Star Craft 2 Strategy Guide Protoss Terran Zerg

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Contents About Starcraft 2 Strategies.................................................................................................................. 2 Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Rush ................................................................................................................. 4 Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Rush Strategy............................................................................................ 5 Starcraft 2 DT Rush .................................................................................................................................. 7 Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Protoss Strategy..................................................................................................... 9 Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Zerg Strategy ....................................................................................................... 10 Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Terran Strategy .................................................................................................... 12 Starcraft 2 Stalkers ................................................................................................................................ 14 Starcraft 2 Zealot Rush .......................................................................................................................... 16 Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy .................................................................................................................... 18 Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg Strategy......................................................................................................... 20 Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss Strategy .................................................................................................... 22 Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran Strategy ..................................................................................................... 25 Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy ........................................................................................................................ 26 Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide............................................................................................................................ 28 Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss Strategy ....................................................................................................... 31 Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy......................................................................................................... 34 Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg Strategy ............................................................................................................ 39

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About Starcraft 2 Strategies I put together this website as a resource for anyone who plays Starcraft 2 (or will be picking it up when it is released) and is looking for a solid Starcraft 2 strategy guide that will allow them to rank up in multiplayer matches. I am currently a Diamond level player on beta and plan to continue dominating the game after release and will share with you some of my best strategies so that you can start winning more games. If you haven't played the beta (testing phase) yet or are unfamiliar with the Starcraft series, here is a brief overview of Starcraft 2 (also known as SC2): The original Starcraft is so popular that many people play Starcraft for a living. The same will hold true for Starcraft 2. The real draw for most players is the online play, and that will be the focus of this guide. However, if you are more interested in single-player mode you can use the same strategies on this site and apply them to the single player mode in order to easily beat all the missions. In SC2, there are three playable races: 1. Zerg 2. Protoss 3. Terran In SC2, players can now play in a variety of ranked brackets, such as: -1v1 (you versus another player) -2v2 (random - i.e. matched up with a random partner also in the game queue) -2v2 (arranged - i.e. playing with your friends) -FFA (every person for themselves) ..and more. The great thing about this new system is that you can play ranked multiplayer (2v2, 3v3, etc) games even when your friends are not online. You are assigned to specific brackets based on your skill levels (copper, bronze, silver, gold, etc) so that your opponents are always about your skill level. After reading and implementing the strategies on this Starcraft 2 strategy guide, you should be able to leap-frog into a higher, more competitive division! The higher level divisions are more fun because you are much more likely to have a good partner and good competition. In the lower divisions, players use cheap and gimmicky tactics (fast rushes, cannon rushes, etc) to win games.

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Starcraft 2 Protoss Strategy In Starcraft 2, the Protoss are a playable race of futuristic aliens. They rely on advanced technology and large, powerful units to defeat their enemies. The Protoss are traditionally one of the most popular races. In Starcraft 2, the Protoss are an easy race to be okay with but very challenging to be a great player with. In order to help you out with this, I've put together this Starcraft 2 Protoss Strategy Guide. Below you will find all the information you need in order to master the Protoss race. Each race has its advantages and disadvantages. When considering Starcraft 2 Protoss strategy, here are the pros and cons of the Protoss race: Pros: - Fastest building race. The Protoss are unique in that they do not build things but rather teleport them in from their home world. When building, a probe only has to start summoning a building and can then move on. The only limitation is that buildings have to be placed within the realm of a pylon. With that said, a single probe can build dozens of buildings at a time provided there are enough minerals and pylon space is available. - Strong mid-to-late game Protoss have a lot of great late game units and are able to put together a formidable army if given a few minutes to prepare. They can also summon a new army very rapidly with Warp Gates. - Best defensive structure. The photon cannon is the best automated defensive building in game. It is the only building that is a detector and can attack ground units. It is also the only automated building that can attack air and ground units. At 150 minerals, this structure can single handedly stop many forms of mineral harassment such as dark templar and reapers. Cons: - Slowest starter This is by far the biggest weakness of the Protoss race. Protoss are very easily rushed. Gateways are slow to build and zealots are slower than other races' ground units such as Zerglings and Reapers.

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Even if you have Zealots, a skilled opponent will run circles around them with ranged or fast units. - Easily harassed This goes hand in hand with the slow start. It is easy for players of other races to wreck havoc on Protoss mineral operations. Zerg players can pump out Zerglings early in the game and attack probes while running circles around Zealots. Additionally, the Terran unit, the reaper, can cause major damage to probes in a short amount of time. There are two things the Protoss player can do. He can get a few cannons in his mineral base; the only downside is that this will slow down unit production and tech advancement. Alternatively, the Protoss player can quickly tech to Stalkers (to "tech" means to quickly build buildings that allow the player to produce late game units). The downside to this strategy is the player will be open to a Zergling rush during the tech period. The only way to be safe is to scout your opponent. If you see he is rushing to Zerglings or Reapers, you should build cannons or Stalkers as appropriate. Throughout this Starcraft 2 Protoss Strategy guide, you will find a variety of useful tips that will help you make up for the Protoss disadvantages along with a variety of Starcraft 2 Protoss Strategy tips to help you crush your enemies.

Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Rush One of the easiest ways for Protoss to win games is via a Starcraft 2 Dark Templar rush (also known as a DT rush). Dark Templars are a Protoss ground unit that is permanently cloaked. Players will have to get detectors to be able to see and attack the Dark Templar. The idea behind the Starcraft 2 Dark Templar rush is to tech very quickly to Dark Templars before the enemy gets detection, thereby crippling him and possibly even finishing him off before he gets detection. Here is how to pull it off: 1. Build 9 Probes. Scout at this point to make sure they aren't pulling off an early rush.

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2. Build your first pylon (location depends on enemy race and map). Against Terran players, I like to build my first pylon in pretty tight, and versus Zerg or Protoss players I will build it near the entrance to my base. 3. Build up to 12/19 probes. 4. Build your first Gateway. 5. Continue to Chrono Boost out probes. Build Assimilators at some point in this timeframe. 6. As soon as your first Gateway comes out, build a Cybernetics Core. Research Warp Gate technology as soon as possible. 7. At this point, you might want to scout for a second time. If your opponent appears ready to attack, get two more Gateways. If you have time, build a Twilight Council and then get a second Gateway. 8. What you do here depends on the map and the opponent's race. If they are Protoss, I like to rush straight for a Dark Shrine (unless they have a cannon right by their entrance). 9. For Terran players, if they have not expanded I will build a Robotics Facility to get a Warp Prism and warp them in. 10. Get a Dark Shrine if you haven't at this point.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! 11. When you place down your Dark Shrine, send your probe out to near their base and build a pylon. 12. There are some maps that when you place a pylon outside the base, you can build units INSIDE the base. These are maps with destructable barriers leading to a second entrance in the base. 13. Upgrade your 2-3 Gateways to Warp Gates and then warp Dark Templar right next to (or inside) your opponent's base. What you do next depends on what the opponent is up to. How you use your Dark Templars in particular will change on a race by race basis. Starcraft 2 Dark Templar Rush Strategy

Dark Templar vs Protoss (no detectors):

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If you are playing against Protoss players and are quick about it, you will often find that the Protoss player has no detection, particularly in the lower leagues. The faster your Starcraft 2 Dark Templar rush, the better off you will be when it comes to beating other players! This also holds true if you wall your base properly with a Pylon and Gateway near the entrance and stick a Zealot in the exit. If they can't get in your base to scout, they don't know you are rushing to Dark Templar! If you stumble upon a Protoss with no detection, this should be the end of the game. Keep an eye out for any probes that might be trying to build cannons, or any robotics facilities that might be available. If you see a Robotics Facility producing Observers, kill the pylons quickly (Dark Templar kill pylons very quickly, the Robotics Facility will take awhile).

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Use one Templar to start taking out key buildings. Start with the Nexus(es) and Probes then move onto other buildings. Use the other Dark Templar(s) to keep an eye on the enemy's base and kill detectors as they pop up (cannons, more pylons, another robotics facility). Meanwhile, warp in more Dark Templars to go in and finish the job. It bears repeating that if your Starcraft 2 Dark Templar rush is fast, you will find this strategy extremely effective. If you have little units at your base, often the other Protoss player will send in all his units to attack your base. Protect yourself from losing the "base race" by building a Dark Templar at your base. Build tons of cannons and Stalkers if he has air. If you kill off all his probes, even if the opponent races down your main buildings and units with air, he will have to kill the cannons to win (not going to happen). Your DTs will finish off job shortly and the game will end. DT vs Protoss (with detection): If you determine that your opponent has Observers, a Warp Prism to warp in Dark Templar is preferred. Place a Warp Prism in the corner of the person's base. Build 4-6 Dark Templar and then rush down the Nexus. You can usually kill it before he will be able to respond. You can also split the defense by sending in 3 DTs at the main base and then warp 3 into an expansion. Most players only have 1 Observer on defense (especially if you are fast), so you will be able to inflict major damage before being caught. With that said, I prefer not to use the Starcraft 2 Dark Templar rush when I know the enemy has

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Observers. I may use Dark Templar to harass, but I won't rush for a technique that won't be fatal. I will simply use them to harass expansions as the game goes on.

Starcraft 2 DT Rush Dark Templar vs Terran: Most players mistakenly think that a Starcraft 2 DT rush is completely worthless against Terran players because Terran players can kill them with a Scanner Sweep. While all Terran players are likely to have a Scanner Sweep, note that this doesn't necessarily mean Dark Templar are worthless. The truth is far from it. Scanner Sweep costs energy and is limited in amount. Also, note that players have to choice between the MULE and the Scanner Sweep. Considering the MULE is worth 270 minerals to the Terran player (each one is!) simply having them scan can wreck a Terran player's economy.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! If you have 4 Dark Templar, you can send them in one at a time, costing the Terran player a scan each time. Good players actually keep less energy on tap as they use it for MULEs, so you can quickly exhaust their reserves. Even bad players are unlikely to have energy for more than 3 scans, so the 4th Dark Templar will start causing some serious damage. At this point, keep warping in Dark Templar and wrecking the opponent. Make sure to keep the DTs somewhat separated so they do not get taken out by a single scan. Also, be sure to look out for the construction of Missle Turrets as these are a detector. Finally, you can kill Tech Labs on Starports to stop the construction of Ravens (the Terran detector). Ravens cost so much gas that many Terran players are unable to get them. The best thing to remember about using a Starcraft 2 DT rush on Terran players is that even if you are unsuccessful, each scanner sweep costs them 270 minerals. Keep sending in DTs one at a time and try to snipe their units and SCVs. Look for high cost units like Tanks and Ghosts to snipe. Killing a Seige Tank only takes a few swings and many players will not see this coming and scan fast enough, allowing you to kill one (or more) tanks. Seige tanks are great to kill as most players keep these in "Seige Mode" which means they won't automatically run when you attack them. They will be stuck in place long enough for you to kill one, and often the splash damage from the tanks will hurt their other units in the process.

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Just do the math: 1 Dark Templar costs 125 minerals and 125 vespene gas. One Seige Tank costs 150 minerals and 125 vespene gas, and the scanner sweep costs 270 minerals! Losing 125 minerals and vespene is a lot less painful than the 420 minerals and 125 vespene the Terran loses in this situation. By using multiple Dark Templar, this adds up very quickly! Ghosts can expose DTs temporarily with the EMP ability, so keep an eye out for them and never clump your Dark Templar. Focus these down, as an EMPed Dark Templar that is killed is a waste of money. Use your Dark Templar to focus Ghosts down.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! When performing a Starcraft 2 DT rush, note that Dark Templar can also be used to defend your own base from Terran counter attacks. If they spent all their scans on your Dark Templar, they won't be able to see the Dark Templar in your base. You can use Stalkers or Phoenix to focus down any Ravens in the area. Dark Templar vs Zerg Versus Zerg players killing the main hatchery is top priority as if players see that you are coming, they can quickly make an Overseer. Four Dark Templar can kill a Lair before the Overseer comes out if you sneak in quietly. DTs alone will never defeat a Zerg due to the ease of getting an Overseer. However, you can take out quite a few drones and maybe even a Hatchery if you completely take them by surprise. Use Dark Templar once to hurt the Zerg player's economy, and then go back to producing units to finish them off. As a general rule, I don't like using the Starcraft 2 DT rush versus Zerg players. One great way to use Dark Templars though is to put a hurt on their supply count by picking off Overlords with the Phoenix. Focus on Overseers and then Overlords. While the enemy is distracted dealing with the Phoenix, send in the Dark Templar. Use the Dark Templar to first kill any Anti-Air ground unit (Hydralisks, Queens) and then use the Phoenix to focus down any Overseers that might be forming. Conclusion The Starcraft 2 DT rush is most effective when used against Protoss players, mostly because only good Protoss players bother to get an early observer. This strategy is often enough to completely finish off Protoss players, especially mediocre players that have a tendency to rush for Void Rays.

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The Starcraft 2 DT rush is also a great way to hurt the economy of Terran players. Wear down their scanning energy a bit at a time until they run out.

Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Protoss Strategy Due to the versatility of the Protoss race, there are a lot of great ways to beat Protoss players. The key is early scouting so you can get whatever counters your opponent. With that said, here are some effective Protoss vs Protoss strategies: Void Rays For a longer game, getting Void Rays is a great way to beat another Protoss player. Protoss lack a strong armored air counter. There are two ways to pull this off. First you can try the air rush, which involves walling your base, building 1 Stargate, making 2-3 Void Rays, and going in.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! If your enemy is building Zealots and Immortals, this is an effective strategy. If your enemy is amassing stalkers, it is a bad strategy. It works best in lower leagues versus opponents who do not scout. The other way to do this is to expand the map aggressively and amass void rays. If you build a massive Void Ray army, your Protoss opponent cannot stop it. The Stalker is the primary counter to an air rush. To the mass air strategy, you have to just prevent it by killing undefended expansions. It will be unstoppable if too many Voids are produced. Dark Templar Rush This is very effective even in the higher leagues. You must wall the entrance with a pylon, a gateway, and a few Zealots. You can't let your opponent know what you are up to. Tech immediately to a Dark Shrine. If you can, hide the Dark Shrine in the corner of your base so the enemy can't see it. When you go in, if the enemy has no detection (common if you are fast), you cvan use the front. I like to send in at least 4 Templar as that way you can kill faster than the opponent can counter. Go right for the kill and take out their main Nexus right away. If they do have detection, you can still usually kill their main base if you use a Warp Prism and warp in about 6 Dark Templar. By the time they realize what happened, their Nexus is gone!

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Once this happens, make a more balanced army to come in and finish the job. Mixed Army A lot of players will go for the mixed army approach: some Stalkers, some Sentries, some Immortals, and maybe some Zealots. This is effective but the easiest way to counter this as a Protoss player is to hit them early. Research Charge and mass Zealots and Sentries (on a side note, Charge is not nearly as important versus Protoss players as they have no units which easily kite Zealots). This is one of the best Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Protoss strategies out there. The opponent will spend a lot of resources on a variety of buildings and you will end up with a bigger, stronger army in the short term. Don't let them go air or expand and you will win this no problem. Charging Zealots and Sentries are great versus newbies who mass Stalkers as well. To counter a Zealot masser, go air! In conclusion, three effective ways to beat Protoss players are to rush or mass Void Rays, rush to Dark Templar, or build Zealots and Sentries. These are just a few of many Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Protoss strategies. The best Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Protoss Strategy always depends on your opponent's strategy. If your opponent is massing Zealots and Sentries, a quick Void Ray strike will be crippling. If they are massing Sentries, rushing to Voids can be disastrous. Likewise, if an enemy has no detection, Dark Templars are an instant win every time! Take some time to learn the units and you will be winning your Protoss mirror matches every time.

Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Zerg Strategy As a Protoss player, one of your easiest match-ups is against Zerg players. You definitely have the advantage in this matchup unless the opponent is very good (but then again, great players are never easy to beat!). Build a Lot of Probes As soon as the match starts, start building a lot of workers. Keep making them. You will want to make these in excess.

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Build a pylon at 8/10 and a Gateway at 12 or 13 out of 19 supplies. If you get rushed here, use your probes. Probes are very effective versus Zerglings!

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Block Your Entrance Zerg players are slow to get air or drop ship technology (need a Lair and research before Overlords can do this). The only threat you face is Speedlings (Zerglings with the speed upgrade) speeding past your units and wrecking your minerals. You can prevent this from happening by placing your initial Gateway and Pylon by the ramp to your base. Then, plug this hole up with your ground units. Once the Zerg player has realized this has happened, they will often pull their Zerglings out. Use your Sentries to trap them in! Scout You need to figure out what your enemy is up to. If he has expanded early, you either need to kill him fast or expand yourself. A good Zerg player will sneak Zerglings in to finish off your expansion constantly, so if you want to expand, attack the Zerg player's expansion with SOME of your units and then expand yourself. Even if you don't win, distract him long enough to secure your expansion and you have "won" that interchange. Mass Tier 1 and Tier 2 Units As soon as your Gateway is done being built, start making Zealots. Build a second Gateway and start teching towards a Twilight Council. Research Warp Gate technology. Research Charge, build a 3rd Gateway, and keep making Zealots. Make about 10 Zealots, 6 Stalkers, and 6 Sentries and then go in (no Stalkers if there are only Zerglings). Zerg is so slow to start it is practically guaranteed they cannot stop an early mass attack. They will overspend in pursuit of an early expansion or technology. The only way for this to be countered by the Zerg player is to mass Zerglings or Spine Crawlers. If you see Spine Crawlers, expand immediately.

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If you see a Zergling mass, re-mass your army, build a few Colossi and go back in. Many Zerg players like to mass Mutalisks. Add a few Phoenix to your army or mass Stalkers. Both will work. If you expanded, I prefer the Phoenix. You can use small groups to kill workers and Queens very quickly, while protecting your own minerals from Mutalisks. The downside to the Phoenix is that building a Stargate is expensive, so only do it if you expanded. If you did not, build Stalkers. Conclusion With that said, I cannot restate the importance of how slow the Zerg are after an initial Zergling rush. Do not allow Zerg players to expand early against you without making them pay for it. Also, note that Void Rays are weak versus Zerg unless they are massing Zerglings and/or Roaches. Corrupters do bonus damage to armored air units and will quickly take down Void Rays. With that said, an air rush is a viable option versus Zerg players as it takes Zerg players quite a long time to get a Lair finished. You will need a better economy than the Zerg players (very tough) if you want to have a chance to successfully mass Void Rays. I would not recommend this and there is simply better ways to go about beating Zerg players (hint: don't let the game last that long!). With these basic strategies in mind, beating Zerg players is very easy. Hit them early and often, starve them of minerals, and don't let the game run on too long and you will do just fine.

Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Terran Strategy Terran are probably the hardest match ups for Protoss players. If the opponent is Terran and knows that you are Protoss, odds are that Reapers are in your future. There are a few ways you can deal with this. Terran Death by Proxy In a 1v1 game, the best way to deal with this is to proxy. Proxying involves building Gateways at your opponent's base as fast as possible.

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Immediately at the start of the game, send 1 Probe to a hidden spot outside the opponent's base.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! While your worker is on the way, build a probe at your base and have it harvest minerals. As soon as your probe is in position, build a pylon. As soon as you can after that, build 2 Gateways. Once the first Gateway is done, Chrono Boost out a Zealot and send it in. Odds are he will have 1 or 2 marines which the Zealot will easily dispatch. If he is building a tech lab, destroy it. Focus on that above anything else. No Reapers is a priority. Meanwhile, keep building Zealots and sending them in. When performing an early rush like this, try to harass and stop him from building units. If you only have 1 or 2 Zealots, avoid a direct conflict with 10+ workers as you are liable to lose! Keep sending in Zealots and tech up your main base. If he survives your initial attack, he should be slowed down enough to stay contained while you mass units and expand the map. The major thing you have to worry about is a Terran proxy. If your probe passes an SCV on its way to the opponent's base, odds are he is proxying you! In this case, you need to forego your proxy briefly and get a Forge and two Photon Cannons immediately. Place the pylon and forge behind your minerals and place two cannons up against your Nexus right by the Vespene geysers. This will protect you from Reapers. As soon as the cannons are placed, start your proxy and continue normally as mentioned above. Your first Zealots are likely to enter an undefended base! Rushing Stalker If you do not want to play the with the Proxy playstyle (it is a bit risky if your micro is bad) or if the opponent is not building reapers right next to your base, your best option is to rush to Stalkers. Build a Pylon at 8/10 and a Gateway at 12/19. While the Gateway is building, keep pumping out Probes. Build an Assimilator when you get the spare minerals. As soon as your Gateway finishes, build a Cybernetics Core.

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While this is building, build a Zealot, another pylon, and keep pumping out workers. As soon as the Cybernetics Core finishes, Chrono Boost out a Stalker. If your opponent is good, his Reaper may arrive right before your Stalker. If so, don't worry about it as he is unlikely to kill many Probes before your Stalker arrives. Place your Stalker in your mineral operations. If he sacrificed workers and units to rush the Reaper, it may arrive earlier. It will unlikely kill more than a few Probes by the time your Stalker is finished. Despite the Reapers "success", if the player sacrificed building works to rush the Reaper, odds are he hurt himself more than he hurt you. Once you have your Stalker, you can continue on a normal game and build units that counter his, as follows: Mauraders are countered by Charge Zealots / Sentries. Marines are countered by Colossi. Siege Tanks are countered by Immortals, Void Rays, or the Phoenix. If you have the resources, Void Rays can be very effective versus Terran players. With these great Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Terran strategies, you should win most of your matches versus Terran players.

Starcraft 2 Stalkers One of the easiest ways to win games as Protoss is to make a lot of Stalkers. This is a very, very easy strategy and it will still win most games versus Gold League players or below. As stated, the best thing about this strategy is that it is so easy even a complete newbie could do it. In fact, it's an easy way for newbie players to get their feet wet. I wouldn't recommend it for very advanced players. It will allow you to get some wins under your belt so that you can face tougher opponents. By fighting better players, you can copy their strategies and see what they do to beat you! Take what strategies work and use them for yourself. You need to get to the higher leagues to do this though!

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now!

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Back on topic. Here is how to mass Stalkers: Build Probes until you are at 8/10 supplies. Once you are here, build a Pylon and then build more Probes. Keep pumping out Probes with the Chrono Boost (found at the Nexus) ability, but save money to build a Gateway at 12/19 supply count. After building a Gateway, keep producing Probes. Build Assimilators to harvest gas with when possible but do not build them until you can afford to while still producing probes. Meanwhile, as soon as your Gateway finishes, build a Cybernetics Core and another Pylon. Once you have 3 probes harvesting gas on each receptor and 16 probes harvesting minerals, build 2 more Gateways. As soon as the Cybernetics Core finishes, Chrono Boost out a Stalker. Also begin researching Warp Gate technology. At this point, keep producing Stalkers non-stop at your 3 Gateways. Scouting the Enemy At this point, keep building Pylons (as needed) and Stalkers. While you are doing this, scout out your enemy. If at any point he has less units than you, do the following: Build a Templar Council building when you can afford it and research Blink. By the time you finish researching Blink, you should be able to go in and kill your opponent. You should have 18 to 24 Stalkers at this point. Use Blink to jump past any defensive walls and take your opponent out. If the Enemy Has More Units than Your Starcraft 2 Stalkers If the enemy has more units than you, you need to expand. Build a Nexus at your natural expansion and pump out Probes as quickly as possible to harvest at it. Meanwhile, once you have the resources, build 3 more Gateways and turn them into Warp Gates (you should have 6 Warp Gates). Once you have 6 Warp Gates, keep pumping out Stalkers and building more Pylons. You can never have too many Starcraft 2 Stalkers as a newbie player. You can even go for a third expansion if you have the resources. Add 3 Warp Gates with each expansion you get.

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Be sure to research Blink as mentioned above, this is a great ability for Starcraft 2 Stalkers. Once you have up 6-9 Warp Gates, you can send in your units. Even if the enemy wipes you out, odds are you will have done quite a bit of damage. Hit his expansions and use Blink to bypass defense. Since you have so many Warp Gates, keep warping in Stalkers even as you are fighting. Your enemy will have to fight not only your first Stalker army but another 20-30 will be waiting at your base given how fast you warp them in! The Starcraft 2 Stalker has its main strength in being cheap and fast to produce. Keep pumping them out to whittle your enemy's army down. This strategy is easy to execute and works on Gold league players and below. For more advanced players, check out some of the other strategies on the side bar. A good player will make a unit strong against the Stalker (at which point you make whatever unit counters that!).

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Starcraft 2 Zealot Rush The Zealot rush is one of the easiest and most effective ways to win games. The Starcraft 2 Zealot rush is a bit different from the original Starcraft (but not too much!). There are two main ways to perform this technique, the standard method or by proxy. Standard Method The standard method involves building 2 gateways in your base and pumping out 4 to 6 zealots and then sending them in. A good build order for this would be probes to 8/10 supplies, then a pylon, then 2 to 3 more probes, then 2 Gateways. Produce the Zealots then send them in. The biggest thing to understand about the normal Zealot rush is that it is rarely a fatal technique. The main purpose of the standard Zealot rush is to slow down your opponent. Because this technique is simply meant to slow the opponent, while you are sending in your Zealots, be sure to continue to produce more probes, start harvesting gas, and build pylons and tech up.

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If you decide to stick with ground or extend your Zealot rush, build a third Gateway when you get a chance and make sure you get a lot of Probes to harvest minerals (up to 16). If your initial rush is devastating, you can always produce more Zealots and finish the job. Most normal rushes will not be devastating. A good rush involves wiping out most of the enemy's harvesters. A devastating rush would be wiping out all offensive unit producing buildings like a Spawning Pool, Gateway, or Barracks. After performing a good rush, mass units over the next few minutes (Zealots, Sentries, and Stalkers) and then send them in to finish the job. If your initial rush was good, 12 units should be enough to finish them off. The other rush method is by proxy. This method is a lot riskier and requires good speed.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Proxy Zealot Rush A proxy involves building a pylon right outside the enemy's base (or even inside it if the base is big enough) and then building your gateways there. This makes rushing really fast since units do not have to travel far. As soon as the game starts, immediately send one Probe to build a pylon just outside the enemy base. This works best if the pylon is hidden so the enemy cannot see it. Build 2 gateways as soon as possible. You do not need more than 9 probes to start. As soon as the gateways are done, build Zealots and use the Chrono Boost ability of the Nexus to speed Zealot production. If you are playing a Terran player, send in your first Zealot right away. You cannot afford for the enemy to build a Reaper, which could wipe out your entire base! You also do not want to give your enemy enough time to wall the entrance. If the entrance is walled, get 3 Zealots and take it down. Terran cannot produce Marines fast enough to beat 3 proxy Zealots. If the enemy is Protoss, I would recommend waiting until you get 4 Zealots before going in. Almost no Protoss player will be able to withstand this. Kill his few Zealots and then take down the pylon(s) powering his Gateway(s). Once he can no longer produce Zealots, you win!

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Do not proxy versus a good Zerg player. If you do, do not build so close to the base because Overlords will find you. Zerglings can easily spoil a proxy attempt.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! However, Zerg players do struggle versus a normal rush of about 6 to 8 Zealots. Effectively mastering the Protoss Zealot rush alone is enough to take any player up to the Platinum league. However, it can be boring so I would recommend checking out some of these strategies: The proxy is most effective Starcraft 2 Zealot rush versus Terran and other Protoss players. It works best when you are playing someone that is "Favored" (i.e. ranked higher than you) since it is risky. You do not want to risk a loss against someone you are favored against by performing a Starcraft 2 Zealot rush by proxy. It is not worth the risk to lose a lot of points if they discover your Gateways early and prepare for it.

Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy When it comes to the easiest race in Starcraft 2, it is well accepted that Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy is much easier than the other races. Here are the basics. There are three main builds that are typically used by Terran players. While no one Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy is mutually exclusive (strategies can be combined), there are certain builds which are very synergistic. The three most common builds are Infantry, Mech, and Air. Infantry Build There are four main infantry builds you should be familiar with. The most common early game builds are mass Marines or Marines and Marauders. A mix of Marines and Marauders is generally the most effective. There are some exceptions.

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More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! If you know the enemy is rushing air (rare in Terran vs Terran, common in Terran vs Zerg or Protoss), a very easy counter is to build 2 Barracks with 2 Reactors attached and pump out a Marine ball and send it in for an easy win (2 dozen Marines only takes moments to build). If you know the enemy is massing Stalkers or Roaches, you can mass Marauders, as Marauders counter those units in an early game. MMM is probably the most popular Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy. MMM consists of Marines, Marauders, and Medivacs. It is a very synergistic combo which is easy to use, which makes it common in the Silver, Gold, and Platinum leagues. It is much rarer in Diamond as it has some counters. The final build is mixing Infantry in with other units. The way you mix in Infantry depends on the race you are playing and I will discuss this in more detail in the Terran vs (fill in race here) sections. Mech Build Mech is a very popular Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy which generally consists of Siege Tanks and Thors produced in mass numbers. Siege Tanks punish ground units and Thors punish air units (and protect tanks). Players can then add either Vikings (if the enemy is mostly Air) or Hellions (if the enemy has mostly light units like Zerglings and Zealots). A few Ghosts is also standard Starcraft 2 Terran Strategy. Ghosts should be added to support your army by taking out high value targets like Infestors or to knock off the shields of Immortals with the EMP ability.

Air Getting mostly air is also a common Terran strategy. It is very unusual for good players to mass air units though. Rushing to Banshees is effective versus Zerg and Protoss players, while using Vikings to keep Terran players contained is also very effective. Air is most effective when performed as a "switch". For example, if you are playing Protoss and as a Terran player and are going an MMM build, it is not unusual for the Protoss player to build Colossi, Zealots, and Sentries.

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Once the Protoss player amasses this army, if a Terran player can pull off a good switch and produce 6 or so Banshees, oftentimes they will be able to inflict serious damage on a Protoss player that has no anti-air units. Banshees make quick work out of Sentries.

Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg Strategy As a Terran player, you will find that with the right Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg strategy, you will never lose to a Zerg player again. Here are the basics: Protecting Against the Rush The key to any Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg strategy is to simply survive for more than a few moments. If the map is small, use your 10th SCV to scout to make sure your enemy isn't pulling any cheesy tactics (like a 6 pool rush). It is rare for Zerg players to try to pull a 6-pool rush (which means they build a Spawning Pool right away and send in 6 Zerglings as fast as possible) at a bigger map, since it takes too long to get there.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! If you see a 6-pool rush or early Zerglings in general, make sure you quickly wall the entrance to your base with Supply Depots and a Barracks. Just two Marines behind a full wall will be able to easily handle a pack of Zerglings. General Strategies In general, Zerg players are weak versus mechanical units and slow to get units that can bust through or avoid your wall. As a result, once your wall is finished you are free to tech as you please. The most powerful Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg strategy is getting a Mech army. Behind your wall, build a few Siege Tanks, Hellions, and Marines. Once you have a few Siege Tanks up, take your expansion. Be sure to scout for any air units. If you see your enemy is making Mutalisks, resist the urge to make Vikings. Mutalisks do well versus Vikings so this is an exercise in futility. A few Missile Turrets and Marines will be just fine early in the game versus Mutalisks. As the game wears on, pick up some Thors. Once Thors reach a critical mass (about 3-4), they become unstoppable versus Mutalisks. To repeat, a key Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg strategy is to opt for Thors versus Mutalisks. Make up for the Thor's lack of mobility by placing Missile Turrets around your base and a Sensor building to detect enemy movement from far away.

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Use Hellions to protect your Siege Tanks against Zergling packs. Slowly creep in your Thors, Tanks, and Hellions to the enemy's base. Most Zerg players will try to counter you by harassing your base while you are not there. The key thing to remember is that behind a Terran Wall, simply 2-3 Tanks, 4-5 Marines, a Thor, and a Missile Turret can handle even very large Zerg armies. On the offensive, you do not need to take all your units with you, since Terran units are so effective versus Zerg units. Just leave about 20 supplies worth of units in your base as you slowly progress into the Zerg players base. As you get very close to their base, be careful with your tanks. The easiest way to do this is to "leap frog", which involves placing about half your tanks in Tank Mode, moving them up some, placing them in Siege Mode, and then moving the tanks that were left behind and doing the same thing. This way, you slowly advance on the Zerg players base without ever being caught with all of your tanks in Tank Mode. This is a basic Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg strategy that is incredibly effective and will leave the enemy crying for nerfs.

Countering Brood Lords There is one situation where Vikings find there way into Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg matches. If the player gets Brood Lords, be sure to pick up some Vikings. Vikings can attack from very far away (further than Mutalisks and Corruptors) so they will be able to attack Brood Lords from a distance. When Mutalisks or Corruptors move in on your Vikings, your Thors will be able to take them out quick, leaving the Vikings to finish off the Brood Lords without taking any damage. Since Brood Lords are so slow to build (have to be evolved from Corruptors) and cost so many resources (300 minerals, 250 vespene gas), your enemy will take a very long time to rebuild these powerful units. The Ghost is also very effective versus Brood Lords as the Snipe ability can take them out very quickly. Cloaked Ghosts will pick off Brood Lords incredibly quickly and can take out even a large army of them in the blink of an eye.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Hellion Rush

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If your enemy is not teching to air, teching straight to Hellions can be an effective way to quickly take out your opponent. Hellions do great damage versus Zerglings and Banelings and with the Ignition Pre-Ignitor, Hellions take out light units in the blink of an eye. As a result, a devastating Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg strategy is to rush to a few upgraded Hellions and then send them in. It is best to ignore the Queen (avoid it) and kill the Zerglings and Drones. Meanwhile, tech up at your base and keep producing more Hellions. Build Marauders and Tanks if the enemy starts to make Spine Crawlers. Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg Strategy at a Glance Here is a summary of easy to follow Starcraft 2 Terran vs Zerg Strategy: 1. Wall off quick. Stop teching to finish the wall if the player is rushing Zerglings. 2. Mech counters nearly all Zerg units. 3. Early game counters: Wall + Marines > Zergling Rush Hellions > Big Zergling/Baneling Push Banshee Rush > Early Roach Push 4. Mid-Late game strategy Missile Turret > Mutalisk mineral harassment Thors > Mutalisks Vikings + Thors > Corruptors and Brood Lords Tanks + Hellions > Zerglings and Hydralisks Tanks + Thors > Hydralisks and Roaches Tanks + Thors + Hellions > All Zerg units except for Brood Lords and Ultralisks 5. If you let the Zerg player get Ultralisks, be sure to have plenty of Thors with the 250mm Strike Cannon ability ready. 6. If you let the Zerg player get Brood Lords, build Vikings to supplement your mech army.

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Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss Strategy This article is going to teach the Terran players how to win Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss match-ups.

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A match-up between Terran and Protoss players is one of the most balanced games in Starcraft 2. Just kidding! The Terran player has some specific advantages over the Protoss player that allow the Terran player to take the upper hand. In particular, Terran players biological units are very strong against Protoss players. Here are some specific Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategies you can use: Reaper Rush:

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Protoss players are very susceptible to this Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategy, especially when performed in the lower leagues. Players can perform the following build order: Build 1 SCV Build 1 Barracks Build a Refinery Build a Tech Lab Build an Orbital Command As this is going on, players can build a Reaper and research Nitro Pack technology. The goal is to stay at 7 SCVs so no new supply depots need to be built. It is important to go in immediately with the first Reaper and jump up the back and start killing Probes. Kite the enemy Zealots and Probes. If you don't know what "kiting" is, it means to run from the enemy melee units, only stopping to shoot for a second before continuing again. You can make your Reaper do this by moving him away from a Zealot, and when he gets distance, press the H key, and immediately have it move again. The Reaper is too fast to be caught by Probes and Zealots; only Stalkers and Photon Cannons can stop them. Supply for supply, Reapers will kill Sentries. Once you start your rush, in the confusion, it is very effective to build a Bunker in the opponent's minerals. This always goes unnoticed. If it doesn't go unnoticed, your Reaper can kill the Zealots and Probes that are trying to kill the Bunker. If the Bunker finishes, you can put the Reaper inside it and the game is now over (as long as the Bunker is in range of the enemy Nexus). Players can continue the Reaper push if successful, or segway into Infantry (or start with Infantry from the start). Infantry

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Terran have a big advantage over Protoss players with their Infantry. In particular, Marines and Marauders decimate Protoss troops. Marauders slow Zealots and do bonus damage to Stalkers, making them counter both of these Protoss ground units. Marines protect the Marauders from any air, making this an easy Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategy. Players should build 2 Barracks; one with a Tech Lab and one with a Reactor and pump out Marauders and Marines. Usually an early push is very effective (6 Marauders and 12 Marines) versus the Protoss player. If the game goes on longer, players can get Medivacs and Ghosts to supplement their army. I will discuss the Ghost below, as it is one of the most underused Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategies.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Ghost The Ghost is the secret Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategy. In lower leagues, you never almost see Ghosts, even though they utterly dominate Protoss players. The EMP ability deals 100 damage to Protoss shields and reduces all enemy unit energy to 0. This can be used to deal literally 1000s of damage and strip High Templar of all energy. EMP also takes units out of cloak, so it is an easy way to spot Dark Templars without wasting a MULE. It also strips energy off of Immortals, rendering them virtually useless. Viking The Viking is the Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategy that is necessary to use if the enemy gets Colossi. Colossi are the Protoss counter to Infantry. Vikings deal a large amount of damage to Colossi, so Vikings are a great way to stop these units. Conclusion There are a lot of great Starcraft 2 Terran vs Protoss strategies. Here is the recap: Reapers = Best way to rush Protoss players Marines and Marauders = make for a great early push and are strong vs early Protoss ground units. Marines also are great versus Void Rays. Ghosts = Deal large amounts of damage, strip Immortal shields, remove High Templar energy, and pull Dark Templar out of stealth Vikings = Deal great damage to Colossi

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Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran Strategy Since Terran are currently the most domninant race in Starcraft 2, it would appear that Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran matches are the toughest for Terran players! Since the Terran army is so well balanced, there aren't many glaring weaknesses. Therefore, I will split this up into 2 sections: preventing the harass and pushing in on the enemy. Preventing the Harass In matches of equal skill levels, the dominant Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran strategy is to control the air. Terran ground units are too slow to exercise map control, so Vikings usually determine how the matches go.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Since Tanks and Thors are so slow, many good Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran players will use hitand-run tactics to ruin the enemy's economy. A Viking pack (12+) can land at an enemy's expansion and kill all SCVs in a couple seconds (and even the command center). Since many Terran units are anti-air only or anti-ground only, by the time the enemy units get there, you can simply lift off and leave your expansion. Players will struggle to stop this. To counter this Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran strategy, you need a few Banshees, a few Vikings, and a few Missile Turrets. If you build Missile Turrets around your expansions, players will be quick to land with the Vikings. At this point Banshees can move in and pick off the grounddwelling Vikings. The 3 Missile Turrets, 3 Banshees, and 3 Vikings can easily stop a pack of 12 Vikings. Banshees are also great on offense versus Terran Players. Pushing in on the Enemy Even when you are a lot better than the enemy, one of the toughest Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran strategies is simply breaking into the enemy's base, especially when a lot of Siege Tanks, Missile Turrets, and Vikings are holding down the fort. Here is how to crack the "Terran Turtle": Build an army in the following ratio: 1.5 Siege Tanks, 3 Marines, 1 Banshee, 1.5 Vikings (add in 2 Marauders if the enemy is making Thors).

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In other words, if you have a mid-sized army, you might have 6 Siege Tanks, 12 Marines, 4 Banshees, 6 Vikings, and 8 Marauders. Add in a Thor or two if you can afford it. If you have a big army, you might have twice that size in the same proportions. Naturally, if your enemy is air heavy, bring more Marines and Vikings, and perhaps a few Thors. If he is Tank heavy, bring more Banshees. Keep this pack nice and tight. Set-up with your Siege Tanks outside the enemy's base, just outside of his Siege Tanks. Now here is a key Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran Strategy. Bring a flying Barracks with you. Here is how it works: Siege Tanks have a Siege range of 13, but can only see about 10 units on the map. A floating Barracks can provide the range you need and has a lot of HP (you don't want to sacrifice Vikings for this purpose). Now, inch your Siege Tanks just in range. As soon as you are in range, the enemy often will try to scan your tanks to hit them. This is where the Banshees come in. Once your tanks are in position and your enemy is focused on them, send in your Banshees (with Viking support) and use them to specifically pick off Siege Tanks. It doesn't matter if the Banshees die, as long as they take Siege Tanks with them. Once you kill at least the front-line Siege Tanks with your Banshees, push-up with your tanks and begin Sieging the base. Your current army will operate fine without Banshees. Banshees only need to kill Siege Tanks. Once you are in position and Sieging, the enemy is done for. Keep inching in with your tanks and it is game over.

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Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy In this article, I will explain a Starcraft 2 Zerg strategy that will allow you to dominate other players in online play. At first glance, the Zerg seem to be one of the hardest classes to play. They are have a very slow start, are late to get anti-air, Zerglings and Roaches get demolished by Terran Players, and they feel weak all around. However, once you take the time to get down a good Starcraft 2 Zerg strategy, Zerg becomes one of the best races. If you look at the top of the Diamond leagues, it is occupied by more Zerg players than any other race.

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The most important Starcraft 2 Zerg strategy you can implement to see an immediate improvemen to the way you play Zerg is by using a good build order.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! My favorite build order is often called the "IdrA" after being popularized by the professional Starcraft 2 player of the same name. Here is how it works: 1. Go straight for 10 Drones. 2. At 10/10 Drones, build an Overlord. 3. While the Overlord is building, use the extractor cheat (explained in the Starcraft 2 Zerg Structures section if you don't know what this is) to get 11/10 Drones. 4. After the Overlord is finished, build more Drones until you are at 15/18 Drones. 5. Build a Spawning Pool at 15/18 Drones. 6. Build 2 more Drones, taking you to 16/18 supplies (you will lose 1 Drone when creating the Spawning Pool). 7. At a supply count of 16/18, expand to your natural expansion (build a Hatchery). 8. After issuing the command to build a Hatchery, build an Overlord as soon as you have the money. 9. Shortly after ordering the production of an Overlord, your Spawning Pool will finish. 10. Build a Queen and a pair of Zerglings. Now that you have an expansion, a Queen, and a Spawning Pool, what Starcraft 2 Zerg strategy you use from here depends on your opponent and what they are doing. Note that you might have to change this build order and get a Spawning Pool sooner if your opponent is doing a fast rush (proxy Gateways or something along those lines). If your opponent is proxying, build a few automated defensive structures and sneak a pair of Zerglings into his main base for an easy win. Regardless of what you are doing, there are a few strategies you can implement to see immediate improvements in your Zerg game. Expand Aggressively The Zerg race has an intensive resource requirement (especially for vespene gas) to be competitive. Since Zerg units tend to be weaker and more expendable, you will need to more resources to compensate. Also note that the Zerg need significant quantities of vespene gas and often have very high quantities of unspent minerals. Because of this, rapidly expanding and using automated defensive structures is to your benefit.

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For a Zerg player, losing a fourth Hatchery and a dozen Drones is not a devasting loss. This can be rebuilt quickly and easily using the Spawn Larva ability and the mineral loss is not a big deal as Zerg players already have too many minerals to begin with. Expanding aggressively is the most important Starcraft 2 Zerg strategy. You won't win long games without a good economy as a Zerg player. Control the Map As a Zerg player, you will only a good economy for yourself, but you will also need a better economy than the opponent. Do whatever you can to stop him from expanding as Zerg depend on this.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! One of the easiest ways to do this is to send packs of 12-18 Zerglings with the movement speed upgrade (also known as Speedlings among players) to expansion points around the map. A dozen Speedlings can quickly take out a group of enemy harvesters and even the Nexus or Hatchery if the player is not quick enough to respond. Speedlings are cheap so it doesn't matter if they die in the attack as long as you inflict some damage on the enemy's economy. My favorite Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy is to have two packs of Speedlings ready to go. I send one pack in to kill the enemy's fledgling expansion. Inevitably, bad players will send all of their units to defend this expansion, as if they were anticipating all of my units attacking this expansion. As soon as the enemy leaves his base or more productive expansion, I will send in my second pack of Speedlings to his main base and quickly take out the main Nexus. I have done this a million times and laugh every single time. Imagine the surprise on the enemy's face when he leaves the front door open as I slide past his army and take out the main base! Conclusion By following this simple Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy, you will be able to dominate your opponents. The key to playing Zerg is building and maintaining a better economy than your opponent. You will not win many games if your opponent is harvesting the same amount of minerals as you. Other races do not have this problem. Terran players will easily defeat a Zerg player with a similiar economy. Do not settle for having the same number of expansions as the other player.

Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide

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If I could sum up the ultimate Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide in 2 words, they would be "Map Control." Controlling the map is the way Zerg wins games against Diamond league players of any race. The three key aspects of this strategy are: expanding quickly, controlling the flow of information, and expanding massively. Throughout the rest of this Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide, I will be teaching you how to do this so you can start winning the vast majority of your 1v1 matches (works for other brackets, too!). Expanding Quickly The cornerstone of any Starcraft 2 Zerg guide is an early expansion. You need to expand early (a popular build involves getting a Spawning Pool at 15/18 supplies and an expansion at 16/18 supplies). Of course, there are exceptions such as if you see the enemy is doing a fast rush (proxying or something of the sort).

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! If you are good, you can defend normally-timed rushes with your Queens, some Zerglings, and maybe a Spine Crawler or two. The key part is that you build an early expansion and (more importantly) get harvesters going there, especially for gas. The biggest mistake players make is not harvesting at this expansion soon enough. You need to recoup your losses; you can't spend all day defending a harvester-less expansion. Scout your opponent and build appropriate defense, but do not go overboard with units and structures early. This leads me to the next part of the Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide.. Controlling Information This is what separates good Zerg players (the ones towards the top of the Platinum league) and great Zerg players (the ones towards the top of the Diamond league). Zerg have an unprecedented ability to not only scout the map but also control the flow of information. The first thing Zerg has going for it is the Overlord. Spread these in areas of interest (around your base, at mid-field) to see an enemy attack coming in the distance. The next thing Zerg has going for it is speed-enhanced Zerglings. Early game, send out 2 Zerglings to the midpoint of the field. Use these to intercept scouting Probes, SCVs, and Drones.

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By intercepting scouts, you prevent the ability of the other player to see what you are doing. This will frustrate a good player and make him paranoid. It will mess up his build order, he will overspend on defense, and he will be relunctant to expand for fear of the unknown attack. As the game progresses, keep 8-12 Zerglings at mid-map in order to prevent units from even seeing you. Continue to spread Overlords out around the map. When you see an enemy expansion far from their base, take it out with a pack of Zerglings. The whole idea behind the controlling the flow of information is that not only are you seeing what your opponent is doing so you can always be ready to counter it, but you can also prevent the enemy from seeing you with Zerglings.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Eventually, your opponent will waste money trying to see you. Each Scanner Sweep comes at a cost of 270 minerals (missing a MULE) and an Observer is not cheap versus Zerg as many Protoss players opt do not usually get much in the way of detection versus Zerg players. Keep up a few Spore Crawlers to keep Observers at bay. This brings me to the final part of the Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide. Expand Aggressively Having Zerglings that far from home gives the illusion of power. If you are able to prevent him from scouting, use this opportunity to expand aggressively. The key part of this Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide lies in economy. Cover the map with Overlords so you can see an attack coming from far away. This will give you ample time to prepare for an attack, as most players love the opportunity to pick off a defenseless Overlord. Zerg players always need gas. Get extra Hatcheries all over the map, throw up a few automated defensive structures, and start harvesting gas. Even if the enemy kills one or two of these, keep putting them up. Once your economy is rolling, mass units (that counter the opponents - see the Zerg vs (fill in the blank) guides for specifics) and attack the opponent. Keep using the Spawn Larva ability at all your expansions. With a huge economy, you can go from 200/200 to 70/200 (70 Drones) in battle, and then instantly get back up to 200/200 (with the units that counter what the opponent has remaining!) Zerg units are somewhat inferior to other races, so the ability to bounce right back from a major attack is crucial.

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Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss Strategy As usual, the key Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss Strategy is map control. Protoss units lack the mobility that Zerg has (Speedlings and Mutalisks) and as a result, they are unable to control the map nearly as well as Zerg players. With that said, here are the basic ways to win Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss games. Expand Early I explained this in detail in the Starcraft 2 Zerg Guide article. Be sure to scout the enemy (preferably at a supply count of 9) to make sure the enemy isn't proxying or rushing Zealots.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Once you have confirmation that the enemy Protoss player is pursuing an early expansion, grab your first expansion quickly.

Countering the Zealot Rush A key part of all Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss matches is stopping the Zealot rush. You will inevitably face one during your battles. If you discover that your opponent is rushing Zealots, you will need to pick up an early Spawning Pool. Your Spawning Pool should finish by the time his first Gateway is done; this is why you scout at 9/10 supply count and not later. Make two Queens to defend the base, a Spine Crawler, and pump out Zerglings. Keep increasing your Drone count as well and tech to a Lair. Your opponent simply will not be able to get in if you get a quick Queen and Spine Crawler. Due to Zealots status as a melee unit and their slow movement speed, they have trouble navigating around two strategically placed Spine Crawlers (as long as you keep your buildings close to the Hatchery / Lair). Also, make sure you don't let your Queen die. Good players will focus this, so make sure you run it around the base when it gets low on hp, allowing the Zerglings to wear down the Zealots and buy you more time. A key Queen ability is "Transfusion". This is a healing spell used by Queens. With two Queens, you will be able to have the Queens heal each other. Additionally, you can use

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Transfusion to heal Spine Crawlers. This is a very underrated Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss strategy.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Use your Queens to expand the Creep out until you can build a Hatchery at your natural expansion and simply walk your Spine Crawlers down to your base. Use your Queens and Zerglings to push the Zealot mass back. This is only necessary when fighting against a Proxying or serious Zealot rusher. In most Zealot rushes, you will still be able to pick up an early expansion, and creative usage of two Queens (Transfusions, kiting), and a small pack of Zerglings is enough to stop Zealots (or even Roaches). Get a Spine Crawler by the time the opponent gets Sentries. A great way to punish a Zealot rusher is to sneak a pack of Zerglings (8-12) past the Zealots, leaving your base to your Queens and Spine Crawlers. At this point, rush it into the enemy's minerals. This is game-over for the opponent if he is busy trying to get past your defense! Sneaking Zerglings into the enemy's base is a core Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg strategy.

Speedlings to Nexus You must prevent the Protoss player from expanding. Do not allow him to take his natural expansion. If the player does, use this great Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss Strategy: As mentioned earlier, Protoss players do not have many fast units. If your opponent takes his natural expansion, punish it with Zerglings. As soon as he comes out to defend it, rush your Zerglings past the Protoss' players units, completely ignoring them. Head for the main Nexus. With a big pack of Zerglings (24) you can usually completely knock out the main Nexus before those slow, clumsy Zealots / Stalkers / Sentries can get back in! Additionally, if the units are in the main base instead of the expansion, you can often kill the expansion-Nexus before the enemy moves his units over. I have used this strategy to kill the main Nexus so many times, and it is still always fun. The Protoss player inevitably throws a fit and ragequits. Good times! Your success in Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss matches depends on your ability to execute this strategy. As a side note, don't let a few Void Rays scare you off. Void Rays are slow early game (no speed upgrade yet) and can't charge up versus low HP units, making them very slow to kill Zerglings.

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More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Mid-Game Your main goal after countering an initial Zealot rush (most Protoss players will use this against you) and stopping their expansions (use this against most Protoss) is to beef up your natural expansion and mass Hydralisks, Roaches (if they go ground) and Corruptors (if they have air or Colossi). You should be able to pick up a big army of Hydralisks faster than the Protoss player can build units due to your two-expansion status. Corruptors are useful for two reasons: They do great damage versus the Colossus, which tears up Hydralisks. They also can use Corruption, which increases the damage the Colossus takes. They are also useful because they are great versus Void Rays, which give Zerg Players tons of trouble as well.

Mass Infantry Late game, Zerg players can run into trouble versus big quantities of Protoss ground units (Charging Zealots, Sentries, and Stalkers). For this type of attacker, I recommend getting your own mixed ground army consisting of Ultralisks, Roaches, Hydralisks, and Infestors. Ultralisks are great because 1) they soak up tons of damage and 2) break the Sentry's Force field 3) own Zealots with splash damage and high armor. The real purpose though is to allow your Roaches and Hydralisks to get close enough to attack, and allow the Infestor to cast Fungal Growth on unit masses and Mind Control any Immortals that may be present. In any ground battle between the SC2 Zerg and Protoss match, you will need something to stop the Force Fields. Just beware of Immortals! Mind Control or a token Broodlord can effectively take out immortals (Broodlings rip through their shield). Mass Air One common Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss strategy question I am asked is how can Zerg players stop mass Void Rays, especially when combined with the Mothership?

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Well, the easiest answer is to not let Protoss players mass Void Rays. As mentioned earlier, you should have ruined their economy with Zerglings and then crushed them with Hydralisks. If the game does run that long, you have no option but to mass Corruptors. All units can be Corruptors. Then, engage in conflict with their air units away from your base. Do not let Void Rays gain a charge by attacking one of your buildings. Your odds are not good if you engage completely charged Void Rays, but if you go in with a mass of Corruptors against uncharged Void Rays, you will win handily. Conclusion Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Protoss matches are as simple as described. In SC2, the Zerg is all about map control and fast units. Use your Speedlings to wreck the enemy's harvesting, run laps around his units, and bounce between their expansions and the main Nexus.

Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy Most players around the world agree on one thing: it is hard to play against Terran as a Zerg player. I thought so too, until I figured out a few key tricks to beating Terran players. Due to popular demand, I have hurried to get this excellent Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy online for everyone to see. First off, when it comes to this matchup, what you do will really depend on what the enemy is up to (as always). Regardless, I like to start off the same way every time, using the early build order popularized by the professional Starcraft 2 player, IdrA. I won't go into specific details but here is the brief breakdown:

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! 1. Get 15 Drones. 2. Build a Spawning Pool.

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3. Build 2 more Drones. 4. Build an expansion. 4. Build a second Overlord. 5. Build a Queen and a pair of Zerglings. At any rate, this is a great start. I usually scout the opponent with my 9th Drone to double-check to make sure they aren't pulling off anything funny (proxy barracks or Reapers). As soon as my expansion lands, I build 2 extractors. As soon as possible after that, I get a Lair. If they are massing Marines (extremely common in 2v2), I build a Roach Warren. Roaches simply own Marines. Most players seem to struggle early versus Marauders though. If I scout and see Tech Labs, I will prepare for Mauraders or a late attack. Early to Mid-Game Infantry Attack If I scout and determine they are massing infantry for an attack, I will build Spine Crawlers, a small amount (maybe 8) roaches and a dozen Zerglings and horde gas. Most people consider automated defensive structures like Spine Crawlers to be a big waste of money, but Zerg tends to have way too many minerals anyway, so it's not a big deal. Roaches and Spine Crawlers are enough to hold off any early attack. Now here is the key thing: get an Evolution Chamber and an Infestation Pit. While you are turtling and hording gas, upgrade Carapace Armor and build Infestors (4 should be fine). Research Peristalsis and Burrow (so your Infestors can stay underground). When you Infantry comes in, slam them with Fungal Growth (Infestor ability). It deals them 36 damage over 8 seconds (most of a Marine's health!) and keeps them rooted. The rooting is the key thing - Mauraders cannot kite your units around if they are frozen in place! Zerglings and Roaches make quick work of poisoned and rooted units. Keep Fungal Growth up. Hellion Push A very common strategy that Terran players will use against Zerg players is to rush with Hellions. Hellions are strong versus Zerglings and are very fast, allowing the Hellions to run circles around your Zerglings and Queens. The key to defeating Hellions is via the "Sim City" technique. Build all your buildings incredibly tight and close to your Hatchery. Then, place 2 Spine Crawlers on each side of your Hatchery. Keep your Queen in the back.

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Hellions do almost no damage against buildings. It is of no consequence if a few Hellions are chipping away at your Hatchery health. You will be able to upgrade to a Lair and produce a few Mutalisks before they can do any damage. Make sure you put 2 Spine Crawlers directly against your Hatchery on opposite sides at your expansion as well. Machinery What it seems that the biggest problems Zerg players will face is a mid-late game Terran army that is nothing but Mech: Thors, Siege Tanks, and Hellions.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Siege Tanks will eat up your Hydralisks, Thors will chew up tons of Mutalisks, and Hellions melt Zerglings. What to do? I have actually come up with an unusual solution that is very effective even in the Diamond league. Using Infestors to keep Infantry at bay, tech to a Hive and build an Ultralisk Den. This can be done even on a 2-base build if you keep your opponent's expansions limited to 2 and prevent him from taking his natural too early. At your Ultralisk Den, get the speed upgrade. Keep upgrading the Zerg Carapace at the Evolution Chamber as mentioned earlier. Your Ultralisk can get an armor rating of "6". This makes him practically immune to Marines, and with his high HP total and speed, a pack of Ultralisks will tear through tanks so fast it will make your head spin. Ultralisks also do splash damage and are immune to slows and stuns, so they can handle Marauders even though they do bonus damage to armored units. Just remember to use Fungal Growth to root them in place so they cannot run. Meanwhile, while you are building Ultralisks, you can produce speed-upgraded Zerglings and use them to control the map. Send in packs of 12 to enemy expansions constantly. Limit him to his natural expansion as you pick up expansions around the map. Remember that you will have more minerals than you can spend. Keep expanding constantly even if the opponent is able to kill them off. While he is chasing down your expansions, you are preventing him from getting anything done. Infestors are key to using Ultralisks successfully. The Frenzy ability increases Ultralisk damage by 25% and makes them immune to stun (the Thor has a stunning ability).

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Thors The Infestor once again shines if the opponent gets a lot of Thors. Infestors can Mind Control Thors with the "Neural Parasite" ability. Use 3 Infestors to mind control 3 Thors and watch all hell break loose! Ultralisks on the front line make this possible. Once they go in and start soaking up damage, unburrow your Infestors and Mind Control the enemy. The Neural Parasite to control Thors might just be the best Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy. You need a distraction though; if a great player sees Ultralisks coming in on the offensive, he will be quickly trying to use his 250mm Strike Cannon on the Ultralisks. He will not be used to Frenzy (makes Ultralisk immune to the Strike Cannon stun) and it is incredibly surprising to the opponent. Unburrow your Infestors and MC in the confusion. I have never had a Terran player EMP an Infestor that was freshly unburrowed if I send in Frenzied Ultralisks first. Battlecruisers If the enemy has Battlecruisers, get Corruptors. They do bonus damage to massive air units and supply for supply, the matchup isn't even close. Corruptors will chew them up fast. So many people miss this easy Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy, it is honestly amazing. Do not use Hydralisks versus Battlecruisers. This is not a viable strategy as Battlecruisers do great damage to light units, and Hydralisks have way too low of an hp total to be competitive here. Vikings Honestly, Vikings are not that good versus the Zerg. Mutalisks do very well versus them in group combat and can attack ground units. The more dangerous combo would be Vikings/Thors/Tanks, at which point you would mind control the Thors and use Ultralisks on the tanks. Just remember, Vikings can't attack Ultralisks unless they land, and it won't be pretty if they do (for them of course). I can't emphasize enough the strength of the Ultralisk / Infestor / Zergling combo when it comes to Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy. The Terran Turtle The last thing you will have to deal with is Terran players who wall themselves inside their base or their natural expansion. Even Ultralisks will have trouble against Siege Tanks if the tanks have a wall in front of them.

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This is actually not so bad, but it takes some time. Make sure any expansion the Terran has outside his wall is dead. Expand the map at your leisure and get air units. A few Brood Lords and Mutalisks should be fine. Use these air units to snipe tanks. It doesn't matter if Vikings or Thors kill them, just kill the tanks. The rest of your units can come in and clean up afterwards. If you control the map it doesn't matter if this gets a little sloppy and you incur some unit losses - just build more! Common Mistakes Not expanding early - Zerg need the resources. Every good Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy relies on expanding.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Hydralisks - I hate these vs Terran players. I will almost never use them. I hate to produce them because any good Terran knows that a handful of Siege Tanks can stop a swarm of Hydralisks. They just don't have enough health to fight Terran players at the moment. Not controling the map. Terran are encumbered by slow movement. Use Zergling packs to kill harvesters at expansions. Not using automated defense. Zerg just have way too many minerals not to protect your expansions until you can get your units to the expansion. Not using the Infestor. The Infestor is KEY to beating Terran players. You can use practically whatever other units you want, just make sure you have an Infestor to use Fungal Plague on Infantry balls and Neural Parasite on Thors. Conclusion Here is the basic gist of the Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran Strategy. You will see the Terran unit on the left and the Zerg unit on the right: Marines are countered by Roaches early, Infestors and Ultralisks late Marauders are countered by Spine Crawlers early, Infestors and Ultralisks Thors are Infestor to Mind Control, Zerglings or Ultralisks to kill Tanks are countered by Ultralisks in the open field, Air behind a wall Hellions are countered by Spine Crawlers

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Vikings are countered by Ultralisks (they have to land to attack!), and automated defensive structures Battlecruisers are countered by Corruptors

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Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg Strategy I find the Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg match-up to be the most straight-forward match-up in the game and I personally look forward to it. There are a few primary things to understand when it comes to Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg strategy. First off, whoever controls the map will win the game. Period. Zerg are very resource intensive and very few units are "hard counters" to other Zerg units, making the Zerg versus Zerg matchup come down to resources. Here are some ways to control the map: Expand Aggressively Versus other Zerg players, the IdrA build order is great, as outlined in the Starcraft 2 Zerg Strategy section. This allows you to pick up a quick expansion without putting yourself at risk.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! Here are a few strategies to get more expansions: - Expand whenever you have more than 1000 minerals, even if you don't end up harvesting at that expansion. Sometimes as Zerg I will have 60-70 Drones and do not need anymore to take up my supply count. At this point, I will still build and defend other expansions and use them to solely harvest gas. When my main base runs out of minerals, I will send these units off to these new expansions. Note that if you are taking up an expansion and defending it, your enemy is not harvesting it! - Use automated defensive structures: Zerg players tend to have too many minerals and not enough gas. Put your extra minerals to work by building Spine and Spore Crawlers at all of your expansions. This will prevent Zergling or Mutalisk hit and runs.

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Using automated defensive structures is a key Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg strategy. Prevent Enemy Expansions Hit and run, plain and simple. A pack of 18 Speedlings can easily swoop in, kill all harvesters, and the Hatchery before the enemy is able to respond. It doesn't matter if the Zerglings die in the process. For maximum effect, attack multiple Hatcheries at the same time with Zergling packs. You can also use Mutalisks for the hit and run since they are so fast, especially if the person has Spine Crawlers. Avoid Spore Crawlers with your Mutalisks and stick to Zerglings. Using Zerglings and Mutalisks to kill Drones is a cornerstone Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg Strategy. Unit Counters and General Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg Strategy Defending the Early Expansion When your enemy sees you take an early expansion, there are two common responses to this. Sometimes, your enemy will mirror you and take his natural expansion. In other cases they will try to mass produce Zerglings and rush you while you are weak. Good scouting is important here. If your enemy is massing Zerglings, build Roaches and defend the choke point. Also, build 1 Spine Crawler at each Hatchery to prevent a Zergling rush by. If the Zerglings run by a pack of Roaches, they will often take heavy losses in the process and the Spine Crawler and Queen can hold them off until the Roaches get back in position. If the enemy gets Zerglings, get Roaches. A few Roaches and a Queen can easily defend against Zergling packs. You can then go on the offensive with your Roaches and take out a Zergling masser. Roaches are a key Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg unit and can help you defend and early expansion with ease.

More Advanced Strategies & Secrets w/ Shokz Guide Here Now! In Defense of the Roach The Roach should be at the heart of all Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg battles. Many players do not like Roaches after the change to a 2 supply count. However, I am under the impression that Roaches are still a fantastic unit. For 75 minerals and 25 vespene gas, you can get a unit which does great damage (16 per attack) and has great health (125).

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Roaches counter Zerglings right from the start. With the Speed upgrade, they also dominate Hydralisks and are cheaper. As a result, in most Zerg vs Zerg match-ups, you will want to get Roaches. Common Zerg Combos Most Zerg players aren't used to playing good Zerg players in a 1v1. As a result, they tend to stick to the two basic Zerg combinations: Speedling / Mutalisk: This is the most popular Zerg combo. Players here will mass Zerglings early all while teching quickly to Lair. They will use the Zerglings to apply early pressure and try to prevent you from getting anti-air. After all, if they get air first, Zerg don't get anti-air until getting a Lair. How to Counter Speedling / Mutalisk Rush This is not just a common Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg strategy but a common Zerg strategy all around. However, it is easily stopped by producing more efficient units. Stick to your guns and keep the early expansion. Use Roaches to fend off Zergling pressure. Build a Spine Crawler at each Hatchery to deal with speed-upgraded Zerglings. Tech to a Lair with decent speed (still need to beef up your expansion's harvesters). Build a Spore Crawler or two at each base to prevent the enemy from finishing you off with 3-4 Mutalisks (common). If the enemy does not take an early expansion, he won't have enough gas to get more than a few Mutalisks early. Mass Hydralisks and a few Roaches (Roaches deal with and tank the Zerglings). Go in with a group of 18 Hydralisks and 6 Roaches for an easy win. Keep the Roaches in front to protect your Hydralisks from Zerglings, Queens, and Spine Crawlers. The enemy will not be able to keep up with your production rate because Hydralisks are effective versus Mutalisks but are cheaper. You also have a leg up for having an early expansion and that will start to pay off here. -orMass Hydralisk: Hydralisks are viable against most Zerg combos and not particularly weak versus any Zerg unit. This makes massing them easy and effective. Enemies using this approach will often expand early and aggressively as well. This is not a problem as long as you mirror their expansion rate. In this situation, the counter is the same: Roaches AND Hydralisks.

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Make sure you get the speed upgrade for Roaches and the range upgrade for the Hydralisks. This will help you keep them oriented in battle. Conclusion Make sure you expand at least as much as your enemy (preferably more); do not fall behind in economy. Harass their expansions and defend yours. And don't neglect the Roach when it comes to Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Zerg battles!

**************************************************************************** Shokz Starcraft 2 Mastery Guide contains strategies for all possible race combos. It includes build orders, unit stats, both one-on-one and team strategies and counter strategies, excellent tutorial videos and match replays.

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