Starcraft 2 Protoss Tips: Stopping Early Marauders

Starcraft 2's release date is almost here, and many Protoss players on the Starcraft 2 beta need tips for stopping Terran rushes that many people think are overpowered. Of course, it's not overpowered, as that is a dirty word among serious Starcraft 2 players.

Early Terran infantry rush against Protoss is tough, however. The Terran Marauder rush is exceptionally difficult for Protoss, so here are some tips for how to stop it dead in its tracks.

The first way to make sure you're ready for a marauder rush is to scout out your opponent. Have a probe check them out early and then get out of there while hanging around and checking back in a few minutes or so.

As soon as you a couple of tech labs go up on their barracks', get ready to make a choice as to what you want to do.

If you're a Protoss player on a map that has a small choke point to your base, you should be able to hold off a bigger force with the right amount of troops.

Always mix up your units against the Marauder rush. Pure Zealots won't get it done and Stalkers are always better with support up front.

The best mix among basic infantry vs. a Marauder rush for Protoss would be one or two Sentries along with a 1/2 ratio of Zealots to Stalkers or so.

Throw in a photo cannon or two to give him something to think about when he rushes as well.

If you can tech up to get the Blink ability for Stalkers you can harass Marauders easily and pick them off one by one with good micromanaging technique.

Getting a Zealot charge ability won't hurt either, but Blink is probably a better choice. Having Sentries around to use a couple of Guardian Shields will also help immensely.

On a more wide-open map, try to get Psi Storm as quickly as possible and add a few more cannons than usual. Also, Sentries are very important for Guardian shields and perhaps splitting up their forces with force fields as well.

Attacking with Void Rays after the initial push might be a good idea but many Marauder rushers supplement them with mass Vikings later on so be sure to scout often. Void Rays should be used to harass and snipe buildings, so don't get too many of them.

Psi Storm is also a good ability to tech up to. Once you get it you can go on the offensive and cut through his infantry before finishing him off with yours.

Immortals also are a good counter to Marauders as well, so getting a couple for support at your ramp can be huge, and they will also allow you to go on the offensive afterward.

Stay away from Colossi against Marauder builds and be sure to wall off your base as best you can.

Many Protoss players have had a hard time finding tips and strategies for use against Terran and especially Marauder builds, but the game is new and more will come out soon.

It seems as if Sentries are the most underused unit against this build so far, so don't be afraid to get a couple because they can turn the tide easily when used the right way as a Protoss player against Terran.