• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 04:22
CEST 10:22
KST 17:22
  • 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
Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners7Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview12TL.net Map Contest #22 - Voting & Ladder Map Selection7Code S Season 2 (2026) - RO8 Preview7[ASL21] Finals Preview: Two Legacies21
Community News
Weekly Cups (June 8-14): Clem and Solar double, PTR tested0RSL: S6 Finals played at BlizzCon 202611Douyu Cup 2026: $20,000 Legends Event (June 26-28)10[BSL22] Non-Korean Championship from 13 to 28 June4Weekly Cups (May 25-31): Clem doubles, 2v2 circuit heads toward finale0
StarCraft 2
General
Daily SC2 Player Grid - feedback wanted StarCraft II 5.0.16 PTR Patch Notes may 26th TL Poll: How do you feel about the 5.0.16 PTR balance changes? Code S Season 2 (2026) - RO8 Preview Updates to The Core/Core Lite for v5.0.16?
Tourneys
Master Swan Open (Global Bronze-Master 2) GSL CK #4 20-21th June Crank Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League Douyu Cup 2026: $20,000 Legends Event (June 26-28) Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule !
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
Work In Progress Melee Maps [D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3
External Content
Mutation # 530 One For All The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 529 Opportunities Unleashed Mutation # 528 Infection Detected
Brood War
General
BW General Discussion vespene.gg — BW replays in browser Where is EffOrt? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Quality of life changes in BW that you will like ?
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL21] Grand Finals [BSL22] Grand Finals - Sunday 21:00 CEST Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 2
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Relatively freeroll strategies Creating a full chart of Zerg builds Why doesn't anyone use restoration?
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread ZeroSpace Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Beyond All Reason Total War: Warhammer 40K
Dota 2
Looking for a Dota Mentor 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
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread The Games Industry And ATVI UK Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread [H]Internet/Gaming Cafe Tips and Tricks
Fan Clubs
The HerO Fan Club! The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [TV/BOOK] *SPOILERS* Game of Thrones Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 Formula 1 Discussion Cricket [SPORT] NBA General Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Facing Challenges in Mobile App Development
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Does Workplace Frustration D…
TrAiDoS
An Exploration of th…
waywardstrategy
I'm an arrogant trash talke…
FlaShFTW
Gauntlet SC2: A Retrospectiv…
Ctone23
Why RTS gamers make better f…
gosubay
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 14844 users

Terran Hotkey Suggestions

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
The_Piper42
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
United States426 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-17 05:53:24
February 17 2011 05:50 GMT
#1
So I recently started playing BW again after a SC2 stint during the Beta and I've managed to work back up to D+ level again. I play Terran, but unfortunately my APM is only around 150. Even though very little of it is spam I still feel like I'm much too slow to do everything I would like to be able to.

Things I don't have enough APM for:
TvP: Laying mines, building turrets, siegeing/unsieging tanks constantly during slow pushes
TvZ: Hitting production rounds consistently (marines build so fast...)

My current hot-keys go like this:
1-Units
2-Units
3-Units
4-Special Units
5-CC
6-CC
7-CC
8-Comsat
9-Comsat
0-Comsat
F2-Production building area
F3-Main rally point area
F4-Main

Now my fingers are pretty small but so far I've been able to manage this well with the occasional two-handed macro for things like making scv's (5s6s7s very rapidly).

Now my questions:
1. Is there a good place to find what hotkeys people like Flash, Fantasy, etc. use?
2. What hotkeys do you, the TL netizen, use as Terran? (Please no D- responses...)
3. What tips do you recommend for someone who has small hands?

EDIT: Sorry thread title should read [H] Terran Hotkey Suggestions. Sorry... not sure how to change that.
Boxer, White-Ra, Grubby, Flash fighting!
don_kyuhote
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
3007 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-17 06:07:05
February 17 2011 05:57 GMT
#2
you can just download a replay of Flash and it will have either his hotkey or his opponent's hotkey.

I've never seen anyone dedicating three hotkeys to each CC, we dedicate F2,F3,F4. It's different

I try to copy what Flash uses.

For TvP
In the beginning,
1,2 for units
3 for main CC
4,5,6 for fac
0,9 for scan

Then later.
1,2,3,4 and up to 5 for units.
6,7 for fac
8,9,0 for scan

It's obviously different for TvZ
But do what works for you
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
YejinYejin
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States1053 Posts
February 17 2011 06:05 GMT
#3
1 scout
2 cc
3 supply depot then rax
4 refinery then factory

Then
1-3 units
4-8 factories
9,0 scans

Then
1-whatever units
8,9,0 scans
Either a single factory on 7, or all factories on a location hotkey.

Also, did you search for this topic in previous threads? I'm pretty sure there have been quite a few, and recently, too.
안지호
nenKilla
Profile Joined September 2010
Philippines13 Posts
February 17 2011 07:18 GMT
#4
On February 17 2011 14:50 The_Piper42 wrote:
So I recently started playing BW again after a SC2 stint during the Beta and I've managed to work back up to D+ level again. I play Terran, but unfortunately my APM is only around 150. Even though very little of it is spam I still feel like I'm much too slow to do everything I would like to be able to.

Things I don't have enough APM for:
TvP: Laying mines, building turrets, siegeing/unsieging tanks constantly during slow pushes
TvZ: Hitting production rounds consistently (marines build so fast...)

My current hot-keys go like this:
1-Units
2-Units
3-Units
4-Special Units
5-CC
6-CC
7-CC
8-Comsat
9-Comsat
0-Comsat
F2-Production building area
F3-Main rally point area
F4-Main

Now my fingers are pretty small but so far I've been able to manage this well with the occasional two-handed macro for things like making scv's (5s6s7s very rapidly).

Now my questions:
1. Is there a good place to find what hotkeys people like Flash, Fantasy, etc. use?
2. What hotkeys do you, the TL netizen, use as Terran? (Please no D- responses...)
3. What tips do you recommend for someone who has small hands?

EDIT: Sorry thread title should read [H] Terran Hotkey Suggestions. Sorry... not sure how to change that.



I cant suggest any site for this, but for me you have to find your comfort zone in making your own hot keys so that you can be like this players. You know what i mean. just be yourself.. find ways that you can play and macro and hotkey stuff in your own will.
bring e-sports here in the Philippines
nV[MB]
Profile Joined February 2010
Poland58 Posts
February 17 2011 07:24 GMT
#5
TvP:

1-0 main cc, then as the game progresses:
1 - scouting scv
5 - barrack
4 - factory
9 - nat cc
5-8 factories, 1-3 units ( I rarely go for 200/200 pushes so I dont need more than that; optional 4-5 for some extra units).
0,9 - scans

This way I have my main cc hotkeyed for scv prodution for the first 10 or so minutes, I can continue scv production even with 5 factories running and scans done if I dont yet need all my units hotkeyed. Enough hotkeys for units, 4 or 5 facts producing units without the need to come back to main base.

TvZ

1-0 main cc, later - 9 - nat cc
1 - scouting scv
2 - marines, 5-8 barracks
3 - marines, 1 - medics
4 - tanks + vessels, later moved to 5 if I need third group of marines hotkeyed
0-9 scans, hotkeyed not when theyre built but when I move out and dont need to produce scvs anymore.

I never hotkey vessels alone, its much harder to move them around when you cant 1a2a3a them together with other units
Herpadurr
Profile Joined January 2011
Monaco151 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-17 10:23:44
February 17 2011 09:58 GMT
#6
herp derp I'm a retard
You're stupid. Stop it.
don_kyuhote
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
3007 Posts
February 17 2011 10:06 GMT
#7
On February 17 2011 18:58 Herpadurr wrote:
6 CC (all of them)
5 Barracks/Factory
4 Starport (sometimes factory/starport, whatever I feel like)
3,2,1 MARINES

This is Brood War my friend.
You can't lump multiple buildings into 1 hotkey.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Herpadurr
Profile Joined January 2011
Monaco151 Posts
February 17 2011 10:23 GMT
#8
Oh crap, completely missed that one.
Disregard everything I said.
You're stupid. Stop it.
Black[CAT]
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Malaysia2589 Posts
February 17 2011 10:29 GMT
#9
On February 17 2011 18:58 Herpadurr wrote:
6 CC (all of them)
5 Barracks/Factory
4 Starport (sometimes factory/starport, whatever I feel like)
3,2,1 MARINES


lolololol.....What's with people this days...This is brood war forum yo!

Edit: Good thing you changed it man!

My hotkey setup is:
3 for main during early game (copied Flash)
1,2,3 army
4,5,6,7,8 production buildings.

Mid-Late game
F-keys for production facilities.
1,2,3,4,5,6 for army (yeah, 6 buttons yo)
0,9,8 comsats.

I guess most people hotkeys are the same. I like to put vultures on 2 and 3 when i go harass and lay mines.
I feel you man when you say 150 is not enough, during my noobier days, i know what to do, but cant do it fast enough or to multitask it.
Now i can lay mines, harass, macro, look at minimap and do many things at a time, i feel like a boss lol. The perks of higher apm.



You mean ESPORTS isnt a synonym for SC2? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -Proud owner of a Filco Majestouch 2 with Cherry Blue Switches- BW or SC2? Why not both?
m4gdelen4
Profile Joined October 2008
United States416 Posts
February 17 2011 10:45 GMT
#10
If you would like see what hotkeys progamer terrans like to use you can download replays from TL Replays section.

Then go to http://www.bwchart.com/ and download bwchart. When you open a replay, scroll to the section that says APM + Hotkeys or just Hotkeys. There you go!
it does to blue what blue does to you
IamBach
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States1059 Posts
February 17 2011 12:02 GMT
#11
BTW, 150 APM got me to d+ (as zerg) so its definitely enough for you to play!!
Just listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__lCZeePG48
zimp
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Hungary959 Posts
February 17 2011 12:33 GMT
#12
my suggestions

- change main CC to 4, later on when you have special units you wont need to make scvs anymore.
- use 5-8 for factories / barracks
- you still have 2 comsats (0, 9) and later you can add more
- use F2, F3 for second and third CC to produce and send scvs.
- F4 for rally point

- so this way you will also be able to macro units from hotkeys, even in later game you can use 2-3 hotkeys to make tanks/check production state and jump back fast by double pressing
- you will still have a hotkey to see scv production and yet be able to macro from all your ccs.
- F keys will help you transfering your scvs fast if needed.

and btw this is the system that Fantasy uses
Flash goes 3 CC but only in the beginning, later he does all scv buying from F keys. its harder i think. he uses 4-8 for factories / barracks and 0-9 comsat
agentzimp
TL+ Member
zimp
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Hungary959 Posts
February 17 2011 12:53 GMT
#13
and yeah download bwchart to see how good is your hotkey usage
[image loading]
agentzimp
TL+ Member
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10480 Posts
February 17 2011 15:20 GMT
#14
Beginning:
1. Scout
2-3. attacking units
4-5. fact.
6-7. CC
8 is not used...
9-0 scan.

later... 1-4/5 for units.
6 for fact...
7/8-0 (depending on units) is scan. if 7 not used... CC.

and how do you set the f3 or f4 key to stuff. i hit f2 at the beginning of the game, but all i get is the starting CC.
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
nV[MB]
Profile Joined February 2010
Poland58 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-17 16:20:29
February 17 2011 16:16 GMT
#15
Shift + F2-4 to save a screen location, default setting is your main base.
Piste
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
6183 Posts
February 17 2011 17:01 GMT
#16
Use F2-4 on your minerals lines. this way you can save all your miners during harrass.
really helped me. And I totally understand why progamers use this too.
Austro
Profile Joined October 2010
Australia48 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-02-22 09:35:20
February 22 2011 09:32 GMT
#17
F keys for each mineral line, like Piste said.

1 - CC
2 - Rax
3&4 - Scout, later factory

1&2 - rines/bats
3 - medics
4 - tanks
5 - vessels

1&2 - vultures
3 - tanks
4 - gols
5 - vessels

6-9 - production buildings, when there are a lot, one for each cluster so I can 6m7m8m9m/6v7v8v9t when I'm microing hard, and double-tap each number to head to a cluster where I manually select if I'm not doing anything too intense at that point in time.
0 - scan. Using F2-4 for mineral lines means that this is my 'quick' scan key. Otherwise I head to a different CC and select the comsat before scanning. Inefficient, but that's the way I do it....

Manually control surplus units, small squads, etc.
Less QQ, more pew pew.
Aquafresh
Profile Joined May 2007
United States824 Posts
February 23 2011 13:40 GMT
#18
Try not to get in the habit of using the F2-F4 screen hotkeys to macro. Instead hotkey one production facility in your base and double tap it to go back to a cluster of barracks/factories. It's functionally identical to using the F-keys, but has the advantage of freeing up your screen saves to be used on bases, which will save your ass against Reavers, Storm Drops, etc. You can still use the F-keys to re-rally just change them back when you're done.
bubblegumbo
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Taiwan1296 Posts
February 23 2011 13:51 GMT
#19
I wouldn't use 3 hotkeys for 3 different comsats, 0 and 9 are enough scans, shift your grouping so that you can have 1 more extra army for a number group.
"I honestly think that whoever invented toilet paper is a genius. For man to survive, they need toilet paper!"- Nal_rA
bITt.mAN
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Switzerland3693 Posts
February 23 2011 18:41 GMT
#20
I could tell you my entire setup if you really wanted to know, but the most important thing is that my macro buildings start on 456, NOT 345.

3t4t is for complete noobs, because you are certain to have more than 1,2, control groups early-midgame (when you push in TvP), so with Factories on 4 and 5 (if you want 6,7,8 like for a 5-fact) you can still keep up the tank production.

Another thing I do is hotkey scan to 098, which I do with the right ctlr key (+ thumb).
At the beginning, I always hotkey my first building (hat, Nex, CC) all keys, so ctlr + 1234567890. I feel like a boss ^^

Finally, I suggest you hotkey your starport to something recognizable, like 7 or 8, so you can keep up constant vessel production.
A nice thing to do is hotkey different key tech buildings on 7 or 8 for timings, to see how long untill +1 is finished without going and finding it for example.

I suggest in TvP you group tanks separate to vults, and SCV + Gol + Vessel in one group of their own.
In my experience always have the most important things on 1, and the other things you can add and loose and not really care about on 3,4,5.

e.g. TvT ? Dropships on 1
TvZ? Vessels on 1, medics on 2, whatever marines you can find 3,4,~5~, dropship on 5
TvP? It's hopeless, they have DT's, and/or reavers, and/or recall. JUST GIVE UP! TT
BW4LYF . . . . . . PM me, I LOVE PMs. . . . . . Long live "NaDa's Body" . . . . . . Fantasy | Bisu/Best | Jaedong . . . . .
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 1h 38m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SortOf 139
StarCraft: Brood War
Sea 2200
Rain 2192
Leta 63
Backho 35
Sharp 31
soO 31
NotJumperer 20
Bale 15
Purpose 7
Mong 1
League of Legends
JimRising 554
Counter-Strike
ceh9636
m0e_tv499
Other Games
WinterStarcraft619
Liquid`RaSZi467
Happy246
RuFF_SC226
Trikslyr21
trigger4
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Secondary Stream4854
Other Games
gamesdonequick549
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 13 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH270
• StrangeGG 50
• LUISG 7
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Upcoming Events
The PondCast
1h 38m
WardiTV Spring Champion…
2h 38m
MaxPax vs SHIN
ByuN vs herO
Solar vs Zoun
OSC
4h 38m
OSC
15h 38m
CranKy Ducklings
1d 1h
WardiTV Spring Champion…
1d 2h
Cure vs SKillous
WardiTV Spring Champion…
2 days
GSL
2 days
Maru vs ShoWTimE
Classic vs Reynor
herO vs Lambo
Solar vs Clem
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
2 days
XuanXuan vs Jaystar
Mihu vs Messiah
eOnzErG vs Dewalt
Bonyth vs Jaystar
TerrOr vs Messiah
XuanXuan vs Mihu
eOnzErG vs Jaystar
Replay Cast
2 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Spring Champion…
3 days
GSL
3 days
Patches Events
3 days
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
3 days
Dewalt vs Messiah
Bonyth vs Mihu
TerrOr vs XuanXuan
eOnzErG vs Messiah
Jaystar vs Mihu
Dewalt vs XuanXuan
Bonyth vs TerrOr
Replay Cast
3 days
WardiTV Weekly
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
Douyu Cup 2020
6 days
Oliveira vs Trap
Jieshi vs XY
soO vs FanTaSy
TY vs Coffee
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-06-16
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Heroes Pulsing #1

Ongoing

IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
Acropolis #4
CSCL: Masked Kings S4
YSL S3
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
SCTL 2026 Spring
Maestros of the Game 2
WardiTV Spring 2026
Murky Cup 2026
Heroes Pulsing #2
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026

Upcoming

CSL 2026 Summer (S21)
CSLAN 4
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Revival: Season 6
CranK Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League
HSC XXIX
Douyu Cup 2026
BCC 2026
Heroes Pulsing #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 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.