The faithful defenders of Aiur and the front line of the Protoss attack forces, Zealots are a force to be reckoned with. They're the most powerful of the starting combat units out of the three races, and can, in sufficient numbers - and those numbers need not even be very high! - completely demolish a foe before they get off the ground. Seeing a squad of six or seven Zealots heading into your base mere minutes after starting is a very bad thing.
Zealots are the basic combat unit of the Protoss army, and the first you'll be able to churn out from a Protoss Gateway. They're also, in some cases, the ONLY unit you'll have to use: they're reasonably swift - and after they're upgraded at the Citadel of Adun, they're downright speedy - and their constant attacks with their bladed energy weapons make them powerful terrors on the battlefield, especially once they've been fully upgraded. They're also surprisingly durable, and at the beginning of the game cannot be defeated by a single unit of another race. Three, four, even five or more units are typically needed to take down the powerful Zealot, and even then the victory will usually come at a cost.
Like every unit, of course, Zealots have their drawbacks:
- First, they're expensive for early game units, clocking in at 100 minerals each. This is fine later on, but early players will struggle to work up a strong force of the guys and will probably have to sacrifice other upgrades to do so.
- Second, they can't hit aerial units. This isn't as bad as it would be for other races since they can survive numerous hits, but having some backup via Dragoons is never a bad thing.
- Third, they have a tendency to bunch up when walking, as they're a bit larger than the average starting unit. Not nearly as often as with some other Protoss units, true, but it does happen.
- And, fourth, by starting game standards they take a while to create. Again, building up a starting force will take a while.
Are they worth the effort? Absolutely. Zealots are more than powerful enough to take on an enemy en masse, surviving long enough to rip through enemy lines and begin destroying buildings. They're especially good at taking out defensive structures thanks to their quick attacks and ability to attack many at a time, and they're tough enough that they should be able to survive attacks from aerial units just fine.
Dealing with enemy Zealots is, therefore, somewhat difficult. They're best killed at a distance, as they're a bit slower at the start and need time to close in on the enemy. Blocking your defenders off from attack with other structures, such as Creep Colonies or Supply Depots, is a good way to prevent Zealots from getting uncomfortably close and attacking.
