Strategies for Early Game Macro

Fast Expand is a strategy where you build a barracks, and after that as soon as you reach 400 Mineral, you create a command center and grab a new base. After you build bunkers and quickly build protection for it. If you are successful, it gives you a huge advantage, but if failed, may mean an early loss. The Fast Expand method can only work if you scout your opponents base, and find out what their strategy looks like. Many pros use an SCV to scout their opponents base. The longer you keep it alive the more intel you can acquire on your opponent, and the more you will know about what sort of strategy they will be using. Keep in mind that this becomes almost useless against the AI, because they do not strive for a specific plan, and just send hordes of disorganized minions at your base. They do have minimal strategy, but I have seen they mostly just make a balanced assortment of units, and then send them at you.

I think that although Fast Expand is a good method, I might do better to just go for an early push. An Early Push is when you rush as quick as you can into a Barracks (first army building) and make it build faster, then send an army before your opponent has a chance to build good defenses. This sets them back a bunch in their base, and allows you to gain a big lead on your opponent. This strategy seems good, but may not fit to my play style since it involves sacrificing your army. I have found that it seems pros care a lot less about their individual units, and I need to learn about not to. This strategy is always suicide, but since you already have a developed base, the lost resources are worth the detriment to your opponent. I will try both methods, and I will see which I am better at, and which gives me a more effective win, and which increases my APM more.