TvT: Proxy Starport Semi All-In

This is a build I've been doing a lot recently, mainly to counter the current meta of 2rax Reaper openings and Hellbat drops. It does great, at best; and okay, at worst, against other openers as well. It does require that you hit your timings cleanly and get everything out as fast as possible with moderate multitask as well, but it's been feeling really solid overall. It is a semi all-in meaning you have to do some damage or at least slow the other T down or you will be behind.

10 supply
12 rax
13 refinery
15 Reaper
17 OC
* 17 supply
@50 gas, pull out SCVs
18 factory
** 19 refinery
21 supply
23 port
@100% port, tech lab immediately

* After this depot is done, I normally send this SCV to the proxy location, and unless the map is huge like Whirlwind, it should get there in time. If it's a map like Bel'Shir Vestige, you may want to send a different SCV earlier around the long way so it doesn't get scouted.

** When this is done, take one SCV from the other gas so you have a 2/2 split on gasses.

EXECUTION: I like to put my first two marines at the most obvious Reaper spot, but that might mean you don't cover the ramp - personal preference. Around the time the second rine pops is when a 12/12 Reaper will hit your base, it's important you micro against it and keep your rines together. If they are doing mass Reaper, once you start getting picked off, there is this snowball effect where you can just straight up die to it, but I guarantee you this build should not die to it (non-proxied) if you are hitting your production correctly because the 1st Hellion will pop in time.

If they are going mass Reaper, you can sit at home with your ground army and let the proxy Banshee do the work OR you can split your army, leaving a few units at home + production reinforcements to defend Reapers (you can always pull some SCVs) OR you can send your entire army towards his base if you've killed some Reapers and/or you're confident he went home with them. If there hasn't been more than one Reaper, I move out at 3-4 rines and rally the factory that will maintain constant Hellion production to them.

I suggest always poking into the natural because if he's expo'd you might get some free rines, if there isn't anything at the natural you can risk poking up the ramp to see what he has and possibly attack or wait for the first Banshee. Just make sure your Banshee is rallied near his mineral line. The idea of the ground army is primarly to thin out his Marine forces and only secondarily to draw his attention, you don't need to attack at the same time as the Banshee hits; I generally attack a bit before the Banshee finishes because for Terrans doing Hellbat drops, this is usually their weak time depending on how greedy they've been. Say they have two Hellions out and some rines (which will clearly win), just pull back and concave at their ramp for now waiting for reinforcements, instead of losing your ground army. When the Banshee hits the worker line, work on any advancing Marines before the workers because killing army is good too.

IMPORTANT: If you scout Hellbats, continue the Banshee attacks, don't ever ever send them home. If they manage to get a turret up, scoot around it and pick things off. It's only ever acceptable when they get a Viking out or you can do no more damage. Make a bunker near your mineral line and send back whatever remaining ground forces you have left. Makes marines and a tank. The Hellbats will come before you have time for an Ebay and turret. The bunker buys you time to get a turret up and a standing army that won't melt to Hellbats. Turtle up until you can safely take your natural and play on.

IN GENERAL: This isn't meant to kill the other guy, but it can - it is a technical rush. In any case, I always throw down an eventual expansion, then get a tech lab on the rax (then Stim ASAP) and factory since I like to transition into bio tank when I feel they've held off the ground attack. I also make one Medivac before sending my port back home; however it'll take forever to get back and might get sniped, so I usually start another at home after my core production facilities are done. The build came about as my personal hard counter to mass Reapers when every Terran was doing it. Turned out to be good against Hellbats too and all-around pretty decent.

Replay: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=283586

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: 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

TvZ: 2rax *updated 8/18/2012*

This is one of the most common and basic opening builds for Terran popularized in the GSL2 by MarineKingPrime back when he was known as Foxer/Fake Boxer. This is a good build that has been used ever since because even if the Zerg knows it's coming it still has amazing potential to damage the Zerg's economy or at the very least pressure them into to making zerglings/spines. Particularly good against Zergs who choose to FE, this build can transition easily into an expand or simply more barracks if you want to attempt to outright kill the Zerg, however expanding is generally much safer.

This is the variation I have been doing:

10 supply
+11 rax
+12 rax
14 Marine
15 OC
15 supply
15 Marine
16 Marine

+ SCV production is cut for a few seconds
* Constant Marine production

EXECUTION: When to move out is entirely up to you, it can be done ASAP, but it is better to go in with 2-3 marines and 2+ SCVs, depending on the map. If you want to wall the ramp, you should start moving out with 1 Marine, or their natural expansion will finish and block the ramp with creep (assuming normal 15 hatch timing). It is IMPORTANT to rally your Barracks and watch your units, don't let drones or lings surround them and micro like a boss, even if you do not kill their natural you are not behind unless you lose every Marine without doing anything.

You will have map control until speedlings or Roaches are out. Just make sure you have a bunker and/or wall at your natural. A really sexy starting wall-off in TvZ that can be done on small ramps is walling off the bottom with your first rax and depot. This is in fact a full wall-off that denies early scouting and shuts down 6-pools. I don't know if it works on any of the current ladder maps anymore, but I used to use this on XN Caverns. (Doesn't work anymore)

IN GENERAL: This is a very strong and easy opener, still viable in the current meta, that you should absolutely know if you play Terran. The more economic version is the 12/14 rax; also good to know, but it comes out much slower. This aggressive 2rax works great on any map, though on 2-player maps I recommend proxying both raxes. If you do moderate damage to the Zerg, there is a good chance they'll try to B/ling/Roach busts or Nydus, so you must account for these no matter what, else you may let the opponent back in the game if you take too much damage.

Replay: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=269799
Replay 2: http://www.gamereplays.org/starcraft2/replays.php?game=33&show=details&id=274092