EPT[G] Seizing Every Edge: Zerg Economy Management
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rndC2.jpg)
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen of Team Liquid!
I sincerely appreciate that you've taken the time to view my newest guide on Zerg Economics. Everyone knows that solid economy management makes a considerable difference in SC2, but it is still a subject that is only briefly touched in guides and tutorials. It's probably because drone saturation isn't always as interesting as innovative new build orders and play styles, but that doesn't diminish its importance.
Now obviously I'm not saying that it's more important to check your third base's mineral saturation than manage a game-deciding battle. What I'm saying is that economy management is an improvable skill: I strongly believe that if you take the time to understand and practice it, you become faster and more effective. Furthermore, it will improve other areas of your game play: mouse precision, boxing, hand speed, multitasking. Whether you play a 1-base all-in style or refuse to leave the creep until you're maxed with broodlords, you will benefit from reaching and maintaining optimal mineral saturation. That's why I'm so excited to present an economy-focused guide with three goals:
1) Add structure to players' economy by introducing the concept of optimal mineral saturation: 16 Drones per base, 2 Drones per patch.
2) Suggest methods of reaching optimal mineral saturation as early as possible, and maintaining it throughout the game.
3) Offer tips and drills to help players quickly point out their own mistakes and fix them.
An Introduction: Calculations
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"Double-mining drones harvest at peak efficiency (42-42.5 minerals/minute)"
Stream Video: An Introduction to Zerg Economy Management
Stream Video: An Economic Walkthrough of ZvT, ZvP, ZvZ
Calculations:
16 Drones mining 2 per patch return ~670 minerals/minute, roughly 42 minerals/minute per drone.
20 Drones mining 2 per patch on closer patches and 3 per patch on further patches return ~750 minerals/minute, roughly 37.5 minerals/minute per drone.
20 Drones mining 2 per patch on 2 bases (16 Drones at main, 4 drones at natural) return ~850 minerals/minute, roughly 42 minerals per drone.
You lose nearly 5 minerals per minute per drone when you go over 2-drones per patch, meaning you lose approximately 80-100 minerals per minute if you have 20 drones mining with four triple-mining patches when they could be mining more efficiently at an expansion. This is why it's so important to make sure you're double mining at all your patches, because if you're sitting with 16 drones but some of your closer patches are single mining while your far-back patches triple mine, you're losing mining efficiency. In other words, you can more than double the effectiveness of a drone/probe/scv by transferring it to a new expansion instead of leaving it at a base with 16+ miners.
Stream Video: An Introduction to Zerg Economy Management
Stream Video: An Economic Walkthrough of ZvT, ZvP, ZvZ
Calculations:
16 Drones mining 2 per patch return ~670 minerals/minute, roughly 42 minerals/minute per drone.
20 Drones mining 2 per patch on closer patches and 3 per patch on further patches return ~750 minerals/minute, roughly 37.5 minerals/minute per drone.
20 Drones mining 2 per patch on 2 bases (16 Drones at main, 4 drones at natural) return ~850 minerals/minute, roughly 42 minerals per drone.
You lose nearly 5 minerals per minute per drone when you go over 2-drones per patch, meaning you lose approximately 80-100 minerals per minute if you have 20 drones mining with four triple-mining patches when they could be mining more efficiently at an expansion. This is why it's so important to make sure you're double mining at all your patches, because if you're sitting with 16 drones but some of your closer patches are single mining while your far-back patches triple mine, you're losing mining efficiency. In other words, you can more than double the effectiveness of a drone/probe/scv by transferring it to a new expansion instead of leaving it at a base with 16+ miners.
Zerg Economics Part 1: Counting Drones
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"Over/undersaturating bases is a cardinal sin for Zerg players."
Since we generally aim to stay one base ahead, Zerg players must pay closer attention to saturation. Protoss or Terran players may oversaturate their natural expansion so that they can transfer workers to their third base, but since Zergs tend to take their third much earlier, there is usually no reason to oversaturate a mineral field. The picture below depicts optimal mineral saturation:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ovDd1.jpg)
8 Mineral Patches x 2 Drones per Patch = 16 Drones
In other words, to optimally saturate a mineral field you need 16 Drones (2 full rows). It is also absolutely essential that the drones double-mine each patch, a topic explored in more detail in the stream videos and drills.
To keep track of the number of drones mining at each base, I personally recommend using the "BOX TECHNIQUE" to count only the drones harvesting minerals. To use the "BOX TECHNIQUE", simply make a rectangular box between your main hatchery and your minerals, then count all the drones. While you could double-click or control-click to count drones, I prefer the box style to avoid factoring in the drones mining gas. Also, it improves the speed and precision of your boxing, which is a helpful skill in micro engagements. That being said, there's nothing wrong with double-clicking the drones and factoring out the drones that mine gas (minus 2 drones per geyser).
Stream Video: Quick Tip - the "BOX TECHNIQUE"
Example A) - Current Drones: 7. We need 9 more drones to optimally saturate this base.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/sNtGZ.jpg)
Example B) - Current Drones: 10. We need 6 more drones to optimally saturate this base.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/91PfB.jpg)
Example C) - Current Drones: 14. We need 2 more drones to optimally saturate this base. Fortunately, we have two building and rallied already
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/1G72R.jpg)
Example D) - Current Drones: 16. Bliss!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/nhX3B.jpg)
Since we generally aim to stay one base ahead, Zerg players must pay closer attention to saturation. Protoss or Terran players may oversaturate their natural expansion so that they can transfer workers to their third base, but since Zergs tend to take their third much earlier, there is usually no reason to oversaturate a mineral field. The picture below depicts optimal mineral saturation:
8 Mineral Patches x 2 Drones per Patch = 16 Drones
In other words, to optimally saturate a mineral field you need 16 Drones (2 full rows). It is also absolutely essential that the drones double-mine each patch, a topic explored in more detail in the stream videos and drills.
To keep track of the number of drones mining at each base, I personally recommend using the "BOX TECHNIQUE" to count only the drones harvesting minerals. To use the "BOX TECHNIQUE", simply make a rectangular box between your main hatchery and your minerals, then count all the drones. While you could double-click or control-click to count drones, I prefer the box style to avoid factoring in the drones mining gas. Also, it improves the speed and precision of your boxing, which is a helpful skill in micro engagements. That being said, there's nothing wrong with double-clicking the drones and factoring out the drones that mine gas (minus 2 drones per geyser).
Stream Video: Quick Tip - the "BOX TECHNIQUE"
Example A) - Current Drones: 7. We need 9 more drones to optimally saturate this base.
Example B) - Current Drones: 10. We need 6 more drones to optimally saturate this base.
Example C) - Current Drones: 14. We need 2 more drones to optimally saturate this base. Fortunately, we have two building and rallied already
Example D) - Current Drones: 16. Bliss!
Zerg Economics Part 2: Maintaining Optimal Saturation
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"There is no sense devoting all this effort and time perfecting our mineral saturation if it's disrupted every time we create a structure or fill a gas geyser."
We just discussed the importance of reaching optimal mineral saturation (16 drones/mineral field), and now we need to figure out how to keep it. Here are some general guidelines.
If you must take drones off mining to fill gas or build a structure, choose drones that are...
1) just dropping off minerals.
2) nearer to the gas geyser/where you're placing the building.
3) mining from those mineral patches that are furthest from your hatchery.
To avoid taking drones off of a base with optimal saturation...
1) construct new drones and rally the eggs into the geyser.
2) take three drones off mining, but rally three new drone eggs to the patches you took from.
3) take drones from a base that doesn't have full saturation.
Stream Tutorial: Maintaining Optimal Mineral Saturation
We just discussed the importance of reaching optimal mineral saturation (16 drones/mineral field), and now we need to figure out how to keep it. Here are some general guidelines.
If you must take drones off mining to fill gas or build a structure, choose drones that are...
1) just dropping off minerals.
2) nearer to the gas geyser/where you're placing the building.
3) mining from those mineral patches that are furthest from your hatchery.
To avoid taking drones off of a base with optimal saturation...
1) construct new drones and rally the eggs into the geyser.
2) take three drones off mining, but rally three new drone eggs to the patches you took from.
3) take drones from a base that doesn't have full saturation.
Stream Tutorial: Maintaining Optimal Mineral Saturation
Zerg Economics Part 3: Tips and Drills
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Tips:
Frequently use the BOX technique to count drones.
Reach 16 drone saturation as early as possible at each base.
Check for single-mining and triple-mining patches.
Be conscious of which drones you use to build structures and fill gas.
Drills:
1) Single-Double-Triple
2) Removing/Adding to Gas
3) Drone Egg-Rally
4) 4-Base Peak Economy Maxout
Frequently use the BOX technique to count drones.
Reach 16 drone saturation as early as possible at each base.
Check for single-mining and triple-mining patches.
Be conscious of which drones you use to build structures and fill gas.
Drills:
1) Single-Double-Triple
2) Removing/Adding to Gas
3) Drone Egg-Rally
4) 4-Base Peak Economy Maxout
Feedback Poll:
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As always, I welcome and appreciate positive feedback as well as criticism. Please comment and let me know the things I'm doing right so I can continue doing them, as well as some things I did wrong so I can fix them in the future.
Poll: Do you find this guide helpful?
5 - Excellent guide, relevant and concise information, interesting style. (139)
50%
4 - Solid guide, good analysis, pretty helpful. (60)
22%
3 - Average guide, could be improved but probably will help some people. (37)
13%
1 - There is nothing to be learned from you, Tang. You're ruining eSports. (32)
11%
2 - Some helpful material, overall not very informative. (11)
4%
279 total votes
4 - Solid guide, good analysis, pretty helpful. (60)
3 - Average guide, could be improved but probably will help some people. (37)
1 - There is nothing to be learned from you, Tang. You're ruining eSports. (32)
2 - Some helpful material, overall not very informative. (11)
279 total votes
Your vote: Do you find this guide helpful?
(Vote): 5 - Excellent guide, relevant and concise information, interesting style.
(Vote): 4 - Solid guide, good analysis, pretty helpful.
(Vote): 3 - Average guide, could be improved but probably will help some people.
(Vote): 2 - Some helpful material, overall not very informative.
(Vote): 1 - There is nothing to be learned from you, Tang. You're ruining eSports.
- Tang
Courtesy of www.TangStarcraft.com
