Corsair + Dark Templar Strategy

This strategy is often used in the Protoss vs Zerg matchup although its effectiveness is almost always reduced by bad micro.

Advantages:

• allows to quickly expand and hold it easily
• provides fast scouting of both Zerg bases
• provides good defense if the Zerg goes air
• provides complete map scouting with corsairs on patrol
• allows to quickly reach +2 attack upgrade

Disadvantages:

• vulnerable to an offensive hatchery
• vulnerable to lurker drops and lurker containment

Build order:

Building 1 or 2 Corsairs is your choice. If your unit control is good, you can kill numerous Overlords using 2 Corsairs. Send your first Corsair to the Zerg natural without killing Overlords near your base (this is what you build 2nd Corsair for). If the Zerg is building a Spire, continue producing Corsairs and upgrade to +1 air attack, but most good Zerg players will go Hydralisks. After your Corsairs become useless, send them patrolling expansions that Zerg will most likely take. Send the less damaged Corsair to patrol expansions that Zerg is going to take later in the game. Usually, patrolling Corsairs manage to kill another 1-2 Overlords that the Zerg sent to scout at the beginning of the game. Meanwhile open a psionic rift from the planet Aiur (actually Lost Temple is situated exactly on Aiur but who cares?! :P) and warp in a Citadel of Adun. After it is finished, build a Templar Archives and a second Gateway. As soon as the Templar Archives is built, build 2 Dark Templars and second Nexus at your natural. When 2 Dark Templars are produced, build 2 high Templars and research psi Storm soon after. Increase your Gateway amount to 6. Research +1 attack upgrade from your Forge. Continue producing Zealots and Templars non-stop, meanwhile researching Zealot leg enhancement, +50 Templar energy, and finally Dragoon range upgrade. Most likely the Zerg will be dropping Lurkers on your ledge, so you need to build a Robotics Facility and Observatory in time (advice: don’t storm lurkers on your ledge, it is better to drop a Dragoon and 2 Zealots there to prevent further threat of losing probes). Before your Robotics Facility is done, you can fend off Lurkers on your ledge with Cannons and a Corsair as a revealer. This works everywhere except 3 o’clock. Warp 3rd Nexus as soon as you amass enough Zealots and High Templars to push a bit forward (you will have +1 attack now and zealots will easily kill Zerglings). This is the time when u should put all rally points from your gateways to the same point near your 3rd base. After you have taken the expansion, warp another two Gateways at the expansion. After this, start producing dragoons, and if possible include an arbiter in your force. As soon as possible try to take a 4th expansion – make 5-6 cannons on the ramp, distance between cannons and rampant should be equal to Hydralisk range. Also, warp a Gateway there and make a High Templar and 2 Dark Templars. Put the latter on hold at your rampant. If you decided to tech to Arbiters, put a second Arbiter there.

If you have survived this long and have successfully fended off all of the Zerg attacks, you will have a perfect position to attack at almost 200 supply. Build about 4 more Gateways at your 3rd expansion, and attack. Most likely after you move your force to the center of the map, it will be utterly destroyed :) Even if you manage to storm all his units and not to lose all of yours, it’s not the time to say ‘gg’. To ensure the win, you have to constantly send all your new units to join the initial force.

вверх

Reaver/Ledge Cannoning Strategy

This strategy is used less often than the Corsair + Dark Templar strategy, but don’t underestimate it. This strategy gives a big chance of quick winning, although if you fail it will be very hard for you to win.

Advantages:

• there is a big chance of Zerg saying ‘gg’ soon after the strategy is done
• allows to quickly get Observers
• allows you to trouble Zerg with further Reaver drops
• Allows to easily fend off Lurkers on your ledge
• makes offensive Hatchery ineffective

Disadvantages:

• Reavers are unpredictable and saying ‘my Reavers were dumb this game’ is not an excuse -_-
• this strategy requires great unit control mid-game and if Zerg fends off your ledge Cannoning and Reaver drop you will most likely lose

The initial build order is identical to that of the Corsair + Dark Templar strategy, except you have to build a Robotics Facility instead of Citadel of Adun, a Dragoon instead of a 3rd Zealot, and only 1 Corsair.
Build order:

Kill all the Overlords near his ledge with your Corsair, then transport a Dragoon and a probe. Build a pylon, and then cannon there. Don’t reveal your Dragoon until the Cannon is done. Why not transport 2 Dragoons or not build 2 Cannons? Because you will need a Cannon’s range and Dragoon’s mobility if Zerg finds out what is happening on his ledge (try preventing it with the corsair). After the Shuttle transports a Dragoon and a Probe, it must immediately return to the base for another Dragoon and Reaver. You will need your next Reaver to guard your ramp. As soon as the Cannon on Zerg’s ledge is complete, use your Dragoon along with the Cannon to kill Drones (you won’t need a dragoon if the Zerg is at 12). Now when your opponent’s attention is drawn to his natural expansion, drop a Reaver and a Dragoon at his main base. If there are no Sunkens at his main, this should end the game. Meanwhile, you can easily take your 2nd base and tech to Templars or produce additional Reavers.

вверх

Zealot + Probe Rush/Combined Strats

There are situations when using only one of the strategies listed above is not a good idea.

Protoss 12, Zerg 3:
12 is undoubtedly the best starting location for Protoss if Zerg is not at 3. In this situation it is better to use a simple Zealot + Probe rush. If you don’t trouble Zerg in the beginning, he will easily kill you mid-game with Hydralisks and Overlords without speed upgrade.

Protoss 3, Zerg 12:
This position is better for Protoss than the previous position. It also allows you to trouble Zerg with Zealots and Probes in the beginning, but it’s far more suited for teching. You may use combined strategies – early Corsair, then ledge cannoning and storm, although in my opinion starting locations at 12 and 3 make it impossible for Protoss to win anyway.

вверх

Tricks

It is not sufficient to use only one of the strategies listed above. Here are some tricks you may use during the game in addition to the main strategy (actually you won’t have enough time even to do the main strategy :)

• Use your first 2 Dark Templars to create a Dark Archon. 1 Dark Archon + 1 Dragoon + 1 High Templar will easily kill any drop if your unit control is good (maelstrom, then 2x storm). Always use this if your starting locations are very close to each other (for example 9 and 6, 12 and 3, particularly Protoss 3, Zerg 12).
• Good Zergs usually have most of drones concentrated at their main and natural. You may drop Reavers or Dark and High Templars at his main and Cannon ledge, or drop High Templars at his natural. Try to draw his attention elsewhere while killing his drones.
• This trick is very efficient when starting locations are 6 and 3. If the scouting Probe reports that the Spawning Pool has started not long ago, take 12 Probes from your main and kill his 2nd hatchery. You will have about 4 probes at your main now, and may continue producing them meantime.
• Use batteries on the ramps – it often helps vs. a Zerg who likes to do a speed Zergling rush. This feature is good because there are so few Protoss that use batteries, and most Zerg players will underestimate the effectiveness and lose many lings before retreating :)
• In the late game include arbiters to your force – they are perfect vs. mass Zerglings
• Scout often for offensive Hatcheries.
• There are Zerg players who fend off Corsairs with 1 Spore Colony. You may do a disruption web rush and kill all his overlords with about 4 Corsairs. “They say that overlords are harder to kill when they are aheap”, my former teammate S~Dread said when he first saw this feature :P

And finally some basic but important advice:

• To ensure success, Protoss has to constantly make non-stop probes. I recommend you to bind all your Nexuses to hotkeys.
• The most important thing in Protoss vs. Zerg is constant unit producing, upgrades, and storming skills. That’s why you should always make pylons in advance, and always put rally points from all your gateways in one point. Fon’t forget to make upgrades and always have one of your units scout Zerg in case he attacks so you will be ready to storm.

Special thanks to:
(orky)Asmodey
(orky)Cerber
~CE~

No hydras were harmed during the making of the guide.

вверх

(orky)Priest - первый игрок Санкт-Петербурга, выигрывал у таких "госистых" буржуев, как [o]Mr.X в дуэлях: тосс на зерг... Типа НАШ ОТЕЦ..:)