1. Anti-rush
A. Zealot rushes
The Terrans, while the best race overall, excel in
particular at rush defense. I once stopped five
Protoss computer opponents rushing me with at least 6 Zealots each. While
you may not be so good or lucky, Terrans outmatch Protoss on nearly every
count. The Terrans' first unit, the Marine, is a snack for a Zealot when
alone, but when placed in a Bunker, he gains 350 hit points, one point
of armor, and becomes more powerful than the Zealot. If you have an SCV
on hand, you can even replenish his hit points during battle, at a few
per second. Obviously, though, a few Zealots will take down a Bunker with
only one Marine in it. That is why you generally fill the Bunkers with
more than one Marine. Unfortunately, I have noted from experience that
Marines, even in Bunkers, are not particularily effective against dozens
of Zealots. Firebats are the solution. Firebats do 16 points of splashing
damage per attack, so if a Firebat shoots and there is a Zealot to the
left, right, and behind its target, it gets to do 64 points of damage per
attack! And Firebats fit in bunkers. So, if your opponent rushes you with
12 Zealots on one bunker, each Firebat can 48-80 points of damage per attack.
This is enough to slaughter very large numbers of Zealots, making Terrans
the undisputed king of anti-Zealot rush strategies.
I have worked out a good build
order with my trusty Terrans, but I strongly suspect it could be made better,
so I'd like your feedback.
Okay, enough already. The build order:
Set all SCVs to minerals.
B. Zergling rushes
If you get caught early, you're
screwed, period. If you evade detection until you have a marine in a bunker,
you stand a chance because Zerglings die so quickly. If you have time to
get Firebats, your opponent has probably given up any Zergling rush, but
get a few just in case. That's about it.
C. Hydralisk rushes
By the time your opponent gets
a horde of Hydralisks, you should definitely have Tanks with siege mode,
set up behind your bunkers which are filled with 4 Marines each. Be sure
to put your bunkers in a choke point, instead of next to your base, because
Hydralisks don't usually try to sneak through the bunkers. Forget about
Firebats and just get lots of Marines and Tanks. However, you should certainly
get an Academy, just to get the U-238 shells, so you shoot at least as
far as the Hydralisks. Get weapon upgrades as much as possible, though
you probably will not have a Science Facility by the time you are rushed.
If you manage to get one, get a few Science Vessels and research Irradiate.
That spell kills hordes of Hydralisks, though you'll probably lose the
Science Vessel.
D. Mutalisk rushes
Get Marines and air power.
I've tried winning with Goliaths, but until Brood
Wars, they will be too useless against the soon-to-follow Guardians.
Get Wraiths first, then Battlecruisers if you have the luxury. Place the
Marines in Bunkers near your supply line to protect it and harass the Mutalisks
with your Wraiths (get cloaking, kill any Overlords, and slaughter) and
Irradiate them if you have had time to get it. Soon your opponent will
get Guardians and any Missile Turrets which may have been helping you will
die very soon. Fortunately, Guardians are vulnerable to Irradiate, Wraiths,
and Battlecruisers. Guardians are also extremely expensive (150/200, long build time) and
even killing one can help tremendously. When Mutalisks and Guardians both
attack, cloak any Wraiths, kill any Overlords (Yamato Gun works well for
this), and Irradiate everything in sight. The attack will fall quickly
and you should counterattack before your opponent can re-establish defense,
not just with air but with any Marines and Tanks you prepared in anticipation
of any other kind of rush. Only use Firebats as cannon fodder, since they
are not very useful except against Zealots and Zerglings. Be sure to bring
at least one Science Vessel to check for burrowed Drones, waiting for you
to leave.
Build 3 SCVs, set each to
minerals.
Save 150 minerals, then build
a Barracks, near your Command Center.
Build an 8th SCV (while the
Barracks is under construction).
When the 8th SCV is finished,
you'll have almost 100 minerals. Set the SCV to build a Supply Depot. Think
ahead. Place it where you think it will best defend your future first Bunker.
Build a 9th SCV as soon as
you can.
Start a 10th SCV just as soon.
While the 10th SCV is under
construction, both your Barracks and Supply Depot will finish. Put one
of the SCVs on minerals and make the other build a Bunker.
Build a Marine.
Build another Bunker (tip:
place both Bunkers within Marine range of your SCVs).
Build another Marine.
> When the SCV finishes the
2nd bunker, set it to minerals, so you now have 10 SCVs mining minerals
and you have 2 Marines, 1 in each Bunker.
Build an Academy.
Build a Refinery.
Build 2 more SCVs and set
one to mining and the other to gas.
> Build 6 Firebats (or 4 Firebats
and 2 Marines) and another Supply Depot, again, in a defensive position,
and build a ComSat.
While you are building the
Firebats, if your opponent has found you, he will probably spring the rush.
Get an SCV on each Bunker, repairing them as the Zealots tear it down.
If you lose SCVs, make replacements. You might lose a Bunker, so build
it back (make sure to have at least one Marine in each bunker, to bother
Zealots who attack your supply line). Recover quickly. Find your opponent
with scouts and ComSat sweeps. If he looks to be going for lots of Zealots,
keep making Firebats and get Tanks. If he is going for dragoons, get Marines
and Tanks. If he is going for air power, get Missile Turrets and Marines.
Be sure not to overcommit, since your opponent is free to change his strategy
at any time.
After a little while, you
should get a Starport up, complete with Control Tower. Get a Science Facility
up and attach a Physics Lab. Now build Battlecruisers as fast as your Starport
allows. Feel free to expand at any time now, but check with ComSat for
Observers before building a Command Center and forfeiting 400 minerals.
Get a Yamato Gun on your Battlecruisers quickly and keep cranking out more
of them. By this time, you should have a wall of Missile Turrets around
your base area, since the Protoss cannot attack them with impunity. If
they send Carriers, Interceptors get shot down. If they send Reavers, you're
screwed, but they can't get them over there without Shuttles or Arbiters,
so be careful about them. When you decide the time is right, attack with
about a dozen Battlecruisers, use the Yamato Gun to kill Photon Cannons,
and slaughter all who oppose you. High Templar are of utmost concern, so
kill them on sight and don't get caught in Psi Storms excessively. If you
see an Arbiter, kill it, because it can put half your Battlecruisers in
Stasis, crippling your attack. After killing the major threats, kill anything
which shoots at you and then kill all the Probes you see. Once you run
out of units to kill, destroy buildings. Target annoying buildings like
the Templar Archives and the Arbiter Tribunal, then kill anything that
makes units, then kill anything left standing. If your opponent has expanded,
find and kill him as quickly as possible (use ComSat).>