Protoss
The telepathic Protoss, natives of the planet Aiur, are an intelligent and enigmatic race. Taken from their state of primitivism and artificially evolved by the ancient Xel’Naga engineers, the Protoss have enjoyed – and suffered – from the benefits of their genetic enhancements. They are extremely advanced in technology and cybernetics, and they are also in touch with their potent psionic capabilities. This makes their armed forces always tough and dangerous. The Protoss society, which includes devotion to the religious Khala, is regimented, although it has been decimated since the fall of Aiur due to the Zerg invasion. Nevertheless, the Protoss will never give up the fight for survival.
Summary
The Protoss’ primary strength is their ability to take a few units and pulverize the opponent. Protoss soldiers and technology have an excellent cost-effectiveness ratio; however, they are quite costly and take some time to train. This leads to a slow start for Protoss players, and a brief period of vulnerability. However, once the economy is rolling, the Protoss can pump out solid units, starting immediately.
The Protoss have both melee and ranged units. Frequently, these are far more powerful than the equivalent Terran and Zerg units. After the initial slow startup is overcome, Protoss can often easily defend against Zerg rushes or other advances. Additionally, they have extremely powerful psionic attacks, mostly from the myriad varieties of Templar units.
A holy, revered, awe-inspiring part of the Protoss has always been the honorable and sacrificial merging of two Templar souls into one: an Archon. They become a single entity for the protection of the Protoss and the destruction of their enemies. With the recent re-unification of the Dark Templar with their Templar brethren, there is the possibility to form a melding of light and dark, a being incorporating both facets of the Protoss. This creature is called a Twilight Archon, and it is potentially the most powerful unit on the Protoss battlefield.
The heart of a Protoss operation is their unique ability to manipulate the physical environment. To help in their efficiency, Protoss worker units, Probes, are able to initiate construction and leave the scene – the building will phase into the base automatically. Additionally, in the advances since the flight from Aiur, Protoss can use warp gates and prisms to phase units all around the map!
The Protoss’ immense energy and psionic requirements call for the need of an anchor for most of their buildings. The majority of structures must be within range of a Pylon structure. If these structures are destroyed, the buildings they power will cease to operate until a new Pylon is constructed. However, the new Phase Prism unit can temporarily take the place of a Pylon, allowing buildings to operate until a new, permanent Pylon can be built.
There are many ways for a player to play the adaptable Protoss. Nevertheless, it is a difficult civilization to master. However, if you can achieve it, the power brought by the Protoss is planet-shaking.
