Essential Protoss SC2 Playing Tips

Aug 8, 2010

Playing Protoss without the proper playing style can be a killer. I see a bunch of newer players go that cheesy 2 gate and catch a seasoned player off guard. I’ll give you some tips below that should improve any Protoss player’s gameplay.

General Tips

• Chrono Boost like a animal. Don’t shy away from chrono boosting upgrades, units, or probes out during the mid/late game. A trademark of a good protoss player is one who chrono boost’s the hell out of everything.

• Be a ninja. I usually scout after I put up my first gate. Once I see what my opponent is going for I take the scouting probe and place a very good proxy pylon near my opponent’s base. I use this proxy for my first push and it’s very useful for warping in reinforcements.

• Sentry’s are cute. If you are planning a 4 gate timing push always have atleast one sentry in the mix. The Guardian shield and Force Field abilities are amazing to have in your arsenal.

• I’m a sucker for Dark Templars. I can’t tell you how many times one simple DT has won a game for me. So many new players are so flustered throughout the game they forget to grab detection. My DT’s enjoy wrecking shop. If you find a ton of gas on your hands don’t hesitate to grab DT’s.

Protoss v Zerg

• Zergling rushes are overated. I’ve noticed that around 90% of zerg players rush with lings. If you get a zealot or stalker to late it can be very difficult to get rid of the zerglings. To stop a rushing zerg player simply block of your ramp. I usually leave a little space for my probes to get through so I can expand in the future, but I block it with a zealot so the lings can’t harass my workers.

• Confine the Zerg or prepare to expand. Zerg expands easily. Chances are if they outnumber you in bases the more likely you are to lose. So if you see zerg expanding either confine them to one base by killing the expansion or expand yourself.

• T-Rex’s can be sneaky. If you see a Zerg player transitioning into mutalisks it’s always a good idea to throw up a few cannons behind your mineral fields. My economy has been destroyed numerous times by a few mutas.

Protoss v Terran

• High Templar vs MMM= Ownage. Many terran players go the biotic route and make massive Marine, Marauder, and Medvac balls. One way to completely dominate a player who has the MMM compisition is to grab a few High Templars. One well placed storm can desolate your opponent and win you the game.

• Scout for the Tech Lab. Watch out for a early reaper harass. Scout out the barracks to see if there is a tech lab being added. If i see this I usually chrono out some zealots and grab a quick stalker.

• What to do against a turtle? Check out how to deal with a turtled terran.

Protoss v Protoss

• Prepare for a rush. In alot of PvP matchups you’ll see a very early rush. I usually prepare for the rush with one or two cannons and counter attack when the last of their zealots are killed off.

• Don’t Force Things. If you find yourself ahead of your opponent don’t rush in with all your units, until you have scouted out everything they might possibly have.

• Watch for Void Rays. Always try to keep some anti air units within your armies main composition. Void Ray Builds are really popular now a days.