StarCraft II is one of the iconic video game titles out there, so despite being present for over a decade, there’s no doubt new players are signing up daily. This short guide was meant to be an introduction to those that don’t have much StarCraft II experience, so they could get the full grasp quickly and improve their gameplay in a short period.

Below are some strategic steps that, if appropriately applied, could lead you to become a better StarCraft II player.

Save and review your game’s replays

It’s incredibly simple to lose a few games and then click “play again,” but there will be no improvement until you figure out what goes wrong each time.

The likelihood is that you’ll keep making the same errors. In most situations, this means beginning the drive with a tiny army and stopping unit production after it. Because players cannot quickly back up the initial units with new ones, they end up sitting on 10,000 minerals when arriving at the base. Your entire base could get immediately erased as a result of that.

The second fundamental element is that the game heavily depends on the ability to multitask and perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Make sure your hotkeys are ready

Go to settings and controls on the game’s initial launch to find the hotkeys and, where necessary, change them to your preferences. Remember that pressing a single key on the keyboard is far quicker than moving the mouse to a single location and then clicking on numerous possibilities (e.g., unit production facilities).

To continue construction without diverting too many workers from the mineral lines, you should maintain a few troops on hotkeys. Many individuals use a mining unit to construct something and then leave it idle.

No matter what you’re doing, don’t ever stop generating units during the game

This rule should be constantly applied because, as a novice player, you can be 100% sure that sometimes during the game, you will forget it. Some players build their army at the main base, move out, and continue to follow that army until it is destroyed. They then roll the mouse back to the base to create new units.

It would be best if you didn’t do that, of course. Whatever you do, get your troops to a gathering place along the route. Once satisfied with what you have, hotkey them and push them out while continuing to create new units.

Additionally, each unit has a sort of counter unit, of course. For instance, the Hellions are very effective against Zerglings when playing Terran against Zerg. Why? Well, simply because the range of their flamethrowers is so wide. You will need to find another unit to oppose this once they arrive with Roaches, rendering your Hellions useless. That brings up the following point.

Observe what your opponent is doing, then modify your strategy and prepare accordingly

You will essentially find this same suggestion repeatedly repeated in guides. That’s because it’s true that scouting is essential and can get you out of many unwanted situations.

Just obtain one Zealot, a Cannon, a Bunker, and several Marines when the opposition players decide to do a Ling rush. There is a counter build for every build. The exciting thing is that when you successfully block the initial attack, you frequently find yourself in a position where you may win the game because the opposing player put so much effort into that attack.

With the proxy Barracks construction, this frequently occurs; Terrans will set up a Barracks nearby and begin to construct a settlement around it. But after you encounter it often, you develop coping mechanisms, and eventually, it will be useless as a weapon against you. The opposing player must adopt a defensive approach if the Barracks are destroyed. This takes time, which can feel like a lot to some individuals. You could use specific units to deal with some damage during this time.

The general Battlecruiser aesthetic is something else players run into frequently. Since nine out of ten Terran players will start using this build at some point, it is the build that’s disliked the most. Because it was built expensively, it can be defeated and is fairly simple. In reality, building a single Battlecruiser takes 90 seconds and costs 400 minerals and 300 gas. By having ten of these, you already have a more significant edge than you might imagine. See how long it takes him to reach the mass point or even to the point where he can make those in the first place by multiplying all of those stats by 10.

You may anticipate this to occur when you scout and observe him dropping down several starports, and since bronze is the starting material, it frequently does. What many discovered to be effective in that situation is performing a one-base rush with four or five gateways, sending the Probe out with the first wave of units once more, and placing Pylons along the way. To put it in perspective, a Stalker costs 125 minerals, 50 gas, and 42 seconds to construct, but only 32 when a Warp Gate is used. One hundred minerals, no gas, and 28 or 38 seconds on a Warp Gate are the expenses of a Zealot. You will now have to spend 150 minerals and 65 seconds building a Gateway. After researching your warp gate, it will take 10 seconds to convert them into warp gates.

Keep up with the updates

Your existing unit composition may change as a result, making some troops stronger or weaker. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you decimate everything with a few units one day, only to be decimated the next because the statistics of that unit were lowered.

Follow players who are knowledgeable about the game, both in-game and on streams. To play against someone more frequently if you lose them, find out whether they want to be friends. Give it some time, and you’ll definitely get better.