This post is about Protoss dealing with Mutas, specifically with Gateway units, since to effectively use Stargate counters to Mutas you need to Metagame, blind counter, or open with a Stargate build in order to have enough Phoenix to be effective.
Or you need a solid plan to transition to Stargate if a Muta switch catches you unprepared. One of the best instructors I ever had would frequently state that you need to have a Planned, Practiced, Proper Response in place ahead if time, if you wanted a real chance of succeeding.
Active use of Robo vs Muta
If Zerg times it well, you might have Robo Support Bay done or almost done, when they show Mutas or you scout the Spire, maybe even have 2 Robo's up for Colossus production. Don't be afraid to make a couple, or even a few Warp Prism, as well as extra Observers.
Warp Prism speed and Observer speed upgrades will help maintain map vision despite the Mutas. You can also apply pressure with drops, send Warp Prisms to 2 or more bases at the same time and just warp in Zealots at any Zerg base that the Warp Prism makes it to, killing Queens, drones, Extractors, or even tech structures can only help. And your only risking minerals.
You can even try to be tricky and put a Probe in a Warp Prism, with Prism in Warp mode Probe can start cannon building in the energy field, along with a Pylon to power the cannons, and then fly off in the Prism once they are started. You only need field to start and run a building, not to finish warp in once started.
Again your only risking minerals and you can always cancel warp in if it is attacked before it is finished. You can use this offensively to control a choke or future enemy expo (ie set it up ahead of time to deny or slow Zerg getting 3rd or 4th), or as a defensive technique to get another expo up.
Gateway Units vs Mutas
Stalkers and Sentries are the key first response to Mutas if you have a Gateway army when Mutas appear. You can also counter attack if you have Zealots and/or Immortals, as Mutas in low numbers can't kill them fast.
Generally if your going Gateway or deathball, you should be getting Attack and Shield upgrades maxed ASAP, followed by Armor upgrades. Ideally with early 2nd Forge and near constant Chronoboost, since fast upgrades is a key advantage Protoss has over Zerg or Terran.
Despite what many people think, Shield upgrades are a far better than Armor upgrades, that is why they cost more. This is true for at least two reasons. First, as a general rule Protoss try to avoid taking "hull" damage, damage to HP that is, so Armor upgrade will do you no good if your doing that. Second, even in situations were your units do take hull damage, there will be fewer enemy units attacking by the time the shields are gone, because you will have killed some (so the Shield upgrade is protecting you from damage when armies first fight and neither side has lost any units).
Additionally, it is the only upgrade in the entire game AFAIK, that affects all units and structures! All Protoss Buildings, Gateway, Robo, & Stargate units/structures get the shield upgrade. So it helps a lot in base race situations and to lesser extent for defending drops or Air Attacks/Harass at mineral line.
Most people, including me until I looked at the numbers, thought Sentry's were very low DPS units. I am not saying they are high DPS units, but with +3 Attack Sentries & Stalkers have the same DPS of 9 vs light units like Mutas!
Stalkers still have twice the HP & Shields, but the key point to realize is that you can add a LOT of Sentries without hurting your DPS when dealing with Muta or Muta/Ling. So you can have a lot of Guardian shield for dealing with Mutas. Or to defend a Ling or Roach push behind the Mutas.
Actually it lets you have surplus Guardian Shield so the Mutas can't focus down the one or two Sentries protecting their brothers with Guardian Shield.
I am not sure what best ratio of Sentry to Stalkers would be, but even at 1 Sentry to 1 Stalker (175 mineral 150 gas 4 food per pair) that unit comp would be cheaper than Mutas (200 minerals 200 gas 4 food per pair). I think something close to 1 Sentry to 3 Stalkers would be close, not sure, but anything less than 1 Sentry to 1 Stalker is an even bigger economic advantage in gas savings.
Nice change for Protoss to be able to counter an expensive unit with cheaper unit comp, don't you think? ^-^
Since the Sentry/Stalker unit comp will be far cheaper than Mutas, and Protoss has Chronoboost; Protoss really should have an upgrade advantage for a while vs Mutas. The plan is to have Stargate, or HT + Storm out, or larger economy before you lose the upgrade advantage.
This unit mix could lead to some fun pushes, remember Hallucination gives you 2 Zealots or Stalkers,or 4 Probes per spell , that can be used as meat shield in addition to Guardian Shield & Force Field if your pushing against Spinecrawlers with a mainly Sentry/Stalker army.
As the game progresses, if Zerg is smart they will get Armor upgrades for air, which will shift the DPS balance slightly in favor of the Stalkers over the Sentries. But current state of the game still has most Zerg totally mixed up about upgrades. Almost always they should be getting Air Armor upgrades, but Zerg mostly get Attack upgrades for Air and no armor.
In any case this isn't intended as a complete solution to Mutas, rather these ideas are just my thoughts on how to deal with sudden Muta transition from Zerg, with solid play if all you have is Gateway units to fight them because you were going for Colossus based deathball or Gateway only Army.
Obviously if Zerg is going hard Mutas you will want to add HT + Storm, or Stargate to get Phoenix and/or Carriers.
Carriers are actually good against Mutas, if you have critical mass of them, or enough support. It takes 1.5 Carriers to one shot Muta, ie 3 Carriers will one shot 2 Mutas. As long as Air attack upgrades matches Zerg Air Armor upgrade.
If you using Carriers get Air armor upgrades ahead of air attack upgrades. Because not only does the that make the Carrier with it's base 2 Armor harder for Mutas to kill, it also helps every single little interceptor last longer.
GL HF
~Cliff
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