TvP: Reaper FE *updated 6/24/2013*

A lot of the Protoss on ladder can tend to be really aggressive and cheesy now days with their early units, it's to the point where CC first and 1rax FE can kind of make you feel like you're playing very defensively and sometimes in the dark. This build is great because you don't need to send that first SCV scout (unless it's a 4p map), just your first Reaper and it gets to the Protoss base at the time you want to be scouting. Not to mention how invaluable it is at sniffing out the all-ins.

10 supply
12 rax
12 refinery (you cut SCVs for a bit)
15 Reaper
16 OC
@50 gas, pull out SCVs
17 CC
18 supply
19 rax
20 bunker

* At around 40% completion of the second rax, put your SCV's back into your gas. When the second rax completes, immediately start a tech lab, then stim.

EXECUTION: Rally the first Reaper to the Protoss base, the idea here is to at least get a hint of what he's doing. Don't worry about early stalkers, your Reaper shouldn't die if microd. The things to look for are is the double gas (standard), if there is a second pylon, and if there is anything building. Double gas is standard now days and just means a Stalker and MSC will be built. If there isn't a second pylon, you're probably getting proxied. If there is double gas and no Stalker or MSC in production, you are also probably getting proxied. In either of these cases, this is where the Reaper will really pay for itself. Throw down an Ebay and search for the proxy if you want to, some maps have obvious places. The proxy is usually Stargate, but it could be a Robo or Twilight Council. If you can, harass with the Reaper by single targeting the probes, but KEEP IT ALIVE, so run when you need to and make use of that regen; also keep looking for that expo to go down.

IN GENERAL: This is an standard economic opener that can hold nearly all aggression, but you still have to scout and respond properly, especially to all-ins. Your Reaper serves as scouting and a soft contain in the early game - ie. he has to keep his first Stalker/Core in his base or your Reaper will go to town on the Probes. This build generally transitions into some form of bio play.

*new* The Reaper pays for itself in spades here
Replay 1: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=284312
Replay 2: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=283660
Replay 3: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=282100

TvP: Proxy Marauder Rush

This is one of my new favorite openings against P on one-player maps. It's been utilized a lot in the GSL and tournaments in general. It is a very scary rush that Protoss just can't micro against and therefore can't afford even the slightest greed or the Marauders will kill everything. Although it may seem all-inish (it is if it gets shut out cold, so don't let this happen), I like to always transition in case the P knows what they're doing and I just can't break the ramp.

10 supply
11 rax (proxied)
12 gas
14 OC
14 tech lab
14 supply
14 Marauder
16 Concussive Shells (SCV is delayed, but drop the mule)
+ 2 rax
+ fac/port

* Constant Rauder production until 4-6
* Constant SCV/depot production

EXECUTION: I usually like to move out at 2 Rauders, but you can use your first to poke, the most IMPORTANT thing you need to keep in mind with this rush is to NOT GET SURROUNDED and keep your SCV alive so you can bunker when it's safe. You need to constantly micro the Marauders: poking, picking off what you can, when you can, being aware if the P pulls probes - just kite backwards running down the ramp if you need to. If the Protoss is inexperienced with the rush he may try to engage you down his ramp with a Stalker and Zealot, two Marauders will always win with micro. If you weren't able to kill him, fall back to your bunker and build an in-base expo with the first 400 minerals. Then, I usually build another bunker, start stim at the proxy rax, then 2 rax at home. If you aren't confident that there is enough time for stim to finish, research it at one of the new raxes being built at home.

While this is all going on, if you were not able to find and kill the scouting probe - scout for it/pylons and consider falling back earlier because Warp Gate's bypassing the bunker is now an issue.

IN GENERAL: If you were able to push the Protoss back up his ramp and kill a few probes/units, you will be economically ahead because your expo is that much faster, now you just need to stop his all-in/pressure that he follows up with 95% of the time. Build a bunker or two. I usually see blink Stalkers, Warp Prism, Immortal busts, or DTs.

Replay 1: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=272222

TvP: Engagements

One thing a lot of Terran players are really lacking in on the NA server is their engagements and micro. It seems common for players to mis-attribute losses to other things like macro, build order, strategy. Yes, while those things are always in need of improvement, I feel like engagements in TvP can make or break an entire game, or at the very least, have lasting repercussions. What really took my standard TvP play, which was in ruins for a good while, was that I started focusing more on my engagements and micro, less on my macro. Suddenly, in my mid-late game, I did so much better playing standard against P: I didn't feel like I was playing from behind and I felt more confident putting on pressure and controlling the map, less scared of any all-ins because of my new found control. There were several things I drastically had to improve on to get better at TvP.

1. FF's: Don't ever get caught by them, ESPECIALLY before medivacs come out or you can insta lose. When you get Medivacs you can pick up pretty safely if they don't have blink. Most don't have it early-mid usually sticking to a more standard Zealot/Sentry/some stalks & immortals comp, something quite abusable by MMM. You can really abuse ledges, especially if they have tech near. This is the biggest thing I've improved on, always trying to juke out the FF's, run around it, use it against the P, etc. It really does make or break engagements.

NooOooo!

2. Medivac drops: Don't ever ever lose them early, so it is imperative to watch them early on if you try; I have just stopped doing early drops altogether since decent P's knows the timings. However if they go the Collossi route, it becomes much easier to abuse drops while your main army/Vikings are moving around. If HT's are out it's a lot riskier to drop, less you scan first. When your first two Medivacs come out (and your next two rallied), this is usually the best timing to put on pressure/attack because it's just before their AOE comes out.

3. Kiting/Surface area: So important, always do this, it is a free way to increase the effectiveness of your army. Unless your army is substantially bigger the Chargelots need to always be kited and isolated as much as possible while not getting trapped from FF's. Running to chokes where surface area is reduced as much as possible (if there is no AOE out). Once they get Collossi/HT, spreading and picking where your engagement happens becomes insanely important in trying to reduce the AOE damage as much as possible and make the Protoss have to funnel his units towards you. This is why concaving on ramps is always an amazing defensive position.

4. Storms: Admittedly still the hardest thing I need to work on; in my constant storm dodging and Ghost control. A proficient Storm user is going to mat the area with storms, this is why dodging and Ghosts are absolutely needed to deal with them or you will just melt. Unless you can take out/drain most of the HTs, I would personally just straight up kite/run back, not engaging the army if given the choice. We should abuse the fact that HTs are much slower, this is a good way to get the P to pull back.

In conclusion, the best way I've believe to improve one ones TvP is to always watch the army and micro the !@#$ out of it if P army is near. If you need to look away, make certain you won't get caught off guard by having your army in a retreating/defensive position. Yep, meticulously watching your main army control in TvP should help anyone improve in standard MMM play, as a bonus you will often see that blur and get to kill an observer. Don't get me wrong, you still need a good foundation in macro, scouting, timings, etc, but engagements should be #1 priority. TvP late game is tough, so you really need to be on top of everything, but most of all your engagements.

TvP: 2rax FE

Although this has been a known build since beta, I recently saw ST_Bomber using a refined version, to great effect against players like oGsMC and Mana in the recent Dreamhack Summer 2011 event. I was surprised at how fast he got out so many units and how easily MC's 1gate FE was punished. I'm not sure how long it's been around, but this was the first time I had seen it and have been loving using it since.

10 supply
12 rax
14 gas
15 OC
15 Marine
16 rax
16 reactor (once Marine finishes)
17 supply
19 tech lab (once second rax finishes)
19 Concussive Shells
21 supply

* Reactor should finish just as your 2nd rax finishes

EXECUTION: The timings of this build are somewhat sensitive, so make sure you aren't distracted too much by the probe harass and retain crisp, clean, execution. You will have 5 marines and 1 marauder before 5 minutes with Concussive Shells about halfway done. This is a good time to move out and perhaps try to catch an overzealous Stalker or two off-guard, if the P is being overly aggressive early on with his Zeaot and Stalker, it's not a bad idea to hide the Marauder until Concussive is done. You can also opt to bring 1 or 2 SCVs to turn the pressure into a light bunker contain because he may have to retreat up his ramp. If you are able to contain the P, it is not a bad idea to pull back after your natural is up and running. Another thing to keep in mind is, if you don't know what he is doing, you must build a Missile Turret and one or two defensive bunkers back home. This accounts for DTs and proxy pylons.


IN GENERAL: This is a very solid build and I love that the main focus of this build is to safely get an expand up (ideally around 40-ish supply) while putting on a good deal of pressure. It excels against FE builds on open naturals because Protoss just won't have enough and will have to pull Probes to defend because (on small-mid sized maps) your attack will hit before Warpgate is done. However, it is not an all-in and should not kill a Protoss outright unless he is retardedly greedy, so make sure you expand behind this.

*Both updated 3/10/2012*
Replay 1: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=257850
Replay 2: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=257853

TvP: 1rax FE

A very solid opening used by many Terrans in TvP; to throw out a few names, IMMVP, PoltPrime, ST_Bomber. An economically focused build that relies on bunkers and early marines to stay alive. Past the initial rax, early CC is very flexible and there are variations to the build depending on the type of army you'll want in the mid game. This one focuses on bio where you eventually add in Medivacs. MKP loves doing a sick EMP Ghost timing attack with it. I dislike the 1rax with tech lab FE because you can hold off any stalker poking with marines anyways and you get the CC up faster. I don't think CC first is worth it and too risky.

10 supply
12 rax
15 OC
15 Marine
16 supply
18-20 CC
+ bunker
+ 2x rax
+ 2x gas

+ = get it ASAP
* bunker at the natural before or once you get two Marines


EXECUTION: It is pretty straightforward, keep up on your SCV and unit production so you benefit as much as you can from that extra CC. It is IMPORTANT to try and scout so you can respond properly or a scan; at the very least you will see his base and know if there is proxied tech. Things like 3gate contain, 4gate, DTs, Stargate, etc. can give you trouble depending on how well you react. If you scout the fast expo, you can relax as there won't be some insane attack coming. However, if they don't put down that expo you need to be very wary and throw down a bunker or two.

Eep.

Here. We. Goooo!

IN GENERAL: This is followed up by tech lab and concussive and stim, order depending; though it is viable to hold off on those upgrades with good scouting/sense. Optimally, you want to do this build when the map has a natural with a choke or ramp (Shakuras, etc.) since it's much easier to defend than on maps like Metalopolis and Xel'Naga Caverns. Some variants add additional barracks and delay the gas, the difference is you will have more units earlier to pressure with, but at the cost of delayed tech.


*Added 4/29/2012*
Replay 1: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=264098
Replay 2: http://drop.sc/167667