Top 10 tips for Starcraft 2 beginners

War is coming... because Starcraft 2 has been released!

It has been 12 years since the original was released and quickly became one of the top Real Time Strategy (RTS) games of all time.

Starcraft 2 can be merciless for beginners, and with all the new units even gamers who have played their fair share of the original, or Brood Wars, can still find themselves overwhelmed.

So to help even a Starcraft noob improve their game, here are my top 10 tips to help pull out the win.

Tip 1) Learn those hot keys!

It is possible to play an entire game of Starcraft with just your mouse, but it isn't smart to do. Hotkeys may only save you fractions of a second, compared to just mousing over to what you want, but those fractions of a second really start adding up.

By pressing CTRL and a number button you can group units and building, so that all you have to do is tap that number once to select that group again. Tap that number twice and the camera jumps to the building or unit location.

Hot key units can help you coordinate attacks, while you can select your gateway or barracks on the fly to make sure they keep pumping out units.

Knowing the hotkey abilities for your units is key too. If you're controlling a Ghost for instance, using the 'R' key to quickly activate that unit's sniping ability, while aiming with the mouse is a heck of a lot faster than mousing down to the ability button, and then back up to hit the target.

* Bonus tip) Use the Waypoints!

You can (and should!) use the waypoint hot key 'Y' from your command center/nexus/hatchery to make new worker units automatically start mining nearby crystals. The waypoint option should also be used to help automatically place new units exactly where you would like them, such as massing at the entrance of your base, or immediately heading out to attack an enemy position.

Tip 2) Learn your units!

Boy, are there a lot of units to learn too! Even experienced Brood War players will have a lot of catching up to do with SC II.

All the units in the game operate a little like rock-paper-scissors. Some units shoot only air, some only ground. Some can make themselves invisible, and some can reveal invisible units. Some do well against armored units, while others are best used against biological targets. Find out, for instance how best to use the Terran Marauder, and also how to beat them.

One of the best ways to learn about all the new units and abilities is to just jump in and play a few games. Start a single player game against a Computer AI, with the difficulty set to 'easy' or 'very easy' and the game speed down to 'normal' or slower. Those settings should give you a all the time in the world to fiddle around with the new units of each race. Play a few games, trying out different units each time, figuring out which buildings build which units, and which abilities do what.

Queens, Ravens, Archons ... knowing what all their special abilities do are very often the keys to victory. More on that, below.

Tip 3) Learn each race!

Each class has very unique strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these are SC 101. No matter which race is your favorite, and even if you never ever want to play as Zerg in a competitive game, you should still understand how all the races work.

For Terrans, mobility of their buidings is a big plus. Interchangeable add-on buildings also add flexibility (also, you can steal enemy Terran add-ons!). Supply depots can now be sunk underground, giving the Terran player the option of opening or closing the entryway to their base. Also try out the new ability to call down a temporary worker to your command center, to boost economy.

Protoss can only build within the radius of their crystal pylons (making them good targets for attackers), but they also have gained the powerful warp gate ability. With the power to warp in new ground units within the radius of any pylon, each of those crystals can suddenly sprout an entire army on unsuspecting opponents.

The Zerg can only build on "creep," that gray spongy stuff they spread everywhere. Zerg units also gain speed bonuses on creep. On long games, good Zerg players will use creep tumors and their observers to spread the gray stuff, creating a "Creep Highway" towards their enemies. That way their units will be able to get to the fight sooner, and fight better once they arrive. The Zerg general can also create Nydus Worms, that can rapidly transport whole armies from one point of creep to another.

Tip 4) Do the single player introduction stuff

Take the time to play through a few levels of the single player campaign. It will teach you basic gameplay, especially for Terran. Also trying out things like the Challenge Missions is a quick and easy way to learn about which units work best against each other, and how to use special units to their best effect.

Beating a few levels of the campaign will also give you some achievement points, which can make your profile a little more impressive looking to your opponents.

Tip 5) Macro, macro macro!

In Starcraft, "macro" refers to the big picture of the game - how many resources are you pulling in and how many units are you churning out. More specifically, "macro up" refers to quickly producing a large number of units to replenish your army.

Needless to say, the player with the best macro gameplay almost always wins.

Good macro starts with your worker units. To be able to pull in the maximum amount of resources, players want to have two workers for each patch of minerals, and three workers on both Vespian Gas sources - which is called "fully saturated." Be sure to keep building workers/drones at a good rate, to reach saturation early in the game. Once you expand bases, be sure to move workers over, or build new ones to quickly saturate the new source as well.

But what to do with all those resources? Build your army! The better players try to use all their resources as soon as they're available. Build multiple barracks/starports/gateways/hatcheries ... whatever you need to build the army of your choosing, and keep new units queued up.

In close games you are going to lose large armies, but the victory goes to the player that can rebuild those armies the fastest.

* Bonus Tip) Kill thy enemy's macro

If you can get into your enemy's base, you should have two immediate targets before your intrusion is repulsed: The enemy workers, and if possible, the production building they're depending on most. Enemy workers are low on life, and are easy to pick off, even if you just have a few seconds. Each one you kill has an exponential effect on your opponent's macro economy, helping you get further ahead.

Tip 6) Micro, micro, micro!

In contrast to Macro gameplay, to "micro" refers to how you control individual units. Some basic combat principals to keep in mind: Focus fire to destroy your opponent's units faster, always trying to kill the biggest threats first; and try to save units from needless destruction by moving them out of the fight before they die. Zerg will regenerate, Terrans can be healed or repaired, and Protoss will regain shields.

If you followed Tip 2, then you'll be familiar with the many units in the game. Some units have a speed or range advantage that you can exploit. Stalkers, Hellions and Hydralisks all can be used to 'kite' opposing units around for a bit, scoring free hits. It takes some practice, but good micro skills can turn an unwinnable fight into a cakewalk.

Some of the units are obviously 'caster' types, meaning their primary role is to use their special abilities, e.g. the Raven for the Terran, Sentry for the Protoss, or the Zerg Infestor. These types of units obviously are only effective if you are ready to use their special abilities during battle. Hotkeying these types of units is highly recommended, as many don't have any autoattack abilities of their own. Of course their abilities are strong enough that a few well place fungal growths, or psi storms will more than make up for your careful attention.

*Bonus tip) Exploit whenever possible

Siege tanks on the high ground have deadly range, and can obliterate a large ground force in seconds. An upgraded Colossus can climb over cliffs, and rain fiery death upon your foes before they can even see it. One Brood Lord can soften up the toughest of choke points with its long range broodling attack. Whenever you find a way to score some easy hits like this, make the most of it!

Tip 7) Expand smart

One of the biggest changes with Starcraft II, is that virtually every map includes a 'natural expansion' for each player, meaning a nearby patch of gas and minerals that is easy to expand into, and easier to defend. Unless you're really pushing for a quick victory, grab that natural expansion fairly early on in the game. Otherwise you will find yourself out-macro'd very quickly.

Llearn when is the right moment to invest the resources to do it. Right after you beat off an opponent's attack is a good time. Their forces are weak, and you can expect at least a little bit of time before they will be capable of attacking again.

If you are playing Terran, you have the advantage of building a new command center in the security of your own base, and flying it to the new location. In contrast, the other two races do not have that option, but can use Warpgate and Nydus Worm technology to more easily defend those new locations.

Tip 8) Learn from your mistakes

After each game, the game gives a very detailed summary screen, that will show resource and army levels. Even more useful, you can save a video replay of your entire match.

Watch those replays, especially your losses . What did your opponent do better? Was there one spot in particular where you lost the match? Where can you improve?

Tip 9) Learn from the pros

The rise of YouTube has definitely changed the way Starcraft is played. Professional SC I games have been uploaded to the Internet by the thousands, and the same is happening with SC II.

Check out some of the better YouTube SC II game announcers, such as HDStarcraft and PsyStarcraft, and watch how the top players in the world play. Also be sure to check out the tutorial videos they post, explaining popular strategies such as Protoss 4-gate, Terran 1-1-1, or Zerg 6-pool. These are the types of strategies you need to know how to use, or defend against if you want to play very much multiplayer.

Tip 10) Just have fun

SC II is just a game after all. Don't worry about your win and loss record. Find friends, or a league that matches your skill level, and just get to playing. Experience is, after all, the best teacher.

The game lets you play up to 50 matches in the 'Practice League' where other beginners are also getting their bearings. So get in there and "let slip the dogs of war!"