Stop Sucking at StarCraft II

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has been out for a month and a half now, and chances are you've probably had your share of multiplayer matches. If you never played the original StarCraft online, you've also probably been totally destroyed over and over again, and landed in Bronze league, where beginners and casual players tend to land. There's nothing wrong with that -- everyone has to start somewhere. But if you're looking to get an edge on your opponents, you've come to the right place. We've put together five short videos that outline some core strategies that will take you from terrible to noticeably less terrible. If you're pretty well-versed in the ways of StarCraft II, you might not find a whole lot new here. These tips are aimed at newbies and casual players who are getting steamrolled and don't know where they're going wrong.

Basebuilding



Sealing your base is important if you want to avoid being rushed extremely early. In addition to the suggestions in the video above, it's a good idea, for more advanced players, to try to plug the holes between your resources, and later put a detecting/anti-air structure (Spore Crawler, Photon Cannon or Missile Turret) nearby to scare off potential resource raids. Also, if your economy can support it, it's always a good idea to build several unit-producing structures.

Unit Management




Zealots have their poweful attacks, Marines have their range, and Zerglings have their speed and numbers. Learning to use each of their strengths is key to getting the most out of them. Although they're your basic units, chances are you'll find opportunities to use them all throughout any given game. Zerglings with their speed upgrade make them fierce resource raiders, Zealots en masse can cut virtually anything down in seconds, and Marines are just useful all-round. Be sure to research upgrades for any units you plan to use excessively. A Siege Tank without siege mode is hardly a Siege Tank at all