So, this time, let's talk about control groups!
I use the following:
Builder:
F1 - Titan Hunter
1 - Main builder
2 - First set of deny buildings. (All the buildings in one group. Usually 1-2 shelters, 5-6 fruits depending on race and RC.)
3 - Workers for wotw deto / Turtle.
4 - RC + ARC + Other research buildings / Second set of deny buildings.
5 - Shelters for G2L.
6 - Towers for focus fire #1.
7 - Towers for focus fire #2.
8 - Towers for focus fire #3.
9 - Workers to deto in lb #1. (Thanks to @BeeKauzh for teaching me how to deto, which is Select Workers, S, Shift D, Mass click portrait.)
0 - Workers to deto in lb #2.
Admittedly, I don't necessarily use the same numbers all the time, like sometimes if I have 2-3 different groups of buildings to deny on the map, and no workers to deto wotw, then the different building groups will be 2, 3, 4 and I just access RC through whichever group it's in. Or late game if I don't need to worry about deny buildings, towers might be on 2, 3, 4, etc.
As Demo I put scout felhound on 2 and scorp on 3 at the start. When I have dubs and I kite titan at mid with 2 scorps, one goes on 2 the other on 3. RC is on 4, shelters on 5 and workers on 9.
By kiting I mean I attack Titan with both scorpions (I know that's not what they're officially called in-game btw) and when he goes towards one, I run with it while still attacking with the other. And vice versa. Good micro practice.
I only really played Demo and Faerie since I came back ~2 weeks ago (and I was noob before then, years ago, when I last used to play), so I didn't have to hotkey other races that have other special mechanics (like Nat with all the warriors or Draenei with summoners, etc.).
Titan:
F1 - Main Titan.
F2-6 - While I try to avoid using these, it's second-nature to me due to playing lots of standard WC3. F1 is fine and I encourage using it to select Main Titan, but if you use F2-6 for minions, you will end up slipping up and selecting the wrong minion eventually when you have more than a few. (And I don't mean alcoholic beverages, but minions. Kek.) It becomes hard when you try to split up your minions throughout the map and not have them ever idling, but that's for a different topic
.1 (Siege) - Attacking units (usually Titan and highest level mini).
2 (Early game) - Scout chim.
2 (Siege) - Non-attacking units (usually all the other minis not in 1. This group excludes Chickens and anything else you might have - it only has minis.
2 (Otherwise) - Pearl mini / Chicken if Pearl not on main.
3 (Early game) - Phoenix or Shade.
3 (Siege) - All units (Main, Minis and Chickens - not Eyes or Mini Minis). Mainly used for chain nuking and pulling back.
4 (Always) - Mound and the three shops. (Thanks @Neco for shop hotkeys - shopping is now a breeze).
Note: I set Select Patron to T in CustomKeys.txt in WC3 directory. For standard WC3 I set it to Q but since that's a taken shop hotkey I had to change it for ID. And I guess I'll just fit this here, I use Z to open the select skill menu - it's also second nature now due to standard WC3.
5 (Always) - Mini minis or Spawns of Darkness (or whatever Demonicus' ability is called).
6 (Optional) - WW Chickens. When running them away or hiding them.
7 (Optional) - Non-WW Chickens. When running them away or hiding them. (Though if mini died, don't expect this non-WW chicken to live.)
8, 9, 0 (Always) - Floating Eyes.
Special - Hunting: Hunting is when you want to split your units to cover all escape routes of your prey. Usually early game after first mini. Sometimes late game if someone is daring enough to be on the map far from base.
1 (Hunting) - First hunter group (usually just main, maybe with a mini, depending on number of minis).
2 (Hunting) - Second hunter group (1-2 minis depending on number of minis).
3 (Hunting) - Third hunter group (1-2 minis depending on number of minis).
