Replay Analysis: Cannon Rush

General Disarray (GenDisarray) sends us another rush strategy replay - this one using the Protoss "cannon rush" strategy. I walk through the short game twice, highlighting some things to keep in mind for both the attacker and defender in this "cheesy" scenario.



And a slew of bullet points for the blog readers!

Using a cannon rush:

• Scout early!
  Really early. Your first pylon and forge will build relatively quickly - you should be ready to place your proxy pylon as soon as you enter the opposing base. Hopefully you can do this before any army units are trained!
• Send a second scout
  All but one of the 1v1 ladder maps have 4 spawning/starting locations - if you guess wrong in the scouting order, it could take well over a minute to scout the last one. If the first close position is empty, send a second scout to the other close position while your first probe goes to the far position. This second scout can also aid as a backup if the first probe gets ambushed.
  
• Micro the scout
  The first probe that makes it into your enemy's base is your sole army. An army of one ;-) Keep it alive as long as possible. Don't forget that it's shields recharge over time - so keeping it on the move really extends it's lifespan. This strategy is half surprise and half execution - and your probe is key to both. Don't ruin the surprise by rallying into the middle of the base - sneak around the edge!
• Snuggle the pylon
  When placing your pylon - snuggle it up against a cliff edge, or in a corner, or even nestled between mineral patches. By reducing the available surface area, you make it harder for enemy workers (or melee units like zerglings or zealots) to attack it. The same thing applies when placing your cannons.
• Start multiple pylons
  Take advantage of the probe's ability to start multiple buildings in quick succession. Your opponent will likely focus on one pylon. Cancel the warp-in before it finishes and use the minerals to build another pylon - or your first cannon.
  
• Look for counter-cheese
  A common reaction to rushing can be a rush attack in return. The obvious one - when playing PvP, scout for pylons in or near your own base!
• Prepare to transition
  As your opponent is distracting by killing probes and pylons, you should be preparing for the next step - just in case. Go ahead and start down your favorite tech path. And build a few defending units - players who thwart a cannon rush may be pretty grumpy and looking for payback - and assume you have nothing at your base. Prove them wrong.
  

Defending against a cannon rush:

• Scout for pylons
  Whenever playing against Protoss, it's a good idea to scout around your base, looking for pylons. Proxy pylons are used by both cannon rushes and the standard 4-Gate strategy. Don't forget to scout just outside your base as well.
• Scout their base
  Scouting the enemy's base early is key for detecting "cheese". If you get there early, and all you see is a pylon and a Forge, it's a good guess a cannon rush is coming.
• Keep an eye on the mini-map
  Always keep that mini-map in the corner of your eye. Pylons are stationary and show up even if you've lost direct vision of them.
• Train an army unit quickly
  A single army unit can make sure that the cannon rusher needs to micro his probe. It can also be a sentry at the front of the base to spot incoming probes.
• Use as few workers as possible to kill the pylon
  As the defender, you likely have an economic advantage. Don't lessen it by sending all your workers to kill one pylon - especially if the enemy probe is gone. Just send enough - maybe 4-5?
• Stay calm - and win!
  Cannon rushing costs minerals and takes attention away from managing a base. Multi-tasking is one of the hardest skills to master, so unless you're playing against an expert rusher, you will likely be at a significant advantage after the rush is twarted.

Before I watched the replay, I figured there wasn't much to say about cannon rushing - but I guess I was wrong! Good luck and have fun with your cannon rushing! Oh wait - please discourage all cannon rushers by holding them off and winning the game :)

Update 11/1/2011: I updated the video to point at my new YouTube channel.