Starcraft 2 Terran vs Terran Strategy
Starcraft 2 Guide —> Starcraft 2 Terran Guide —> Terran Strategy —> TvT Strategy (you are here)
The Terran mirror match-up is arguably the most exciting
In this guide on Starcraft 2 TvT strategy, we will cover all portions of TvT strategy, including the strengths
In this section, you will also discover the most effective strategies and tactics for the mid-game and late game
TvT Strategy Table of Contents
Terran vs Terran in the Early Game
Terran vs Terran in the Mid Game
Late Game Transitions into Air
Terran vs Terran in the Early Game
In Terran vs Terran, players have many possible openers that they can successfully perform. Everything from
If you are unsure of which strategies to use, note that the smallest maps favor aggression, where the largest
Proxy Reaper: Pros
While it may seem a bit cheesy at first, the proxy Reaper build can be a viable opener. While it is cheesy to go
If you sense weakness in your opponent’s build, your goal should be to bring down 1-2 SCVs with your Reaper
Even if the Terran opponent opts for for a more typical 1/1/1 build and is able to stop the proxy
Proxy Reaper: Cons
The biggest problem with opening with proxy Reapers is that if you do not inflict any damage, you are very
If the proxy Reaper attacks fail, the Barracks is in a forward position. It must be lifted off and returned
Both scenarios do not typically end well for the Terran player who goes for the proxy Reaper.
Stopping the Proxy Reaper
When you see very early Proxy Reapers as Terran, you must use SCVs for defense. You cannot just sit there and
Do not be reluctant to pull SCVs. You generally want to use 4 SCVs per enemy Reaper. Remember that in order to
Not only do you need to use SCVs, but you need to micro them as well. If your enemy is halfway decent at
f the Reaper wants to try and chase down the weakened SCV, you can intercept it with your 3 SCVs that are still
Keep this up until you can get a Marine or two out. Do not send your pulled SCVs back to work until you have
1/1/1 Play
Perhaps the most common strategy used in TvT is opening with 1 Barracks, 1 Factory, and 1 Starport. This gives
Being Aggressive with 1/1/1 in TvT
For those looking to be aggressive, the 1/1/1 is a great opener. The Barracks is used to pump out Marines, the
When dropping the units in your opponent’s base, you only need 1 Medivac if you want your attack to hit early.
For your army composition, most players end up just using Marines and Hellions. This is not necessarily due to
There are also variations that use Hellbats instead of Hellions as well. Hellbats tend to be stronger but also
Expanding and Defending with 1/1/1 in TvT
For Terrans who are looking to expand relatively early and successfully defend their expansion, the 1/1/1 makes
Getting out your own Marines and Hellions to defend your expansion is not enough against a Terran player who is
Instead, you must get air units. The Viking in particular is key to stopping all forms of 1/1/1 aggression. If
The key thing to remember about early 1/1/1 aggression is that without their Medivac, Marines are weak. Marines
It may be tempting to get out a Banshee because Banshees are strong versus Hellions, Hellbats,
Scouting 1/1/1 Intentions
Since 1/1/1 can be used for early attacks as well as just to defend an early expansion, so figuring out
If the enemy is producing off their Barracks, Factory, and Starport, and there are no add-ons on any structure,
If Tech Labs or multiple Reactors appear, the Terran is investing in infrastructure and tech, and
If your opponent opts for this delayed route, you have time to take an expansion or go for early aggression of
Going Expansion First in TvT
One effective but risky option on the opposite end of the spectrum from fast Reapers is going for an expansion
The main downside to this approach is that if your enemy discovers what you are doing and attacks or if the
As a result, you typically only want to take this risk if you are playing on large, 4-player maps. You are not
Widow Mines in Drop Lanes
One strategy that can be used against all Terran players in the early game is placing two Widow Mines in the
For a small resource investment, you can plant 2 Widow Mines in 1-2 spots of the map where the opponent may be
Terran vs Terran in the Mid-Game
By the mid-game, things settle down significantly and strategies become more consistent. From seeing the results
The Siege Tank takes down literally every Terran unit on the ground in large enough quantities. The Terran does
Vikings provide air support and vision. The Viking is the unit of choice for air support, as it has a long range
One of the key things the Viking provides for the Siege Tank is vision. Siege Tanks have a range of 13, but only
Air superiority not only denies vision for the opponent, but also allows for the opportunity of adding 1-2
Do Not Overproduce Vikings
If you get too many Vikings. You do not really need more than 6 Vikings over your opponent’s total (if your
If you build too many Vikings, your opponent may completely give up air superiority and try to break your
Ravens for Support
Once you have healthy Siege Tank and Viking numbers, consider adding on a few Ravens to your army. The Raven’s
The PDD also protects your Vikings and air units from enemy Viking hits. PDDs are flying structures,
Seeker Missile also works great against enemy tanks. Siege Tanks are too slow to run from Seeker Missiles. If
Finally, Auto Turrets work well when you are looking to attack your opponent. You can throw down a few Auto
How to Attack Your Opponent in TvT
Even if you have a superior number of Siege Tanks and Vikings, it may not be wise to attack a fortified Terran
Two methods have been discussed in the previous section. The first involves using Vikings to gain air
In situations where things are relatively even but you want to be aggressive, the easiest way to «attack» an
If they already have a fourth base up and running, putting a Siege Tank in range of the fourth base, forcing the
The opponent may try to sneak off a drop to make you want to pull back your forces and defend. Use Sensor Towers
If your opponent simply allows you to destroy their fourth base and continues to turtle, expand the map and use
SkyTerran in the TvT Late Game
In the late game, if you can afford it, it is ideal to switch into an army composition of Battlecruisers,
SkyTerran Video Guide in TvT
Here is a video guide demonstrating how to use the SkyTerran build in TvT — particularly how to use the Raven
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HuShang’s 3rax SCC Push Created by hushang , Updated Oct 21, 2021 |
TvP | Timing Attack Easy |
97% 267 votes 52917 Views |
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The uThermal 3Rax That Could DOMINATE Protoss Created by ESChamp , Updated Oct 02, 2021 |
TvP | Timing Attack Easy |
100% 177 votes 31222 Views |
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PiG’s TvX Beginner NEW Created by Haikodo, Updated Nov 04, 2022 |
TvX | Timing Attack Easy |
100% 3 votes 355 Views |
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EASY TvT Reaper Harassment Build & Follow-up NEW Created by PrestigeTV, Updated Oct 31, 2022 |
TvT | Economic Medium |
100% 3 votes 231 Views |
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EASY — Terran 1-1-1 Build Order! TvZ NEW Created by PrestigeTV, Updated Oct 30, 2022 |
TvZ | Economic Easy |
100% 4 votes 405 Views |
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Standard 1-1-1 TvP Timing Attack Push!! [4:30] Created by PrestigeTV, Updated Oct 30, 2022 |
TvP | Timing Attack Easy |
100% 4 votes 280 Views |
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Lyra’s TvZ Created by Khaos, Updated Oct 18, 2022 |
TvZ | Economic Medium |
100% 3 votes 388 Views |
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HuShang Tutorials’ EASY & SAFE TvT Build Order Created by ttam. mi, Updated Oct 12, 2022 |
TvT | Economic Easy |
100% 12 votes 1093 Views |
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Lyra’s Build Created by Khaos, Updated Oct 12, 2022 |
TvT | Economic Medium |
100% 1 vote 297 Views |
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1 Base Hellbat-Marine into «Macro» Created by Wayfarer__SCII, Updated Oct 02, 2022 |
TvZ | All-In Medium |
100% 6 votes 728 Views |
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TvZ Fav Created by neoaer, Updated Sep 18, 2022 |
TvZ | Economic Medium |
100% 5 votes 899 Views |
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TheMarine TvP 5:00 timing widow mine tank push Created by TheMarine, Updated Sep 16, 2022 |
TvP | Timing Attack Hard |
100% 8 votes 797 Views |
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TvT Not Air Created by neoaer, Updated Sep 21, 2022 |
TvT | Economic Medium |
100% 1 vote 549 Views |
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TvT Battlecruiser BuildC Created by neoaer, Updated Sep 17, 2022 |
TvP | Economic Easy |
100% 3 votes 659 Views |
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TvZ Created by neoaer, Updated Sep 18, 2022 |
TvZ | Economic Medium |
100% 2 votes 398 Views |
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TheMarine TvP timing(12)Marine(2)Mine(1)tank(1)Med Created by TheMarine, Updated Sep 16, 2022 |
TvP | Timing Attack Hard |
100% 3 votes 357 Views |
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TvP Created by neoaer, Updated Sep 18, 2022 |
TvP | Economic Medium |
100% 1 vote 409 Views |
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Cure v Spirit: Game 2 — [ESL] Curious Minds Copy Created by Wetkin, Updated Sep 04, 2022 |
TvT | Timing Attack Hard |
100% 5 votes 649 Views |
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Pig Safe Mech Open (Kain modified) Created by w0rmsnack, Updated Aug 22, 2022 |
TvT | Economic Medium |
86% 15 votes 1661 Views |
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PiG’s Learn Terran: EASY 2 Base Build Order Created by WiredAces, Updated Aug 19, 2022 |
TvX | Timing Attack Easy |
100% 47 votes 4364 Views |
StarCraft 2 Terran Guide: Basic Beginner Build (PiG)
Today I’m going to show you a strong Terran opening that can be used in all three matchups. This build will allow you to build an economy and develop quickly, after which you can switch to any bio-style. This opening will allow you to get used to the build sequence. For fur lovers there will be a separate guide.
Learning the mechanics of the game is the first step to increasing your level of play.
This is a basic opening that will work well even if you make mistakes sometimes.
Terran basic opening
- 14 Supply (in the wall)
- 16 Barrack(1)
- 16 Gas(1)
- 17 KSM goes to explore
- 19 Reaper + Orbital
- 20 CC + Reactor
- 20 Barrack(2) (techlab when completed)
- 21 Supply (in-wall)
- 23 Barrack(3)
- @100Gas: Plant + Gas(2)
- @%100Factory: Starport
- @%100Steam: Maricam Shields
After that, depending on intelligence, you can go to anything. You can choose an early third CC if your opponent is greedy or passive, or you can make two double grade engineers. You can even add 2 barracks and push big. You can make tanks, mines or helbats, as well as Vikings against air or liberators for siege with your mariks.
Construction priorities
First barrack:
- Reactor
- Permanent marik building
Spending resources is one of the most important things for beginners and needs to be developed. Having a lot of resources, you will lose more often than without them (not counting the moment when you built workers badly). Immediately after the reaper, quickly build a reactor.
Second barrack:
- Techlab and steampack
- Permanent marik building
Stimpak is the most important grade for bio-terrans. Don’t forget about it!
Third barrack:
- Reactor
- Permanent marik building
Factory:
- Reactor
- Replacing the reactor with a tech lab when other units need to be built
Plant gives you splash damage in the form of tanks, hellbats or mines. If you’re looking for armored units (such as roach devastators), then tanks are your best bet. If you are expecting a lot of light units (like lings), then choose mines. Helbats are good for harassing and protecting against early pushes, against which there is no time to tech lab.
Starport:
- Use of plant rector
- Medivac manufacture
Vikings use against zerg to destroy reconnaissance. Once you have enough Medivacs, you can build Liberators to help with siege or harassment.
Sometimes it’s better to just keep your troop composition in order to use your army effectively. Once you master the basic units (mariki and medivacs) you can add more other units that require extra micro and experience. Do not rush to build everything at once; try simple solutions before moving on to more complex ones that require good mechanics.
Reconnaissance:
- If your opponent didn’t expand at 3:00, build some bunkers and be ready to fly CC to the main.
- Sacrifice a CCM or base unit at 4:00 to try and get into the enemy base and see what they’re up to.
- Don’t use scans unless you know what your opponent is doing. By spending energy on scans, you will deprive yourself of the minerals that you need for your production. Scan only if you must know his plan and if you have time to do so.
- Don’t spend too much time scouting, at this stage you still don’t have enough knowledge to somehow apply the received information, so just concentrate on constant control of the map and try to periodically glance at the minimap.
- If you are afraid of invisible or flying units, build some turrets at 4:30. If the enemy does not make a proxy, then it is unlikely that he will be able to attack earlier. Don’t panic and don’t make the turrets too early lest it will disrupt your economy. As your level increases, you will understand when you can get around without them at all.
Remember that there is no perfect guide that will teach you how to win every game.