TAKING ON THE PROTOSS
Author: Daktakpaklak

There are several tactics that a Protoss player can employ that decimate a poorly-prepared Terran. Probably the most prominent examples are the Reaver Drop and the Dark Templar Rush. Both of these tactics can be countered the same way: with compact building placement. To avoid repetition, compact building placement will not be discussed here. Consult the section on Building Placement for more information.

The first things to consider as a Terran player is defending against a Zealot rusher. In the days prior to Brood War, Medics were non-existant and the Academy was more expensive. At the time, a triple-Gateway Zealot rush could be difficult to stop. With the advent of Brood War (and, more recently, the 1.05 patch), the Terrans have gained quicker access to Medics and Firebats to help deal with this early attack. Since they're both melee units, Firebats do extremely well against Zealots. When placed in Bunker at your base's entrance, you should have no problem stopping the Zealots. Alternatively, Marines with Medic support will mow down Zealots in one of two ways: 1) there are enough Medics such that damage caused by each Zealot is immediately healed, or; 2) the Zealots are unable to reach the Marines due to physical blockage by other buildigns.

Medics were an incredible help to the Terrans. Firebats and Marines can now stand up to Zealots in open combat. Stimming before an attack is not a permanent investment anymore, as the damage is repared in a matter of moments. In fact, pumping out hard infantry and rushing after only minutes can often spell defeat for a Protoss player. A healthy Marine/Firebat/Medic ratio of 1:1:.5 can spell certain doom. Abort your attack, though, if you've taken too long (becase High Templar are likely around) or if your enemy has plugged his base's ramp with Zealots (use Marines to force the melee-attacking Zealots down from a ramp so your Firebats can get at them). Use your Medics as a screen, physically blockingand preventing the Zealots from reaching your attacking units.  off because of  a zealots large amount  of hitpoints. You should make bunkers and  fill them up ASAP... without sacrificing your marine output build a refinery and  an academy asap. With these you can train firebats which are awesome for killing zealots. Put 1-2 firebats in each bunker  and continue producing them.  When you get a  large number of firebats  and marines for back  up head over to the enemy location.. (stimpacks help too get  those) when you spot the enemy zealots stim  your troops and attack, firebats and marines which are stimmed can wipe out a greater force of zealots easily.

ReaversIf your  enemy has reavers  you will want to  watch out this could  spell trouble. You will  want to make an  engineering bay and setup turrents around your base, especially by the resource deposit. If your protoss enemy has reavers you should have tanks by this time. If you don't get  them fast. Place tanks  around your perimiter. This  prevents them from dropping  reavers outside your turrent range and leveling your defenses.

Cloaked Wraiths can be trouble for an unprepared Protoss. Rushing to Starports and building a quick pack of the powerful aircraft can be an effective tactic. Many maps have plateaus above the minerals patches, and launching an airborne assault against the workers from this direction makes it easier to avoid defenses. The biggest problem for your Wraiths will be Psionic Storm, which can damage cloaked units. Be very careful to watch for incoming High Templar, and high-tail it outta' there if one is approaching your Wraiths. Spreading out your Wraiths also makes Psionic Storm more difficult to launch. Wraiths are perfect for intercepting Shuttles, and by using them liberally you can force a Protoss player to be conservative and nervous to expand/scout. Don't use Wraiths too liberally, though; with Observers for scouting, Archons and Corsairs, with splash attack, can bring down a pack of cloaked Wraiths in moments. If your Protoss opponent is Observatory-less, however, Wraiths will rule. Use them to guard island expansions. With a Science Vessel or ComSat scan, go Observer hunting and then make a cloaked attack.

Nuclear strikes are only marginally effective against a Protoss opponent. No matter how quickly you organize the attack, a good Protoss player should have Observers on hand to reveal the cloaked Ghost. Prior to the attack, make a couple of ComSat sweeps and clean out any Observers in the area with Wraiths. Always escort your Ghost with a Science Vessel and a pair of Wraiths. They'll be able to eliminiate any Observers that show up. EMPing Protoss buildings prior to launch will guarantee their destruction, but keep in mind it can give away the emminent strike's location. If your Ghost gets attacked and you can't dispatch the Observer, Defensive Matrix the Ghost with a Science Vessel. Ghosts attempting nuclear strikes should normally be escorted with Medics/Marines. Against the Protoss, however, Medics won't help much, and secrecy is vital. Plus, it takes but a single Scarab or Psionic Storm blast to thwart the attack. Remember that Protoss structures require Pylons for power. Occasionally, its easier to destroy the Pylons than the surroung buildings. Protoss units are also relatively costly in terms of support, so taking out Pylons can put a dampner on an enemy's unit producion.