Starcraft 2 Stalker Guide: How Beginners can Make the Most of the Protoss Stalker
Starcraft 2 Stalker - The Basics
Next up in our guide to the Protoss in Starcraft 2 is the Stalker.
Another SC2 nod to War of the Worlds, the Protoss Stalker is a strutting machine animated by the shadowy consciousnesses of far distant Dark Templars. Gifted with the ability to teleport across the battlefield in the blink of an eye, these units are great for quickly taking out opponents armored units and making a rapid escape. In this guide to the Starcraft 2 Stalker, we’ll look at this potent unit’s statistics, its Blink ability and how beginners can maximize its potential against all three of the SC2 multiplayer races.
For more indepth Protoss info, check out Bright Hub’s Protoss Strategy and Protoss Builds guides.
SC2 Protoss Stalker Vital Stats
Production and Properties:
- Minerals: 125
- Gas:50
- Supply: 2
- Build Time: 42 secs
- Produced By: Gateway
- Requires: Cybernetics Core
- Hotkey:S
- Max Energy:0
Movement and Protection:
- Speed: 2.95
- Acceleration: 1,000
- Hit Points:80
- Shields:80
- Armor:1
- Armor Type: Mechanical, Armored
Weaponry:
Particle Disruptor
- Ground/Air Attack
- Attacks: 1
- Range:6
- Damage:10
- Bonuses: +5 vs Armored
SC2 Protoss Stalker Upgrades and Abilities
Upgrades:
Shields 1-3 (Upgrade for all of the Protoss units)
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Level 1: (Minerals: 200, Gas: 200, Time: 140 secs)
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Level 2: (Minerals: 300, Gas: 300, Time: 170 secs)
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Level 3: (Minerals: 400, Gas: 400, Time: 200 secs)
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Required: Twilight Council
Ground Weapons 1-3 (Upgrade for all Protoss ground units)
- Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)
- Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 170 secs)
- Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 200 secs)
- Required: Twilight Council
Ground Armor 1-3 (Upgrade for all Protoss ground units)
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Level 1: (Minerals: 100, Gas: 100, Time: 140 secs)
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Level 2: (Minerals: 175, Gas: 175, Time: 170 secs)
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Level 3: (Minerals: 250, Gas: 250, Time: 200 secs)
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Required: Twilight Council
Blink
- (Minerals: 150, Gas: 150, Time: 110 secs)
Abilities:
- Blink: Enables the Stalker unit to teleport directly to a targeted location on the battlefield.
- Type: Command
- Range: 6
- Cooldown: 10 secs
Starcraft 2 Stalker Strategy Tips and Tricks
Strong Against:
Vulnerable To:
Protoss vs Protoss
The Protoss Stalker’s high maneuverability with the Blink upgrade and their bonus against armored units make them highly useful in targeting an opponent’s ranged units such as Void Rays. Use the Warp Gate to get them into prime position and then make the most of their ability to bypass terrain obstacles to get at your prey. Watch out for being swarmed by Zealots, and Sentries cutting off retreat with their Force Field ability.
Protoss vs Terran
Again, maneuverability is your friend against Terran opposition, and Reapers are particularly susceptible to Stalkers. The Concussive Shell of the Marauder can slow you up though, and Thors are deadly to Stalkers when accompanied by mass ranks of Marines.
Protoss vs Zerg
Mutalisks tend to be sitting ducks for the Protoss Stalker, but don’t allow the tempting prospect of taking them out to lead you into the trap of a Zergling swarm surrounding you. With the Metabolic Boost upgrade, even these ground troops can quickly overwhelm your unit.
Conclusion
The key to the Starcraft 2 Stalker is ensuring that you get in and get out as quickly as possible. Finding yourself surrounded and with any lines of retreat cut off is fatal to the Protoss Stalker, but used wisely and it can cause serious damage to opposition armor. The Stalker is one of the Starcraft 2 units where the Protoss race’s technological superiority can quickly tell.