• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 12:34
CEST 18:34
KST 01:34
  • 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
Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy4Code S RO8 Preview: herO, Zoun, Bunny, Classic7Code S RO8 Preview: Rogue, GuMiho, Solar, Maru3BGE Stara Zagora 2025: Info & Preview27
Community News
Weekly Cups (June 9-15): herO doubles on GSL week0Firefly suspended by EWC, replaced by Lancer4Classic & herO RO8 Interviews: "I think it’s time to teach [Rogue] a lesson."2Rogue & GuMiho RO8 interviews: "Lifting that trophy would be a testament to all I’ve had to overcome over the years and how far I’ve come on this journey.8Code S RO8 Results + RO4 Bracket (2025 Season 2)14
StarCraft 2
General
Weekly Cups (June 9-15): herO doubles on GSL week Firefly suspended by EWC, replaced by Lancer Rain's Behind the Scenes Storytime Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing How herO can make history in the Code S S2 finals
Tourneys
RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series [GSL 2025] Code S: Season 2 - Semi Finals & Finals WardiTV Mondays Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament $3,500 WardiTV European League 2025
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers [G] Darkgrid Layout
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 478 Instant Karma Mutation # 477 Slow and Steady Mutation # 476 Charnel House Mutation # 475 Hard Target
Brood War
General
ASL20 Preliminary Maps BW General Discussion BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Recent recommended BW games FlaSh Witnesses SCV Pull Off the Impossible vs Shu
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL 2v2] ProLeague Season 3 - Friday 21:00 CET Small VOD Thread 2.0 [BSL20] ProLeague Bracket Stage - Day 4
Strategy
I am doing this better than progamers do. [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Path of Exile Beyond All Reason What do you want from future RTS games?
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Which UAE App Developers Are Leading the Innovatio
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread UK Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Vape Nation Thread
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Korean Music Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NHL Playoffs 2024 TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
A Better Routine For Progame…
TrAiDoS
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Heero Yuy & the Tax…
KrillinFromwales
I was completely wrong ab…
jameswatts
Need Your Help/Advice
Glider
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 27734 users

Hotkeying Pylon

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
LinK [SWE]
Profile Joined September 2010
Sweden5 Posts
September 29 2010 12:50 GMT
#1
Hey guys this will be my first post, but I've been enjoying the forum for quite some time!

I came up with an idea a while ago when my macro was just so bad and I'm a very poor multitasker by nature it seams (deadly when driving and talking on my cell), I'm a protoss player and I found that hotkeying a "builder probe" was very helpful.. but when I was in fights I just always forgot to make more units because of the time it took me to find a pylong on the minimap, and warp in units.. So I started hotkeying my "warp in pylon" and this helped me so so much!
Then I started checking all the pro replays (like HuK <3) to see if they did this, but they don't..
This helped me so much so I figured it HAS to be a good tip for other protoss players out there with macro problems.

But why don't pro players do this? this has to be better than clicking your minimap for a place to warp in units?

I hope this could help some toss players to improve their game and if not, at least I tried =)
Leath
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
Canada1724 Posts
September 29 2010 12:57 GMT
#2
In my opinion, this would be more helpful in BW rather than in SC2.

Normally, I feel we don't lack map space and units spawn are rather smart. Therefore, you don't need to organize your building as neatly as we had to in BW.

You just spread pylons all around to scout your opponents movement, and they will cover a large enough area.
Normally, I leave a probe near gateways (late game only), double click the gateway hotkeys to center view, select the probe and build more stuff.
If I am only building gates however, it doesn't really matter where I get them. I could just as well double tap a nexus hotkey and build the gates there.

The "W" key will recall all WarpGates you own, so your gates can be quite spread apart.

Hope it helps too. Have fun ^^
http://www.kongregate.com/?referrer=Sagess
LinK [SWE]
Profile Joined September 2010
Sweden5 Posts
September 29 2010 13:16 GMT
#3
Well I think you missunderstood my point Leath, it's not at all about building placement, just about a faster and easier way to macro.
Having for example your forward pylon hotkeyd would make it easier to go to it to warp in units than using your minimap to click your way to it or scrolling to it.. it just feels easier that way and it helped me alot so I just wanted other people to try it out and see if it can help them as well ^^

Most games I've seen protoss players have at most 5 hotkeys in use anyway, only very long games and very macro heavy players use more than 5 hotkeys.

And btw I'm not like a bronze/silver player making it to gold with this, I made it from gold to high plat/low diamond with this!
ProfessOfLies
Profile Joined September 2010
United States21 Posts
September 29 2010 13:19 GMT
#4
Thats clever. I normally use a phase prism (which I have hotkeyed) but I will give this a try when I use proxy pylons.
PegLegPete
Profile Joined September 2010
United States5 Posts
September 29 2010 13:24 GMT
#5
That's good idea that I probably should use.

However, I run out of hotkeys, at least the accessible ones, so there's no room for the proxy Pylon to be keyed.

1-3 is units
4 is nexus
5 is gateways (warpgates)
6/7 is robo/stargate, depending on BO
8 might be a forge, but honestly after 7, I lose interest in hotkeying because I don't like picking my hand up to hit those higher numbers. That may be lazy; I like to lie to myself and call it efficient.

I will say that if I go warp prism, I bind that to 3 almost always, and it is convenient to have that easily accessible, so I can see your point.
I curse the shark that stole me leg.
DeCoup
Profile Joined September 2006
Australia1933 Posts
September 29 2010 13:28 GMT
#6
Idk why people put warpgates on a key when you van press W. IMO make 5 your pylon bind and use w for your warpgates. (You can use 5 for gates till you have warp since you don't need a pylon bound without warp anyway).
"Poor guy. I really did not deserve that win. So this is what it's like to play Protoss..." - IdrA
SONE
Profile Joined May 2010
Canada839 Posts
September 29 2010 13:28 GMT
#7
i do this, just for one frequently used forward pylon. it helps
LinK [SWE]
Profile Joined September 2010
Sweden5 Posts
September 29 2010 13:33 GMT
#8
On September 29 2010 22:28 DeCoup wrote:
Idk why people put warpgates on a key when you van press W. IMO make 5 your pylon bind and use w for your warpgates. (You can use 5 for gates till you have warp since you don't need a pylon bound without warp anyway).


Very true! That is something of a starter that made me think of this actually.. I'm a huge fan of Day9 and watch his videos constantly and he seem to prefer hotkeying his gateways so naturally I tried that.. it just didn't help anything, W is just so close and easy to use that hotkeying your warpgates to 5 or 4 or whatever is redundant..

I'm glad to see some positive respons to this! :D
Remember who you got it from haha
Darpa
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Canada4413 Posts
September 29 2010 13:39 GMT
#9
Alot of pros use the F5-8 keys to hotkey areas like that for fast access, they just dont use 1,2,3,4,5 ect.
"losers always whine about their best, Winners go home and fuck the prom queen"
cauchy.riemann
Profile Joined May 2010
Switzerland13 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-09-29 13:43:21
September 29 2010 13:42 GMT
#10
I use 1 and 2 For army, 3 for gates, 4 and 5 for Nexi, 6 robo and 7 Stargate....

So since all is used i just put F5 to a pylon at the front of my base, i dont have much use for F5-F8, and its faster since you dont have to doubletap, well a tiny tiny bit faster....and you dont have to reach all the way to 8,9 or zero....

So i prefer F5-F8 for my Pylon

Edit: Ah, got beat by a minute...
LinK [SWE]
Profile Joined September 2010
Sweden5 Posts
September 29 2010 13:43 GMT
#11
I've never seen it actually.. but my main objective here is only to share a tip that helped me very much
and if I can help even one person here I'm happy ^^
freshjive
Profile Joined August 2010
United States32 Posts
September 29 2010 13:48 GMT
#12
Can you explain in some depth how the hotkey macro works.

I hate having to move my screen, hit W then hold down S or Z to warp in units while I fight with my main army.

I understand how to apply the macro to the pylon (ctrl+#) but can you warp in on the fly.

like W, Hotkey 2, SSSSSSS for example...

Thanks in advance
If I'm going to bet on anyone, I'm going to bet on myself
Rannasha
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Netherlands2398 Posts
September 29 2010 13:53 GMT
#13
On September 29 2010 22:48 freshjive wrote:
Can you explain in some depth how the hotkey macro works.

I hate having to move my screen, hit W then hold down S or Z to warp in units while I fight with my main army.

I understand how to apply the macro to the pylon (ctrl+#) but can you warp in on the fly.

like W, Hotkey 2, SSSSSSS for example...

Thanks in advance


If you double-tap the number of a control group, the screen is centered around that group. So if you hotkey a Pylon under 5, you can do the following:

5 5 W [whatever warp-in commands you want to give]

This way you get your favorite army-deployment area (say, a proxy pylon) on the screen when you want to warp in and you don't have to click the minimap first.

Note that you can also use (CTRL+) F5-F8 to store and recall map-locations just as you would units/buildings.
Such flammable little insects!
Demarini
Profile Joined May 2010
United States151 Posts
September 29 2010 13:53 GMT
#14
On September 29 2010 22:48 freshjive wrote:
Can you explain in some depth how the hotkey macro works.

I hate having to move my screen, hit W then hold down S or Z to warp in units while I fight with my main army.

I understand how to apply the macro to the pylon (ctrl+#) but can you warp in on the fly.

like W, Hotkey 2, SSSSSSS for example...

Thanks in advance


If you can then I'm about to hit top diamond.
LinK [SWE]
Profile Joined September 2010
Sweden5 Posts
September 29 2010 13:55 GMT
#15
Ok, lets say you have the Pylon you want to warp in next to as Hotkey 4, that's what I use. Then you double click 4, then click W to select all warpgates and then just warp in the units you want.
it's the part of only needing to doubleclick a hotkey so you get to a pylon that makes this work faster and better than just scrolling over.
DavidMcF
Profile Joined August 2010
United Kingdom189 Posts
September 29 2010 13:56 GMT
#16
I really like this idea, I often bring a probe with my army to build a sneaky proxy pylon for super good push reinforcement but I never thought to hotkey the pylon.

I'm gonna start doing this, thanks !
yarkO
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
Canada810 Posts
September 29 2010 14:21 GMT
#17
On September 29 2010 22:28 DeCoup wrote:
Idk why people put warpgates on a key when you van press W. IMO make 5 your pylon bind and use w for your warpgates. (You can use 5 for gates till you have warp since you don't need a pylon bound without warp anyway).


Because hitting 'WW' won't center on your cluster of Gates, so hotkeying them helps for when you want to get to them and Chronoboost or something.
When you are prepared, there's no such thing as pressure.
Iamyournoob
Profile Joined August 2010
Germany595 Posts
September 29 2010 14:26 GMT
#18
awesome tip! gonna try it asap! thanks man
zzaaxxsscd
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States626 Posts
September 29 2010 14:28 GMT
#19
I remember Day9 talked about this...

hotkey your forward pylon to 0 for example

then when you see your warpgates are ready
0,0
W, <spam units>

1,1 back to the fighting
JesseT
Profile Joined August 2010
Australia3 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-09-29 14:36:24
September 29 2010 14:31 GMT
#20
good idea but really there's isn't enough hotkeys for builder probe n pylons
1~0 is not enouhg..!
i donno y they didn't put the F2 F3 F4 screen saves...
it would be so much better
i'm T player so it might be diff but when i used to P
i used to
1~5 units
6~9 buildings(gates/robo/stargate)
depending on my eco stage i often used to change from warp to standard
since i'm used to bw the warp in was so new in that beta season
0 usually nexus or observer

rite now i'm Terran as i play terran in bw

1~5 maybe to 6 if i'ts needed

6~8 rax/fac/star maybe 7~9
n the order changes on what i'm macroing the most
it's diff at the start but it's around mid game
n 0 usually CCs

try having the shuttle thing n use prism if u practice it it will help quick reinforcement
show me the money
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Monday Night Weeklies
16:00
#18
RotterdaM497
IndyStarCraft 126
SteadfastSC87
BRAT_OK 74
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 655
RotterdaM 497
Hui .269
IndyStarCraft 126
SteadfastSC 87
BRAT_OK 74
ProTech71
Creator 31
RushiSC 14
StarCraft: Brood War
Rain 4240
Horang2 1892
Mini 964
EffOrt 730
Stork 415
firebathero 272
actioN 202
Snow 176
Zeus 118
JYJ71
[ Show more ]
Mong 64
sSak 46
Rock 36
Movie 28
Dewaltoss 25
Terrorterran 21
Rush 21
scan(afreeca) 16
Backho 15
GoRush 14
soO 13
yabsab 12
ajuk12(nOOB) 7
Shine 7
Noble 6
Sacsri 6
Dota 2
Gorgc7595
qojqva2572
febbydoto13
League of Legends
Dendi1963
Other Games
tarik_tv41611
gofns20687
B2W.Neo1623
FrodaN1368
Beastyqt632
C9.Mang0440
ceh9405
Lowko388
ArmadaUGS218
elazer165
Fuzer 155
Liquid`VortiX90
KnowMe58
Trikslyr56
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream12286
Other Games
gamesdonequick700
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• poizon28 56
• intothetv
• Kozan
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Migwel
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• IndyKCrew
StarCraft: Brood War
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 1199
• WagamamaTV466
League of Legends
• Nemesis4888
• Jankos3188
• TFBlade1334
Other Games
• Shiphtur166
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
7h 26m
Replay Cast
17h 26m
RSL Revival
17h 26m
Cure vs Percival
ByuN vs Spirit
PiGosaur Monday
1d 7h
RSL Revival
1d 17h
herO vs sOs
Zoun vs Clem
Replay Cast
2 days
The PondCast
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
Serral vs SHIN
Solar vs Cham
RSL Revival
3 days
Reynor vs Scarlett
ShoWTimE vs Classic
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
3 days
[ Show More ]
SC Evo League
4 days
Circuito Brasileiro de…
5 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-06-11
2025 GSL S2
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
BSL Season 20
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
NPSL S3
Rose Open S1
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025
YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025
PGL Bucharest 2025

Upcoming

CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
SEL Season 2 Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
HSC XXVII
Championship of Russia 2025
RSL Revival: Season 1
BLAST Open Fall 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
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 © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.