This is the January 2019 entry of Metagame Build Orders.

Vs. Protoss

In the last article, I discussed Terran either attack earlier or later than the usual power spike timing. This build attacks at later timing and hits before Psi Storm is completed.

14 – Supply Depot

15 – Refinery

16 – Barracks

@100% Barracks – Reaper and Orbital Command

@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)

@100 gas – Factory

@100% Reaper – Reactor (@100% – Constant Marine production)

22 – Supply Depot, then Refinery

@100% Factory – Tech Lab and Starport

@100% Tech Lab – Cyclone

@100% Starport – Tech Lab

38 – Supply Depot

Build Supply Depot accordingly hereafter.

@100% Tech Lab – Raven

@125 gas – Siege Tank

@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)

@100% Siege Tank – Siege Tank (@100% – Lift up Factory)

@300 mineral – Lift up Starport and place Barracks on Tech Lab (research Stim); 2x Barracks (one on Reactor; lift the other onto Tech Lab used by Factory)

@150 mineral – 2x Refinery

When you can afford – Engineering Bay (@100% – +1 Infantry attack) and 2x Barracks

Converge to a 5-1-1 with the standard three Tech Lab Barracks (research Combat Shield and Concussive Shell), two Reactor Barracks, Reactor Factory, and Reactor Starport. Produce the usual bio, Widow Mine, and Medivac.

Attack with everything you have when +1 Infantry attack is about to complete, which should be around 7:30. Again, some adjustments have to be made early on depending on Protoss’ build and decisions. For example, you can change Cyclone for Widow Mine.

Vs. Terran

14 – Supply Depot

15 – Refinery

16 – Barracks

17 – Refinery

@100% Barracks – Reaper, Orbital Command and Factory

20 – Supply Depot (pull 2-3 Scvs out of Refinery)

@100% Reaper – Reaper

@100% Factory – Hellion

@400 mineral – Command Centre (put the Scvs back in to saturate both geysers)

26 – Supply Depot

@100% Reaper – Reaper

@100% Hellion – Hellion

@150 mineral – Starport

@100% Hellion – Tech Lab

@100% Reaper – Reactor

@100% Tech Lab – Cyclone

@100% Starport – Tech Lab

@100% Command Centre – Orbital Command and Refinery

@100% Tech Lab – Raven

This is the most popular TvT opening now. You start with a double Refinery Reaper expand, and then you continue to make more Reaper and Hellion. The Cyclone change gives Reaper and Hellion more room in the early game to maneuver around. The classic opening starts to put down add-ons after two Reaper and a Hellion (or two). This updated opening above ensures you have more units for the early game skirmish, and this is pivotal to early game momentum. If you can catch opponent’s Reaper and Hellion, you can delay the expansion drastically. You can essentially do whatever you want after that, and the vod below shows the typical freestyle TvT whereby anything goes.

The most common build now is to get Cyclone and Raven immediately, and this is a good defensive set up. You then put down a third Command Centre. There is usually a mid game positioning battle with Marines, Siege Tanks, Ravens, and Vikings. Raven is the MVP in this time frame, so players tend to get two instead of one. You swap the Starport onto the Reactor after the second Raven. This build can transition into either bio or mech.

Vs. Zerg

14 – Supply Depot

15 – Refinery

16 – Barracks

@100% Barracks – Reaper and Orbital Command

@400 mineral – Command Centre (@100% – Orbital Command)

@100 gas – Factory

@100% Reaper – Reactor

22 – Supply Depot, then Refinery

@100% Factory – Starport; swap Factory onto Reactor for 2x Hellion; Marine

@100% Starport – Fusion Core, Refinery, 2x Hellion

41 – Supply Depot and Tech Lab on Starport

Build Supply Depot accordingly hereafter.

@100% Tech Lab – Battlecruiser

@150 gas – Weapon Refit

@400 mineral – Command Centre; Refinery

@100% Battlecruiser – Battlecruiser; 2x Hellion; 2x Factory; 2x Armory (in this sequence)

Battle mech is the in thing now. You can read about my in depth analysis in this article. The most interesting variation is to open up with Battlecruiser. You can continue from the above build order to transition to battle mech by adding two Tech Lab on the Factory for Cyclone production.

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