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[H] How to not get supply blocked as terran.

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
canavarr
Profile Joined January 2011
United States53 Posts
February 07 2011 18:25 GMT
#1
I'm having problems with mechanics of building supply depots and not getting supply blocked. In early game, I'm trying to stick with supply depot at 16 and 22 supply and etc. However during the mid to late game especially when I have 2 bases, and twice the production buildings (say 6 barracks 2 factories etc..), I simply cannot keep up with the rate of production.

I want to know about the mechanics you use to keep max supply high enough.

Do you have a single scv that builds supply depots continuously? Which means the SCV doesnt go back to mine minerals, he becomes idle and after he is done you double tap f1 and build another SD.
Or do you send him back to minerals and always keep an eye on supply and build SD as necessary?

How do you keep up with building SDs when you have two bases, the same mechanics as before but now you have two SCVs dedicated to only building SDs. ???
SosBrigade
Profile Joined February 2011
16 Posts
February 07 2011 18:30 GMT
#2
I noticed a similar problem with my protoss play recently too. After a certain point I start building two or more pylons at a time, too keep up with the colossus production and warp gate cycles. Now my habit is something like start colosus, warp in units, build two pylons to get ready for the next cycle. After doing that I noticed that the opposition became much easier

Now on to fix the other 8999 problems I have.
graNite
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Germany4434 Posts
February 07 2011 18:31 GMT
#3
I always have a single SCV thats builds depots without queing. It's the best way not to get supplyblocked in my opinion.

You can start with that over 35 supply, until then you should have a buildorder.
Number of bases doesn't matter?!
"Oink oink, bitches" - Tasteless on Pigbaby winning a map against Flash
Aoi_10
Profile Joined October 2010
United States155 Posts
February 07 2011 18:33 GMT
#4
A single saturated base with an appropriate amount of production structures (e.g., 3-rax) can pump out enough stuff, together with scvs, to warrant constant supply depot production from a single scv. Hence, if you're firing off of more than one base, you may, in fact, need to be building two supply depots at a time. Using the same one or two scvs to build depots probably preferable, assuming the timing works out, as you can then avoid lost mining time as scvs travel to and from the mineral line to build. But really, it's probably far more important to make sure you don't get supply blocked than to worry about the lost mining time - just make sure you're periodically checking supply, and build when needed.
Turgid
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States1623 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-07 18:40:59
February 07 2011 18:40 GMT
#5
I only offrace Terran sometimes so I don't have to deal with this much but what I usually do is dedicate two SCVs to building depots two at a time. As soon as I have idle workers, I ctrl f1 and command them to build two more depots. The only thing to remember is that if you lose units you can end up building depots much earlier than you need to(if you're not watching the supply counter like you should), which generally you don't want to do. I guess it's better than being supply blocked at critical moments.
(╬ ಠ益ಠ)
BigBossX
Profile Joined September 2008
United Kingdom357 Posts
February 07 2011 22:05 GMT
#6
When you have that many production facilities it's a good idea to continually make 2 supply depots at a time, as soon as 2 finish make 2 more!
Mystogun
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States392 Posts
February 07 2011 22:10 GMT
#7
Having a single scv for producing supply depots continuously should suffice for one base, and having multiple scvs continuously making supply depots should be fine as well. However, once you already have your bases saturated, using Supply Drop every once and a while saves you 100 minerals as well as the 50 mineral opportunity cost of having that scv make a depot.
"What I'm sayin' is that there are known knowns and there are known unknowns, but there's also unknown unknowns, things that we don't know we don't know." | SC2: NoiSe.730 | LoL: Galladiator
TrinitySC
Profile Joined December 2010
101 Posts
February 07 2011 22:22 GMT
#8
Not getting supply bocked is something you just need to constantly practice and keep in mind. You'll eventually get accustomed to the rate at which you need to be building supply depots when following your strategy. I've generally found i need to have 2 depots getting constructed at all times in the midgame. Now I just do it on autopilot

In the meantime, a really good way to go about practicing is to get in the habit of looking at your food every time you want to make a unit. It's a good habit to have imo, and something I should start doing myself, as I still do get supply blocked once or twice every game.
MEcH TErRAN MaNIaC!
Profile Joined January 2011
United States15 Posts
February 07 2011 22:27 GMT
#9
Mechanics arent talked about too much in starcraft, So, most people dont know where to start when experienced players comment on your game saying your mechanics are wrong. To be honest, mechanics are hard to teach other players without showing them in person regretfully... However, there is a good video that Day9 came out with recently and it talks nothing but Starcraft 2 Mechanics. I think everyone should watch this video if your serious about becoming a overall better Starcraft 2 player.

You can watch the video here: http://day9tv.blip.tv/file/4712303/
"no reason left to hide"
ribboo
Profile Joined October 2010
Sweden1842 Posts
February 07 2011 22:29 GMT
#10
On February 08 2011 07:10 [NoiSe] wrote:
Having a single scv for producing supply depots continuously should suffice for one base, and having multiple scvs continuously making supply depots should be fine as well. However, once you already have your bases saturated, using Supply Drop every once and a while saves you 100 minerals as well as the 50 mineral opportunity cost of having that scv make a depot.

but it's still a 150 mineral loss, compared to mule
Cyber_Cheese
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Australia3615 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-07 23:13:32
February 07 2011 23:13 GMT
#11
On February 08 2011 07:29 ribboo wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 08 2011 07:10 [NoiSe] wrote:
Having a single scv for producing supply depots continuously should suffice for one base, and having multiple scvs continuously making supply depots should be fine as well. However, once you already have your bases saturated, using Supply Drop every once and a while saves you 100 minerals as well as the 50 mineral opportunity cost of having that scv make a depot.

but it's still a 150 mineral loss, compared to mule


you dont lose those minerals, theyr still there in the secure mineral patch
see my sig
The moment you lose confidence in yourself, is the moment the world loses it's confidence in you.
Soleron
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United Kingdom1324 Posts
February 07 2011 23:23 GMT
#12
@Cyber_Cheese

Why build SCVs then? One SCV could mine the same number of minerals from a field as thirty.
Genome852
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States979 Posts
February 07 2011 23:28 GMT
#13
On February 08 2011 08:23 Soleron wrote:
@Cyber_Cheese

Why build SCVs then? One SCV could mine the same number of minerals from a field as thirty.


Mules aren't 270 minerals... you just get the minerals faster. On the other hand, a supply drop is a direct saving of 100 minerals.

If you're in a terribly long game, the map split in half, with your army maxed and your bases getting mined out... mules all of a sudden look a lot less attractive compared to scan or supply drop (if even needed at that point).
Millitron
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States2611 Posts
February 07 2011 23:33 GMT
#14
On February 08 2011 08:23 Soleron wrote:
@Cyber_Cheese

Why build SCVs then? One SCV could mine the same number of minerals from a field as thirty.

While thats true, you need to be reasonable here.

The question is, is being supply blocked for however long that supply depot has left to build worth the 150 mins you do not mine from the mule? I doubt it, but I guess there could be a situation where the mule is worth more.

In all actuality, the supply drop adds 100 mins to the map, since that is one less supply depot you need to build.
Who called in the fleet?
Genome852
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States979 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-07 23:39:11
February 07 2011 23:36 GMT
#15
On February 08 2011 08:23 Soleron wrote:
@Cyber_Cheese

Why build SCVs then? One SCV could mine the same number of minerals from a field as thirty.


It's just mining speed.

If you were in a 1 hour no rush game, and each player was only allowed to mine from his main base, the player with 6 SCVs will have more minerals than the one with 30, because both players will be mined out while the one with 30 SCVs spent 24*50 extra minerals to speed up his mining time, not including the need to build depots.

The same concept applies to MULEs and supply drops.
heyyouyesyou
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States323 Posts
February 07 2011 23:45 GMT
#16
When i start to macro off of 2-3 bases i have 2 scvs pulled off the mineral line to make supply depots constantly. This prevents me from ever getting supply blocked. To prevent from forgeting to make more supply depots i dont shift cue the scvs, when i see the idle scv icon i hit F1 and make 2 more supply depots.
biomech!
Comma20
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Australia138 Posts
February 08 2011 02:13 GMT
#17
A Mule is an increase of income, for a temporary time.
A supply drop is 100 Minerals and builder time, 30 seconds ago.
So when you are supply blocked, a supply drop is better than a mule.

A nice rule of thumb is, 1 depot constantly contructed per 3 production buildings.
CKone
Profile Joined November 2010
United Kingdom50 Posts
February 08 2011 02:26 GMT
#18
build 2 at a time
there is no such thing as hard or easy there is only practice, difficulty is a perception
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