Introduction

This Starcraft 2 strategy guide is mainly for new players or players who are having a hard time improving their game and advancing in rank or league. This 3 Barracks guide will be easily countered in high level play, and is not intended for intermediate or advanced players! However, learning and using this build will help less skilled Starcraft 2 players improve their knowledge of the strategy.

This Starcraft 2 strategy build, if followed correctly, WILL get you out of not only Bronze, but will probably even get you into Gold or higher. One of the biggest problems for new players in Starcraft 2 is that they are unable to scout correctly, or even scout at all. Scouting can add too much APM for new players to handle, and even if done, you need to be able to use the information that you scouted; even if you scout that an opponent enemy has no gas collection, what does that mean if you can’t use that information to counter them? This guide requires no scouting at all and therefore is extremely powerful for new players.

The intent of this Starcraft 2 strategy guide is to help you become more familiar with the game while still being able to kick some serious butt. Remember though that expert players will be able to easily counter this build, and thus this build will become weaker and weaker the higher you rank.

The Build Order:

Constantly make SCV’s. At 10 supply, construct a Supply Depot. Continue making SCV’s until you hit 12 supply, and build a Barracks. At 13 supply, build a Refinery and switch 3 SCV’s to it once it finishes (resist the urge to build a second Refinery!). At 15 supply, build an Orbital Command and build a Marine from your Barracks. Build a second Supply Depot at 16 supply. Once your first Marine comes out, immediately add a Techlab to the Barracks. Once the Techlab is complete, start Stimpack Research from the Techlab and a Marauder from the Barracks (from this point forward, constantly make Marauders). Once you hit 24 Supply, build another Supply Depot. At this point forward, the SCV making this Supply Depot should constantly be making more nonstop (make sure to hotkey it!). Once you reach 300 minerals, build 2 more Barracks and immediately attach Reactors to them when they are complete (once the Reactors are complete, constantly pump Marines from the attached Barracks). Around the same time, once Stimpack research is complete, start researching Concussive Shells at the Techlab.

At around the 7:30-8:00 mark, your Concussive Shells should be nearing completion and you should move out to the enemy base with your Marines and Marauders (you should have around 6 Marauders and 12 Marines). In lower leagues, this is very likely an automatic victory for you as your forces will be too powerful to stop. However, you must also play smart. If the opponent has spammed Photon Cannons, Bunkers, or Spine Crawlers at their chokepoint, don’t bother engaging. The fact that they’ve wasted so much resources on defensive buildings means their economy is EXTREMELY weak. In this case, just make an extra base or two and continue making an army. The opponent will not be able to push out of his base and will become resource starved.

More Information:

Even in lower leagues, this Starcraft 2 strategy build will lose sometimes even if you follow it perfectly, mostly due to opponent cheeses. The most dangerous cheese is a Zergling rush. If you see Zerglings extremely early and know that you are being rushed, stop whatever you’re doing and pump out as many Marines as you can. You will also need to take your SCV’s off of minerals and help fight the Zerglings. If you’re fighting a Protoss opponent and you see a Probe inside or near your base, send an SCV after it. If the probe builds a Pylon, you are being cheesed. Again, pump out Marines to destroy the Pylon, it’s also a good idea to bring some SCV’s to help. Other cheeses might get you, but are rarely seen in Bronze or Silver league games.

I hope this helps new and lower level players out! Enjoy the wins but most of all, practice using hotkeys and improving your APM while doing this build. It will eventually fail, but only because YOU are getting better. When this happens, you will feel much more comfortable with more difficult builds.

Still struggling to improve? Check out the Diamond Gamer addon which walks you through StarCraft 2 strategies and build orders while you are still in game!