Make another robotics facility before the other is done if you can. When it is done immediately build a shuttle, and robotics support bay at the same time. When the shuttle is done start building your first reaver, and more robotics facilities. When the support bay is completed, get the more damage add-on. I like to have 6 robotics facilities for this strat. 6 reavers and 3 shuttles will do the trick, so pack them with reavers and load them into your shuttles. Send your dragoons to whoever your going to attack. Send 1 or 2 dragoons in so they know battle is about to happen. Send in all your dragoons, and at the same time fly your shuttles straight to your enemy's resources and unload at once. They might kill one of the shuttles, but even 2 reavers will do heavy damage and wipe out every worker the enemy has. Most of the time the enemy sends their defense to your dragoons, while your shuttles come in and completely take out their resource ability, thus ending their chances in that game. This is one of my favorite strategies, because it works most of the time, and its f**king halarious. Work on your speed, you need to be very quick.
IMPORTANT: Make your reavers control-1, so when they land you can hit 1 and click their resources, so that you can before your reavers get killed.

"ZEALOT RUSH!!!!"

Ahh, the ever hated zealot rush
Heres a step by step how to:

Mine and build probes until you have 100 mineral (make sure you move very fast for this strat) and build a pylon somewhat far away from your nexus. Send the probe that made the pylon out to find the enemy. Keep building probes, build a gateway next to your pylon. Now build another pylon next to your resources, and another on top of the pylon next to the gateway. Right when the gateway is built spam "z" so it starts right away. I like to build pylons so that they are all in a straight verticle line, with gateways going up and down on either side. Right when the first zealot is ready send it towards the enemy. By the time it gets there the second one should be done, so send it as well. The trick is to sneak around and kill a few of their workers and slow down their money process. If the enemy is zerg, they might have a sunken colony up already, so wait for a few more zealots, and rush in for the kill. Make sure by the time you have 5 zealots or so you have built a forge and cyber next to your resources, some photon cannons by your resources, and a few more gateways, not to mention an assimulator or 2. If you are playing on a fastmap, then build 10 assimulators and way too many photon cannons. On a fastmap I like to have around 30+ gateways and way too many workers so that my dragoons never stop coming. The zealot strat is one of the best in my opinion, it is rough to beat and never stops coming at you.

"DT Rush (Brood War)"
Pylon on 8 Psi
Gateway on 10 Psi
Assimilator on 11 Psi
Cybernetics Core on ~13 Psi, should be right about when Assimilator finishes
Ensure constant Probe production and build Pylons as necessary.

From here, build a Dragoon, and put up a Citadel of Adun when your money allows for it (by this time there should be an enemy scout in your base, make sure you kill it before you put up the citadel or else the enemy will know that you're going DT rush). Get a second Gateway, then the Templar Archives. Your Gateway should finish while the Templar Archives is in the middle of building, then just pump Dark Templar and send them to the opponent's base.

If you're playing against a Terran, the following should be your priority targets:

1) Finished turrets
2) Building turrets
3) Finished scanners
4) Building scanners

If you can keep all of these down, then your opponent can NOT hurt you, unless he has mines. And if he puts mines in his mineral line, then lol. Drag one to the workers = boom. Otherwise, just keep killing workers.

Against zerg just avoid the observers and take out drones here and there, but if your 1v1ing a zerg enemy don't use this strat

If the opponent is protoss, he will have observers soon after you get your DTs to his base if he played extremely safe. Probes die in one hit though, so micro your DTs, kill the Robotics Facility if plausible to prevent any observers, and you win.

I'll add more later, I gotta run to work. Post your strats though in the mean time.

You haven't been playing with pros.

Originally Posted by Relambrien

Pylon on 6? Seriously? Also on most maps, 3 workers on gas is ideal.

Protoss - DT Rush
Pylon on 8 Psi
Gateway on 10 Psi
Assimilator on 11 Psi
Cybernetics Core on ~13 Psi, should be right about when Assimilator finishes
Ensure constant Probe production and build Pylons as necessary.

From here, build a Dragoon, and put up a Citadel of Adun when your money allows for it (by this time there should be an enemy scout in your base, make sure you kill it before you put up the citadel or else the enemy will know that you're going DT rush). Get a second Gateway, then the Templar Archives. Your Gateway should finish while the Templar Archives is in the middle of building, then just pump Dark Templar and send them to the opponent's base.

If you're playing against a Terran, the following should be your priority targets:

1) Finished turrets
2) Building turrets
3) Finished scanners
4) Building scanners

If you can keep all of these down, then your opponent can NOT hurt you, unless he has mines. And if he puts mines in his mineral line, then lol. Drag one to the workers = boom. Otherwise, just keep killing workers.

In PvP, the opponent will have observers soon after you get your DTs to his base if he played extremely safe. Probes die in one hit though, so micro your DTs, kill the Robotics Facility if plausible to prevent any observers, and you win.

In PvZ, Overlords rape your DTs, which is why you'll usually pair them with Corsairs. That's a totally different build, though.

In addition, it is a good idea to proxy the teching.

[akaFrOsTinG]

someone should play me 1:1 on blue storm or destination. ^o^

[TD_Project]

Originally Posted by l2awr

Lots of stuff I said

You didn't need to full quote it all, that is a waste of space.

As for Starcraft, I'm gonna jump back on it later tonight. There should be an FFR team haha, stomp all those n00b's on there.

Actually, that brings me to a question, if I haven't played it in years, and this game has been out since 1998, or so.. Does that mean the only people left on battle.net are extremely skilled? Because that sucks.

It's going to be like walking into a Halo 2 multiplayer game for your first time and being camped out and killed the first second you spawn over and over.

Great.

[Wineandbread]

Originally Posted by TD_Project

You didn't need to full quote it all, that is a waste of space.

As for Starcraft, I'm gonna jump back on it later tonight. There should be an FFR team haha, stomp all those n00b's on there.

Actually, that brings me to a question, if I haven't played it in years, and this game has been out since 1998, or so.. Does that mean the only people left on battle.net are extremely skilled? Because that sucks.

It's going to be like walking into a Halo 2 multiplayer game for your first time and being camped out and killed the first second you spawn over and over.

Great.

We had another Starcraft thread going for a while, but that stopped.

Most of the melee map players have migrated over to ICCup; most of the people on bnet (at least bnet east) play money maps (fastest) or ums maps.

[TD_Project]

Information well appreciated. Thank you.

[Relambrien]

Hey do you guys want me to resurrect that old Starcraft thread to see if we can actually get together and play?