With the release of one expansion and another expansion in progress, Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II is becoming one of the most popular real-time strategy (RTS) games for both casual and professional players. If you're just getting started, these beginner-to-intermediate-level tips will help you win with any of the three factions you choose.
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Method 1 of 5: Getting Started
The tips under “Getting Started” and “Proceeding to Intermediate Level” are general tips that apply to all three factions in StarCraft II. Once you know how, you can jump straight to the strategy for Terran, Protoss, or Zerg.
Step 1. Get to know the factions
StarCraft II offers three factions to play with, or pit against. The Terran Faction was proficient in defense and maneuverability. The Zerg Faction are extraterrestrials in the form of insects aimed at launching large-scale attacks. The Protoss faction, the leading warrior race, moved slowly but very strongly. You only need one Protoss combat unit for every two or three Zerg and Terran units to win a battle.
“Units” are for tiny characters who play different roles in your squad. Some units can attack, while others have special abilities that can change the course of battle if used at the right time
Step 2. Use workers to mine minerals
Minerals are units to pay for things like buildings, units, and upgrades. At the start of each game, you'll be in a base consisting of a building, four workers, and two crystal fields called minerals. Left-click one of the workers, then right-click the mineral field. Workers will start mining minerals automatically.
- “Workers” and “miners” are referred to units that can mine minerals. Each faction has one worker unit. Terran workers are called SCVs, Zerg workers are called Drones, and Protoss workers are called Probes.
- You can select multiple units by clicking and dragging the pointer around a group of units.
Step 3. Train workers in your town hall
“Town Hall” is a general term used to designate the Terran faction's Command Center, Zerg faction's Hatchery, or Protoss faction Nexus, the main building where you train workers and other types of units. Train workers in different ways depending on the faction you choose.
- Terran: Left-click Command Center, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then click SCV.
- Protoss: Left-click Nexus, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then click Probe.
- Zerg: Left-click the larva, one of the worm-shaped creatures that creep around the Hatchery. Click the Build button in the lower right corner, then click Drone.
Step 4. Pay attention to your resources
Each unit, building, and upgrade has a linked price. You can view resource prices by clicking “town hall” (or larva if you are a Zerg player), clicking Build, and moving the mouse cursor over the unit you want to build.
Resources are represented by three counters in the upper-right corner of the screen: one for minerals, one for gas, and one for supplies, or the number of units you can support
Step 5. Build buildings to expand your base
Unit workers can do more than just harvest resources. They are the only units that can create new buildings that give you access to more powerful units, upgrades, and more. The way to construct buildings is different for each faction.
- Terran: left-click the SCV, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then select the building you want to build. Start construction by clicking on a large vacant lot. If the silhouette of the building glows red, you cannot build on that plot of land.
- Protoss: left-click the Probe, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then select the building to build. Protoss players can only place buildings in a blue circle, called a power field, that comes from a Pylon building. The first building you have to build is Pylon.
- Zerg: left-click the Drone, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then select the building to build. Zerg players can only build on the Creep, the slimy purple carpet, that surrounds the Hatchery. When construction starts, the Drone will transform into the building you choose. You'll lose Drones, but don't worry: Drones are cheap, so just make another one.
- The buildings you can create are shown in vivid colors, along with their resource prices. Gray buildings cannot be built until you create the prerequisite buildings. You can read the required prerequisites by moving your cursor over the gray building in the Build menu.
Step 6. Rise above the hot springs to distill Vespene gas
Near your town hall and mineral grounds is a hot spring that emits green puffs of smoke. It's a Vespene hot spring, and you can install buildings on it to distill Vespene gas, which is required to pay for some buildings, units, and upgrades. Each faction uses a different building to refine gas.
- Terran: Select SCV, click Build, then click Refinery. Place the Refinery over Vespene's hot springs.
- Protoss: Select Probe, click Build, then click Assimilator. Place the Assimilator over the Vespene hot spring.
- Zerg: Select Drone, click Build, then click Extractor. Place the Extractor over the Vespene hot spring.
Step 7. Assign workers to distill gas
After you build a Refinery, Assimilator or Extractor, create four to five workers, select them by left-clicking, then right-clicking on Refinery/Assimilator/Extractor. Workers will start distilling gas continuously until the hot springs run out.
Step 8. Learn the actions depending on the circumstances
Right-click to perform different actions depending on what you clicked. For example, selecting a unit and then right-clicking on the ground will instruct the unit to move to that position. Right-clicking an enemy unit makes your unit perform an attack.
Step 9. Create buildings that can train combat units
Each faction starts the game with a building that can train fighting units. To train other types of fighting units, build other types of buildings.
- Terran: left-click the SCV, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then click Barrack. Place the Barracks on the vacant lot. When the Barracks are finished, click Barrack, then click Marine. Marines fire their guns from medium range and they are cheap. So train Marines in large numbers and attack in large groups.
- Protoss: left-click Probe, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then click Gateway. Put the Gateway in the Pylon power field. When the Gateway is finished building, click Gateway, then click Zealot. Zealot's movement is slow, but deals tremendous damage. Two or three Zealots are enough to attack a Marine Terran and a Zergling Zerg in double the number.
- Zerg: left-click the Drone, click the Build button in the lower right corner, then click Spawning Pool. Place the Spawning Pool anywhere on the Creep (the slimy purple carpet). When the Spawning Pool is finished building, click on one of the worm-like larvae crawling near the Hatchery, click Build, then click Zergling. Zerglings move very fast and come in pairs. Create a large group of Zerglings to defeat your opponents.
Step 10. Increase your inventory to build more units
You can think of supplies as food: troops need food to function. Check your supplies, shown in the upper right corner of the screen next to Vespene's mineral and gas supplies. As usual, the three factions increased their supplies in different ways.
- Terran: Select SCV, click Build, then click Supply Depot. Place the Supply Depot on any vacant lot.
- Protoss: Select Probe, click Build, then click Pylon. Pylon generates a power field and does not need to be placed in a power field to function.
- Zerg: Select the larva in front of your Hatchery, click Build, then click Overlord. Overlords are agile units that cannot attack, so don't leave them unattended.
Method 2 of 5: Proceeding to Intermediate Level
Avoid overcrowding your mineral soil. As a rule of thumb, assign two workers to each mineral field, and three workers to each Vespene hot spring. That way, one worker harvests while the other brings the harvest to the town hall. More than two workers per field will cause congestion from the resource point to the town hall, which will slow down your income.
Step 1. Create defenses to protect your base
A common and effective strategy is to storm the opponent's base and attack workers harvesting minerals and gas. All three factions can create defensive buildings to protect your land.
- Terran: Select SCV, click Build, then select Bunker. The bunker can accommodate up to four combat units, which can fire safely from inside the bunker at units that approach. Train four Marines, then put them in a Bunker by selecting them and right-clicking the Bunker.
- Protoss: Select Probe, click Build, then choose Photo Cannon. Photo Cannon fires automatically when enemy units approach. Remember to place the Photo Cannon in the Pylon power field.
- Zerg: Select Drone, click Build, then select Spine Crawler. Spine Crawler attacks enemy units automatically. Remember that the Spine Crawler must be placed inside the creep.
Step 2. Scout the map to find enemy bases
If you don't find your opponent, they will find you. Defeat opponents by sending a worker or two to explore the map as scouts. Don't worry if they get killed in reconnaissance; If the enemy base is found, their task is complete.
Step 3. Group combat units using hotkeys
Select a group of combat units by clicking and dragging your cursor over them. Then hold down the Ctrl key and press the numbers 1-9 on the keyboard. The whole group will be placed in the number you choose. To control everything at once, press the number you specify, then right-click on the ground to move the whole group.
Step 4. Study units and buildings to understand their capabilities
Each time you train a new unit or create a new building, click on the unit/building and learn about the abilities and options available to you, tick them in the box in the lower right corner of the screen. Ability with gray color can not be used or purchased. Hover over them to find out the prerequisites needed to use them.
Step 5. Build a new base to increase your resources
Vespene's mineral fields and hot springs will eventually run out. Gather a group of combat units and two or three workers and head to the expansion bay, an area on the map with unclaimed minerals and hot springs. Upon arrival, build and run your base as quickly as possible.
- Assign one of your workers to build a new town hall. Place the town hall halfway between the mineral and hot springs so workers can walk back and forth quickly.
- While the town hall is being built, assign other workers to build a Refinery, Assimilator, or Extractor over the Vespene hot springs.
- Create a defensive line to protect the town hall while it is being built.
- After the town hall construction is complete, train workers and harvest minerals and hot springs.
Step 6. Expand the area as often as possible
The more expansion bases you control, the more minerals and gases you'll have. But be careful, don't develop your base with weak defenses. Don't expand with a new base unless you really want to keep it.
Step 7. Constantly spending money
You can't have more than 1,000 minerals at the same time. Spend minerals and gas on units, buildings and upgrades to increase the strength of your troops.
Method 3 of 5: Playing As Terran
Step 1. Use SCV to repair damaged buildings
Damaged buildings can eventually collapse if left untreated. To repair a building, select SCV, then right-click on the damaged building. Assign additional SCVs to repair buildings to make them finish faster.
Step 2. Remove the SCV from the construction if it is in danger
An SCV must continue to work to complete the building. However, you can order the SCV to retreat if the construction is attacked. It's easy, select SCV, then press Escape. When you are ready to finish rebuilding, Select any SCV, and right-click on the building.
Step 3. Use the Supply Depot as a defensive wall
The Supply Depot adds stock, but you can also use it as a temporary fortress. If the only way into your base is through a narrow point on land, create two or three Supply Depots side by side, then build a Bunker behind the depot and fill it with Marines. Any enemy unit must destroy your Supply Depot in order to reach the Marines firing on them safely from inside the bunker.
Step 4. Assign Medivac to go with a group of combat units
Medivac has two functions: as a unit vehicle in and out of combat, and Medivac heals injured units automatically within a certain radius. Make two or three and include them in each group of fighting units you create.
- Insert units into Medivac by selecting up to eight units, then right-clicking Medivac.
- The fastest way to beat your opponent is to cut off their source of income. Load a fighting unit into the Medivac and fly around the perimeter of the enemy base until you see a line of enemy workers mining for gas. Drop your unit in the midst of enemy workers by selecting Medivac, right-clicking the area near the mineral field, then clicking Unload.
Step 5. Create a Barrack outside the enemy base
Use one SCV to explore the map until you find the enemy base. Do not enter the enemy base. You may not win the game, but at least, you've caused a disturbance.
Method 4 of 5: Playing As Protoss
Step 1. Stack some pylons to extend the power field
Skillful players will aim at your Pylon before heading for another building. If an enemy troop manages to destroy a pylon, all the buildings in your power field will stop functioning-unless of course you stack multiple pylons to extend the power field.
Step 2. Get the Probe back to work after warping in the building
Unlike the SCV Terran, the probe does not need to guard the building during the construction process. In fact, the probe doesn't "build" the building; they bend it. As soon as the Probe starts the warping process, you can assign it to other jobs, such as gathering resources. The building will appear by itself.
Step 3. Use fewer units to attack
As a Protoss player, your strength lies not in numbers, but in ruthless troops. Two or three Protoss units are equal to twice the number of Terran and Zerg units. Create groups of four to five fighting units, then attack to keep your opponents down.
Step 4. Unleash the Sentry unit's “Hallucinations” ability to confuse and distract opponents
Sentry has an ability called Hallucinations that creates clones of virtual troops. To you, the hallucination will appear transparent, but to the opponent it seems real. The hallucinatory fighter units don't do any damage and disappear quickly, but you can use them as bait to keep your opponents busy while your real fighter units destroy them.
Method 5 of 5: Playing As Zerg
Step 1. Expand the creep to construct more buildings
Remember, Zerg can only place buildings on creeps. Expand your creeps by building some Hatchery and Creep Tumors.
Building two Creep Tumors in the same radius makes your creep expansion faster
Step 2. Create two or three hatcheries in each base to produce more larvae
All Zerg units will hatch from larvae. Larvae are produced by hatchery, and each hatchery produces three larvae. Create a minimum of two Hatcheries in each base to build your army quickly.
Step 3. Use Baneling to crush some enemy units
Baneling is a tiny fighter unit that lights up, which explodes upon contact with enemy troops. One Baneling was able to wipe out a small group of weaker units like the Marine Terran.
Step 4. Kill the enemy using Zergling
Zergling is arguably the most cost effective unit in this game. They're cheap, and you get two Zerglings for each larva. Make a supply of Zerglings and task them with roaming the map in search of potential expansion locations and exterminate enemies.
