Want some strategy tips for Blizzard's epic RTS, Starcraft II? Today we're covering the Protoss!

Common Strategies

Many Protoss strategies actually stem from what's known as "one-base play," meaning that a Protoss will rarely need to expand and create another base in order to win the game. The fact is, the Protoss have probably the strongest single-base potential because, while their units are expensive, they are also quite powerful, and so many Protoss try to focus on pure unit production, hoping to overpower their enemy with superior units. As well, the new Protoss warp-gate technology, where the Protoss can warp in their units at any pylon without having to build a unit producing-building at the location, means that they can maintain high aggression while constantly replenishing their army.

In knowing this, many Protoss players utilize mid-game "timing rushes," where they attack at a time when they believe their opponent will be focused on researching technology, or expanding to a new base, as opposed to building a sizeable army. Such strategies include:

The 'Four-Gate' Push: This nickname is really exactly what it sounds like: you stay with a single base, research Warp Gate technology as fast as possible, build four Gateways (not necessarily in this order) and then continuously warp in Stalkers, Sentries and Zealots in preparation to attack whenever you feel comfortable. Most players also tend to build an "advance pylon," or "proxy pylon" near their enemy's base so that they can continue to warp in even more units as they attack. The four-gate push is actually quite strong in most games if you do it right, and many players have been taken by surprise by this aggressive move, especially if they don't scout it.

Fast Robotics / 'Two-Gate' Robotics: There are a few variations on this build, but it's basically where the player tries to get a Robotics Facility as fast as possible-either to counter a potential Roach rush (this is becoming much more uncommon because Roaches are now two supply instead of one) or the more dangerous Marauder or Siege Tank push. Players try to get a Robotics Facility as fast as possible for a quick observer to spy on the enemy movements (scouting an enemy's strategy is invaluable), typically followed by a few Immortals, the Protoss's new armored unit that deals incredible damage to other armored units and, if their shields are still up, they reduce all incoming damage to 10 per hit. The Immortal has been designed to, literally, smash through high damage units, like the Zerg's Roaches and Ultralisks, or the Terran's Marauders and Siege Tanks.

Following this, Protoss players must decide if they want to follow up with a Robotics Bay for the ultra-powerful Colossus (best used against large groups of units, like lots of Zerglings, Roaches, Marines, Marauders, Zealots or Stalkers), or if they simply want to push out with their beefy Immortals. Be warned that you will have fewer units in comparison to the "four-gate" push, or you might take longer to assemble your units, but Immortals can often spell the difference between disaster and success if the enemy Terran has gone Siege Tanks (which will destroy your Stalker, Sentry, Zealot army) or if the enemy Zerg / Protoss have put down static defenses (Phase Cannons or Spine Crawlers).