Starcraft 2 Hotkeys

[NikoGasm]

I know a lot of GH members play SC2. I was wondering, what hotkey layouts are you guys using? Personally I prefer grid.

[Sifo]

Standard.

[Zarlek]

im just using standard hotkeys with a few personal tweaks to camera hotkeys, was looking to change to a new hotkey setup a while back but im not sure if i can retrain myself well at all, maybe some day il get the motivation to do it.

[NikoGasm]

Standard.

Do you have any specific reason for using standard, or is it just a case of being used to it already?

[Sifo]

I never touched the settings in any game I play... I just feel that I can play comfortably with whatever the game thinks I should play on.

[Zarlek]

There is no doubt that with a different hotkey setup you can be much more efficient, up untill recently i never used camera hotkeys because they were all the way up there on the f keys, since changing to using spacebar + q + tab for my first 3 bases ive learned to use them regularly and its certainly very helpful.

The idea is to get everything you need within the shortest distance for your hand to travel to improve the speed at which u can do all these actions.

[Sifo]

Not for me because I can reach the F keys and I use every hotkey.... like in Broodwar where you couldn't change your hotkeys legally and had to reach 0p0p0p0p and use the right modifiers as Protoss. It's also about adapting for comfort. I don't like changing my hotkeys.

[NikoGasm]

The idea is to get everything you need within the shortest distance for your hand to travel to improve the speed at which u can do all these actions.

That's why I use grid, because I hardly have to move my hand. Since I have enormous hands, reaching the F row is no problem. I started playing SC1 when I was about five years old, so after ~13 years of using standard, switching to grid was tough, but I really like it now.

[baldgye]

only thing I have changed is backspace to toggle through my nexus's... but becasue I have like 8 accounts and a HotS account I just keep it standard to make my life easier

[Batmann]

I use standard with minor changes on the Protoss layout
R for chrono and E for probes cause 4 is for nexus
also blink on W cause it was waaaayyyyy too far and I screwed quite some game with some failed blinks when I missed B
other than that rest is standard but could probably be improved
I tried theCore cause it looks like a super efficient layout but I didn't give it enough time, it felt so weird

[baldgye]

I use standard with minor changes on the Protoss layout
R for chrono and E for probes cause 4 is for nexus
also blink on W cause it was waaaayyyyy too far and I screwed quite some game with some failed blinks when I missed B
other than that rest is standard but could probably be improved

how do you set up your # hotkeys? I rock;

1 - main army
2 - collosus/HT
3 - probe
4 - nexus(s)
5 - stargate (like thats ever built)
6 - forge's
7
8 - robo
9
0 - scout obs

[Batmann]

I go
1 - main army
2- HT / Blink stalkers
3- probe/warp prism
4- nexus
5- GW
6- Robo (core early game)
7- Twilight / Stargate)
8- forge (but shortcut is on " ` ")

the furthest I can reach out with decent accuracy is 7, every 7 beyound 7 is unused for me
I still don't manage to use F keys for locations properly :/

[baldgye]

I go
1 - main army
2- HT / Blink stalkers
3- probe/warp prism
4- nexus
5- GW
6- Robo (core early game)
7- Twilight / Stargate)
8- forge (but shortcut is on " ` ")

the furthest I can reach out with decent accuracy is 7, every 7 beyound 7 is unused for me
I still don't manage to use F keys for locations properly :/

I go
1 - main army
2- HT / Blink stalkers
3- probe/warp prism
4- nexus
5- GW
6- Robo (core early game)
7- Twilight / Stargate)
8- forge (but shortcut is on " ` ")

the furthest I can reach out with decent accuracy is 7, every 7 beyound 7 is unused for me
I still don't manage to use F keys for locations properly :/

i just get used to moving my hand accorss my board

[rainbowshy]

Standard, except Patrol on Q instead of P. 1-3 army, 4 cc, 5-7 production. Should probably go 1-4 army 5 cc 6 all production but I don't feel it's worth the effort. I have relatively large hands, so standard being more spread out than grid really isn't a problem. Besides, my mind can't accept that the same hotkey makes like 4 different units depending on what building you have selected. Makes it quite easy to accidentally make the wrong units.

[Sifo]

Oh right, control groups...

As Toss:

1 - Scouting Probe normally
2 - High Templars/Phoenixes early game
3 - Zealots/Sentry/Archon/Immortal/Misc
4 - Stalkers
5 - Colossus and Mothership late game
6 - Nexus
7 - Robo
8 - Stargate
9 - Forges
0 - Observer

Terran:

1 - Vikings
2 - Ghosts
3 - Marine/Marauder or if Mech Tank/Thors
4 - Medivacs
5 - Drops
6 - CC's
7 - Rax
8 - Fact
9 - Starport
0 - Unused

Zerg:

1 - Lings
2 - Infestors
3 - Main army
4 - Hatches
5 - 7 or so, Queens
8-0 some Overlords..


F5 - Main
F6 - Nat
F7 - Third
F8 - Fourth
F5 + Shift - Forward position
F6 + Shift - Closest Xel Naga
F7 + Shift - Further Xel Naga


Using the 1 and 2 keys for units is really uncomfortable for me. I hate 1a2a3a. I'd rather 3a4a5a.

[Batmann]

^ looks like your hand is centered on the keyboard, seems efficient
I'm impressed you use 5 control groups for units, with such setup no doubt I wouldn't bring all the boys on the field, some would probably rest while others get raped!
do you keep a probe on 1 all game long or do you reassign later on?

[TheQsanity]

I use standard just because I hate to change the settings on somone elses computer. I have used grid at one point. I use  one through three for probe. 4 is cc, 5 are queens. I dont nornally use past 7.  I normally dont usse position hotkeys.

[dreamingftw]

Dont settings save on your account regardless of which computer you use? I've been using standard since brood wars btw.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

[TheQsanity]

I believe so. I dont bother anymore except for sensitivity.

[Sifo]

^ looks like your hand is centered on the keyboard, seems efficient
I'm impressed you use 5 control groups for units, with such setup no doubt I wouldn't bring all the boys on the field, some would probably rest while others get raped!
do you keep a probe on 1 all game long or do you reassign later on?

My army needs to be organized My hand is mostly resting on 3, 4, 5, a, and b keys. 1 is just always a probe that's chilling somewhere because like I said I don't feel comfortable using 1 for any army units... forward pylons I guess.

[Glenn315]

I play Zerg.

1 - Main Army
2 - Casters
3 - Army
4 - Army
5 - Hatcheries

Hotkeys I changed:
Shift F2 - F7 to lock screen
F2 - F7 to go to lock screens
Q for patrol

[NSMarkop]

I use grid for my hotkeys. For my control groups:

1 - Main army
2/3 - Specific groups for drops, spells, and observers. 3 starts as scouting probe/scv
4 - Main base
5 - Robo/Barracks
6 - Stargate/Starport
7 - Factory
8 - Whatever
9 - Twilight Council/Armory
0 - Forge(s)/Eng. Bay(s)

Space for idle workers, F1 - F4 for cameras ( + shift to set them).

Nothing too out of the ordinary for me. I play Protoss and Terran, if you didn't notice haha.

[Creizai]

I would love to learn grid, def since I'm back on my HHKB.  I'm just too use to standard now.

[Sifo]

I play Dota 2 now and feel weird using QWER rather than the legacy hotkeys. I just like stretching my fingers across the board when it comes to apm. More comfortable

[Beulenyoshi]

I'm using a modified Grid Layout. I bound all "Screen Positions" (F-Keys) to Alt+Q,W,E,A,S,D. I bind them using CTRL+Shift+Q,W,E,A,S,D. Additionally the 4 sidebuttons of my G700 are bound to the first 4 positions of them.

Instead of Backspace I use H to move between mainbases. Queens are on 5, So "5 -> H -> X" is an inject at the next hatch which makes it really fast.

Everything else is standard.

[Zehkul]

Grid sucks. Grid sucks big time, really. It might seem cool to have everything at the same place, but in fact you’ll just mis click more often, especially when it comes to spells down at the bottom. Where all spells are.

I used grid for months but made the switch to standard, and I feel way more comfortable there. I adjusted the camera hotkeys a bit (f1-5) and changed pretty much every 1 1 upgrade to e + v.

1 army
2 army
3 army
4 army
5 production buildings / queens
6 CC / Nexus
7 tech buildings

[Beulenyoshi]

I played normal for more than a year and changed to grid. Never looked back. Especially when you are from Germany like I do, the standard layout is pretty bad imo. Y and Z are switched etc. pp. You should try DarkGrid (See Thread on TeamLiquid ) once.

[baldgye]

if there was a way you could make hotkeys universal per PC with some config file I'd play around with them more, but I play on so many diffrent accounts, in WoL and HotS that it just dsnt seem worth while

[Sifo]

Changing my keyboard layout to be more comfortable for typing once I get bpiphany's custom controller... will not be able to play StarCraft comfortably anymore. I will not have time to adjust, and thus won't ever really be able to play comfortably again unless I have a standard layout keyboard Will still be able to play Dota though haha

[NSMarkop]

Grid sucks. Grid sucks big time, really. It might seem cool to have everything at the same place, but in fact you’ll just mis click more often, especially when it comes to spells down at the bottom. Where all spells are.

...

Why are you clicking instead of using the hotkeys for spells? Or do you just mean you can't hit the bottom row of keys accurately?

I've never had a problem with Grid; it's much easier for me to remember and be accurate with my key presses when everything is in a solid block like that. To each their own, though.

Changing my keyboard layout to be more comfortable for typing once I get bpiphany's custom controller... will not be able to play StarCraft comfortably anymore. I will not have time to adjust, and thus won't ever really be able to play comfortably again unless I have a standard layout keyboard Will still be able to play Dota though haha

If it's not a physical change to the keyboard itself, like making it a split board, it shouldn't be a problem. I've used Colemak my entire duration of playing - I don't really know what bpiphany's controller does though, so could be a completely different situation haha.

[Lu_e]

been thinking about trying 'grid'. But standard for now.

I only play zerg lately. I turn off 'ctrl+s' completely, as well as the minimap color toggle stuff I hate hitting them on accident :\ I also make infested terran 'v' instead of 't'.. trying to think of anything else... its been so long since ive even thought about it I've forgotten the defaults. Oh and change F2-F4 so i can use them for camera hotkey

ctrl groups;
1 lings or pure roach
2 roach early or banes if going 4 ling/bane perhaps corruptors late game
3 infestors or muta perhaps brood lords late game
4 hatcheries
5 og queen
6 queen@expo 1
7 queen@expo 2
8 queen@expo 3
9 1st scouting overlord later becomes overseer perhaps queen@expo4
0 not really used.. maybe a critical upgrade building maybe another overlord/seer

[Citna]

I'm a low masters Terran player and I just use the standard layout. Thought about changing it a few times but never went through with it.

[bace]

I play standard and my main race is zerg

my # hotkeys are
1 ground units
2 infestors
3 air units
4 all hatcheries
5 all queens
6-0 random units/overlords

I changed the rotate base hotkey from backspace to space bar so I can switch between hatcheries and inject larva quickly. It took some time getting used to but I got better at it.

[tobr1an]

1 all hatcheries
2 3 4 queens
5 6 7 army
very difficult to reach 7 army sometimes.

pretty much same for toss and terran.
1 CC
2 Racks
3 Factory
4 Starport
5 6 7 army

1 Nexus
2 Gateway
3 Robo
4 Star
5 6 7 army

[scytheR]

I'm mid master toss and I play standard but instead of p for patrol I use Q

1 army
2 spell casters (high Templar and Phoenix's)
3 robo or stargate
4 warp gates (I don't like using w)
5 main nexus
6 additional nexus

[YMSNoms]

I use VioLets hotkeys when he used to troll as Protoss.

[nebo]

Terran:

Use standard layout but change the following:
Patrol: Q
Lift building: W
Typical cameras: F1-F4
Idle worker: ~

1: Main army
2: Not as main army
3: Barracs/Engie Bay/Ghost Academy
4: Fact/Starport/Armory
5: CC

Only have problems in TvP when I need main army, vikings, and ghosts. Usually dump the vikings in the main army or keep them off hotkekys.

[Zehkul]

Why are you clicking instead of using the hotkeys for spells? Or do you just mean you can't hit the bottom row of keys accurately?

The latter. It’s just soo much easier for me, and I don’t cast point defence instead of turrets or something. ^^

[chewyfruitloop]

lings on 1
roaches and hydras on 2
mutas / brofesters on 3
hatches on 4
queens on 5
random army on 6+7 if needs be
nydus on 8

backspace mapped to extra mouse button for quick injects

[nebo]

I'm curious to all of you who have 4+ hotkeys for your army manage. I feel as though there are dimishing returns after 3 because at that point it should be easier/faster to just select the units either with a ctrl+click or boxing. Spending so much on hotkeys could make you lose track (at least in my head) of where the army actually is in relation to itself and the map as well as having a blog syndrom of 1f+click 2g+click 3a 4a and not managing position.

Maybe that is why I'm not in GM yet.

[Zehkul]

Well, try managing vikings + ghosts + ravens + tanks + bio without a load of hotkeys. It’s quite impossible for me either way though. xD

[nebo]

Well, try managing vikings + ghosts + ravens + tanks + bio without a load of hotkeys. It’s quite impossible for me either way though. xD

When I hit that situation (which isn't all that often) what I'll tend to do is put bio+ghosts on 1 and tab as needed (deselect from ctrl group ghost that is going on nuke runs so it isn't bound), tanks on unbound as they're not all that active, vikings and ravens on 2. If I'm feeling fancy I'll put tanks on 8,9, and 0 since I don't use those ever and have a high chance of hitting one of those keys in a hurry .

But really, I feel at that point you should only be looking at your army so just box click attack what you need. The reason I say that is how often do you see a player with a good spread of marines/tanks engage by hitting 1t -> aclick and they all run to the same point and hit tank fire? Better (in my unprofessional opinion) to stim and then send groups in with box attacks so they stay more spread and then do more spreading as needed.

[Sifo]

Well, try managing vikings + ghosts + ravens + tanks + bio without a load of hotkeys. It’s quite impossible for me either way though. xD

When I hit that situation (which isn't all that often) what I'll tend to do is put bio+ghosts on 1 and tab as needed (deselect from ctrl group ghost that is going on nuke runs so it isn't bound), tanks on unbound as they're not all that active, vikings and ravens on 2. If I'm feeling fancy I'll put tanks on 8,9, and 0 since I don't use those ever and have a high chance of hitting one of those keys in a hurry .

But really, I feel at that point you should only be looking at your army so just box click attack what you need. The reason I say that is how often do you see a player with a good spread of marines/tanks engage by hitting 1t -> aclick and they all run to the same point and hit tank fire? Better (in my unprofessional opinion) to stim and then send groups in with box attacks so they stay more spread and then do more spreading as needed.

Which at this point you would/should have hot keys for each individual group of bio if you're being active with them... grouping with ghosts isn't the best idea, but that's a personal preference thing. Tanks you don't need hotkeyed, vikings definitely, I have medivacs on a separate hotkey and micro/position them while stutter stepping so they're actually healing the full duration instead of stuttering with the rest of the marines. Reason why boxing/clicking isn't good is because hotkeys are far more organized and are more reliable in a tense situation, in case you misclick at the wrong time in the heat of battle or need to go on a full retreat.

[nebo]

You actually don't want to hold position medivacs, it was proven worse and I'll try to find the link. It's better to stutter step with them because the medivac will always heal the weakest unit so then in spurts you're keeping the weakest units alive.

[Sifo]

You actually don't want to hold position medivacs, it was proven worse and I'll try to find the link. It's better to stutter step with them because the medivac will always heal the weakest unit so then in spurts you're keeping the weakest units alive.

[Zehkul]

But really, I feel at that point you should only be looking at your army so just box click attack what you need. The reason I say that is how often do you see a player with a good spread of marines/tanks engage by hitting 1t -> aclick and they all run to the same point and hit tank fire? Better (in my unprofessional opinion) to stim and then send groups in with box attacks so they stay more spread and then do more spreading as needed.

I’ve found boxing and sending them in one at a time rather time consuming and inefficient, I spread them before the battle and unless you fail your a click they stay that way.

Ghosts and marines on the same hotkey? Nah, can’t stim fast enough then.

[baldgye]

if you want to improve your army control the best way to practice is to apm spam at the start of the game, going through ur hotkeys as fast as you can without missing scv/probe/drone and then selecting them one at a time... it helps me alot and has allowed me to be able to manage all my diffrent spell casters on a single hotkey...

[nebo]

But really, I feel at that point you should only be looking at your army so just box click attack what you need. The reason I say that is how often do you see a player with a good spread of marines/tanks engage by hitting 1t -> aclick and they all run to the same point and hit tank fire? Better (in my unprofessional opinion) to stim and then send groups in with box attacks so they stay more spread and then do more spreading as needed.

I’ve found boxing and sending them in one at a time rather time consuming and inefficient, I spread them before the battle and unless you fail your a click they stay that way.

Ghosts and marines on the same hotkey? Nah, can’t stim fast enough then.

Whatever works for you, everyone plays different. But this isn't BW, units all converge to the same point on a long enough distance which is why I tend to box move.

[mrboli]

If i'm on top of my game...

1: ball army
2: crazy tech things (blink stalker? pheonix? HT?)
3: Scout
4: Nexxi
5: Gateways/warpgates
6: Robo
7: Upgrades
0: W.e is being constructed (building)

[Rumudiez]

1. Alt + F4
2. teamliquid.net
3. SC2 liquibets
4. be Rumudiez