Starcraft 2 Protoss vs Terran Fast Expand Build

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If you want to get a fast early expansion as Protoss in PvT without losing to Reaper rushes, the build on this page is the fastest and most reliable method for grabbing your natural expansion without losing to proxy Reapers.

This build is on the middle of the risk and speed continuum of the economic Protoss openers. To clarify, the more economic a build is, the riskier it tends to be. The safer a build tends to be, the slower it typically is from a macro perspective. The build covered on this page is in the middle for fast expand openers. It is not as safe and slow as the 1-Gate Robo Safe Expand opener, but it is safer and slower than the Nexus-first build.

This build could also be called the 1-Gate Cybernetics Core, as you grab your Nexus shortly after adding on a Cybernetics Core. Getting out the Cybernetics Core before expanding gives you the ability to get out a quick Mothership Core or a Stalker should the Terran opener with Reapers.

1 Gate Cybernetics Core Fast Expand Build Order

Here is the build order:

9/10: Pylon
13/18: Gateway
15/18: Assimilator
16/18: Pylon
18/18: Cybernetics Core
21/26: Zealot (cancel Zealot right before completion)*
21/26: Nexus
23/26: Mothership Core
23/26: Assimilator
23/26: Pylon
26/26: Stalker
27/34: Warp Gate Research
28/34: Robotics Bay

*The Zealot is cancelled right before completion if nothing unusual happens. If an SCV runs into your base and starts throwing down a Bunker, you will want to let the SCV finish, as some proxy Reapers or some other cheese may be in your future. Starting the Zealot and then cancelling it at the last second gives you the option of keeping the Zealot if you need it. If you do not need the Zealot, you can cancel it, getting 75 minerals back, allowing you to drop the Nexus down a few seconds sooner.

Strategies for Using the Build

Once you start your Robotics Bay, you have completed the standard opener. From here, you can progress in the tech path of your choice. You can go up to Robotics Bay if you want to go for Colossi or put down Forges and a Twilight Council if you want to focus on Templar tech. Both work just fine. You could even add on a Stargate and get out an Oracle or two. The Robotics Bay must come down regardless right away in order to get out an Observer to provide detection.

Since this build is all about economic focus, there are 4 forms of early Terran aggression which can seek to derail this build. Below, we will discuss these types of attacks and how you can counter them within the build order presented above.

Reaper Rush

Stopping early Reapers with this build is easy. First, if the Reapers appear early enough, allow your Zealot to finish. The Terran player will kite it around, but since Zealots have a lot of HP, it will take awhile for the Terran to kill off the Zealot. This will buy you enough time to Chrono Boost out a Stalker. With

If the Reapers come later, you should have your Mothership Core out by then. These can help mitigate Reaper damage, at least for awhile. Good Terrans will try to avoid the slow Mothership Core. Chrono Boosting out a Stalker is the solution here. Photon Overcharge can also work, but it takes awhile to get the energy to use that.

Widow Mine Rush

The biggest challenge of this build is early Widow Mines and proxy Widow Mines. Terran Widow Mines can arrive about a minute before you get your first Observer. There are several actions you must take to minimize the damage of Widow Mines.

First, place your Mothership Core by the entrance to your main base. The Mothership Core will spot the Widow Mine as it is coming in and deal some initial damage to it as well. Next, grab 5 Probes and rush to the Widow Mine, attacking it. If you catch the mine with your Probes and surround it, you can often kill it before it can activate. If you do this, the threat is over. By the time the next Widow Mine arrives, you should have an Observer (or be close to it), at which point a Stalker can safely take out the mine from range.

The worst case scenario here is when Widow Mine get activated within range of your mineral line before you have an Observer. In this situation, pull all your Probes away from the Widow Mine, then send 1 Probe in to the Widow Mine, sacrificing it. Your Probes can then safely mine for the next 30-35 seconds, at which point you have to repeat this sacrificial process. It is better to sacrifice a Probe every 40 seconds than it is to delay mining by hiding your Probes. 

Banshee Rush

This build gets out the Robotics Facility early enough that you should have an Observer before any cloaked Banshees can hit. Just add on some Stalkers to go with your Observer and you should have no problem with a cloaked Banshee rush. Photon Overcharge can hit Banshees as well.

Early Marine Timing

If a Terran opponent gets out 2-3 Barracks and pumps Marines for an early attack, this build has you covered as well. A well-microed Mothership Core and Stalker combination can take out early Marine attacks with ease. Should the attack hit a little later and involve more Marines, use Photon Overcharge. Without Medivac support (which there will not be this early in the game), Photon Overcharge wrecks Marines.

Conclusion

Good, economic build, works great on 4 player maps and even large 2 player maps. Nexus is barely delayed over the Nexus-first build while the risk of losing to an early attack is significantly reduced.