The protoss cannon strategy - quick win

[Crosby]

one of the fastest ways to win a 1-on-1 game is the protoss cannon strategy. You must be playing as protoss.

Right at the start of the game, you locate where the other user's base is. Then, just outside their base, you build a pylon, and start building cannons toward their base. If they user doesnt scan the area around them right at the start of the game, by the time they realize your camping outside their base... its too late. You just keep building cannons toward their base until you are literally inside their base with cannons.

The key is to keep all drones on minerals... as no gas is needed for this strat

This is a quick win strategy - you get the satisfaction of knowing you are a better player, but you dont really enjoy the game (cuz its over too fast!)

 

[smiley170]

It would work against a turtle-type player, but what happens when he decides to rush you with marines/zerglings/zealots and you're whole industry is focused on surrounding his base with cannons? It leaves homebase pretty naked in the storm, doesn't it?

 

[Crosby]

It would work against a turtle-type player, but what happens when he decides to rush you with marines/zerglings/zealots and you're whole industry is focused on surrounding his base with cannons? It leaves homebase pretty naked in the storm, doesn't it?

A cannon costs $150 (read: 150 minerals) and can easily wipe out 2 marines, which will cost $200. Therefore if your quick enough, in theory, you should be able wipe them out with this strat

 

[smiley170]

Sorry for being such a nitpicker, but suppose he sends his troops around the cannons, and into your base? I know that's what I would do.

 

[Crosby]

Well its important to remember that no strat is flawless... and thats the best thing about sc, its so balanced that everything has a counter. Having said that, there are a few things which can make this strat work better:

1) Use it on a map where there is only 1 entrance to the base (e.g. big game hunters). Start the cannons just outside the entrance (that way, the opponent cant go around it until they have air)

2) Dont rely on a single pylon as your source of power

3) This is a quick win strat, if they game goes on for more than 15mins, you will not win the game... go to plan B


The idea is to win quickly with this strat. If units like siege tanks etc. are made, the cannons become useless.

 

[DemonBanisher54]

and above all, it makes your opponent feel humiliated

 

[FatAlbert]

This strategy sounds like a zerg rushers dream, especially considering the undefended base, and how fast zerg can pump out zerglings. They cannons dont fire fast enough to kill the whole group.

 

[DemonBanisher54]

well if you place the cannons correctly, it would work. Also it helps if you bring along a few zealots.

I've done it quite a few times. I know for a fact that it works on people..

 

[Merovingian]

I dont think this would work even zerglings can run past photon cannons without losing anything. just rush by them and rip apart the probes

 

[Merovingian]

A cannon costs $150 (read: 150 minerals) and can easily wipe out 2 marines, which will cost $200. Therefore if your quick enough, in theory, you should be able wipe them out with this strat

maybe i didnt play starcraft for too long, but dont marines cost 50 each?

 

[ShaD0w HaRt]

He's right. Marines are a solid 50 minerals.
Still, with good placement even 4 marines cannot stand up to a photon cannon.

 

[UWanaPiecAMeBoy]

i digress, 4 marines CAN take out a photon cannon. 4 marines = 6 damage each, 24 damage twice a second, is almost 50 damage a second. at 200 health (counting shields) 2 marines take out a photon in like 4 - 4 1/2 seconds. one dies? no big deal, 5 seconds. not to mentions marines are manufactured and trained in 24 seconds, photons are warped in over a period of 50 seconds, plus the pylon.

remember though, this is only one photon cannon we are talking, im not downing the strat. but i just couldnt let my bro diss my precious marines without a little defense.

 

[FatAlbert]

either way my zerglings will swarm you faster than you can shoot those things at me, to be honest it is not good when you;re opponent is going to rush, an absolute guarntee when playing against Zerg.

 

[Merovingian]

i digress, 4 marines CAN take out a photon cannon. 4 marines = 6 damage each, 24 damage twice a second, is almost 50 damage a second. at 200 health (counting shields) 2 marines take out a photon in like 4 - 4 1/2 seconds. one dies? no big deal, 5 seconds. not to mentions marines are manufactured and trained in 24 seconds, photons are warped in over a period of 50 seconds, plus the pylon.

remember though, this is only one photon cannon we are talking, im not downing the strat. but i just couldnt let my bro diss my precious marines without a little defense.

Holy....i never bothered to figure that out

and yeah, its just my opinion but i think the protoss have the worst static defense. the terrans have bunkers that can take out 24 zerglings at a time, the zerg have sunkens and spores with twice the life of a photon, and the photons are just target practice in some cases.

 

[UWanaPiecAMeBoy]

u forget, a cannon that can attack both air and ground w/ optimum efficiency of 20 damage for only 150 minerals is ver VERY good. it is equally good in nearly all occasions, not very specialized tho. The terran are obviously the strongest defenders w/ bunker wich are customized to fit the situation depending what is in them, tanks to anihalate ground and turrets +goliaths for air. Zerg are torn in defense betwee their two decent, better than photons but worse that tanks/turrets colonies. so photons are the safest way to go if u are unaware of ur opponents unit selection.

 

[Merovingian]

its got the attack rate of a dragoon-.- and bunkers can attack air too. spores attack around...4 times faster than photons? plus spores have twice their life

 

[Merovingian]

for detectors the terrans have scan, and missile turrets that can be built pretty quick

 

[UWanaPiecAMeBoy]

spore = 4 times faster? since when!?

i had always looked at it as less that twice the speed of a photon cannon.

 

[Merovingian]

really...i should time it sometime...anyway, i usually fear for my scouts a lot more when they bump into spores, but photons i just fly over them.

 

[ShaD0w HaRt]

Protoss, unlike the other races, cannot rely solely on their structural emplacements. Their defenses can easily be beaten out, so they must either take the offensive or use other units for support. I agree UWana that they are still worth their price because they can lend some aid in every situation. But they cannot lend a lot in any situation.

As for offense... Why? A dragoon can be produced cheaply (as far as Protoss go) and serves its purpose much better. Mobility eliminates the need to build more as you move into the enemy base. Yes, you need to dabble into vespene to get them, but that will only be a very small drawback. Besides, it isn't like you can't use that vespene for other things.