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How many drones to a base?

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
Post a Reply
24
Profile Joined August 2017
6 Posts
September 02 2017 15:22 GMT
#1
I've heard people say you need 2 workers per mineral patch to achieve full saturation, but I've also heard people say that for Zerg you only need 12 drones.

Only 12 drones!? Maybe they meant you need 12 drones before you make zerglings? I'm confused.
art_of_turtle
Profile Blog Joined September 2012
United States1206 Posts
September 02 2017 15:58 GMT
#2
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/Zerg_Economic_Management
Flash should fear Sacsri
24
Profile Joined August 2017
6 Posts
September 02 2017 17:05 GMT
#3
thanks art_of_turtle
art_of_turtle
Profile Blog Joined September 2012
United States1206 Posts
September 02 2017 22:48 GMT
#4
Make sure you read the Big note Bakuryu left.
Flash should fear Sacsri
ReketSomething
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States6012 Posts
September 04 2017 06:41 GMT
#5
Woa, played zerg for so many years and never thought of it that way. Very interesting way of thinking O_O
Jaedong :3
NET
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States703 Posts
September 04 2017 09:45 GMT
#6
That was a good read, although I do not play Zerg, I found it very useful. Thanks for sharing.
"Dark Templar are the saviors of the Protoss Race." -Artosis
orvinreyes
Profile Joined June 2007
577 Posts
September 04 2017 13:40 GMT
#7
well if it's just mineral saturation you're talking about it's usually 1 and 1/2 control group of workers.
http://youtu.be/LfmrHTdXgK4
enkidude
Profile Joined September 2017
6 Posts
September 04 2017 15:07 GMT
#8
Ninazerg's guide (http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/bw-strategy/418999-zvp-broodwar-guide) recommends 1.5 drones per mineral patch in general.
LaStScan
Profile Joined May 2011
Korea (South)1289 Posts
September 04 2017 17:16 GMT
#9
# of mineral fields + 2-4 more drones
Trying my best for ASL, ASTL
ninazerg
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States7291 Posts
September 04 2017 17:22 GMT
#10
You're gonna wanna add ALL the drones.
"If two pregnant women get into a fist fight, it's like a mecha-battle between two unborn babies." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
jimminy_kriket
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Canada5533 Posts
September 04 2017 19:36 GMT
#11
Ret said 1.5 per patch on stream the other day
life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery
LaStScan
Profile Joined May 2011
Korea (South)1289 Posts
September 04 2017 20:18 GMT
#12
On September 05 2017 04:36 jimminy_kriket wrote:
Ret said 1.5 per patch on stream the other day


disagree. you don't have to. 1.2~1.3 is enough
Trying my best for ASL, ASTL
Trutaacz
Profile Joined August 2017
Poland101 Posts
September 04 2017 22:07 GMT
#13
15/base
LaStScan
Profile Joined May 2011
Korea (South)1289 Posts
September 05 2017 07:17 GMT
#14
On September 05 2017 07:07 Trutaacz wrote:
15/base


Sounds about right for 2 base style in early game. But when u start having 3 base 4 base, 1.2-1.3x of mineral fields is total enough
Trying my best for ASL, ASTL
rbetenoire
Profile Joined January 2015
United States28 Posts
September 05 2017 07:47 GMT
#15
1.3-1.5 mineral patches
Freakling
Profile Joined October 2012
Germany1533 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-09-05 09:28:59
September 05 2017 09:28 GMT
#16
1 Drone per Mineral patch and 3 per geyser will give you optimal efficiency. The income curve will slowly flatten out above that, but with about 1.5 saturation the losses due to worker migration will be pretty minimal as all workers will usually find a close-by patch to immediately mine from.
The maximum income you can get from a single expansion will only be reached with about 3 workers per patch, when all patches are permanently occupied by a mining worker and worker migration comes to an almost complete stand-still. This is highly inefficient, though, as 1/3 of your workers will effectively be permanently idling in this scenario.

Gas is easier to adjust.
If a geyser is directly above or somewhat to the left (or very slightly to the right) or directly to the left of a resource depot, 3 workers will give you pretty much 100% gas mining rate (about 300 gas/min). For all other gas positions, sending a fourth worker to mine will give you between 20 and 60 gas/min of additional income (usual values are at about 30). So if you have a decent mineral saturation and a geyser in a suboptimal position, sending an additional worker mining gas is well worth it.
William4170
Profile Joined February 2021
1 Post
February 15 2021 08:50 GMT
#17
I found it very useful. Thanks for sharing.
MeSaber
Profile Joined December 2009
Sweden1235 Posts
February 18 2021 23:39 GMT
#18
I think we can run these rules through watching Queen or any other top Zerg player play. If it doesnt seem to be a rule for them then its just bullshit. It however sounds very reasonable meanwhile Bakuryu saying its bogus without any good reasons why is just laughable.

Lets fact-check before discourage it.

As for extra hatcheries and unused larvaes it goes without saying you shouldnt have more than you can egg for the current income you have.

As for Drone saturation. The more drones you make the more income you need until break-even for the drones you produced. This could have been sufficient army early on instead to either win the game or nerf your enemy so you can expand and produce more drones meanwhile. Your risk for punishment during mass drone produce also increases as opponent skill rises.

Good example is 3v3 hunters where every zerg who starts massing drones instead of army gets severely punished for doing so. Pretty much GG moment.
-.-
LUCKY_NOOB
Profile Blog Joined June 2013
Bulgaria1544 Posts
March 01 2021 17:08 GMT
#19
I saw what u did there 24... ^_._^
ko-fi.com/luckynoob
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