Five Beginner Tips for Starcraft 2

So you’ve recently picked up Starcraft 2. You’ve played through the campaign and are now ready to get your feet wet. Problem is, you don’t know how. SC2 can be pretty intimidating to new comers. With so much to keep track of and so many things to do, beginners often find themselves overwhelmed.

You’ve probably lost your first game. Badly. That’s okay. Everyone did their first time. Just get in there and play again! Have fun! But before you go back in, here are a few tips to help you out.

Pick the right race

If you’re entirely new to Starcraft 2, I suggest playing your first few games as Random and see what race you feel like playing the most. Races in Starcraft 2 are very distinct and play very differently. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Terran. Terrans are the humans of Starcraft 2 and like us humans, it is the most versatile race of the three and has the ability to adapt to various situations. Terran’s strength lies in the fact that they can be very mobile with Barracks units in one match and then be very defensive and static with Factory units in the next. However, Terran units need more micromanagement than the other two races. As you get better as Terran, you will need to learn army splitting and superior positioning in order to get the most out of your armies.

Protoss. Protoss armies are often the most expensive and for good reason: they are very cost efficient. The Protoss playstyle makes use of this fact through various timing attacks and aggressive pushes and if that fails, they can stay on the defensive until lategame. Protoss arguably have the strongest endgame army of the three races and a few strategies revolve around getting that endgame army out.

Zerg. The Zerg is the most unique of the three with their production comes from the main building itself: the Hatchery. All Zerg units come from larva which automatically spawns from the Hatchery and larva production can be increased via Queens. The Zerg’s units are the least cost efficient of the three races and as such, Zerg relies on proper scouting and using the optimal unit composition to counter their opponents’.

If you can’t make up your mind, stay random! Random has a few downsides to it that you need to learn 9 match ups and improving can be hard but playing Random can be the most rewarding as well. Take time to figure out what race you want to play and stick to it!

Look for a beginner build order for each match up

Once you’ve picked your race, it’s time to learn that race. Look for build orders for each of the three match-up of your race (for example: ZvT, ZvP and ZvZ if you’re Zerg). A build order (or a build for short) is a general guide for the early game which optimizes your game plan. Think of it as a recipe for your game. One build order per match-up is fine. Optimally, you should pick a macro-focused build order so you can practice your macro. Build orders are important especially if you want to improve.

Probes and pylons, SCVs and supply depots, Drones and Overlords

To get better in Starcraft 2, you need to learn how to macro. To put it simply, macromanagement or macro is keeping your money low. You can achieve this by constantly producing workers and not getting supply blocked. A supply block happens when you forget to build a supply building/unit and you are unable to produce any more units.

In order to practice your macro, focus on not skipping worker production as well as not getting supply blocked. Keep your production buildings building! Barracks should not be idle. If you’re Protoss, remember not to skip a warp cycle and if you’re Zerg, keep your larva low.

A good way to practice this is to keep a limit on your minerals and gas and try not to go above that limit. Keep making workers, keep producing units and keep upgrading just to keep that money low.

Macro while engaging

When you are engaging the enemy, try and continue your macro production. A lot of beginners tend to watch the action unfold and their money skyrockets and production stops completely.

Whenever you are fighting, you need to keep macroing and producing units and workers, all the while keeping your supply in check. To do this quickly, you need to learn the use of Hotkeys. Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts that you can use to keep producing in the middle of a fight. Even if your opponent wins an engagement, if your macro is better than him you will more often than not win the game!

Do not mind losses and have fun

Lastly, never forget to have fun. As a beginner, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you don’t need to be hard on yourself. Starcraft 2 is first and foremost a game and as with all games, meant to be enjoyed. Don’t treat it as something you absolutely need to get better at. Have fun, experiment from time to time, do silly builds like 1 Base BCs. Don’t mind your league, don’t mind your losses, have fun. Hop on Unranked and try another race!

When you’ve decided to improve, it’s imperative that you don’t let losses get to you. Everyone loses all the time. Not to mention that the system is designed to give you a 50% win rate. No matter what you do, you will lose and that’s a good thing! If you don’t lose you won’t know what to do better. Losing is the best way to improve. Everyone hates losing but the best people are the ones who do something about it. Good luck and always remember, have fun!