OpenFront Hotkeys

This is a cheatsheet. It lists default keys so you can glance and click. It does not explain attack-ratio theory, camera habits, or when a City is S-tier. For that prose, use controls. Gold numbers for the same keys are on gold costs. Both lookup pages sit under the Tools Hub.

Most action bindings can be remapped in Settings → Keybindings. On macOS, read Ctrl as Cmd. Defaults below match the public client used at openfront.io.

Build and nuke number row

Tap once to arm x1. Tap the same key again to toggle x5 only for an existing structure upgrade or a loaded Atom Bomb. New structures, Hydrogen Bombs, and MIRVs stay x1 from the key. The radial menu still offers x1 / x5 / x10 / xMax when you need a precise batch.

Key	Default action
1	Build City
2	Build Factory
3	Build Port
4	Build Defense Post
5	Build Missile Silo
6	Build SAM Launcher
7	Build Warship
8	Atom Bomb (double-tap for x5 loaded tubes)
9	Hydrogen Bomb
0	MIRV
Enter	Confirm the armed unit under the cursor
U	Flip the launch arc of an armed Atom or Hydrogen
Esc	Cancel the build or nuke preview

Arm, move the cursor, left-click. Same-Silo bombs leave one tick apart; separate ready Silos can fire together. After a v33 MIRV, the Silo goes on cooldown — another 0 press will not print a second MIRV from that tube until it recovers.

Camera, attack, and menus

Key / mouse	Default action
W A S D	Pan
C	Center on your nation
Space (hold)	Alternate view: terrain and key points
Q or - / E or +	Zoom out / zoom in
T / Y	Decrease / increase attack ratio
Shift + wheel	Adjust attack ratio
G	Ground attack the tile under the cursor
Left-click	Attack border, send a transport, or place the armed building
Right-click	Cancel an active Warship or boat selection (v33.1+); otherwise open the radial menu
Ctrl + left-click	Open the build menu at that spot
Alt + left-click	Emote menu
Shift + drag	Box-select Warships
Wheel	Zoom
Middle-drag	Pan
Alt + R	Reset graphics

Left-click versus right-click can be swapped in Settings if you prefer “left click opens menu.”

Fast loops worth drilling

City under fire: keep the pointer near the border, tap 1, click a safe core tile, return to the front. Do not open the radial menu for a 125k City.

Choke: 4 then click the mountain pass. First post is 50k. Do not tap 4 five times on the same tile — posts do not stack and die on capture.

Shared Port/Factory: 3 then 2 is not two 125k buildings. The second in the pair is 250k. Check gold costs before a panic double-tap.

SAM race: 6 as soon as you see an enemy Silo. The first SAM needs about 30 seconds. Starting it after the missile warning is usually too late. v33 SAMs can intercept MIRV warheads; that still requires the launcher to exist.

Atom: bank 1.75M, 5 for the Silo, then 8 for the warhead. Double-tap 8 only when tubes are loaded and you actually want x5.

What this sheet will not do

It will not rank buildings. That is building tiers. It will not teach island Ports versus inland Factories — map archetypes and naval play. It will not replace nukes for Hydro versus SAM math. It will not replace controls for spawn-phase habits, betrayal clicks, or attack-ratio philosophy.

If a key in Settings does not match this table, trust your Settings. This page tracks defaults so new players share a language (“hit 4 on the choke”) with guides and streams. After you remap, write your own sticky note; do not edit this wiki table to your personal binds.

Keep gold costs next to this cheatsheet so every key has a price. When you forget which lookup page you wanted, the index is the Tools Hub. When you need sentences instead of a grid, leave this sheet and open controls.