Hotkeys are essential for improving your gameplay efficiency. Without them, reaching a high level of proficiency is almost impossible. Setting them up gradually is key—attempting to configure them all at once may overwhelm you and hinder muscle memory development. Below, I’ll share my experience as a right-handed player; if you’re left-handed, I recommend experimenting with different key placements to find what works best for you.

For the most efficient setup, I suggest positioning your hotkeys near the numbers on the top-left of your keyboard. Avoid assigning micro-management keys to the mouse, as pressing mouse buttons can slightly interfere with mouse control and negatively impact your micro at crucial moments. However, certain mouse hotkeys can still be useful, such as those for selecting buildings, but try to avoid needing to click right after pressing a mouse key.

Here’s a list of essential hotkeys to set up as a beginner:

• Go to Town Center (Cycle Commands)
• Select All Town Centers (Game Commands)
• Villager (Town Center)
• Garrison (Unit Commands)
• Ungarrison (Unit Commands)
• Go Back to Work (Town Center)
• Military Buildings and Economic Buildings (Unit Commands)
• House and Farm (Villager Build)
• Patrol (Military Units)
• Select All Land/Naval Military Units (Game Commands)

Tips for optimal key placement:

• Garrison and Go Back to Work should share the same key, with Ungarrison close by.
• House and Military Buildings should share a key, while Farm and Economic Buildings should be linked as well.
• Patrol should be placed near Select All Land/Naval Military Units and the “1” key at the top left of the keyboard.
• Ensure that Select All Town Centers, Go to Town Center, and Villager are easily accessible.

Whenever you assign a hotkey, the game will alert you if the key is already in use. If that’s the case, remove the conflicting hotkey (unless it’s one you’ve intentionally duplicated, as I mentioned earlier).