Different kind of groupings

The subject came up in a discussion me, borrel and ani had a few days ago, so i thought i'd check how all you guys do when playing. I'll give an example of how i play in general. And here i define groupings as Ctrl+#, where # = a number from 0 to 9.

If we take hu as example. I start of putting main on Ctrl+7, altar on Ctrl+6, lumbermill on Ctrl+5. When AM arrives, i do him on Ctrl+1, as it's easier to hit than F1. If i do barracks instead of the lumbermill, i put the barracks on Ctrl+4, and footies on Ctrl+2.

Moving on in the game a bit, lets say i build the upgrade house, don't remember the name atm, but u upgrade armor and weapons there, i add that to the Ctrl+5 group, so i got all upgrading buildings on the same hotkey, and can just tab through them. When the 2nd hero comes out, in this scenario it's MK, i put him on Ctrl+1, and move AM to Ctrl+3. I always try to have the weak caster hero on Ctrl+3 in late games, thus fs, kotg and am. The melee, bm, dh and mk, i have on Ctrl+1, and then tc, potm and pala i got on ctrl+2.

Doing Arcane building, i add those (i build 2) to the Ctrl+4 group. The casters they produce i add to the AM groups, thus Ctrl+3.

Now, it gets a bit complicated. First of all we assume that all the footies are gone, and replaced with rifles. Rifles are on Ctr+2.

If i do an expo i put it on Ctrl+8.

When bombers comes out, or Gyros, i don't wanna put them in any existing group, as i wanna be able to focus either casters, or air, in a good way thus i put them on Ctrl+4. To do this, i change all the above groups one step up, thus: expo = 9, main = 8, altar = 7, upgrading houses = 6 and unitproducing shit = 5. Here i'd like to add also, that workshop buildings are added to Ctrl+5 in the rearranged order. (Ctrl+4 in the old order).

If a 3rd hero, i add him either to the ctrl+2 group, or the ctrl+4 group, dependning a bit on footies/rifles, bombs/gyros.

Ok, this is maybe a abit too complicated system so i wanna know how you guys do it. You only do Ctrl+click, thus chosing all unit of the clicked type in battle? Or do you use groups like me?

And further, when you fight, how do u micro? You use the groups alot? Checking who's low on hp and moving him out? Or do you check the hp bars over the units heads instead and micro like that? You do different in big or small battles? Give me all your knowledge!!!

cu around guys, and sorry for the long and complicated post, but i'm tired, bored and yeah, just wanted to get this down in some way. Please give an example of a game like i did, and maybe some details or tricks you use when battling, to help improve noobs like me in the art of bnet

Over and out

/kimmi

Damn that's alot of ctrl#. I dont use that many, and have one basic hand that I stick to.
1 = first hero.
2 = secund hero.
3 = first units, or if teching cast shams or priest.
4 = barrack or AoW etc.., are changed to 5 when casters start coming up when UD and NE, alternetive dryads.
5 = the last group of units, mostly mortars or tauren or extra units when doing casters, alternetive most used building for troops.
And in very rare accations I also use.
6 = only when 3 heros, casters and some sort of tank unit or air.

I still prefer the mouse but maybe I should do some shortkey for main to lighten the tp in tight situations.

And I dnot use hp bars all over the place, it get's to messy for me. So in bigger fights I move when I see they lost hp in the group. And in smaller fights I try not to look at hp at all in the group instead I concentrate on the movements that the opposite units do.

Hi Fellows.
I use ctrl 1 for the main army, ctrl 2 for first unitbuilding, ctrl 3 for main, ctrl 4 for altar or militia if you expand with human. After a while you get more units and build new buildings and so on so I usually need to change my controles. ctrl 1 main army (Hero and units you don't have any spells on for example), ctrl 2 second hero, ctrl 3 third hero or alternative units (e.g. priests), ctrl 4 alternative units (e.g. sorc), ctrl 5 alternative units (e.g. footmans) etc. etc. Then the rest of the numbers I put on the unitbuildings. And if you also scout I usually put it on ctrl 5.
Sometimes I need ctrl# from 1-9 and that could be pretty uncomfortable

Well, I'm going to tell nelf, since I don't care other races:

1: aow
2: altar
3: main
4: (ancient of wind or huntress hall, since I often don't use them at the same time)
5: aol (talons if I went ao-wind)

In battle, I use ctrl+click often. Like when i need abolish from dryads, find a bear with mana for rejuv or stuff like that. Sometimes when old talons are dead and i come in a fight i use ctrl+click even for talons and cyclone. Heroes i click on and then use control for ability (b for manaburn, e for entangle etc). I use f# buttons for heroes from now and then. If it is a lot of air and i cant see them, or if I'm in a hurry. I'm training at using them more and more, when you get used to it is easy.

Micro I do by the health bar, I look which unit takes damage and bring them back. One tip is not focus fire if have ranged, then you get messed up if he micros back the targeted unit and all your units follows. So i try not to FF so much when it is close battles, just draw back damaged units. Did a game ud (me) vs orc yesterday against Kim that worked just like that where I came out winning from 2 battles I should've lost. And I lost a game that was won the other night vs him just cause I FF his DL and lost my Lich. When have melee units I never FF. Basicly, only time I do that is when I'm sure to get my target or when it is an important target and I got the upper-hand so I can risk it.