Starcraft – TvZ: how to handle quick zerg transitions

It sounds like your problem is less, "I need a counter" and more "How could I have known?"

First off, you said you scouted him but he proxy'd his Barracks (hid it outside of his base). Let's go over the ways you could have still seen this coming:

• Usually not seeing a Barracks is a good sign he's Proxying.
• Watching for a very early Vespean Refinery is usually a sign of some sort of early Marauder/Reaper play
• Finally, many top Protoss players default into 1 Gate -> Cybernetics Core to set themselves up to stop this.

What else could you have done?

Some guide will suggest skipping that first Zealot, but if you can squeeze him out (Zealot has a 33 sec build time compared to the Cybernetics Core's 60) he serves as a good distraction to keep the reapers off your probes.

Make sure to save some extra chrono boosts to boost out a Stalker. While early game you should be using these on Probes, once you start building the Cybernetics Core stop using them and save them for the Stalker.

Another problem you had was a Bunker slipping in. There are a couple ways to stop this, but most prominently walling off your ramp. You can do this with your Gateway/Cybernetics Core, or leave space and place that first Zealot there. Alternatively, you can build an extra pylon closing off that small space with plans to kill it later.

Once he does start building the Bunker, you can use either your Stalker or even your Probes to try and kill it during production (or even better the SCV building it). The follow up will usually be a large number of Marauders so you can either push out Zealots to deal with this (its unlikely he'll have concussive shell this early), or a Sentry. With the Sentry you'll want to use force field at the bottom of your ramp to keep him from moving up and gaining sight. You can then use your Stalker to prevent Reapers from giving sight and to target the helpless Marauders.

In any case you should consider your next move. Are you going to go Robo? get out an early Immortal. Or do you want to throw up 2-3 Gate and out produce him (as he's seriously cut production).

One of the things you'll notice is that as you continue to play, the time it takes you to get out that first stalker will rapidly decrease. A Reaper rush really trades on the opponent not seeing it, and not being very experienced.

Since the last question was more about Void Rays I concentrated on more diverse Protoss Anti-Air

Gateway

Since Protoss strategies usually revolve around heavy gateway units, Stalkers are more or less a must in anti air confrontations. The most important rule of Stalkers is: unless you are chasing, never blink into battle. This is key, because as a tool, blink is far more effective as running away or chasing than it is as an opener. Stalkers are a very fast unit, so the only time you should ever feel the need to blink into an enemy is when they're running away.

Blinking away has two important aspects to it:

• Mass Retreat
• Moving the Front line back

While retreating is often times a necessary thing, it's the latter, that makes blink such an effective tool. When you find yourself against engaged in a battle, you'll usually notice that your vanguard (front units) take the brunt of the damage. If you blink them away as they take damage, the damage will spread more evenly over your whole force and your Stalkers will continue to do damage from longer periods of time.

Protoss Air

If your build is designed around Air units there are two important things to remember:

• Phoenix can shoot while they move
• Void Rays can shoot while they move

Most people don't know the second one. The key to any Protoss air confrontation is to make it a mobile one. This is why the speed upgrade for Void Rays is so crucial. Now Phoenix and Void Ray have different use cases, Phoenix are effective against light, and Void Rays against armored. Based on what your opponent is going you have to adapt. If you're seeing Muta heavy, go Phoenix. If you're seeing Viking/Corruptor go VR. In a PvP its usually whoever has better macro or more upgrades who triumph... you know, unless you get High Templar

High Templar

Usually built out of an early 4 gate strategy, HT are one of the most powerful units in the game. Psionic Storm needs no introduction, but don't forget about Feedback. Feedback has the unit property of being amazing against unexpected units. Allow me to list a few:

• Ghosts (no surprise)
• Infestors (no surprise)
• Dropships (wait what? healing uses energy?)
• Phoenix (how do you think they lift)
• Ravens (as well as point defense drones)
• Battle Cruisers (Oh yeah!)
• Corruptors
• Even Mothership

I have definitely had games where I won with just HT/Zealot just because of how versatile this unit it. What's more they can easily be transformed into damage soaks (Archons) to break Siege Tank of Void Ray lines.

Having trouble against Mass Void Ray? Strangely enough Psionic Storm is surprisingly effective against Void Rays. Because of the charging nature of their attack, many players won't immediately move their Void Ray out of danger.

Conclusion

As always, the key to beating a PvP army often lies in doing something unexpected while your opponent is doing the expected. Use Observers to try and retain the advantage in the game of information warfare.