Starcraft 2 Zealot tactics are important to any Protoss player because Zealots are usually the backbone of any Protoss force. They are an infantry unit with a melee attack and high mobility when upgraded with the Charge ability which gives them a movement and attack speed buff.
Their normal attacks count as two hits in one because of their weapon. Their weapon allows them dominance over most ground infantry units such as immortals, zerglings and hydralisks. However, they are vulnerable to air attacks and require anti-air support from other Protoss units.
Zealots are produced at the Gateway and cost 100 minerals and 2 psi to produce and have a build time of 38 per unit. Their Charge ability is researched at the Twilight Council and costs 200 minerals and 200 gas. The Zealot is known for its high mobility and devastating melee attacks. They are the basic Protoss infantry and are usually used to attack in large numbers. A typical Protoss strike force will have them at the vanguard, allowing other units such as Immortals to dish out damage from a distance.
A possible strategy is the Zealot Rush. This involves building two Gateways then immediately building 4 to 6 Zealots, then sending them into the enemy base. A good rush usually means that you will interrupt your opponents resource gathering by killing his harvesters or causing him to stop mining by using his harvesters to defend against your strike force. If you somehow manage to devastate his harvesters and basic offensive structures like Gateways, Barracks, and Spawning pools, build another Gateway and send in more units to complete the job. More Zealots, some Sentries and Stalkers should do the job.
Another strategy is the proxy rush. As soon as the game starts, send a probe to build a Pylon right outside your opponent's base and 2 Gateways as soon as possible. Start warping in Zealots and use the Chrono Boost ability of your Nexus to speed up production. This strategy is effective against Terran and Protoss players but ineffective against Zerg players since Overlords can locate your Pylon easily and early Zerglings can shut down your Pylon.
Versus a Protoss player, Zealots are used as meat shields, allowing ranged units to deal damage without being focused on. However, Colossi can shut down a large number of Zealots. Stalkers are also able to effectively kite them depending on terrain and positioning.
Versus a Zerg player, Zealots are essential at applying pressure while the player has no access to Roaches or a large number of Zerglings. This is because it takes 4 Zerglings to kill 1 Zealot without any micro managing. However, once the player builds Roaches, they can counter Zealots easily
Versus a Terran player, Zealots can overpower Marines but are destro[censored] with Concussive S[censored] and Stimpacks. They are very prone to being kited if a player knows what he is doing. The role of the Zealot then is usually as a meat shield.
Zealots are the backbone of the Protoss player's strike force. Mastery of their different roles is crucial if you want to win as a Protoss player. They are the most basic unit and are crucial to any army.
