How to play StarCraft 2

1. How to play StarCraft 2 By Joshua Perez

2. Materials • Starcraft : Wings of Liberty or Heart of the Swarm • Have a general knowledge SC2 controls and • Computer that can run it, Mac can run SC2 • Good hand eye coordination • Straight up Nerves of Steel • Creative Mind • Fun!

3. Pick a Race • Protoss • Expensive Units with high damage that control the game flow • Controlled and Precise Play Style • Controls Battlefield with Storms and Forcefields to put enemy units in chokepoints and cutting off route of retreat forcing them to fight in a weak engagement • Zerg • Reactionary race that specializes in overwhelming opponents in numbers • Think waves on a cliff that over time will erode the rock by continually crashing against t. • Erratic and Fast Play Style • Terran • An Amalgam of the two, utilizes both play styles based on the player preference. • Think of standard military engagements. Forming a defensive line and charging in, holding the position reinforcing the line and overwhelming the opponent by positioning. Uses high area of effect damage for chokepoints.

4. Basics • Specifically for this tutorial I will show you how to play the human race Terranshown bottom left, with the robot and soldier. • You will learn basic strategies that will help you win games online against every race shown in the previous slide • There will be a basic overview of unit composition and building uses and times in the game that are appropriate uses for these units and buildings • This will be a brief overview of simple strategies on how to play Terran effectively

5. Want to play another race? • Even though I played Protoss for a while my specialty is Terran. • Zerg I played sparingly just to see what race I really wanted to play • At the end of this presentation will be resources of pro-gamers and professional casters who are former pro-gamers that offer resources to help guide you in your play.

6. Common Buildings • Base Names • Command Center or CC (Shown Top Right) • Supply Depots (Shown Bottom Left: help you produce more units) • Barracks or Rax (Shown Bottom Right) • Factory (Shown in the Middle) • Basic Unit Producing Buildings • Command Center produces SCVs (workers) • Barracks produces Marines (Bottom), Marauders (Top of Marine), and Reapers (Top next to Maruader) • Factory produces Tanks (Bottom), Hellions (Top of Tank), and Widow Mines (Between Tank and Marine) • How does the Terran construct these buildings? • First you will left click an scv and then left click build structure diagram like those provided will indicate buildings cant be made. • NOTE! That these are basic tier one buildings, more buildings can be made, but need additional research buildings in order for construction. SAME GOES FOR UNITS! These buildings can make a wider variety than those provided, but need the research buildings for production. • For Terran a dedicated worker builds the unit until completion • NOTE! Not all races construct buildings the same way, different races have a unique way of construction remember that.

7. Battle • Unit Composition • The types and amount of those types of units that the player decides to enter battle with • This determines outcome of the battle based on the unit composition and how the player uses it. • How to fight as Terran • Positioning – Getting your Army ready and in an area where your units can do maximum damage. • Timing Attacks • Attacking your opponent when your upgrades better than his. Terran’s utilize this especially when applying early game pressure.

8. Match-Ups • The complexity of Starcraftexplands to the very fun stuff • Off Race and Same race battles • Terran v Terran (TvT) • Terran v Protoss (TvP) • Terran v Zerg (TvZ) • And so on for the correlating races • Each match up takes a level of skill and intuition to capitalize on your opponents weaknesses

9. Terran versus Terran v • More commonly referred to as TvT, this mirror match up is the most exciting as the strategies employed are so balanced that it comes out that only the better player will win • There are two army compositions that players can go against any race when playing Terran • Mech – Using vehicles from the Factory produces stronger units, but less mobility. • Bio – Using ground troops from Barracks offers more mobility, but less durability. • A good Terran player picks one of these, but still makes the other to offset the lack of the other. • Basic Army Compositions • Bio – Marine, Tank, Medivac with some Marauders mixed in is the standard build composition that Terrans use in this match up • Medivacs allow you to heal your Marines with high damage output from Tanks (against mech) to offset the mobility from other bio • Mech • Lots of seige tanks in the mid to late game, high tech units from Starport and Barracks. Hellbats and Marauders to protect Tanks • Marauders are terrific in taking out tanks and heavier units from other races, I will discuss that in the other matches. • Positioning • Like I said previously positioning is the key to Terran armies along with upgrades, you need to be vigilant of the Terran army and strike when they are vulnerable. • No matter what race you play the Terran must have superior Positioning to the other army to gain even the slightest advantage. • Example • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w21xOT4LQ9Q • Alive (T) v Major (T) • Game provided by MLG WCS North American Premier League

10. Terran versus Zerg • Strategy • Conversely against Zerg the Terran army is woefully slower than Zerg especially on Creep (a Black oozy floor covering zergs use to get an increase speed spawns from Queens and Hatcheries) • Medivac Drops • As Zerg are faster on land they are slower in the air. By using Medivac Drops (seen below) taking units and with the Medivac Boost dropping into Zerg Bases and taking out Hatcheries. • This allows the Terran to get a better economy than the Zerg, giving the Terran a chance to even the army supply up • Which is what a Zerg never wants to happen. They need a better economy to produce units at a faster rate than the Terran, due to the fact that Zerg units are substantially weaker than Terran units • Unit Composition • A Terran wants a heavy bio army in the early (up to 15 minute mark) to mid (up to 20 minute mark) game and then transition into a mostly mech army in the late game if it gets to that point. • Marine, Maruader, Medivac, and Widow Mine should be the composition for most of the game • Marines and Marauders counter Zerglings, Roaches, and Mutalisks which are the standard composition for a Zerg to have against Terran. Medivacs heal bio units, while your Widow Mines • Example • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsDg_s8bjW4 • Polt (T) v Gosuser (Z) • Provided by Major League Gaming WCS North America Premier Division

11. Terran v Protoss v • Strategy • The Protoss army by it’s very nature is the strongest composition in the entire game. When given higher tier units they are nearly unstoppable except for one area. Mobility. • The Terran and Zerg are notably faster than Protoss so it is essential to use that to your advantage playing Protoss. • This means lots of Medivac Drops, but be wary most Protoss units can attack air units. • Army Composition • Bio is your best friend • Marines, Marauders, and Medivacs will help you defeat the onslaught of Protoss high damage units by running back and quickly firing (aka as “kiting). Medivacs will help alleviate the damage output allowing you to overtake the Protoss • NOTE! Do not engage Protoss in small chokepoints they will destroy you. • Example • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xeIEcyCQow • Flash (T) v Parting (P) • Game provided by: MLG Dallas Winter Championship 2013

12. Tenants to Follow • POSITIONING, POSITIONING, POSITIONING • Make this your golden rule, your mantra, your everything when you play Terran • Without proper positioning and army location knowledge regardless of the race you will die. • Need a Mission Statement going into each game • I am going to apply early pressure for map control • I am going to fast expand to get a good economy • I am going to go fast tech for an upgrade advantage for engagements • FOLLOW WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE GOING TO DO! • If you go into thinking this then there is no point in halting what you are doing, the biggest way to drop games is to doubt yourself • Believe in yourself and you will win!

13. For a More detailed look at SC2 • Sean Plott – Day[9] • Founder of Day[9].tv • Former World Cyber Games Starcraft: Brood War Champion • Got Grandmaster Ranking on Random (Using all 3 Races) • World Renowned Caster • An Awesome Guy • www.day9.tv or his YouTube Channel Day[9]

14. HuskyStarcraft • YouTube Editor and uploader of sc2 VODs at HuskyStarcraft • Casts alongside Day9 • Casting duo known as Husky[9] • Rivals of casting duo Tasteless and Artosis aka Tastosis