Protoss Build Orders

*To be updated very soon!* (yes, I know it's old...)

The Story:

Almost from the day Landyl purchased SC, he has read the Battle.net forum for strategy and tactics.  The very first post he read was titled "HELP!  Can't stop zergling rush!".  His first thought was "A simple rush, and the game just came out?"- but thoughts of countering this threat began to run through his head. The key to countering a zergling rush (or any early rush, for that matter)- a good building order. He found several build orders that he found very effective, but found that most people were still clueless as to how to stop this rush. The following build orders will get you off to a quick start, will hopefully defend you from quick zergling and zealot rushes, and will put you in a position to take the offensive side and crush your opponett.

Common Protoss Build Orders:

"Standard":
Order:
1. Put first four probes to work, each on a different mineral square- begin another probe immediately.
2. When done, put the 5th probe on gathering minerals, and start a 6th when you can.
3. When done, put it to work and start your 7th.
4. When 7th is done, have it build a pylon. Put is to work after starting the warp. Start your 8th probe.
5. When done, your pylon should finish it's warp. Start a gateway (you should have exactly 150 minerals).
6. Put that probe to work, build another.
7. Have that new probe (9th) build another gateway. Build another probe.
8. Start a zealot at your gateway when it finished.
9. Build another probe (11th now), and when it's done, have it build another pylon.
10. Begin to train zealots by 2s once both gateways are done... continue to build pylons as needed (typically every 1 or 2 probes).
11. Scout with a zealot.
When to use:
FFAs, Large (128x128 or larger) maps, when your opponett is not zerg.
How it works:
This is a pretty common build order. It gets you a zealot fairly quickly, and supports your mineral economy quite well, as you've been almost constantly building probes. By the time your scout with a zealot and find the enemy, you'll have 8-10 zealots at your base ready for an assault.
What to do after this build order:
Things are open to you. Build a 3rd gateway is vital for most games, especially for massive ground troop wars. Feel free to go up the tech tree as you like... but rememer to keep building zealots.
"Blitzkrieg":
Order:
1. First probes on minerals, build another, put it to work, start a 6th as soon as you can.
2. Put the sixth to work. (Do NOT start a 7th)
3. As soon as you have 100 spare minerals, take a probe and have it start a pylon. Put it back to work.
4. Build a 7th probe when you can.
5. This probe and pylon should finish at the same time. Wait a moment and build a gateway when you've got the minerals.
6. Build another probe (8th)... have it start another gateway, put it to work.
7. Start another probe --> work
8. Train a zealot when 1st gateway is done.
9. Start 10th probe... have it build a pylon when it's ready (you should have just enough minerals)
10. Begin training zealots by 2s once the 2nd gateway is done (after your first zealot is done).
11. Scout with a zealot.
When to use:
1v1s, 2v2s, 3v3s, small maps, against zerg, ladder games, if you want to rush and rush fast.
How it works:
In effect, you have build your gateways one probe earlier than the standard build... and you've only sacrificed one probe for it. This early zealot can stop a quick zergling rush with ease. Named "Bliztkrieg" becuase you'll have zealots faster and earlier (so more of them in the end) than your opponett expects. Excellent for getting a terran player before they can bunker up their scv line. One drawback- you are one probe behind, which means more than you might think. It can be tough to be building probes, 2 zealots and pylons all at the same time with this build order.
What to do after this build order:
You are either defending from a rush or planning on a rush of your own. Get a third and later 4th gateway as soon as you can-- and yes, you can support that many with enough probes. Just don't plan on going up the tech tree any time soon. It'll be very difficult for any enemy to stop your massive "lightning-quick" rush when using this build order. Deadly effective.
Remember that you don't have to go up the tech tree-- if you have the offensive advantage with just zealots, why bother? Keep the pressure on... and believe me, four gateways continuously building zealots can seriously keep an enemy busy defending. Build a dozen... hotkey them... attack. You'll have a dozen more by the time they die.

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