Early Game Tips 2

Map Control

 * It is important to secure the strategic points as fast as possible.
 * It is rarely worth sacrificing units in order to secure a point.
 * If the opponent secures a majority of Critical Locations (or even Strategic Points) you should seek to decapture as soon as possible.
 * Being in a race against time to decapture a point is a good way to suffer horrendous casualties.
 * A player who efficiently secures their side of the map in the early game will have a tempo lead when securing the rest of the map.
 * Reinforcing units very early in the game can mean delayed Listening Posts, meaning a delayed economy.
 * The more 'exposed' an area is, the more likely it will come under early game attack.
 * Relics and Critical Locations tend to be the most exposed (on most maps), and happen to have longer capture times - making securing them riskier.
 * Certain maps are more prone to 'hyper aggressive / open' play styles, where points are heavily contested or rapidly captured and decaptured. This is often the result of the movement paths on the map.
 * It can happen that neither player can secure the map simply due to how aggressive players are. This may result in a lower eco transition into the next stage of the game.
 * Ambush those who decapture your critical locations.
 * It is a safe choice to use anti-light infantry weapons for such ambushes, such as Landspeeders, as players often use light infantry to secure critical locations.
 * Jumper units, such as Assault Marines, capture and decapture points at a faster rate than grunt infantry. They can also more effectively evade ambush.
 * Often the only time you know where the opponent is, is when:
 * They are decapturing one of your points.
 * They are laying siege to you.
 * You're currently engaged in battle.
 * They are recapturing their points.
 * You're scouting them with infiltrating units.