Protoss Guide

The M/M/M build is one of the most popular beginner to intermediate Terran build orders, it’s a very generic build that can be employed by beginner to intermediate players, and is occasionally used by advanced players as well.  It’s a highly aggressive build that places significant pressure on your opponent early.  As all builds and strategies in SC2, the M/M/M takes decent micro to be able to execute effectively, but when done right can be a force to be reckoned with.

Begin by throwing down your first supply depot (with your 10th SCV) at the choke, preferably as early as possible to get the wall off and prevent your opponent’s scouts from entering your base.  Your supply count should be at 10/11.  At 12 supply start building a Barracks to complete your wall and attach a tech lab to it upon its completion.  With your 13th SVC begin constructing your refinery, followed by a second barracks at 15/19 along with a reactor when it is completed.  At 16/19 get your orbital command and at 17/19 get your second supply depot.  At this point continuously pump out marines and Mauraders while continuing to increase your SVC count until you have two SVC’s assigned to every mineral patch and three per geyser.

This strategy is highly effective as an early push in 2 vs. 2 play, best employed early on against Zerg or Protoss players, more specifically when players are “turtling” or opting to go for an early expansion and likely aren’t prepared for an early push.  This is where an early Marine and Marauder push really shines.  Unfortunately Terran are usually walled in by the time you have sufficient forces to attack, there for against Terrans the M/M/M is not the best way to open up.

Once you have enough resources and perhaps have clinched your natural expansion, you’ll want to being constructing your third barracks with a second attached reactor or tech lab, however what you do next, as always, should depend on your opponents next move, no build should every be followed meticulously, you need to always be scouting and adapting your build orders as necessary to your opponents strategy.  What opening builds such as this one do is give you direction and keep you on track, thus improving your speed, so, unless necessary, build orders should be practiced, memorized and adhered to as outlined.  

One word of caution:  Do not rush to get your Medivac too early on in the game, this is common mistake made by beginners.  They are too big of an investment that early in the game and not particularly effective if your ball of units isn’t large enough.  I would advise that you have a supply count of at least 80 units, as well as your natural expansion before adding Medivacs to your ball.

The three Rax build is perhaps the most aggressive build order the Terrans have at their disposal.  It is the build to use if you want to apply a lot of pressure early on, and it is highly effective against beginner-mid level players.  The three racks build is pretty self explanatory, it involves getting three barracks with two tech labs (one of each of the two) so you can research upgrades and push out with more units.  There are many different variations to this build and many different ways it can be used.

The three racks build is as follows:  Start by building a supply at 9/11, followed by a barracks at 12/19.  Build your first marine once the barracks is completed and attach a tech lab, once you have a tech lab begin researching concussive shells.  At 13/19 start snagging your first geyser with a Refinery followed shortly by an Orbital Command at 15/19 and a barracks at17/19 with an attached tech lab as soon as it is completed.  Build another supply depot prior to reaching 19/19 supply to extend your supply count to 27 and research Stimpack immediately.  Finally build your third barracks at 25/27 with a reactor, obviously following this you will want to consistently produce SCV’s, Supply Depots and Infantry.  

You’ll also want to research combat shield on the second barracks as soon as you have the resources.  The game play from here on will be extreme micro and macro intensive, you’ll need good saturation at your natural, as well as on gas, preferably 20-25 SVC’s on minerals, and three SCV’s on gas is optimum, anymore is wasted supply.  As well you should be making constant mules to sustain the constant production of units coming out of your three barrack, as well as supply depots, it is will be impossible to sustain unit production otherwise.  Keep pumping out units, begin your assault the moment Stimpack is finished, set a Rally point to wherever you are mustering your ball and keep pumping out units, stim up and move in once ready.  

If you intend to go for an earlier push, bring a few SCVs to throw down a Bunker inside the opponent’s main. If your opponent is playing very defensively, throw a Bunker or two down outside his main to make him panic and prohibit him from grabbing his natural while you continue to build up your ball.  This will cripple him economically.  One of the most popular 3-Rax build orders involves getting +1 weapons/armor before pushing out.  

However, as demonstrated in many of the top ladder games and professional level matches, Stimpack is 100% required if you are playing against a good Zerg player.  Stimpack and Combat Shield are a lot more meaningful for an early infantry push than +1 weapons and armor is. This because Zerg and Protoss players are used to this early push and have come to expect it.  They now have equally effective ways of dealing with such a push.  Also there will be no way to push against Banelings, no matter how many units you have, without Stimpack.  

Terran build orders outline the most practical and fastest way to arrive at your desired combination of units, and allows you to develop your base faster. It gives you the freedom of not having to constantly figure out what it is you should build next. By the time you build, you’ll already know what comes next.  The following is the standard Terran build order, which can be employed in almost any circumstance and is the default way to start any game of Starcraft 2.  

This build order provides the most flexibility and can be used in almost any circumstance, other build orders will provide either a stronger economy, (often with the trade-off of being more susceptible to “Cheeses” or “rushes”) or more non tech units early on, at the expense of your economy and technological advancement. This then will leave you significantly behind if you fail to do any critical damage early on.

A standard build order is essentially the build order you will most often use and should be the first build you master.  Standard build orders leave everything on the table. They are a safe half way point between economic and offensive builds, so you can easily revert to either, or depending on how the game plays out or what you’ve scouted.  Although there are many different variations of the standard build, below is the one most frequently used by the pros.  Of course no build order is set in stone. Be prepared to alter it at anytime should it become necessary.

Construct SCV’s until your food count is at 10/11, at which point construct a supply depot.  At 12/19 supply, construct your first barracks, followed by your first refinery at 13/19 build and two SCV’s.  Assign the two SCV’s to gas immediately to prepare for tech upgrades.  Once the barracks is completed start building your first marine. At 15/19 you should begin building an Orbital Command, followed by a Supply Depot at 17/19, from there you have a firm footing and can do whatever you want, either start pumping out marines or tech to a tech lab.

Once an SCV is finished constructing a building, always immediately send it to a mineral patch afterwards or geyser.  Never leave SCV’s standing around, this a mistake made often by beginners.  

Know that no build order is going to be exactly the same every time. You need to be prepared to make amendments to it, at anytime, according to how the game plays out. These are not rules to be followed, they are guidelines to help ensure that you’re progressing at a desirable rate, to a desirable outcome and make it so you’re not wasting time trying to figure out what to build next.  Of course your next move should depend on what your enemy is doing next, this is up to you to always be scouting your opponent.

Master the terran build order as it is a standard opener of the game, and you will be at a severe disadvantage if you do not know how to do one.