StarCraft: Remaster’s Protoss have some incredibly powerful units, but they’re often limited by their speed and specialization. However, when used right they can hit extremely hard, and even their base combat unit, the Zealot very robust and resilient.
Recommended Protoss starting moves
The first thing you should do is build three equally spaced Pylons in front of your base, then build three Gateways in front of those. As those structures are going up, get more Probes produced and get a Refinery up as soon as possible.
When your Gateways are constructed, you should make around 15 Zealots to defend your base. Resist the urge to build Photon Cannons early on. They cost 50 more minerals than a Zealot, but don’t hit as hard and are stationary. Their only advantage over the Zealot is that they can hit flying targets, something you don’t have to worry about in the early game.
How to Zealot rush
The simplest Protoss strategy can be overwhelmingly effective against opponents that haven’t focused on defense early on. You can choose to attack with a full group of 12 as soon as you get it built, which can cause a lot of damage or take out an opponent entirely. You can also act earlier and hit an enemy with 3-4 Zealots. This is riskier, but has a higher chance of catching your foe before they can offer a counter.
The Dark Templar rush
You can also choose to hold back for a while after building your small defense force of Zealots and go for a Dark Templar rush. There’s more risk to a Dark Templar rush, but if pulled off successfully, you can dismantle an opponent’s economy and destroy them in the chaos.
If you choose this path, after you make your defensive army, get a Citadel of Adun up, then a Templar Archives. You’ll then want to make a force of 6-12 Dark Templar, and a second force of 15-20 Zealots. If you’re only facing another opponent, you can just use your defensive army, since if this is executed right, you’ll claim a victory.
Send a Probe or two into your target’s base. Look for anything that can see cloaked units, like Overlords, Missile Turrets, or Observers. If the coast is clear, you’re on easy street. Micromanage your Dark Templars to your enemy’s worker units and take them out. They won’t be able to retaliate, and it only takes one strike from a Dark Templar per worker to destroy them.
Ideally, you can then move your Zealots in and trap what army your opponent has built between your Dark Templar and Zealots and take them out. You can then take down their buildings at your leisure, and claim victory.
If your opponent does have cloaked unit detectors, you’ll probably want to make a feint designed to take them out. If you can, just make it look like a regular attack on their base, and as soon as the detectors go down, move in your Dark Templar.
As with the other races, there is an almost unlimited mix of tactics you can use with the Protoss. The two simple ones above mix great with more advanced units and you’ll have your StarCraft: Remastered play style down in no time.
