CnC Red Alert Master Class: Building 1

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This post is the first in a series on how to play red alert at a pro* level.

Whoever builds the most the fastest wins - Milo234 (2006). 


Building fast is the most important skill of Red Alert.

Nobody ever consistently places their buildings down perfectly and probably never will (not even the very best pros). Even when training, it is very hard to do but in a real game with distractions it's currently impossible for humanity. Perhaps with some ai/genetic augmentation in future? 

An error is any avoidable delay. Here is a list of errors players make:

  • Menu is far from building place (horizontally adjacent is best);
  • Resolution is not set at 640x400 (higher resolution = less accurate);
  • Slow clicking (you must click everything as fast as you can, all the time);
  • Slow mouse movement (your wrist must snap when placing buildings); 
  • Slow menu scrolling (use your mouse wheel);
  • Not using keyboard arrow keys for precise screen (and therefore menu) movement;
  • Inaccurate building placement; and
  • Too fast/slow mouse and scroll settings.

You should be able to move your mouse across the whole screen with one full wrist movement. If you use arm movements instead with a giant mousepad, your accuracy will be higher but with slower speed. Find your personal balance.

I use the following settings in Windows 11 with a basic mouse:


For players wanting to reach the absolute building speed limit, you should use drag and drop instead of double click. It is very hard to consistently do, but whoever masters this will become unbeatable!

Practice building fast on the map Power Race to hone your skills:


Further reading:

*I define pro as anyone who can hang with the recognised top players.

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