• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 06:50
CET 12:50
KST 20:50
  • 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
HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview11Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info3herO wins SC2 All-Star Invitational14SC2 All-Star Invitational: Tournament Preview5RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8
Community News
Weekly Cups (Jan 26-Feb 1): herO, Clem, ByuN, Classic win1RSL Season 4 announced for March-April5Weekly Cups (Jan 19-25): Bunny, Trigger, MaxPax win3Weekly Cups (Jan 12-18): herO, MaxPax, Solar win0BSL Season 2025 - Full Overview and Conclusion8
StarCraft 2
General
StarCraft 2 Not at the Esports World Cup 2026 Weekly Cups (Jan 26-Feb 1): herO, Clem, ByuN, Classic win HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview Weekly Cups (Jan 19-25): Bunny, Trigger, MaxPax win Oliveira Would Have Returned If EWC Continued
Tourneys
HomeStory Cup 28 RSL Season 4 announced for March-April $21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7) KSL Week 85 OSC Season 13 World Championship
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[A] Starcraft Sound Mod
External Content
Mutation # 511 Temple of Rebirth The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 510 Safety Violation Mutation # 509 Doomsday Report
Brood War
General
Can someone share very abbreviated BW cliffnotes? Liquipedia.net NEEDS editors for Brood War BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion [ASL21] Potential Map Candidates
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues Small VOD Thread 2.0 Azhi's Colosseum - Season 2 [BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 10
Strategy
Zealot bombing is no longer popular? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2
Other Games
General Games
Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Path of Exile Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Beyond All Reason
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
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread The Games Industry And ATVI Canadian Politics Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The herO Fan Club! The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Play, Watch, Drink: Esports …
TrAiDoS
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2307 users

[Q] Build Worker or Split?

Forum Index > SC2 General
Post a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 Next All
jaerak
Profile Joined January 2010
United States124 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-17 04:17:28
May 17 2010 04:06 GMT
#1
This is sort of a noobie question, but I was wondering which is economically better when the game starts: sending your workers to mine first (assume a perfect split) or to queue your first worker before you split. I know in sc1, you were supposed to always queue the worker first, but with new split AI, mining AI, and harvesting time, and initial worker count, what is the experimentally supported answer?

EDIT: Another factor to consider may be the fact that splitting easier and thus requires less time in sc2 than required in sc1 (Part of split AI)
captainwaffles
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States1050 Posts
May 17 2010 04:09 GMT
#2
I always queue a worker then do a 3/3 split and macro on happily.
https://x.com/CaptainWaffless
Kow
Profile Joined May 2010
United States32 Posts
May 17 2010 04:09 GMT
#3
Usually what I aim to do is to send the workers in one fell swoop to a node, queue a worker and before the workers get to the mineral line, send half to a different node (ideally 2-3 away from the one I chose).

But lag usually screws me up. I don't know why it always lags for like .5s at the beginning of the game and then the rest is fine. I'd rather just have that extra .5s loading, though I'm sure that's not the problem xD


I don't know what is the most efficient though.
Iri
Profile Joined January 2010
150 Posts
May 17 2010 04:10 GMT
#4
Build a worker and send all six to one patch is fastest as far as I can tell... starts the build immediately and if workers are sent to right patch they'll bring in 50 mins before you have to build your next. Different for zerg, obviously, but for T/P anyway.
Opportunities multiply as they are seized. -Sun Tzu
lu_cid
Profile Joined April 2008
United States428 Posts
May 17 2010 04:12 GMT
#5
You should start your worker first.
Jugan
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States1566 Posts
May 17 2010 04:13 GMT
#6
I build a worker then do a 3/3 split....
Unless I mess something up, then it's disastrous! It usually works out for me pretty well
Even a Savior couldn't fix all problems. www.twitch.tv/xJugan
RAUS
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
210 Posts
May 17 2010 04:13 GMT
#7
you're talking about .05 of a second here, and you can get 50 minerals before your scv finishes, so honestly, splitting well only puts you ahead by a tiny fraction of a second.

someone should make a joke about splitting hairs.

its up to preference and it doesn't matter.
recognize me?
Synwave
Profile Joined July 2009
United States2803 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-17 04:18:02
May 17 2010 04:17 GMT
#8
On May 17 2010 13:13 derpaderp wrote:
you're talking about .05 of a second here, and you can get 50 minerals before your scv finishes, so honestly, splitting well only puts you ahead by a tiny fraction of a second.

someone should make a joke about splitting hairs.

its up to preference and it doesn't matter.


What if Day[9] casts you in a replay and omg you will look like a noob and be made fun of forever!

>.>

But yeah, its such a tiny tiny detail.
I try to do my best with the ole send workers, build, split workers before they mine thing because its a pretend mental mini-game I play but I don't stress it.
♞Nerdrage is the cause of global warming♞
roemy
Profile Joined April 2010
Germany432 Posts
May 17 2010 04:19 GMT
#9
On May 17 2010 13:09 captainwaffles wrote:
I always queue a worker then do a 3/3 split and macro on happily.

this, but i do a 4/2 split
rock is fine.. paper could need a buff, but scissors have to be nerfed
Raelcun
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States3747 Posts
May 17 2010 04:20 GMT
#10
F1 split is where it's at imo, select hatch SD, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click. Tiny differences but the F1 split looks gosu when people watch you do it.
ReketSomething
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States6012 Posts
May 17 2010 04:24 GMT
#11
I once asked a wise man...(qxc) if he normally goes 3 => 3 split rather than a 6 => 3 split.

He told me....that it doesn't make a bit of difference because none of this will be so important that you will lose a game over and to not worry about it. So work on other things first! =D
Jaedong :3
Xiphiasar
Profile Joined April 2010
United States78 Posts
May 17 2010 04:26 GMT
#12
i always queue first. I figure i'll be building workers constantly for a while, so the faster I start the faster i'll have more workers. That's not supported by any evidence though.

I wonder what the most efficient way to do it is?
lu_cid
Profile Joined April 2008
United States428 Posts
May 17 2010 04:29 GMT
#13
Building the worker first is obviously more efficient since you should be able to queue the second worker before the first is finished anyway. That is of course if you get a good split. I find that I almost always have my second worker in queue before the first is done. Therefore you will have more workers faster.
Anxiety
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States650 Posts
May 17 2010 04:34 GMT
#14
LOL in BW i screwed up a split so badly... I clicked on the mineral patch instead of an SCV and i was like WTF IS WRONG.
-orb-
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States5770 Posts
May 17 2010 04:38 GMT
#15
Build your worker first

but this really isn't big enough of a deal to ever affect your games. At the very highest level of brood war this might make a difference but no one is even close to that level at sc2 yet
'life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery'
how sad that sc2 has no shield battery :(
Hyperion2010
Profile Joined April 2010
United States122 Posts
May 17 2010 04:56 GMT
#16
On May 17 2010 13:20 iCCup.Raelcun wrote:
F1 split is where it's at imo, select hatch SD, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click. Tiny differences but the F1 split looks gosu when people watch you do it.


lol, I wonder how many sc1 players forgot about the hot new tech of the idle worker button (I know i did)
My waifu for aiur!
Jintetsu
Profile Joined May 2010
Sweden152 Posts
May 17 2010 04:57 GMT
#17
allways que up worker then split, did that in bw, wc3 and in sc2
http://www.alien-invasion.eu
nitdkim
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
1264 Posts
May 17 2010 04:59 GMT
#18
jus make unit then split.
PM me if you want random korean images translated.
johnnybrav0
Profile Joined March 2010
United States61 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-05-17 05:15:38
May 17 2010 05:12 GMT
#19
On May 17 2010 13:20 iCCup.Raelcun wrote:
F1 split is where it's at imo, select hatch SD, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click. Tiny differences but the F1 split looks gosu when people watch you do it.

Nice, I'll have to try that just so I can look cool. I never even realized the initial workers were "idle" but I mean its pretty obvious now that you mention it.

A side question on something I've never tried but it seems like it would definitely work the best: does anyone hit "Backspace" + "E" (for Protoss) for the initial probe? I always click the Nexus but it seems like hitting Backspace would be the fastest way to do it.
Exteray
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States1094 Posts
May 17 2010 05:19 GMT
#20
On May 17 2010 14:12 johnnybrav0 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On May 17 2010 13:20 iCCup.Raelcun wrote:
F1 split is where it's at imo, select hatch SD, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click, F1 Click. Tiny differences but the F1 split looks gosu when people watch you do it.

Nice, I'll have to try that just so I can look cool. I never even realized the initial workers were "idle" but I mean its pretty obvious now that you mention it.

A side question on something I've never tried but it seems like it would definitely work the best: does anyone hit "Backspace" + "E" (for Protoss) for the initial probe? I always click the Nexus but it seems like hitting Backspace would be the fastest way to do it.


But then you'd have to move your right hand to the mouse and select all the workers. It would be slower overall I think
1 2 3 4 5 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 10m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
ProTech138
Rex 47
StarCraft: Brood War
Sea 5688
Calm 5047
Bisu 1819
Horang2 1246
Flash 1167
Shuttle 936
GuemChi 761
Hyuk 693
EffOrt 308
Stork 293
[ Show more ]
firebathero 276
actioN 272
BeSt 251
Mini 184
Pusan 165
Aegong 150
ZerO 126
Zeus 126
Snow 123
hero 119
Sharp 118
ggaemo 110
Soulkey 96
PianO 83
Mong 66
Light 65
ToSsGirL 60
Yoon 49
Sea.KH 41
Free 41
IntoTheRainbow 40
Killer 39
Barracks 38
Backho 38
Hyun 36
zelot 25
Shinee 21
soO 16
Hm[arnc] 16
Sacsri 15
yabsab 14
Noble 13
SilentControl 11
Terrorterran 11
910 9
scan(afreeca) 9
HiyA 8
ivOry 8
ajuk12(nOOB) 7
Shine 7
Dota 2
singsing2584
XaKoH 422
Fuzer 121
XcaliburYe110
NeuroSwarm98
League of Legends
JimRising 398
Counter-Strike
olofmeister1564
zeus1146
shoxiejesuss1061
byalli730
allub268
edward84
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King96
Other Games
Liquid`RaSZi1210
B2W.Neo1064
crisheroes222
Pyrionflax180
Sick124
KnowMe46
ZerO(Twitch)12
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick782
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 12 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• iopq 14
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• lizZardDota245
Upcoming Events
Wardi Open
10m
PiGosaur Cup
13h 10m
WardiTV Invitational
1d
Replay Cast
1d 12h
The PondCast
1d 22h
WardiTV Invitational
2 days
Replay Cast
2 days
RongYI Cup
3 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
[ Show More ]
Wardi Open
6 days
Monday Night Weeklies
6 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-02-02
HSC XXVIII
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Acropolis #4 - TS4
Rongyi Cup S3
Nations Cup 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: W7
Escore Tournament S1: W8
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
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 © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.