Defensive Strategy
Photon Cannons used to deal explosive-type damage, which made them terribly ineffective against small opponents like Mutalisks, Zerglings, and Marines. Along the way, they were changed so that they dealt normal damage, which in practice made them far more powerful against those units that used to be able to overwhelm them easily. Now, not only is the Forge less expensive, but the Photon Cannons themselves build faster than before. If that weren't enticing enough, you must build Photon Cannons out of sheer necessity, for fear of being attacked by cloaked units, including Terran Wraiths, Protoss Dark Templars, and Zerg Lurkers. You can build Photon Cannons far sooner than the opponent can prepare any of these units, and your Cannons are likewise well-equipped to deal with any of them. Remember to position Cannons near to your Probe supply line, as well as near any choke points leading into your base.
Photon Cannons are not your sole defensive option, however; Shield Batteries are also far more effective than before. They begin with a surplus of 100 energy, which translates into 200 shield points, allowing them to be useful as soon as they warp in. Their effective range has also increased to four, allowing units like Reavers and Dragoons to recharge from quite a distance. If you neglected to build Shield Batteries before, you would be wise to try the newly improved batteries - especially because Dragoons, which work effectively in conjunction with Shield Batteries, are themselves noticeably more effective than before.
High Templars and their Psionic Storm continue to be a mainstay for Protoss defense, as do Reavers. The new Dark Templars and Dark Archons make excellent garrison units as well. Refer to their summaries in the unit guide for further details.
Next: The Protoss Offensive Strategy
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