The Terran species has versatile soldiers and is usually well balanced. This presents them with the highest number choices during a conflict. To counterbalance this flexibility, the Terrans have the most complicated way to collect minerals and Vespine gas. Since your SCVs extract minerals, Vespine gas, and build structures as well as heal units, resource gathering tends to drop off as you use your SCVs for other tasks. The difficulty in resource extraction is why getting to the Mule quickly is the key to a successful Terran build order. For twenty seconds, a Mule can gather twice as many minerals as an SCV, which makes it a very useful early game strategy. Skilled use of the Mule can counteract the disadvantage Terrans have vs. the other races when it comes to collecting minerals.
Terran Build Order: Early Mule
So you can acquire a Mule as soon as one can, you’ll have to:
1. Get 9 SCVs as soon as possible, then develop a Supply Depot.
2. After two additional SCVs (11 total) obstruct your ramp by building a Barrack and one more Supply Depot.
3. Make certain to always have an SCV patrolling your Command Center.
4. As soon as the Barrack is built, seal off the ramp by erecting an additional Supply Depot.
5. Upgrade your Command Center to Orbital Command as soon as your Barracks is built. At this point you should have a total of 14 SCVs so you’ll acquire sufficient minerals to do the upgrade immediately after the Barracks is completed.
6. Have 2 additional SCVs get gas as you construct a Refinery.
7. To defend against enemy offensives, spawn several Marine units.
8. Attempt to accumulate a minimum of 50 Vespine gas so you can connect a tech lab to your initial Barracks. Then build an additional Barracks.
9. When the Orbital Command Center is finished upgrading, cast a Mule on the nearest mineral patch and don’t stop constructing SCVs.
Terran Build Orders Against Zerg
To get ready for a Zerg land rush, anticipate either a Zergling Rush attack or a full force Zergling attack. A large scale Hydralisk attack combined with Roaches is another possible ground attack. With use of the Terran build of 2 Barracks, 1 Supply Depot, and then additional Barracks as well as perhaps an upgraded Academy, Terran’s can generally protect themselves from these Zerg strategies.
Build Firebats to defend against Zerglings and Marines. Construct Firebats and Siege Tanks to defend against a Hydralisk\Roach or Hydralisk\Zergling strike. After winning a battle, build Bunkers outside the enemy town. On defense, maneuver your SCV units near defensive Bunkers so they can fix them when they are hit by enemy attacks. Even though Terrans have great defenses, just sitting back and defending will eventually become a losing game plan, particularly if your enemy starts to overwhelm you with resource gathering, which can be a weak area for Terrans.
Terran Build Orders Against Protoss
To beat a sizeable number of Zealots, you should to have prepared at least 4 Barracks and build of Bunkers both on attack and defense. Deploy scouts at the start of the battle – if you spot a Robotics Facility or a Cybernetics Core than your foe is most likely attempting to produce Reavers. Attack Reavers with Wraiths. If they try to retreat to their Shuttle, kill the Shuttle with Wraiths in them. Put Siege Tanks in Siege Mode near the middle of your town and instruct them to fire at the Reavers from maximum distance so the Reavers can’t counterattack). If this does not work, issue Marines and cast Stim Packs, ensuring the Marines are not together and cannot be defeated with one shot.
Since Lockdown only is effective on mechanical units (so doesn’t help at all against the Zerg), it is extremely productive when facing nearly all Protoss units. It’s extremely useful against groups of Carriers. A good offensive tactic against the Protoss is to continue constructing Supply Depots and Barracks. Make sure to continue building SCVs while doing this. While constructing your base and the other buildings, it is super important to erect them tightly and packed together. If your buildings are set up close enough together, you should be able to set up a Bunker to cover them. Then place four Marines inside. Keep building SCVs, Barracks and Marines. Using this Terran build order, you won’t have to collect Vespine gas until later in the battle.
Eric Bator has been religiously playing Starcraft 2 since the beta launch in February 2010. He is the author of the Complete Terran Guide. He’s composed a comprehensive Diamond Gamer Review that discusses the pros and cons of the first Starcraft 2 In-Game Addon.