Since I started playing starcraft - 2 months ago - supply blocks have been the bane of my gameplay. There is nothing I hate more than getting supply blocked. It happens to me at least ONCE (on average like 10 times). Every. Single. Game.

I've switched to Toss, I've tried to shift myself into a build-pylon mindset...nothing works. The warp-in-then-pylon trick works occasionally, but as soon as I get more gates and robos it goes out the window and I lose track of supply.

Any suggestions? Is there, say, some sort of legal third party software that makes a little beep whenever my supply cap is nearby?

kofman

Andorra698 Posts

October 11 2011 04:55 GMT

Nothing really special can help you, just try to remember to build pylons... Playing more games will help.

K3Nyy

United States1961 Posts

October 11 2011 04:56 GMT

It happens to everyone, even pros. They even get supply blocked very often. Nothing you can do but keep practicing.

Terranist

United States2496 Posts

October 11 2011 04:56 GMT

i have a solution. make pylons every time you are near the supply limit.

Sajaki

Canada1135 Posts

October 11 2011 04:58 GMT

Generally you can build 1 pylon per base u have, so if ur on 3 bases and are at 160 food build 3 pylons per go. Eventually it will become a reflex but if you wish you could do the build after warp. And always keep yourself at a surplus of like 30+ in the midgame. Its better to be at 140/200 then supplyblocked more then once, imho.

fdsdfg

United States1251 Posts

October 11 2011 05:04 GMT

Just keep checking your supply limit. Check often, and check again and again. Every time you build units, check immediately after.

It might help to remember some stupid phrase. "These units will help me! Check supply!"

Just repeat that phrase to yourself a few times, and say it to yourself when you warp in a round of units.

It's dumb, I know, but it works.

MysteryMeat1

United States3292 Posts

October 11 2011 05:04 GMT

supply block is the bane of every player even more so when you play toss. For example if you have 4gates and you get supply blocked you accumulate excess money that you can't ever really spend by just producing on four gates. as you get into the mid-game every time i get supply blocked i build 3-4 pylons (when im on 2-3 bases), expand, or add on more gates.

As a protoss player getting supply blocked can be game changing and is felt more as a race simply because our main production is through warpgates which cant be qued. I actually believe this is beneficial as it stops bad habits and lets you know how many minerals you are floating. If i fourgate the main indicator of correct macroing is that my money should never be high simply because a 4gate is all-in which means you are producing constantly. If i lose a 4gate and i see that after my next warpin that i have 400 mins to spare i didn't 4gate well enough.

HarnessedSea

Japan16 Posts

October 11 2011 05:07 GMT

I play zerg, but the general mindset i go under is:

Before 10 min:
1.Build units
2.Build 1 overlord
3.Check supply
4.Macro army/eco/tech
5.Repeat

After 10 min:
1.Build units
2.Build 2-4 overlords
3.Check supply
4.Macro army/eco/tech
5.Repeat

I think the mindset is the limiting factor in supply

ZaphoD[42]

Germany16 Posts

October 11 2011 05:10 GMT

In my opinion its a good idea to have a probe running around the map to build pylons in useful locations.
For example to spot incoming drops or to warp in units in a hidden location later in the game.
Its easier to remember building these pylons when u dont only build them to raise your supplylimit but also get some other value out of them.
I always build pylons way to soon just to have my base covered against possible nydusworms.

Son of Gnome

United States777 Posts

October 11 2011 05:12 GMT

#10

well this works for me as terran I try to make sure that I que everything except supply depots back to the mineral line. When I notice that I have idle works I realize I probably need more SDs so i make more. This is still a work in progress though.

ComaDose

Canada10357 Posts

October 11 2011 05:13 GMT

#11

blog about it.
what level are you playing at?
what builds are you doing for example when you 3 gate expand the pylon every warp in works good because 3x2 + 2 probes = 8 = 1 pylon and 1 pylon = build time of about a cool down.
then you add your robo/more gates and its not enough anymore.

honestly its feel. Try and build too many pylons first then work ur way down to the minimum. get your third pylon early while your core is building and keep ahead by one or two.

don't count proxy pylons in yoru supply difference because they will probably get killed and then you will get supply blocked. Its better to have too many pylons and be on your warp ins then have not enough. Maybe try having a probe build a pylon every time you have it build anything else + every warp in?

to sum up my advice. try and have too many pylons first because its better too many than not enough.

LtLolburger

New Zealand365 Posts

October 11 2011 05:13 GMT

#12

I find once you are on 2+ mining bases then very time you warp in units or cue a colossus, make 2 pylons, and make a pylon with every production building you put down. If you are making colossus your supply gets eaten up quick, so keep an eye on it. Later in the game its better to be a few pylons over supplied than not...

insane_

Australia10 Posts

October 11 2011 05:14 GMT

#13

Best tip I can give to not get supply blocked is while you're not focussing on micro, as well as looking at your minimap, glance up to the top-right and check supply. Eventually you will get better at it, but it will take time and practice really.

And as others have said, I find it better to be over-building pylons than under-building.

TheGreenMachine

United States730 Posts

October 11 2011 05:19 GMT

#14

I think of it in rounds of units like 4 gates = 1 pylon per warpin assuming you cut probes. Or 1.5 pylons per warpin with probes.

Robos are like 4 supply per round (collosus can be 2 rounds), just plan ahead like "ok this immortal will finish and i need another immortal will I have 4 supply for that? Also warp gates coming up, i will need a pylon to finish before then.

Also, building a pylon is slightly shorter build time than 1 warpin (~5 seconds i think). So build a pylon shortly before or shortly after warpin is nice.

Its usually better to be 1-2 pylons ahead than to get blocked so don't be afraid to give yourself wiggle room. However early game pylons (first through 4th) should be done perfectly every game ^^

oZe

Sweden492 Posts

October 11 2011 05:22 GMT

#15

How does having queued units that does not get built differ from not being able to warpin units? Even if you're zerg and gather larva. You still don't have those units for a period of time and might lose larva spawn aswell.

My best trick is to get upgrades or make more production/tech facilities during the block. Stuff you'll need anyway. Still doesn't help if you get bumrushed though.

You should be looking at your min/gas/supply pretty regurlarly anyway. If you don't your play is fundamentally unsound. Work it into your routine. Put a rubberband on your wrist and give yourself a snap everytime you get block yourself ;-)

Emporio

United States3069 Posts

October 11 2011 05:24 GMT

#16

At least in PvZ I feel like you should be making so many pylons just trying to wall off your third and fourth with gateways and cannons that supply shouldn't even be an issue.

Que

Australia20 Posts

October 11 2011 05:45 GMT

#17

this is what I have been doing:

Because I play Z, I repeat to myself: Tumor, Spray, Overlord. Tumor, Spray, Overlord.
so in the gameplay when in the game I am doing all the fancy scouting or Uber micro or busy with whatever other things, when I check any of the three foundamental things I will be reminded to check the other two.

if you are playing P you can probabily raise the similar keywords, like chrono, Pylon, something else, Chrono, Pylon, Somehting else. then you will check all three in one string. I don't know whatelse as P you will need to maintain regularly, I know many of my P friends rarely do good boosting after the first 5-6 min into the game.

this might sound really nerdy and probabily do not promote super pro image at the begining, but I found it really helps and once you are on the right track you don't have to worry too much about it anymore, once it becomes a habbit and have your own Bio Clock atuned.

hope that helps.

KazmA

United States117 Posts

October 11 2011 05:54 GMT

#18

Go into every game from now on with the mindset of only having one goal: to not get supply blocked. don't worry about anything else at all. Your overall game will fail but you will get into the groove of always building those pylons. Once you get into the proper habit of when to build pylons you wont have to focus on it so much anymore. If your worried about your ladder rank going down because you wont be playing at your absolute best just load up a custom or ask a friend to play some practice games.

Keilah

731 Posts

October 11 2011 05:54 GMT

#19

watch replays to see if there's a common reason for you to get supply blocked, like when warpgte finishes or you build your first colo or when battle starts. Then make up a phrase like 'battle means pylons!' and say it out loud, it'll become a habit real fast.

Once you hit 3 bases just overmake pylons 5 at a time, who cares really =p

AmericanUmlaut

Germany2594 Posts

October 11 2011 05:58 GMT

#20

On October 11 2011 14:13 ComaDose wrote:
to sum up my advice. try and have too many pylons first because its better too many than not enough.

This is probably the best advice in the thread. It's not good to be floating unnecessary supply, but it's much, much worse to get supply capped. I've done some analysis of my replays, and getting badly supply blocked -- as in not noticing you need a pylon until you literally stop making units -- hurts me about as much as a bad engagement.

Another bit of advice I would give is to try creating a game without an opponent (or easy AI) and just execute your rough game plan while macroing up to 200/200 as fast as possible. I started doing this a couple of months ago and I was astounded at how quickly you actually have to build Pylons to keep up with the production you can support on two or three bases. Just building as fast as possible without thinking about engagements or positioning really helps you get a feel for the correct supply tempo at different stages of your build.