What kinds of keybinds are recommended to access all ability buttons in combat?

Reaching over to press the 6-0 button, or reaching up to press the F1-5 buttons are just not viable in the midst of combat where you have to keep moving with the movement keys.So is there any standard of recommended layout that people have come up to deal with this problem?

To make things super easy, You’ll want to get yourself a gaming mouse, or some peripheral which is fully customisable first of all. I found that using just a standard keyboard/mouse for MMOs just did not work efficiently if you wanted true fluidity in combat, summons, and movement.I use a mouse with 17 buttons, so all my skill bar is under my right thumb, and my F1-3 are the wheel click and top buttons. F4, which is least used, is button 12 on my thumb pad.

There may be other setups that allow you to just use standard peripherals, but all will feel clunky until you gain muscle memory of it. The gaming mouse removes that as everything is in close proximity under your thumb/middle finger.

17 buttons on a mouse? I wasn't aware that such insanity existed.

I'd rather not have to buy new equipment if I can avoid it.

I have a logitech gameboard I don't use, that I could hook up if it would make a difference:https://www.techrabbit.com/logitech-g13-programmable-gameboard-21482.html?sku=LOG-G13-BK-B1&condition=271&source=301000100But aside from ergonomics, I'm not sure what else it gives me. I could just remap the keyboard to put the buttons closer to my movement keys.

I did have a logitech G9 with multiple buttons but it broke. So the best I have is two side mouse buttons and a mouse wheel on another mouse.

I also have the timberwolf keyboard, which I never really liked because the buttons are too far apart and there are no F keys.https://www.amazon.com/WolfKing-DK2588U-Timberwolf-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B000F0E2Z4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8So right now I'm using a normal keyboard.

2 common options are to use 1-5 and Shift+1-5 or to put the movement keys one row over (E, S, D, F) and put the skills around them. But I think everyone has a slightly different setup depending on what they find comfortable and what they're used to from other games.

I use the number pad, and the arrow keys to move, but that probably only works if you're left-handed.

It's all about having the important skills accessible at any time. This differs between professions, so learn which are important to yours.

You don't need fancy equipment, but I would surely recommend getting a mouse with atleast 2 buttons + the mousewheel, as this takes a tremendous amount of strain off your keyboard hand. If you bind smart you can still do decent with a regular mouse (remember SHIFT can combo with other keys).

As a starting point you can take a look at the developers streaming and search youtube for the old PvP tournaments to get a few basic ideas of an efficient setup - these are time proven. Although some binds will remain hidden, I strongly suggest you play around until you find what keys work best for you.

Tip for a competitive environment is there are a few non-skill actions you'll want to be able to reach easily:

• Next target (to always stay on target and not hit anything accidentally or move unintended directions)
• Swap Weapon (to either swap or cancel a cast)
• Stow Weapon (cancels cast when you see it will not hit to save cooldowns)
• About face (turns you around 180, allowing backwards moving skills to send you forward coupled with free camera. Combo is hold right mouse button and W all the way through, use key for about face, hit the skill)
• Dodge (double tap will be too slow in higher rankings and against boss mechanics)

I'd been struggling with the keybinds for some time, too. There are several recommendations and layouts, but in the end you'll have to find something that works for you.Depending on the size of your hands and keyboard, that can be very different from the standard layouts.

After some trial and error, lots of setting and resetting, I am quite happy with my current layout. I've moved the movement to ESDF so there are more keys available next to it. The healing skill had to be some kind of panic button, so very close and easy to reach. The other utility skills and elite skill are also near the movement keys. I've reassigned dodging to the mouse wheel which works fine for me. As I play scourge a lot I need to have good access to F1-F5. All of those are now bound to mouse keys as well. Yes, I've bought a new mouse for this. It's really worth it. However, if you have larger hands or a small keyboard and you can reach more keys easily, then you can surely rebind all the keys necessary to the keyboard without bothering with new equipment.

I use WASD side for movement, dodges, etc... I use the keypad on the right for skillbar and F keys. It just barely works (sorry, I don't know how to make a table)

NUMPAD 1-9 = Regular 1-9NUMPAD * = Regular 0Numpad 0 = F1Nunpad . = F2Numpad Enter = F3Numpad + = F4Numpad - = F5Numpad / = Weapon swap

@Fenella.2634 said:The healing skill had to be some kind of panic button, so very close and easy to reach.

I thought I was the only one who referred to heal as the panic button! Mine is bound to 0 on the number pad for the same reason - it's big and easy to find.

I have a standard mouse, so I use ESDF for movement and put my keybinds around that. 1-6 for 5 wep skills and heal, qwrt for utility and elite skills. a,g,shift,\ ,b for profession skills. v,middle mouse for swap wep and dodge.

People who use the number pad, I'm really struggling to work out how that works. If you're using WASD (or ESDF or whatever) with your left hand and the mouse with your right hand, then what do you use to press keys on the number pad? I assume you don't have three hands, so I think I must be missing something...

Personally I still use the default controls, except for having R for the special action skill and Shift+1,2,3,4 for the mounts. I know I should change, but I'm a bit concerned that, after six years playing like that, overcoming my muscle memory will be more of a challenge than playing the game with bad keybinds.

I'm guessing that people who use both the WASD and the num pad don't use the mouse.... I can't figure out how else it would work. Though, I'd be interested to hear it explained.

Personally, I have my keybinds set like this:Weapon swap `Weapon skills 1-5Utility skills Shift+1-Shift+5 (and also bound to side buttons 2-6 on my mouse)Dodge V (and also side button 1 on my mouse)Profession bar Shift+F, G, Shift+G, T, Shift+TExtra button Ctrl+GAbout face ZInteract F (unrelated, but I really wish this would also work to accept the "yes" option on confirmation boxes)