StarCraft 2: Sphyriel’s Tips for Stronger Hands and Possibly Higher APM

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First of all, who the hell doesn’t love the hell out of this game? The answer is no one (if you don’t like this game, then just know that you’ll burn in hell for all eternity and Jesus does in fact hate you). Now that I’ve gotten the obvious out of the way, lets get to the meat of this discussion.

StarCraft 2 is one of the most competitive, well-known, and entertaining games out on the market. Blizzard does a great job of making things balanced and overall I rarely hear any complaints about it. The real complaint is that people lose and it pisses them off (Me included). I’m not going to list off a zillion ways to improve your game (I will say that hotkey usage is the key to becoming good. PS: please don’t blast me in the comments for stating the obvious).

One thing that is focused on in the professional circuit is a player’s “APM” (actions per minute). You see people playing and hear the click clacks of their mechanical keyboards and think that you’ll never reach this level. This is only partly true (Anyone can get a high apm it just takes dedication and lots of practice. What you do with a high apm is what makes you a great player).

I’m gonna throw you my two cents on how to get a better APM. The key is muscle memory. If you’re a proficient typist, it will be a plus in this game. Wait! You only really need one hand for the hot keys. Here’s where my two cents comes in. In order to get your hands strong and full of endurance, you need to train them using a typing program. I have just the one for you! It’s free, online, and it is awesome. It even allows you to practice typing all characters in the left hand position (Well mostly all characters. You’ll need to train yourself to use the control, tab, and alt commands.). Here’s the link: http://www.freetypinggame.net/default.asp   This is a great tool for working your hands or even warming them up for a match.

This site can be weird to navigate at first so I’ll let you in on my secret routine. First, I go to the free typing tests area. From here I select #14 in the lesson pull down menu (this focuses just on your left hand in the standard left hand position). I always change the time to 5 minutes. This is important because SC2 games can last quite awhile so the longer the better. Finally, start the test. This a great way to build muscle memory and endurance in your hands. I also do another test afterwards focusing on both my hands (I like to warm up both hands). For this I use one of the classic tales lessons, which begins on #26. Don’t forget to always set the time to 5 minutes.

I hope this helps you SC2 players out there. I know it helps me. Again this is only my opinion and has nothing to do with strategy or tactics (For those subjects consult one of the many online guides). This has to do with getting your hands stronger and faster.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment and tell me your favorite training techniques for StarCraft 2. PS: If anyone wants my battle.net ID let me know in the comments.

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