Starcraft 2 Resource Gathering Strategy and Tips

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Resources are everything in Starcraft 2. You will use them to train units, construct buildings, and research new technology. If you want to win games, you will need a solid Starcraft 2 resource gathering strategy.

In this article, I will reveal 7 easy ways you to maximize resource gathering in Starcraft 2.

Tip #1 - Use Rally Points

By selecting your Command Center, Nexus, or Hatchery and then clicking the "rally" command, you can set the rally point for harvesters when they are produced. The key is to set this rally point to the mineral or geyser you want the workers to mine.

By setting the rally point, SCVs and Probes will spawn out of the Command Center / Nexus as the closest possible point to the mineral node in question. This saves you a few precious seconds and can put you slightly ahead of your opponent.

Tip #2 - Use an appropriate amount of harvesters.

Each mineral node is optimally saturated at 2 workers and maximally saturated at 3 workers. Each vespene geyser is both optimally and maximally saturated at 3 workers. In other words, you will need at least 2 workers at each mineral node before needing an expansion. Each worker added beyond that only adds a partial increase to the amount of minerals harvested.

While technically 2 workers on vespene gas is slightly more efficient on a gas-harvested-per-worker basis, it is not commonly used in practice. If you have a base secured, you almost always want to have the vespene geysers fully saturated.

The exception is early in the game where you may not have the mineral income to support having a high vespene gas income. This is common in 1 and 2-base Protoss builds in the early game. However, once the game progresses, players always should move up to 3 harvesters on each geyser.

Tip #3 - Produce beyond optimal saturation.

This is one Starcraft 2 resource gathering strategy that even some advanced players may not know about. If you are not being pressured, producing beyond optimal saturation is a huge mistake!

Just because you are only getting partial mineral returns on new harvesters does not mean you cannot keep producing workers. It is considered best practice to keep pumping out workers beyond the optimal amount at each mineral node. This way, when you expand, you can then move your excess workers over to the new expansion.

Tip #4 - Protect your mineral line.

Sometimes the best Starcraft 2 resource gathering strategy is simply to protect your own harvesters. This does not necessarily mean that you lay down a bunch of cannons at your base, but it does mean that you should keep an eye on what your opponent is making.

If you are Protoss and know your Terran opponent is Reaper rushing, make two Stalkers and specifically park them at each end of your mineral line. Do not let the enemy kill your Probes while you move your units into position.

Tip #5- Resources spent on defense cannot be used on offense.

While it sounds like an obvious resource gathering tip at first, the truth is that most players grossly overlook this fact. If you spend 300 minerals on 2 Photon Cannons, that is 300 minerals you did not spend making 3 Zealots!

In other words, you do not want to lay down dozens of cannons in your base as this will detract greatly from building a big army. There are some instances when you would want defense, such as if the enemy is massing Mutalisks and using them to kill your harvesters.

Tip #6 - Use the Salvage function.

This is a slight addendum to tip #5. Terran players actually can "Salvage" their Bunkers and get 75% of the cost returned. You can place down Bunkers when you have extra resources and then Salvage them when you need the minerals.

Tip #7 - Snipe enemy units whenever possible.

Truth be told, Starcraft 2 resource gathering strategy is not just about how much money you get but how much more resources you get compared to your opponent.

You can increase the resource gap by sniping stray units like Overlords, scouts, and performing hit and run tactics.

Starcraft 2 Resource Gathering Strategy Conclusion

Many players in the Diamond League are already taking advantage of these tips. You can either follow suit or continue to lose games. You now have the information; the choice is yours!