• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 15:54
CEST 21:54
KST 04:54
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Classic Games #3: Rogue vs Serral at BlizzCon2[ASL20] Ro16 Preview Pt1: Ascent9Maestros of the Game: Week 1/Play-in Preview12[ASL20] Ro24 Preview Pt2: Take-Off7[ASL20] Ro24 Preview Pt1: Runway13
Community News
Weekly Cups (Sept 1-7): MaxPax rebounds & Clem saga continues22LiuLi Cup - September 2025 Tournaments3Weekly Cups (August 25-31): Clem's Last Straw?39Weekly Cups (Aug 18-24): herO dethrones MaxPax6Maestros of The Game—$20k event w/ live finals in Paris76
StarCraft 2
General
Team Liquid Map Contest #21 - Presented by Monster Energy Classic Games #3: Rogue vs Serral at BlizzCon [G] How to watch Korean progamer Streams. #1: Maru - Greatest Players of All Time Weekly Cups (Sept 1-7): MaxPax rebounds & Clem saga continues
Tourneys
LiuLi Cup - September 2025 Tournaments Maestros of The Game—$20k event w/ live finals in Paris WardiTV Mondays Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series
Strategy
Custom Maps
External Content
Mutation # 490 Masters of Midnight Mutation # 489 Bannable Offense Mutation # 488 What Goes Around Mutation # 487 Think Fast
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ The Korean Terminology Thread Recommended FPV games (post-KeSPA) [ASL20] Ro16 Preview Pt1: Ascent FlaSh on ACS Winners being in ASL
Tourneys
[ASL20] Ro16 Group B [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL20] Ro16 Group A Is there English video for group selection for ASL
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Muta micro map competition Fighting Spirit mining rates [G] Mineral Boosting
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread General RTS Discussion Thread Iron Harvest: 1920+ Nintendo Switch Thread Diablo IV S10 Infernal Tides Guide
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread The Games Industry And ATVI UK Politics Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The Happy Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion MLB/Baseball 2023 TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Linksys AE2500 USB WIFI keeps disconnecting Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread High temperatures on bridge(s)
TL Community
BarCraft in Tokyo Japan for ASL Season5 Final The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Collective Intelligence: Tea…
TrAiDoS
A very expensive lesson on ma…
Garnet
hello world
radishsoup
Lemme tell you a thing o…
JoinTheRain
RTS Design in Hypercoven
a11
Evil Gacha Games and the…
ffswowsucks
INDEPENDIENTE LA CTM
XenOsky
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1472 users

[D] Terran - when to go for Orbital Command?

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
StarcraftMan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada507 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-27 03:18:17
March 27 2010 03:09 GMT
#1
Couldn't find a good discussion for this in the strategy forum after a search so I'm starting a new discussion on this.

As a Terran player, in general against all races, when should one go for an Orbital Command to maximize resource intake? Specifically, the Orbital Command gives you a mule which will boost your mineral income in the long run. But going for an Orbital Command earlier - at say the 13/14 scv mark - leaves you with less scvs that you could use to get gas, etc.

(Edit: Stripped a nonsensical comment by me)

Anyways, here are the questions:

1) When do the top platinum Terran players go for their Orbital Commands? Specifically, after how many SCVs produced should one go for an Orbital Command?

2) Should you get an Orbital Command before your first refinery? Or should you build a refinery before an Orbital Command?

PS. I understand there are race specific strategies to consider, but I'm considering a general case for this discussion
YPang
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States4024 Posts
March 27 2010 03:12 GMT
#2
i get it right after rax.
sMi.Gladstone | BW: B high| SC2: gold T_T
Rice
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
United States1332 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-27 03:17:18
March 27 2010 03:16 GMT
#3
I'm assuming that most decent Terran builds will go for a barracks before an Orbital Command to prevent early rushes but if you have a good reason why you should get an Orbital Command before a barracks, feel free to explain!


well the main strategical reason you go for a barracks before an orbital command is because having a barracks is a prerequisite of building an orbital command.


edit: you should pretty much always build your orbital command right when your barracks finishes, I cant really think of any reason not to.
Freedom will be defended at the cost of civil liberties.
Matrijs
Profile Joined May 2009
United States147 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-27 03:17:18
March 27 2010 03:17 GMT
#4
On March 27 2010 12:09 StarcraftMan wrote:
I'm assuming that most decent Terran builds will go for a barracks before an Orbital Command to prevent early rushes but if you have a good reason why you should get an Orbital Command before a barracks, feel free to explain!


Orbital Command requires that you have a barracks. That's a good reason.

EDIT: beaten : /
StarcraftMan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada507 Posts
March 27 2010 03:19 GMT
#5
On March 27 2010 12:16 Rice wrote:
Show nested quote +
I'm assuming that most decent Terran builds will go for a barracks before an Orbital Command to prevent early rushes but if you have a good reason why you should get an Orbital Command before a barracks, feel free to explain!


well the main strategical reason you go for a barracks before an orbital command is because having a barracks is a prerequisite of building an orbital command.


edit: you should pretty much always build your orbital command right when your barracks finishes, I cant really think of any reason not to.


My bad, lol.

But should you get an Orbital Command before getting a refinery?
CursOr
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States6335 Posts
March 27 2010 03:20 GMT
#6
I let that last SCV finish, but I go to Orbital on the next time the CC is available to train. Every time, every MU... its worth it, even at say 15 supply.
CJ forever (-_-(-_-(-_-(-_-)-_-)-_-)-_-)
Rice
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
United States1332 Posts
March 27 2010 03:22 GMT
#7
On March 27 2010 12:19 StarcraftMan wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 27 2010 12:16 Rice wrote:
I'm assuming that most decent Terran builds will go for a barracks before an Orbital Command to prevent early rushes but if you have a good reason why you should get an Orbital Command before a barracks, feel free to explain!


well the main strategical reason you go for a barracks before an orbital command is because having a barracks is a prerequisite of building an orbital command.


edit: you should pretty much always build your orbital command right when your barracks finishes, I cant really think of any reason not to.


My bad, lol.

But should you get an Orbital Command before getting a refinery?


yes, orbital command pays for itself in like 15 seconds, iirc.
Freedom will be defended at the cost of civil liberties.
Angra
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States2652 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-27 03:25:57
March 27 2010 03:24 GMT
#8
You can build a refinery after barracks (on 13 or sometimes 14) and still have enough money for an orbital command once the rax finishes. If you have constant SCV production it syncs up really nicely with the last SCV finishing just as the rax finishes so you can start the orbital command right then.

And yeah unless they're doing some super early cheese rush it's almost always a good idea to get the orbital command as soon as your barracks finishes because it pays for itself incredibly fast and then gives you a huge boost in economy, so you want it as early as possible.
StarcraftMan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada507 Posts
March 27 2010 03:29 GMT
#9
On March 27 2010 12:22 Rice wrote:
yes, orbital command pays for itself in like 15 seconds, iirc.


15 sec? That's a bit fast for the return on the investment. Does anybody have the numbers for this?

Specifically, the time it takes you to build an orbital command, how many minerals/scvs could you have produced in that time period?
StarcraftMan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada507 Posts
March 27 2010 03:32 GMT
#10
On March 27 2010 12:24 Angra wrote:
You can build a refinery after barracks (on 13 or sometimes 14) and still have enough money for an orbital command once the rax finishes. If you have constant SCV production it syncs up really nicely with the last SCV finishing just as the rax finishes so you can start the orbital command right then.



Nice. Do you have a good link to a video example on YoutTube for this example?
imBLIND
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
United States2626 Posts
March 27 2010 03:47 GMT
#11
On March 27 2010 12:32 StarcraftMan wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 27 2010 12:24 Angra wrote:
You can build a refinery after barracks (on 13 or sometimes 14) and still have enough money for an orbital command once the rax finishes. If you have constant SCV production it syncs up really nicely with the last SCV finishing just as the rax finishes so you can start the orbital command right then.



Nice. Do you have a good link to a video example on YoutTube for this example?


It's easier to try it out in game or in an unranked game.
im deaf
Silent12ill
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
United States358 Posts
March 27 2010 03:59 GMT
#12
On March 27 2010 12:16 Rice wrote:
edit: you should pretty much always build your orbital command right when your barracks finishes, I cant really think of any reason not to.


I agree but disagree against protoss 1 gate core. I'm trying to figure out why im able to
so well and what to look out for that will stop it but I find it best(still talking about mid and long
run) to right after my rax if i scout 1 gate core from protoss I immediately drop a CC in my nat
then orbital then drop a bunker and fill with rines. By they time they have any kind of early force
I have plenty of marine muraders from 3 rax picking off unit from my cliff. Oh big thing there is
if its a map like LT where I can have units on my cliff back up my bunker I drop to defend nat.

http://www.sc2rc.com/index.php/replay/show/431

StarcraftMan
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada507 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-28 07:40:37
March 28 2010 07:34 GMT
#13
Ok, I was on LZ's channel chatting up with other players, and I got a good build order. Let me know if you have any comments/feedback on this order:

10 - Supply Depot
11 - Rax (or 11ish)
13 - Refinery
15 - OC
CakeOrI)eath
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
United States327 Posts
March 28 2010 07:44 GMT
#14
On March 28 2010 16:34 StarcraftMan wrote:
Ok, I was on LZ's channel chatting up with other players, and I got a good build order. Let me know if you have any comments/feedback on this order:

10 - Supply Depot
11 - Rax (or 11ish)
13 - Refinery
15 - OC


I do exactly this but I have my own subtle tweak. The first supply depot finishes at about ~90 minerals so the scv that built it just stands there waiting for the 150 to build the rax. I fix this by scouting with this scv. At 100 minerals I send an scv from my mineral line to where I want to build the rax and on most maps it gets there right at 150.
Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
Kantutan
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Canada1319 Posts
March 28 2010 07:58 GMT
#15
from the very start I've always done

9 supply
11 rax
12 refinery
14 OC

worked for me thus far
BentoBox
Profile Joined November 2009
Canada303 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-28 10:44:05
March 28 2010 08:07 GMT
#16
I pull a 10 rax, 12 ref, 13 orb by cutting a probe or two... so I can get my first siege tank (w/ upgrade) by 25 or so~
Only dead fish swim with the stream
kickinhead
Profile Joined December 2008
Switzerland2069 Posts
March 28 2010 08:13 GMT
#17
as soon as possible!

The longer u have occ, the more mins you'll get from it. on most maps I'd go for it right after rax.
https://soundcloud.com/thesamplethief
mianmian
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada11 Posts
March 29 2010 16:15 GMT
#18
Lately I've been going

9 rax
10 depot
11 OC/refinery

I can crank out 1-2 marines while the Orbital Command is building then tech lab right away. The main issue I guess with this BO is that while you can pull ahead/stay even on minerals you have less gas then an OC at 14 because you don't have enough SCVs to double gas.
JTPROG
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States254 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-29 20:09:36
March 29 2010 20:09 GMT
#19
There are two popular openings:

first will give you slightly better econ
second will give you faster tech

10 depot
11 rax
12 gas
14 OC
14 rine

..or..

9 rax
10 gas
11OC
11depot
11rine
inflowgaming.net
bt-scubasteve
Profile Joined March 2010
United States13 Posts
March 30 2010 03:26 GMT
#20
I can stress this enough to my friends, OC is amazing*. Get it right after rax, whatever the timing is, get it asap. Unless you beat your opponent with wizards and hobbits, you need minerals.

*see the income gained from one mule(270~300minerals)
Plat 1v1, plat 2v2, d+iccup
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
16:00
Mid Season Playoffs
NightMare vs NicoractLIVE!
SteadfastSC391
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SteadfastSC 391
IndyStarCraft 173
UpATreeSC 116
JuggernautJason71
BRAT_OK 71
ProTech67
MindelVK 23
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 24632
Calm 2336
Rain 1414
Bisu 933
Mini 540
firebathero 250
Dewaltoss 53
sSak 46
scan(afreeca) 18
NaDa 8
Dota 2
LuMiX1
Counter-Strike
fl0m1687
Stewie2K527
flusha129
allub0
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu484
Other Games
Grubby3522
Beastyqt494
KnowMe206
ToD195
C9.Mang0162
Hui .160
SortOf99
Sick72
ZombieGrub56
fpsfer 1
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1895
Algost 6
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 20 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• 3DClanTV 107
• Reevou 6
• Dystopia_ 4
• Migwel
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
StarCraft: Brood War
• blackmanpl 36
• FirePhoenix25
• Pr0nogo 7
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota22288
League of Legends
• TFBlade999
Other Games
• imaqtpie1440
• Shiphtur622
Upcoming Events
OSC
4h 6m
ReBellioN vs PAPI
Spirit vs TBD
Percival vs TBD
TriGGeR vs TBD
Shameless vs UedSoldier
Cham vs TBD
Harstem vs TBD
RSL Revival
14h 6m
Cure vs SHIN
Reynor vs Zoun
Kung Fu Cup
16h 6m
TaeJa vs SHIN
ByuN vs Creator
The PondCast
17h 6m
RSL Revival
1d 14h
Classic vs TriGGeR
ByuN vs Maru
Online Event
1d 16h
Kung Fu Cup
1d 16h
BSL Team Wars
1d 23h
Team Bonyth vs Team Dewalt
BSL Team Wars
1d 23h
RSL Revival
2 days
[ Show More ]
Maestros of the Game
2 days
ShoWTimE vs Classic
Clem vs herO
Serral vs Bunny
Reynor vs Zoun
Cosmonarchy
2 days
Bonyth vs Dewalt
[BSL 2025] Weekly
2 days
RSL Revival
3 days
Maestros of the Game
3 days
BSL Team Wars
3 days
Afreeca Starleague
4 days
Snow vs Sharp
Jaedong vs Mini
Wardi Open
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
Afreeca Starleague
5 days
Light vs Speed
Larva vs Soma
LiuLi Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Copa Latinoamericana 4
SEL Season 2 Championship
HCC Europe

Ongoing

BSL 20 Team Wars
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 3
BSL 21 Points
ASL Season 20
CSL 2025 AUTUMN (S18)
LASL Season 20
RSL Revival: Season 2
Maestros of the Game
Chzzk MurlocKing SC1 vs SC2 Cup #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1

Upcoming

2025 Chongqing Offline CUP
BSL Polish World Championship 2025
BSL Season 21
BSL 21 Team A
EC S1
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025
Thunderpick World Champ.
MESA Nomadic Masters Fall
CS Asia Championships 2025
ESL Pro League S22
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.