Starcraft 2 maintaining unit formations

starcraft-2

In Starcraft 2, I want to maintain unit formations. Other than having one unit type follow another, and then only directing the lead unit type to move, I maintain a pseudo formation, that is my longer ranged units in the back, etc…
Is this the only way?

Best Answer

Your options:

  • One control group per unit type, then move them independently.
  • One control group for everything, but tab between the unit types and move them independently.
  • One control group for the front group (which you move manually) and setting everything else on follow.
  • A combination:One control group per unit type and set some groups to follow others.

I prefer and recommend setting a group per unit type, but setting some of those groups to follow other groups as appropriate.

In your question, you describe a group for the melee units and simply having the ranged ones follow. This might be an easy way to keep formation, but when it's time to fight you will spend critical moments trying to get that ranged group to attack.

If you give each unit type its own group, you can gain instant control over any group when it comes time to fight. In the meantime, you can easily set ranged and flyers to follow the melee group so you keep a rough formation.

You could also use the tab method instead of multiple groups. In my experience, however, this fails when you have more than 2 unit types. In the heat of battle, having to tab or shift+tab to whatever group you want is wasted keystrokes and can cost you a few units in the time it takes to swap.

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