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GameSpot's Guide to Starcraft

The Protoss and the Brood War

The Protoss are more powerful than ever, having united with the Dark Templar tribes and learned to compensate for their previous weaknesses. Before, they were vulnerable to a preemptive aerial attack, especially by Zerg Mutalisks; building Dragoons was too risky because they took too long to produce, and cost too much. Photon Cannons were also too expensive and too slow to build, and forced the Protoss to defend rather than attack. Furthermore, unlike the Terrans and the Zerg, there was no obvious route to take in building advanced structures. Terrans would build a Factory; the Zerg would build a Spire. But for the Protoss, the decision between Robotics Facility, Stargate, and Citadel of Adun was never an obvious one. Beyond that, building a Cybernetics Core to access these structures was always a difficult decision in itself, since Dragoons were so impractical. In the end, while a gracefully executed Reaver drop could end the battle quickly if the opponent did not anticipate it, an unsuccessful drop meant the Protoss were left without any means of defending themselves.

The Protoss claim high ground early in a battle, with a force of Zealots, Dragoons, and High Templars protected by Photon Cannons and a Shield Battery.

All this has changed now, and the Protoss are more flexible, and less liable to lose a battle due to a mistaken tactical decision.

Production Strategy
Previously, a viable Protoss maneuver was to focus exclusively on minerals, to set up multiple Gateways, and to produce as many Zealots as possible with which to overpower the opponent early in the battle. This remains a plausible option against an incompetent or inexperienced foe, but should no longer be a common tactic in your repertoire. Instead, you should begin mining for Vespene Gas just as soon as you've set up your first Gateway. You'll want to have plenty of both resources as you set up a Forge and Photon Cannons to defend your fledgling base, so that once you do construct your Cybernetics Core, you will have plenty of options available. Because Brood War emphasizes a defensive build-up instead of catering toward early attacks and rushes, you may wish to capitalize on your opponent's inclination to stay put and fortify his position by expanding early. Now more than ever, you need to use a worker unit to examine the enemy's base early on. If he looks to be digging in, expand your territory and defeat him through an economic advantage. If he looks to be preparing for an early attack, defend yourself with Photon Cannons and try to build Dark Templars, who cannot be countered without cloak detectors. If the opponent appears to be climbing the technology tree, thus forgoing defensive units and structures, hurry to finish him off.

Next: The Protoss Defensive Strategy
 

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