Hey guys, it's been a little while since I've posted an article (who am I kidding, it's been like 6 months, lol). It's a multi-chapter article series meant to keep you guys going and thinking about Terran strategies for SC2. Anyways, here's something for you guys to chew on:

Terran Strategies Part I (TvT)

Terran vs. Terran, in my opinion, is the worst matchup possible. Endless sieges, impenetrable turtles on both ends, and a weak air game to boot. Regardless, when it happens it is inevitable, so you might as well be good at TvT. Most of you guys play SC:BW so I'm going to take the most common TvT builds and revise them to fit SC2.

TvT strategies in SC:BW usually had a buildup of 9-depo, 11-rax, and 12-ref. Now, in SC2 many of these things are different. Gameplay is generally faster and you'll want to pump out that barracks a tad earlier to get the extra edge for tech or rush. My build will probably result in this: 8-depo, 9-rax, ref-100 minerals. Having the barracks even two units beforehand can mean the difference between getting marine rushed and successfully teching for Tanks.

2-Fact Tank:
The old and tried 2-fact tank will probably be crushed quickly due to the heavy Vespene amounts needed, so what SHOULD happen then is this: 12-ref/fact-when available/2nd-ref/tank when available/2nd-fact when available. This is possible because most of the spawn points in SC2 are complete with two Vespene geysers, and this build will allow you to pump out that Vespene quickly to make a nice Tank/Hellion force. When you get to this point, proceed with the classing Tank push, and substitute Hellions for Marauders if you want, but I'd stick with Hellions for the Factory focus.

1-Fact 1-Expo:
1-fact 1-expo leads to a very, very rich Terran but requires a lot more defense, as other players can build up a small force very quickly and attack in a very short amount of time. 1-fact 1-expo usually leads to a significant economy edge over the other player when executed correctly. This works very well in maps such as the one in the first BattleReport, where the Terran player was able to quckly lift off his second CC onto that plateau blocked by rocks, enabling the Terran player to quickly expand and nab resources while undisturbed by the Protoss player.

However, this build can leave you very unprepared for an attack, especially in the much faster paced world of SC2, so be sure that you are able to set up a suitable defensive force of Bunkers and Barracks troops before proceeding with plan. It can be a bit of a gamble, but it pays off. After all, those two factories your enemy has wont be as well funded as your 2-CC strategy, which opens up way more options for land and air.

The Marauder:
In SC:BW, TvT matches were usually started and ended with Factory units such as the Tank or Vulture. While that may be the case, the new Marauder unit does extra damage to Armored (which is all factory units) and has a bonus slowing effect for the retreating units. Marauders might be a significant new player for the ubiquitous Tank Push and will totally change the balance of mind. While it is not produced from the Factory, which may deter some players from using the Marauder due to the fact that it draws building attention away from Factories, the Marauder's dual concussion grenades are serious business, and can rip through an enemy tank push given the right amount of care.

Starports:
Because most of the fighting in a TvT match happens on the land, you can surprise your enemy by building a Starport elsewhere (in a proxy settlement, perhaps). Having cloaked Banshee's when your enemies least expect it can completely devastate the enemy before they even realize that they have to get to clear skies.

Also, Vikings. A force of only six Vikings can wreck the enemy economy with a quick insertion (fly in, sometimes under Missile Turret fire) and transformation (bring those guns out and blast the SCV's), as most players often fail to protect the interior mining line with an anti-ground defense. The attack goes on for as long as the opponent takes to react, and when he does just lift back into Fighter Mode and fly away to repair.

Battlecruisers. They will be your best friend, your worst enemy, or both, since you're going against another Terran. Vikings have a nice 8 bonus damage against Massive, if you're going to kill them, but are susceptible to the Missile Barrage. Use BC's wisely, they can either be awesome or just be dumpy pieces of sheet metal flying around expensively with no use. Be sure to upgrade them in an armada, and if you go head to head with another BC fleet it's pretty much just whoever has better micro.

Other Units:

I'd talk about the Ghost more but it sucks now. Really. I mean, sure it has the cloak and sniping, but 25 damage for a snipe? Really?

Reapers are alright, but aren't really suited for TvT unless you are skilled enough to have them flank, lay mines and run.