If you pick a good Protoss build order, you will create units a lot faster than your enemy. If you already know what your exact build order is, you can guarantee yourself a really quick beginning Starcraft 2 strategy. You can choose your build order based on your opponent’s race; high-level players have pre-set build orders as part of their opener.

In addition to picking your build based on the enemy gamer’s faction, you also should think about the current map the game is taking place on. As an example, if you are playing a Terran gamer at a big map, one of the most common strategies is to try to perform a four-gate build and a fast expansion. To start, you always want to get at a minimum 1 Gateway up which then builds a steady flow of units.

Proceed to tech up, but quit once you get to the advanced buildings; you will need the minerals for your expansion. Either way, you do have to get some early sentries to protect your territory from a rush such as mentioned in these protoss build orders. Try getting your first offensive infantry by a supply count of 15 and then adding a Nexus before getting too far past 24 supplies.

This gives you a lot of time to produce a couple units to protect your base (especially from Reapers) and also gives the Protoss player a chance to halt any early aggression from Marauders. Either of these situations can be devastating for the Protoss user. However, by building a Nexus early early in the game, the Protoss user can get a major upper-hand on the Terran player.

Even using these tactics, Terran enemies make difficult foes. One of the most common mistakes is not getting adequate resources to combat the Terran army. Terran units are the best units in Starcraft 2 based on their cost; so if you really want to stop a Terran army, your Protoss build order needs to provide a tactic for harvesting minerals.

Furthermore, if a Terran player tries to expand, you must halt it instantly as it is extremely tricky to defeat a Terran expansion once it is fortified. If you see your Terran enemy is building an expansion early, quickly produce 4 or 5 gateways and start massing Stalkers, Zealots, and Sentries. You can use the special barrier spell that the Sentry possesses to stop enemy units from coming to aid the expansion, making breaking it down simple.

Just be sure to refresh the barrier as it only lasts for a short time. The workers will have nowhere to go, and you can frequently deliver a devastating attack by attacking with a 4 or 5 gate build order in this scenario.

The Terran vs Zerg match-up is one of the most exciting match-ups in Starcraft 2. For one, it is probably the most common match-up as most players play as either Zerg or Terran. Protoss is actually the least popular of the three races due to balance issues, at least in the higher leagues.

A common method for Zerg players to use in this match-up is to get some early Roaches. Early Roaches are key to defending against early Terran aggression such as that evident in the Starcraft 2 Mass Reaper strategy. Terran simply are able to pressure Zerg players too much if the Zerg does not get Roaches.

In fact, roaches are one the key unit in the Zerg Reaper Counter. Without the Roach, the Zerg is in a rough place versus Terran players.

The Zerg’s strongest unit against Terran is probably the Mutalisk. Mass Thors are very effective versus Mutalisks; you should not let the game go on long enough in Zerg vs Terran match-ups for the enemy to mass Thors. If the enemy does mass Thors, Zerglings, Brood Lords, Banelings, and Infestors are all an appropriate counter to the Thor.

Zerg players should never opt for Hydralisks when facing a Terran player. There is just absolutely no reason you would want Hydralisks versus a Terran player. Infestors, Banelings, Zerglings, and Roaches destroy infantry. Mutalisks and Brood Lords destroy Mech and Air builds. Ultralisks are always a great addition versus a mixed Terran army.

When Starcraft 2 was first released, many players thought that Terran was absolutely dominant over Zerg. While it is generally accepted that Terran has a slight advantage over Zerg players, it is not the absolute win for Terran players as it once was.

Another key strategy for Zerg players is that they need to spread the Creep around their base. Build multiple Queens and use Creep Tumors in order to spread the Creep. This ensures that your units travel faster and that you are able to easily defend several bases at once.

As a Terran player, your job is to constantly pressure the Zerg player. Zerg to not have a great natural defense in the form of walls, so their bases are easily harassed. Reapers, Banshees, and Hellions are all great harassment units, depending on what your enemy gets. Reapers work versus Spine Crawlers, Queens, Zerglings, and Roaches; Hellions work versus mass Zergling, and Roaches work versus mass Roaches.

Pick the right unit and you will be sure to win.

When it comes to winning in Starcraft 2, picking the right build order is of utmost importance. If you do not know what a build order is, this refers to the order in which you train units and build structures. Easy enough, right?

Your build order should reflect what you intend to do. In other words, if you are planning on rushing, you will need to adopt a build order which supports rushing. If you want to get tier 3 units, your build order should also reflect that.

Here are some samples from the Protoss race:

A common strategy for Protoss players to use against Zerg is the “2 gate Zealot rush”. This involves building a Pylon at 8/10 supplies and then a Gateway at 10/19 Supplies and 12/19 Supplies. You then use Chrono Boost to pump out 6-9 Zealots and send them in. Here is what you might see as a build order for such a strategy:

8/10 – Pylon
10/19 – Gateway
12/19 – Gateway (build 2 Zealots)
17/19 – Pylon

You are left to fill in the proverbial blanks in this situation. It is assumed unless it is otherwise stated that any unit mentioned in the build order is a Probe. Players will not say “build 8 probes then grab a pylon” but rather “8/10 – Pylon”. Assume the person displaying the build order is wanting you to build harvesters unless otherwise noted.

I have found some good Terran Build Orders and Zerg Build Orders at on this page. Be sure when you are looking at build orders that you are looking at Starcraft 2 build orders. It might seem a bit silly to say but you would be surprised how often players end up looking at build orders from the original Starcraft!

There are two great ways to get build orders. The easiest and often the most effective way is to find a video on youtube (look for HDStarcraft or HuskyStarcraft) of a professional player and watch their build order. Find a video of someone who plays the same race as you and wait until they perform the strategy you are most comfortable with. Then, just copy whatever they do!

Another great way to get some new build orders is to look at your opponent’s build order after a loss. On the score screen, you can click over to the build order tab and see second by second exactly what the enemy did. You can also then watch the replay to get a closer look at what they did and just replicate that yourself!

The new Starcraft 2 Secrets guide by Tony T-Tub Sanders is generating a lot of hype. I grabbed a copy and decided to check it out and throw up a Starcraft 2 Secrets review.

All in all, I thought this guide was decent. There was a lot of good strategies for players of each races and I think any newbie or mid-level player would fairly impressed with this guide. As summed up in this Starcraft 2 Secrets review, it is good for getting into the Platinum and maybe Diamond league. There are also a few strategies in it for Diamond league players as well.

The guide is organized so that strategies are ranked by skill level, which is really helpful. As a complete newbie, you will have no need to question which strategy you should start with as the guide tells you how difficult each strategy is to pull off.

A lot of other guides fail in that respect because they do not end up telling you how difficult a particular strategy is, just how to do it. New players often fail when they try to perform one of these difficult strategies that was meant for more advanced players.

Here are some features you will find in Starcraft 2 Secrets by Tony T-Dub Sanders:

- Dozens of strategies for every race

- Discover how to expand without risking the loss of units

- Learn the best build orders for each race

- The 1 Terran advantage that lets them dominate in nearly every match-up

But in reality, the best part of Starcraft 2 Secrets is the build orders. There are so many build orders that you can literally rotate through dozens of strategies to always keep the enemy’s guessing. This is great if you are playing against friends because that way you can surprise them time after time with a new strategy.

If you are serious about improving your game, then I strongly recommend this guide. To recap, here are the benefits:

- More build orders then you could ever use

- Strategies ranked based on skill level

- Starcraft 2 secrets that all races can use to start winning more games right away

- How Zerg can get minerals from the entire map without risking the loss of a single base

- Discover the underground method Protoss players can use to literally 1-shot the enemy’s army and there is nothing they can do about it

And a lot more! Check out the guide today, you won’t be disappointed.

The Starcraft 2 Banshee rush is a great tactic to use versus Protoss players. However, since simply a few air units can counter this technique, you should need to use a very specific set of tactics.

Here is what I recommend:

- Start off with a normal build consisting of a Supply Depot at 9/11 supplies, a Barracks at 12/19 supplies, and a Marauder at 15/19 supplies, and a Marine.

As soon as your first Marauder comes out, send it to your enemy’s base. While your Marauder is running to the enemy’s base, tech up by getting a Factory and eventually 2 Starports. Additionally, build up to the standard 22 SCVs at your main base.

At any rate, back to the action…

Now, your Marauder and Marine should be on the way to your enemy’s base. If you did this quickly, he probably only has Zealots, or perhaps a single Stalker. Either way, that is not terribly important. What you want to do is to attack his buildings to draw his attention and “let him know” you are getting Marines and Marauders.You are not actually trying to inflict any serious damage.

The only thing we are trying to accomplish is tricking him into thinking you are getting Marines and Marauders. The reason for this that it is typical for a Protoss player to go for a few Colossus and Immortals to counter Marines and Marauders. This will make your Starcraft 2 Banshee rush a complete surprise for the enemy!

Now that you have let your enemy think you are getting Marines and Marauders, continue to tech up and pump Banshees as soon as you possible can. A key thing to do here is to hide your Banshees and Starports in the corner of your base. You do not want your enemy to see you are building Banshees. If he thinks you are building Marines and Marauders and he has not seen your Banshees, this will be an easy game.

Pump out 6 total Banshees (yes 6, no less) and then go in for the enemy’s mineral line. The reason you want to get this many Banshees before going in versus a Protoss player is because Protoss players can quickly get a decent amount of Stalkers that could easily overcome 2 or even 4 Banshees. There is no way they will be over to overcome 6 Banshees though, so by ensuring this, you will get an easy win.

I do not think researching the Banshee’s cloaking ability is even necessary. After all, the Protoss player will be teching for Immortals and Colossi and have easy access to an observer. I think you will be better off by getting extra Banshees with that same money.

In Starcraft 2, newbie players fear the Reaper. This unit is able to hop up the back of your base, ignore your defense, and kill all your harvesters before you have a chance to even respond.

This strategy is popularly referred to as the Starcraft 2 Reaper Rush. However, it does not need to be that damaging. In this post, I will be giving the Reaper an in-depth analysis and talk about what players can specifically do to stop this unit from wrecking havoc on their base.

Here are the Reaper’s strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths

- Can jump up and down cliffs
- Moves very quickly
- Does bonus damage to light units and buildings
- Ranged attack

Weaknesses

- Low HP total
- Deals almost no damage versus armored units

With that said, it seems pretty apparent that melee units, light units, and buildings are a bad choice when it comes to stopping Reapers. It seems like the key to beating Reapers is to get an armored unit, preferably one that is ranged.

Protoss Reaper Counter

Protoss players seem to have a lot of trouble with the Reaper, but the truth is that this unit does not need to be threatening at all. What you will want to do is tech quickly to a Cybernetics Core and use your Nexus’ Chrono Boost ability to produce 1-2 Stalkers as fast as possible.

Place your Stalker(s) at either end of your mineral line. Stalkers are able to kill Reapers in literally just a few hits and are practically immune to their attacks. A single Stalker can take out 4 Reapers without a problem!

Terran Reaper Counter

Same story with Terran – the appropriate response to the Starcraft 2 Reaper is to build 2 Marauders. A single Marauder is also able to kill several Reapers in 1v1 combat. Additionally, the Marauder’s attack slows (when you get Concussive Shells), so Reapers are unable to run away or around Marauders.

Zerg Reaper Counter

Zerg players may not have any unit which appears to counter the Reaper, but the truth is it is very easy to kill Reapers as a Zerg player.

First off, the Queen easily can kill several Reapers in 1v1 Combat. The Queen also moves very quickly, so it is hard for Reapers to dodge it. Add in a few Zerglings to chase fleeing Reapers and this is an easy stop for Zerg.

What Not to Do

- Do not build light units to stop Reapers, at least alone. Use your Zerglings to assist your Queen, but Zerglings alone do not fair well versus Reapers. Avoid using Zealots or Marines, unless you seriously outnumber the enemy.

- Build buildings to stop Reapers. This is a waste of cash even though its tempting. Once the other player stops using Reapers and builds regular units, what are you going to do? Those cannons aren’t going to kill the enemy; they could have been an extra few units.

If you are still struggling with Reapers, check out this Starcraft 2 Reaper Counter article. There are more details about the same strategies I outlined in this article.