Proxy Pylon/Gateway
Try to imagine that you’ve just moved into a brand new neighborhood. Now, try to think of some douche bag you truly can’t stand and imagine that he’s moved into that exact same neighborhood and has set up a lemonade stand just in front of your house. Only this lemonade stand generates Vin Diesel clones in 30 second intervals and every clone breaks into your house and wants to punch you in the face until you die.
That is the Proxy Pylon/Gateway in a nutshell. To take advantage of this classic cheap trick from the good ol’ SC1 days, create a Protoss Pylon and two Gateways just outside the enemy’s base and then pump out a constant flow of Zealots. Thanks to their shields and high hit points, Protoss Zealots can absorb damage like a sponge and can deal incredibly high melee damage.
Above: Typically, you’ll want to begin producing Zealots with the Gateway powered by your proxy Pylon to get the jump on your opponent
The main advantage to this bastard strategy is that it forces your opponent to play defensively to ward off the steady flow zealots right outside his base. While he’s busy, you’ll be free to build a critical mass of units to crush your opponent while he’s struggling to stay alive.
Above: A proxy Pylon and Gateway strategically placed so that an enemy scout heading for your base will miss it
Above: Husky and HD StarCraft commentate on a match that features both a Proxy Pylon and Nydus Worm!
Void Ray Air Rush
The Protoss Void Ray is an air unit that fires a single concentrated beam of energy at an air or ground target. The longer the Void Ray maintains its energy beam, the more damage output it produces. This means that a single Void Ray could, say, destroy your Command Center in less than 30 seconds if left uninterrupted. That’s why just one of these damn things can be a game breaker if your opponent doesn’t have anti-air units, which is what this cheesy strategy is counting on.
To execute the Void Ray Air Rush, wall off your base and quickly climb the tech tree so you can build a Stargate. Then, it’s just a short matter of time before you start incinerating all your enemy’s buildings with a small swarm of Void Rays. Just imagine an amateur reenactment of the movie Independence Day inside of your opponent’s base as you kill all his dudes.
Above: You will learn to hate these things
Above: Having a few anti-air units or turrets will prevent your opponent from tearing down your base with a Void Ray rush
Dark Templar Rush
Also featured in the first StarCraft, this strat should come as no surprise to the SC veteran. The Protoss Dark Templar is an alien ninja who is permanently cloaked (aka invisible) and carries around a gigantic double-scythe. He could only be more badass if he shot lasers out of his eyes and was on fire.
Once again, wall yourself in your base with a few cannons to discourage an early rush, and scurry up the tech tree to start spitting out Dark Templar. This works on the assumption that your opponent doesn’t have any detector units. Terran Turrets, an Orbital Command with enough energy to run a scan, Zerg Overseers, and Protoss Observers can tear this one note strategy apart. But if you’re quick to produce Templars and have the micro-management skills to sneak around any detectors your opponent may have, you’ll be able to wreak tons of havoc in his base before he can react.
Above: As long as they can avoid being seen by detector units, the Dark Templar are untouchable
Above: The Dark Templar is adorned with the bones of fallen Zerg
