Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade

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We go to the experts to elevate our game

GR: Some people just aren't keyboard shortcut types. Sure we know "cut" and "paste", but that's about it. What are the essential shortcuts to know in Dark Crusade?

Stephan: The stance keys are the most crucial. Generally, F1 stance (by hitting the "F1" key, naturally) should be used for melee units, F2 for ranged. Sometimes with Hero units it's also good to switch between the F6 (Melee stance) and the "F7" (Ranged Stance). When using the F2 stance for ranged units, pressing Q to stop and fire is probably the most important thing to do. In DC, most ranged units do not do as much damage while on the move, and Q forces the troops to stop and fire. Knowing the shortcut keys to build units or buildings help, but is not really crucial to playing well. However, knowing the shortcut keys to the most frequently used abilities are important. The reason is that most abilities need to be used at the correct, exact times, and this is much easier to do when using shortcut keys, instead of scrolling over and clicking.

Josh: Shortcuts aren't a huge focus in Dark Crusade in comparison to many other RTS games, though. However, those I would deem more necessary than others would fall under unit control. Selecting groups of units and "grouping them" via CTRL+ "Number key" (1,2,3 etc.) allows them to be recalled when said key is pressed, allowing for fewer clicks in the heat of a battle when trying to select units.

Abilities specific to the units you are using should also be kept in mind, as throwing grenades (G for some races) and casting spells (such asthe Eldar Farseers) need to be done with precise timing.