5.1 General Strategy
5.2 Unit Specifics
5.3 Build Plan
Protoss is perhaps the most fun race to play because of their high-tech leanings. Nothing quite compares to seeing enemy forces waste their fire on hallucinated zealots or watching powerful enemy units get wrapped in a stasis field when trying (vainly) to attack units under the cloak of a nearby arbiter. The Protoss start slowly, but only in terms of build time; their units are easily the strongest individually in the early game. It is only their relatively long build time that prevents them from being invincible. An Executor who reaches the middle game will gain powerful advantages through templar, reavers and archons. But in the late game, the Protoss are somewhat weak in comparison to the other races. More to the point, while Terrans have battle cruisers and Zerg have guardians, the Protoss have carriers, which are too vulnerable for their exorbitant cost, and arbiters, which are such obvious targets that even the dumbest opponent kills them first—at a rather high cost in gas.
Quite a few of the messages on alt.games.starcraft describe how scouts are the most powerful air forces in the game, but this is misleading. Their individual attacks are indeed the most powerful in the game, but they are not often cost effective to build. Each scout costs 300/150, whereas a Zerg mutalisk costs 100/100. If a Protoss player constructs a squad of twelve scouts, he will spend 1800 mineral units more than a Zerg player who constructs eighteen mutalisks, and those eighteen mutalisks will easily destroy the twelve scouts. So it is important—terribly important in fact—to protect scouts. They are simply too expensive to lose. As anti-air forces, they are devastating; as anti-ground forces, they are fairly strong. But they are simply too vulnerable to attack. One lone templar can destroy an entire squad with a couple of psionic storms. In short, if one is going to use scouts, get the speed upgrade and use them very carefully.
Carriers, despite their grand reputation, are often just more of the same. In fact, they are even more vulnerable and more costly than scouts. A single carrier costs 350/250 plus 300/0 more to build its interceptors—that's one seriously expensive unit. And carriers move so slowly that a single templar can destroy an entire squad completely. Sure, a carrier has a long attack range, and its interceptors do pretty good damage, but a smart human player will target his units on the carriers themselves, ignoring the damage done by the interceptors. A mere two dragoons can kill a carrier without upgraded capacity, and three can kill a carrier with the upgrade. One Yamato shot will destroy an unshielded carrier. Because carriers are so vulnerable, they must be protected—usually by a squad of similarly expensive and vulnerable scouts.
In summary, despite what so many players seem to think about the superiority of Protoss air power, it just isn't worth the cost without adequate support. Protoss air units are highly expensive, highly vulnerable, and require constant attention to keep their fat out of the fire. Deploy them in large groups (i.e., at least twelve scouts and at least six carriers) and retreat and recharge at shield batteries when they get into trouble.
Although this is perhaps not as important with the Protoss as it is with the Terrans, it is still the case that a mixed attack group can be far more effective than just throwing zealots at a problem. A reaver or two behind the lines can lengthen the life spans of the zealots at the front considerably—particularly when facing a tightly knit group of enemies (e.g., hydralisks). Of course, a templar or two can be just as effective—if not more so—against ground or air forces with their psionic storms. Having some dragoons just behind one's zealots can protect from air attack, help destroy key ground targets, etc. In effect, bringing a mixture of troops is generally more effective.
The one disadvantage, however, is that it seems to be more difficult to coordinate Protoss efforts than with the other races. No matter what I tell my reavers to attack, they seem to prefer destroying pylons or other inanimate structures. At least templar throw psionic storms exactly where they are told. Of course, the zealots they are likely supporting are just as bad if not worse; a single shot is enough to draw a squad of zealots too far afield for support. My one suggestion is this: be sure to use the attack command rather frequently to keep your zealots from running amok. Otherwise, they are likely to leave reavers and templar behind, which usually results in dying templar and exploding reavers if shuttles are not at the ready for evacuation.
Some Protoss units (i.e., reaver and templar) can be amazingly effective when dropped from a shuttle. The computer does it so fast that it can leave one wondering what happened. On more than one occasion, I have tried to mass troops (e.g., hydralisks, mutalisks, marines, etc.) only to have a Protoss shuttle show up, drop a templar, pick him up and leave the area while the psionic storm he threw is busy killing all of my units. It isn't an easy technique to master, but it is worth learning due to its awesome potential for damage. A reaver or zealot drop behind enemy lines can make pretty short work of Terran SCVs, Zerg drones or even Protoss probes—just be careful to avoid detection. Brood War sadly renders reaver drops almost nugatory. The three-second cool-down period prevents the reaver from firing immediately upon exiting the shuttle. This is often enough time for the enemy to destroy the reaver, so be sure to drop reavers only when that three seconds will be available.
If zealots weren't so vulnerable from the air, they would be perfect. A single squad of twelve zealots can wreak havoc on the ground in pretty short order. Of course, when bunched together they are vulnerable to psionic storm, plague, etc., but when going toe to toe with other ground units, they are awesome. When building zealots, build plenty; they are fairly cheap as Protoss units go, and they are ridiculously effective against ground troops. I was reminded recently of just how tough they are by the single-player mission in which one must liberate Tassadar from the stasis cell. Toward the end, I sent twelve zealots to harass the base. They destroyed five photon cannons, a couple of zealots, a reaver, and several dragoons before being killed—all while being fired at and psionic stormed from above by a couple of dragoons and a templar!
The one key to using zealots effectively is to be certain to obtain the leg upgrade as quickly as possible. Without it, their relatively slow speed will allow ranged attackers to mow them down from a distance, while remaining out of reach of their deadly psi-blades. Thus, build carefully in the early game to be sure that by the time one's zealots are needed, they are suitably speedy.
The dragoon, in my estimation, is roughly analogous to the Zerg hydralisk insofar as it provides air cover and general support for zealots. Of course, whereas the Zerg hydralisks essentially hide behind a wall of expendable zerglings, zealots can take care of themselves. Dragoons provide good air cover and general ground support. As a general rule, I try to send six dragoons for every twelve zealots. This seems to be just about right to protect zealots from air attack or help them kill reavers. It also seems to work well against Zerg mutalisks and Terran wraiths—just remember that Zerg queens can kill dragoons instantly.
The primary drawback to dragoons is their bulk. They are easily surrounded and killed by smaller units (e.g., zerglings, marines, etc.). And the stupid computer AI can make their deployment incredibly frustrating as they wander around aimlessly in tight spots. Nevertheless, in open spaces or similar appropriate situations, they are a welcome addition to an assault force.
Templar are one of the most powerful special units in the game. Their psionic storms are equally useful against targets both in the air and on the ground. Their hallucination ability is similarly useful in almost any battle—attacking or defending. And when a templar's energy is expended completely, he can still pair off with a colleague, warp into an archon and join the battle as one of the deadliest Protoss units, an archon. A templar's only weaknesses consist in his relative vulnerability to attack and the difficulty of micro-managing their special abilities. One should always be sure to have a templar or two on hand during the Protoss mid-game as they are arguably the most effective, cheapest anti-air units during that stage. If one has too many templar to manage, warp them into…
Archons are an oft-neglected Protoss unit. They are certainly costly (100/300) as each is the result of the merging of two templar. But their damage potential is frequently worth the price. Archons are devastating against units both on the ground and in the air. Even a small group of archons (i.e., four or less) can wreak incredible damage before being destroyed—especially if a shield battery is available for periodic recharging. Be very cautious, however, when deploying them against Terrans. The EMP shock wave of a Terran science vessel renders archons shield-less, which makes them so easy to destroy that even a couple of SCVs can take them out.
Dark templar are useful if and only if the enemy allows them to be. Their permanent cloak makes them the perfect units for patrolling the outskirts of a base or conducting covert reconnaissance. And their heavy attack is ideal for taking down a key structure in a big hurry. Their main weakness is that if the enemy has detection handy, they will often not live long enough to get anywhere near striking range. Used very carefully the dark templar can easily win the game (see my notes for an example); used recklessly, they are a waste of resources. Of course, if the enemy builds detection in response to a visit by a few dark templar, simply warp them into…
Dark archons can turn the tide of battle very quickly. Using mind-control to deprive the Zerg of their overlords can allow arbiters and dark templar to be ridiculously effective. Alternately, using mind-control to "recruit" ultralisks, battle cruisers, science vessels, carriers, etc. can throw a battle group into chaos as it simultaneously loses a powerful ally and gains a powerful enemy. Finally, if one can use mind-control to obtain an enemy harvester, the potential to develop a second supply of units is frightening.
Of course, mind control is not the only dark archon ability, it is just the most obvious. Their feedback ability can explode or heavily damage battle cruisers, science vessels, ghosts, queens, defilers, dark archons, templar, arbiters, etc. with a single use. And against the Zerg, their maelstrom ability can be devastating as it halts the advance of the swarm—often providing time to cast psi-storm or let one's zealots slice and dice.
Reavers are the heavy hitters of Protoss ground forces—particularly when their damage and storage capacities are upgraded. They are large and rather slow-moving units, which often makes their effectiveness dependent upon available shuttle transportation. But once in position, they can level enemy units and defensive structures very quickly. Use them against Terran bunkers whenever possible; a couple of scarabs will destroy bunkers long before a squad of zealots will. If siege tanks are nowhere nearby, said reavers may kill both the bunkers and the enclosed units with impunity.
Use them against Zerg sunken colonies and other structures as well. In short, have a reaver or two along with any ground assault in the mid-game or beyond. Note well that a shuttle can drop two reavers just inside the range of Terran missile turrets or Zerg sunken colonies before being destroyed; this tactic costs a shuttle, but it can quickly deliver reavers close enough to the action to be devastating. Be careful to control their firing, however, as the computer AI is dumb as a rock in terms of what targets it will select for the reavers. For example, I once successfully executed a reaver drop near an opponent's SCVs only to have it destroyed without killing a single SCV because the computer had it fire on the command center instead! Again, Brood War adds a three-second cool-down period when shuttle-dropping reavers. Keep this in mind when attempting a reaver drop.
As mentioned elsewhere, reconnaissance is key; thus, observers are important for the successful Executor. As soon as possible, one should post observers at key points around (and preferably within) one's base. When more gas is available for use, they should be posted at various key map locations (e.g., bridges, choke points, resources, etc.). If at all possible, post them also near (or preferably within) the enemy base. Observers are not exactly cheap (25/75) and are quite fragile, but the data they provide can often mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Scouts are the most powerful air-to-air unit in the game, and their air-to-ground attack is also fairly powerful. Unfortunately, they are very expensive (300/150) and are destroyed all too easily by hydralisks, lots of scourge, cloaked wraiths, or just about any anti-air capable unit after an EMP shock wave. On the other hand, they are so fast (at least after the speed upgrade) that hit-and-run tactics are quite possible. A pack of scouts can run between the front lines and a friendly shield battery quickly enough to attack and escape without serious losses. They are also practically necessary during the late game in order to oppose Terran wraiths or Zerg guardians.
Corsairs are a welcome addition to the Protoss catalog. The Protoss have long suffered from an inability to crack tough defenses—particularly from the air. But the corsair disruption web changes this completely. It is now possible to completely neutralize fire from bunkers, missile turrets, spore colonies, sunken colonies and other Protoss photon cannons with this fabulous power. Corsairs are also useful in their own right against mutalisk-happy Cerebrates. If the Zerg go for a mutalisk rush, teach them the error of their ways with corsairs.
It is an easy thing indeed to have a love/hate relationship with Protoss carriers. In large groups (i.e., 8 or more), they can be devastating. Their interceptors, though individually weak, can level almost anything in a second or two in such large groups. But carriers themselves are slow and very vulnerable to attack. They are also ridiculously expensive (350/250 + more for interceptors) and hard to control (they will tend to run into attacking spore colonies or missile turrets). But if deployed well and accompanied by appropriate ground forces, they can wreak havoc.
Arbiters can be very effective if deployed properly. When attacking or defending against a large force, an arbiter can enclose half the enemy inside a stasis field, effectively implementing a divide and conquer approach. An arbiter accessible through a hotkey can also be very effective as a panic button; i.e., when one's forces are outnumbered badly, an arbiter can recall them back to base quickly to cut one's losses. Alternately, an arbiter can provide a sure-fire means of cracking an otherwise intractable defensive position. For example, a Terran base protected by dozens of tanks and rows of bunkers can still be destroyed easily if a lone arbiter can make it into an undefended point and use its recall ability to bring a strike force to bear. If the enemy has a large number of anti-air structures in place, simply use the hallucinate ability of nearby templar to give them too many targets. Finally, when operating in the field or defending a base, an enemy without mobile detectors will be helpless against a Protoss force under the cloak of an arbiter.
While the idea of producing a build order to follow slavishly is utterly repugnant to me, the following is nevertheless very efficient.
This strategy can be very hard to defeat. One's zealots will generally catch Terrans prior to the availability of siege tanks in siege mode with only ground forces available. Unless the Magistrate is very careful to build and deploy his forces properly for Protoss defense (e.g., having just the right balance and layout of vultures, firebats and marines), one will frequently overrun his base and win the game. Against the Zerg, one will arrive generally about the time when the Cerebrate's first expansion is coming on-line, which usually means that a smaller number of zerglings and hydralisks are present. Alternately, one might arrive as a spire is finishing, the hatchery is finishing its transformation to a lair, etc. Suffice it to say that unless the Cerebrate has done almost nothing but build troops, it should be possible to overrun his forces and start taking his base apart.
The main weakness of this buildup is against fellow Protoss. More specifically, this buildup places a relatively high emphasis on getting the leg upgrade that, while essential against Terrans and Zerg, can wait against the Protoss. If playing against the Protoss, do not warp in the assimilator and cybernetics core until one has at least eighteen zealots and three gateways; otherwise, one risks losing to the zealot rush. Against the Protoss, bring the assimilator, cybernetics core, citadel of Adun and other structures in more gradually; there is generally little reason to fear an air attack, but there are strong reasons to fear a zealot assault. Brood War makes this buildup more vulnerable. The improved sunken colonies will frequently repel all but the most determined ground assaults. And if an enemy Cerebrate goes quickly for mutalisks, the game may well be over. See my notes elsewhere regarding potential Zerg domination in the early game.
The dividing line between the early and middle phases of the game seems clearer to me with the Protoss for some reason. I consider myself into the middle game once I have gateways, a forge, a cybernetics core, and a citadel of Adun. Moving into the middle game, templar can provide some air cover, but if the enemy is going for air superiority, they will generally be insufficient—particularly against Terran wraiths. Thus, one of the goals of the middle game is to prepare some anti-air defenses. A second goal is to continue building toward the later game when Protoss advanced units can be brought to bear. This means expanding as soon and as securely as possible.
Assuming that an Executor survives to see the late game, the Protoss will either carry the day or lose miserably depending largely upon the given Executor's skills. The Protoss have the toughest, highest-tech units of any of the races, and if managed properly, they can destroy any enemy force. They are also very difficult to use properly, which has led many to conclude that the Protoss are rather weak in the late game. The late game goal is, of course, the same as the goal earlier in the game: to win. Toward this end, I offer the following suggestions.