In this Starcraft 2 Protoss 1v1 quick guide, I will discuss the best strategies to use against each race. Read on to find out the best way to win more games like Protoss!
Against other protoss players
One of the best strategies to use in a mirror match (Protoss vs Protoss) is to get a mix of Zealots, Sentinels, and Immortals. Don’t give the enemy a chance to build Void Rays and you won’t have to worry about getting anti-air units.
Build 2 Gateways and start pumping Zealots and Sentinels. Enter when you have a dozen units in total. From there, keep up the pressure and build Immortals. Make sure your Zealots and Sentinels cover your Immortals and don’t let enemy units get too close to your large units. Zealots and Sentinels punish any Protoss ground combination (except Colossi), and your Immortals will be able to chomp down any Colossus and Stalker.
against terran players
Against Terran players, you should quickly go for Colossi and Immortals. Terran players will universally start with either Reapers or MMM (Marines, Marauders, and Medivacs, though Medivacs may not always be around). Any of these unit combinations will chew through Zealots, as Reapers are very fast and Marauders have an attack that slows affected units. You’ll need Colossi to kill MMM quickly, and you’ll need Immortals later in the game to kill any siege tanks added to the mix.
The longer the game lasts, the more Immortals you will need. Stop building Colossi if the Terran player stops building Marines; continue building Colossi if the permanence of the marines prevails. Remember Vikings can’t attack Immortals unless they land, Immortals quickly take down Vikings on the ground and Stalkers are very effective against flying Vikings.
Dark Templar can also be used to supplement your army later in the game. Just remember that the key point of this Starcraft 2 Protoss 1v1 guide is that Immortal and Colossus are the units that will allow you to win against Terran players.
vs Zerg Players
Against Zerg players, you’ll be better off building a biological army early consisting of Zealots and Sentinels. You will then need to adjust your game plan based on what the enemy is building. If the enemy is turning roaches, get some immortals. Two or three immortals can take down an entire army of roaches!
If the enemy is massing Hydralisks (a very common strategy), you’ll need some Colossi. You may need to get some Stalkers to protect your Colossi from Corruptors at this point (keep an eye on what the enemy is building). If the enemy builds Mutalisks, know that the Phoenix is extremely effective against light air units like the Mutalisk.
In short, if the enemy has Hydralisks and Corruptors, build Colossi, Stalkers, and Sentinels. If the enemy has Roaches, Hydralisks, or other ground units without air support, he builds Immortals, Colossi, Zealots, and Sentinels. If the enemy has mostly air units, he builds Stalkers, Sentries, and some Phoenixes.
Against Zerg players there is no safe plan that I can commit to in this Starcraft 2 Protoss 1v1 guide; you will have to adapt depending on what the enemy is doing.