Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 Strategy

Starcraft 2 2v2 Strategy --> Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 Strategy (you are here)

Double Protoss players are a very common team in 2v2. As a result, I put together an article on Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 strategy which outlines the best practices for playing as dual Protoss.

Dual Probe Harass

Whenever you are playing against a Terran opponent, the Dual Probe harass should be a given. This involves both you and your ally sending out a Probe after you build your first Pylon towards the enemy player's base.

Once your Probes arrive, attack the SCV that is trying to build the Terran player's Barracks. This is extremely annoying for the Terran player in 1v1 but outright deadly in 2v2! It is so simple yet powerful that I am listing it as the first Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 strategy.

If you position your Probes correctly, you can usually trap the SCV against the wall of the Barracks so it cannot flee. With 2 Probes attacking, you will kill the SCV very quickly - much faster than the Terran player can bring backup SCVs.

Another great thing about this technique that it requires the Terran player to use a ridiculous amount of SCVs. He will lose one in your initial "attack" if you pin the SCV correctly, and then he will pull off 3 more - one to start building the Barracks and two SCVs to attack your Probes.

Pulling off 4 SCVs is absolutely detrimental in an early game for the Terran player. You can keep it going by having your two Probes attack until their shields are used up, run away for 15 seconds, then attack again after your shields have recovered.

You should be able to kill both SCVs prior to the Barracks finishing, at which point you can harass there again. I have actually had enemy players leave the game after a Probe harass. Why build an army when you can win with 2 Probes?

Zealot Rush

Although a bit boring, one of the most common Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 strategies. Opt for a simple 2-Gate rush. You can go for two build orders:

- 9/10 Pylon
- 12/19 Gateway
- 14/19 Gateway

..then pump Zealots, Probes, and Pylons as your resources allow.

or

- 9/10 Pylon
- 10/19 Gateway
- 12/19 Gateway

..then pump Zealots, Probes, and Pylons as your resources allow.

It is not terribly important; the first build order will set your economy up a bit in case your Zealot rush fails, where the second build order will get earlier Zealots but also depends on your initial rush being successful.

Map size and opponent are also important. On a short map versus a Terran opponent, you will want to go for the second build order so you can get to their wall before they build too many Marines.

On larger maps versus Zerg players, you will want the first build order as Zerg take awhile to get air units and you can afford to build up a bit.

The Zealot rush is a great Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 strategy and is even more effective with two players. An early dozen Zealots is very hard to stop and this strategy is extremely effective even in Diamond league play.

Late Game

For early-game play, I recommend the Dual Probe harass versus Terran opponents and a Zealot rush versus non-Terran opponents. In late-game 2v2 situations, I recommend a certain few units as I find them very effective:

High Templar

The High Templar's Psionic Storm ability is more effective in 2v2 as there are more units in the field of play. Units tend to be much more bunched up in 2v2 than in 1v1, so Psionic Storm is a great way to deal out tons of damage when armies collide.

Colossus

For the same reason Psionic Storm is effective, so is the Colossus. With more units on the field, splash damage takes on a whole new meaning. Colossi are great for melting large amounts of ground units in late-game play.

Dark Templar

This is an unusual Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 strategy, yet it is highly effective. For some reason, when players enter a 2v2 (especially Random 2v2), they like to rely on their partner to get detection. It is a very unusual phenomenon, but whenever people get in a 2v2 they automatically default to letting their partner bail them out when it comes to detection.

I have found that as a result of this, many players just do not get detection in 2v2 matches or fail to keep detectors around adequately. Also, given the large army sizes in 2v2, it is often hard to keep track of dangerous, cloaked units like Dark Templar.

Rather than sneaking them into the enemy's base via proxy or Warp Gate, I recommend just making them part of your army. When you move in with a full-sized army, it can be pretty hard to keep track of a half-dozen Dark Templar, especially if you flank with them or have other high-powered targets like the Colossus out on the field, which tend to draw enemy fire.

Anti-Air

If the enemy is going for air units, grab a few Phoenix (if they are using light units like the Mutalisk or Banshee), Stalkers (if they are using armored air units), and High Templar. Psionic Storm works great versus massed air units and Phoenix and Stalkers can quickly establish air superiority.

Conclusion

Here is your three-step Starcraft 2 Protoss 2v2 strategy guide: 

Step 1: Versus Terran players, start with a dual-Probe harass into an early Zealot rush. Versus other players, start with a later Zealot rush.

Step 2: Tech into a balanced ground army, with one player focusing on infantry (Zealots, Stalkers, High Templar, Dark Templar, Sentries), and one player focusing on Robotics (Colossus, Immortals, and Phoenix if necessary).

Step 3: If the enemy gets air units, build more Phoenix, High Templar, and Stalkers.