Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 13:51:12 -0600
Starcraft
Protoss Strategy Guide (includes Brood War units!!!)
By Ed the Moogle
Version 1.0
Don't copy without permission. I'm not responsible for any damage done
with this FAQ or it's contents. The latest version is available at
http://www.gamefaqs.com.
I'm writing a guide for the Protoss because I have always liked them the
most, and because they have the Mind Control ability in Brood War, no one
plays as Terran or Zerg anymore (they can just Mind Control an SCV or
Drone and build an entire Terran or Zerg base).
Protoss Advantages/Disadvantages
Buildings/Building Strategy
Units/Unit Strategy
Rush Stoppers
VS Terran
VS Zerg
VS Protoss
Advantages and Disadvantages
+ Their original fighting units are powerful (80 HP, 80 Shields, and 16
base damage), they're the only race to use Shields, Mind Control ('nuff
said), their scouting unit is invisible (unless detected), and one Probe
can warp in several buildings at a time (provided you have enough
resources to cover the cost).
- They're open to being rushed (they're quite slow), Their defensive
cannons are easy to destroy, they must build near Pylons, their buildings
are useless if not near a Pylon (the best way to take them out is to
destroy all their Pylons).
Buildings
Nexus
750 HP, 750 Shields
Cost: 400 Minerals, 0 Gas
Options: Build Probe, Mine Gas/Minerals, Build Gateway or Forge
This is probably the most important building you have. Minerals and Gas
are gathered here, and you can build Probes to create buildings or
harvest. It also enables you to build a Gateway to build units. It's one
of the only three buildings that doesn't have to be near a Pylon (the
others being an Assimilator and a Pylon itself). Put Photon Cannons near
it and the place where you are harvesting minerals to prevent air units
from coming in and picking off your Probes.
Pylon
300 HP, 300 Shields
Cost: 100 Minerals, 0 Gas
Options: You can build near them, and they provide control.
These allow you to build units and you can create buildings near them.
Put them near your entrance and surround them with Photon Cannons for a
good defense (until Reavers or Sieges arrive).
Assimilator
450 HP, 450 Shields
Cost: 100 Minerals, 0 Gas
Options: You harvest Gas here.
This is the only building you need for harvesting Gas (besides a Nexus).
Put some Photons by it so some air units don't pick off your Probes.
Forge
550 HP, 550 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals 0 Gas
Options: Upgrade Ground Weapons, Ground Armor, or Plasma Shields (+1
armor on shields), Build Photon Cannons
Here you upgrade your ground unit weapons and armor, as well as Plasma
shields, which are on every Protoss unit (even Buildings!). The most
useful thing about it is that it enables you to build Photon Cannons.
Gateway
500 HP, 500 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 0 Gas
Options: Build Zealots, Dragoons (require Cybernetics Core), High
Templars (require Templar Archives), or Dark Templars (Brood War only,
requires Templar Archives), enables you to build Shield Battery, Citadel
of Adun or Cybernetics Core.
Build at least two or three of these near your entrance, so if you're
under attack by some Siege Tanks, you can take some Zealots to them and
get rid of the threat.
Shield Battery
200 HP, 200 Shields
Cost: 100 Minerals, 0 Gas
This building recharges your unit's shields. Protoss can't repair their
HP, but they can repair their shields.
Citadel of Adun
450 HP, 450 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 100 Gas
Options: Upgrade Zealot Movement, Enables building of Templar Archives
Here you can make your Zealots faster.
Cybernetics Core
500 HP, 500 Shields
Cost: 200 Minerals, 0 Gas
Options: Upgrade Air Armor and Weapons, or increase Dragoon attack range.
You can build a Starport and a Robotics Facility after making this.
Here you upgrade Air Units, but you'll need a Starport to take advantage
of this.
Starport
600 HP, 600 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 150 Gas
Options: Build Scouts, Carriers (require Fleet Beacon), or Arbiters
(Requires Arbiter Tribunal). Enables building of Fleet Beacon.
Here you can build Scouts (weak ground attack, but very strong air
attack), Carriers (very strong air units), and Arbiters (which I'll
explain later).
Robotics Facility
450 HP, 450 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 100 Gas
Options: Build Reavers, Shuttles or Observers, build Observatory or
Robotics Support Bay.
Here you can Build Observers (requires Observatory), Reavers (Require
Robotics Support Bay) or Shuttles, which will be explained later.)
Robotics Support Bay
450 HP, 450 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 100 Gas
Options: Upgrade Scarab Damage, Reaver Capacity and Shuttle Speed.
Enables building of Reavers.
Here you upgrade your Shuttles or Reavers/Scarabs.
Templar Archives
500 HP, 500 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 200 Gas
Options: Enables building of High Templars or Dark Templars (Brood War
only), upgrade Templars or Dark Archons (Brood War only), enables
building of Arbiter Tribunal.
One of the most important buildings you can get. Enables your High
Templars to use the dreaded Psionic Storm, as well as Mind Control for
your Dark Archons, among others.
Observatory
250 HP, 250 Shields
Cost: 50 Minerals, 100 Gas
Options: Upgrade Observers, gain ability to build Observers.
This enables you to build one of the best scouting units, Observers.
Fleet Beacon
500 HP, 500 Shields
Cost: 300 Minerals, 200 Gas
Options: Upgrade Carriers and Scouts.
Here you can increase Carrier Capacity and Scout Movement.
Arbiter Tribunal
500 HP, 500 Shields
Cost: 200 Minerals, 150 Gas
Options: Enables building of Arbiters, upgrade Arbiters.
You can research Stasis Field and Recall for your Arbiters here.
Units
Probe
20 HP, 20 Shields
Cost: 50 Minerals, 0 Gas
Base Armor: 0
Base Damage: 5
Size: Small
Probes harvest Gas and Minerals, and also warp in buildings. They're very
weak, though, so don't rely on them if you get rushed (unlike SCVs, which
are very good at defending if they get rushed).
Zealot
80 HP, 80 Shields
Cost: 100 Minerals, 0 Gas
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: 8 (hits twice)
Size: Medium
Zealots are your basic fighting units, and are very skilled in close-up
combat. You'll have to get some pretty quick, because Protoss are the
most open to be rushed. They're also useful if a Siege Tank or Reaver is
wiping out your Photon Cannons. Just send in some Zealots to destroy that
tank.
Dragoon
100 HP, 80 Shields
Cost: 125 Minerals, 50 Gas
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: 20
Size: Large
Dragoons are your basic defense from air attacks. They do just as much
damage as a Photon Cannon shot, even when not powered up! But they're
quite slow, which leaves them open to attack from Firebats or other
units. To protect them from Firebats or Zerglings, use Zealots.
High Templar
40 HP, 40 Shields
Cost: 50 Minerals, 150 Gas
Base Armor: 0
Base Damage: N/A
Size: Medium
High Templars have no physical attack, but can research Psionic Storm, a
powerful attack that damages all units within it's range (it has no
effect on buildings). They can also use Hallucinations to draw enemy fire
while you retaliate on an attack. Hallucinations are also good for
scouting. Two High Templar can merge together to become Archons.
Archon
10 HP, 350 Shields
Cost: 2 High Templar
Base Armor:0
Base Damage: 30(!)
Size: Large
Archons are very powerful units, capable of taking out large groups of
Marines or Zerglings at a time. But beware of the Terran's EMP Shockwave,
which removes all Energy and Shields from a unit. With only 10 HP, an
Archon can be easily destroyed by Terran forces after being hit by EMP
Shockwave. They can hit air and ground units, and they do splash damage,
meaning anything close to the unit you attack will also be damaged. They
cannot be detected by Terran Spider Mines, so pairing them with an
Observer is a wise plan for clearing them out.
Dark Templar (Can only be built in Brood War)
Cost: 125 Minerals, 50 Gas
80 HP, 40 Shields
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: 40(!!)
Size: Medium
Dark Templar are always "Cloaked", meaning that they can only be seen by
Detector units (Science Vessels, Overlords, etc.). Their attacks are even
more powerful than that of an Archon. But they must pause for a second or
two between attacks. If seen, they can be quickly destroyed. But they're
good for mowing down those tough defensive buildings in a hurry, just
because of the sheer amount of damage they do. Two Dark Templar can merge
to become a Dark Archon.
Dark Archon (Brood War only)
Cost: 2 Dark Templars
25 HP, 200 Shields
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: N/A
Size: Large
Dark Archons can use three spells: Feedback, Maelstrom, and Mind Control.
Feedback can be cast on any unit that uses energy. They will lose all
their energy and take damage equal to the energy loss. For example, a
Battlecruiser with 500 HP and 200 Energy will take 200 Damage and lose
all that energy. Very useful against those damn Ghosts that keep using
Lockdown on your units. FeedBack costs 50 Energy. Maelstrom freezes any
unit in it's range for a few seconds, rendering it unable to move or
fire. It's useful when a whole army of Marines or Ultralisks are headed
your way. Maelstrom costs 100 Energy. Lastly, Mind Control allows you to
take control of an enemy unit you cast it on. If you cast it on a
Dropship or Overlord with units in it, you'll get all the units inside it
too! But keep in mind that this process drains 150 energy and all the
Dark Archon's shields. The enemy will also begin firing on your
Mind-Controlled unit as soon as you pull it off. So be sure to have an
attack squad backing you up. The most useful thing is that you can Mind
Control an SCV or Drone and build an entire Zerg or Terran base. It's
very risky, though.
Reaver
Cost: 200 Minerals, 100 Gas
100 HP, 80 Shields
Base Armor: 0
Base Damage: 100 (wow!)
Size: Large
Reavers are very powerful and have long range, but are the slowest units
in the game. They're good for knocking down enemy defenses. Just be sure
to have some Zealots and Scouts backing them up. The bad thing about
Reavers is that you have to manually load them by selecting them, and
choosing "Build Scarab" (Scarabs are little mechanical units that run up
to the target and explode). It can only carry up to 5 at a time, unless
you upgrade it's capacity. Best of all, they do Splash Damage, meaning
that they can take out a large number of units at a time. They're also
good for taking down Ultralisks (4 hits will kill one, but you'll need
multiple Reavers to do it in time).
Scouts
Cost: 300 Minerals, 100 Gas
150 HP, 100 Shields
Base Armor: 0
Base Damage: 8 to Ground units, 14 to Air units (hits twice, making 28!!)
Size: Large
Scouts are very good against Air attacks (like Battlecruisers that try to
Yamato all your Photon Cannons to oblivion). They're also good for taking
out Spider Mines, because if a ground unit attacks, you can send out an
Archon or two to wipe them out. Or if some air units attack, the Scouts
can wipe them out quickly. Just be sure to recharge every now and then.
Corsair (Brood War only)
100 HP, 80 Shields
Cost: 150 Minerals, 100 Gas
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: 5 (Air attack only)
Size: Medium
The bad thing about Corsairs is that they can only attack Air units. But
they fire rapidly for light damage each hit (Sort of like Terran
Valkyries, but their shots don't go all over the place). Corsairs can
cast Disruption Web, which prevents all units within it's range from
attacking. This only works on Buildings or Ground units, though. Perfect
for when you need to get through those pesky Missile Turrets with a
Shuttle or Arbiter.
Shuttle
Cost: 200 Minerals, 0 Gas
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: N/A
Size: Large
Shuttles are your only means of transporting Ground units across lava or
other impassable obstacles (actually, I take that back. The Arbiter's
Recall ability can do the same). Send them with some Scouts and an
Observer to provide protection until you unload the units. Keep in mind
that a Shuttle has eight spaces, and each unit takes up a certain amount
of spaces, as follows.
Small- 1 Space
Medium- 2 Spaces
Large- 4 Spaces
Confused? You'll see how it works when you start loading them up.
Observer
Cost: 25 Minerals, 75 Gas
40 HP, 40 Shields
Base Armor: 0
Base Damage: N/A
Size: Small
This is one of the best scouting units. It is always cloaked, and can
detect cloaked or otherwise invisible units (Spider mines). Send them
with a big group of Scouts or Carriers when trying to defend them. The
only bad thing is that it's easily destroyed if it's spotted.
Arbiter
Cost: 100 Minerals, 300 Gas (Yeowza!)
299 HP, 150 Shields
Base Armor: 1
Base Damage: 10
Size: Large
Arbiters move and fire quite slowly and aren't very powerful to boot. But
they can cloak any nearby Protoss units, making for a useful defensive
unit (Cloak some Reavers and watch the sparks fly!). The only bad thing
is that they can't cloak other Arbiters. Arbiters can cast Stasis Field,
which imprisons all unit's within it's range in a crystalline field,
rendering them invincible, but unable to attack or move. They can also
Recall units to their location. Useful for moving in past enemy D and
wreaking havoc. One of my favorite strategies is to fly in past enemy
Defense (using the Disrupter Web from the Corsairs), then Recalling a
bunch of Reavers and Dark Templars to wreak havoc. Be sure to bring some
Scouts along, too, so your Arbiter doesn't get blasted out of the sky.
Just watch out for Turrets/Photons/Spores.
Carrier
Cost: 350 Minerals, 250 Gas
300 HP, 150 Shields (Wow!)
Base Armor: 4 (Wow!)
Base Damage: 6
Size: REALLY BIG
Carriers may not sound very powerful, but they send out smaller units
called Interceptors that are extremely fast and attack quickly. They do
little damage, but a large group of them can quickly tear down any
building. Be sure to upgrade Carrier Capacity so that each Carrier can
carry 8 Interceptors (it's a crime they don't start out with 8). Just be
sure to bring some Scouts along in case some Wraiths try to ruin your
day. Also bring some Observers with you (and watch out for Lockdown!). If
your Observers get locked down and leave you open to attack, send in some
Dark Templars or Zealots and an Observer to wipe out the threat.
How to stop those damn Rushes
Zergling Rush: A few Photons and Zealots should stop the threat. Just be
quick about it. Zerglings wait for no one.
Marine Rush: Some Photons and Zealots, definitely. Take out the Medics if
they have any.
Battlecruisers: Other players have a tendency to group them all together
in one big group, leaving them open to Psionic Storm or Stasis Field
(build Photon Cannons when they're unable to do anything about it!!!). A
large group of Scouts also work well.
Carriers: Scouts. Definitely Scouts. Photons may prove useless, because
if you destroy anything, it will be some easily-replaced Interceptors. If
they have an Arbiter, take it out with Scouts, then concentrate on the
Carriers.
Guardians: Scouts. They're defenseless against them. If they have
Devourers or Mutalisks, send in some Corsairs as well.
Ultralisks: Maelstrom or Mind Control is the way to go here. If you don't
have either of those, use some Carriers and an Arbiter.
VS Terran Strategy (Computer Opponent)
Start out by getting 6 Probes mining minerals. Once you have the money,
build a Pylon near your entrance and a Forge. Surround the Pylon with
some Photons. That should hold them off until they get Sieges. If they
succeed in destroying your Pylons, rebuild immediately.
Once they get Sieges, you should have or be close to getting Dark
Templars (if you have Brood War.) If they start blowing down your
Photons, counter with Zealots or Dark Templars. About this time you
should build some Photons near your minerals to prevent Air units from
picking them off. Also, you should have 1 probe for each Mineral Field
and 3 for each Gas Mine. You might also want to start building an Outpost
(just be sure to back it up with Scouts and Zealots).
Try to get Observers as quickly as possible, because they'll start trying
to nuke you. When they do, spot them quickly and nail them with some
Dragoons. A few good shots will take them out. About this time, you
should be building Scouts and Carriers, and maybe an Arbiter or two.
Park an Arbiter in the front lines with some Dragoons and Dark Archons
(BW) to back it up. If the enemy attack is far stronger than yours, don't
hesistate to Stasis Field some of them and deal with the rest. Mind
Control is also an effective strategy.
Get about 8 Scouts and 6 Carriers, and back it up with a couple Observers
and an Arbiter. But beware of Ghosts that can use Lockdown. Be prepared
with Zealots or Dark Templars. Open a gap in their defense with Corsairs,
then level it with Carriers, and send in the Zealots or Dark Templars
with an Observer to clear out the ground units. About 8 Zealots/D.
Templars should suffice. But watch out for Sieges and Spider Mines. Take
them out from above or with Archons (if you use Archons, watch out for
EMP). You should level their base in no time with this strategy.
VS Zerg Strategy (Computer)
First of all, GET DEFENSE UP QUICKLY! They practically have Lurkers by
the time you have Zealots! Build a Forge and a Pylon quickly, then set up
lots of Photons. That should hold em for a little while. But, once they
get Hydras and Lurkers, they'll attack in huge numbers. Use Dark Templars
or a lot of Zealots and Dragoons for best results. When the Lurkers
tunnel under the ground, back off until they resurface, then attack them
fiercely before they reburrow.
Once you fight them off, build up more units and rebuild your Photons.
Then try to get Archons, because they can dish out punishment quickly and
fiercely without fear of dying right away. When launching an attack, look
out for Queens and their Ensnare tactic, which slows you down greatly.
This can mean the difference between winning and losing. Bring some
Scouts along, because Zerg comps usually don't build much defense. Have
Archons take out the Sunken Colonies and the Spores, so Scouts can
provide defense. Look out for Overlords though! If they give away a Dark
Templar's position, Hydras or Sunkens can quickly tear them apart. Take
out the Overlords with your Scouts. Once you do that, they'll be
practically defenseless.
VS Protoss Strategy (Computer)
Get about 6 Probes mining Minerals. Build a Pylon near the entrance and a
Forge. Put a bunch of Photons (about 8 to start with). Now send off a
probe and lure the Zealots to your cannons. They should be blown to
bits. Now they'll just keep sending them again and again. Rebuild as they
destroy them, and concentrate on getting Archons or Dark Templars. Once
they run out of Minerals or you have a good sized force, send them in and
wipe out their base. Easy as that.
Questions/Comments/Corrections? E-mail brunerp@juno.com
