Need advice on how to reduce the micro tax mid-late game

So I have really started to get better at unit preservation and micro to the point that in a recent 1v1 as Wehr vs USA I kept all 4 grenadiers alive, 2 ost, 2 Pumas, a 222, two pak, PG, command tank and an mg. my only casualties were an HMG and a half track. My strategy is this; I have 6 programmable buttons on mouse. 6-9 are my top control groups 6 is a sniper or light vehicle (later my most valuable tank if I no longer have either of the former), 7 is my first MG or light vehicle if I have both sniper and light vehicle. 8 is my MG and 9 is my special infantry (usually PG but sometimes assault gren). I divide all my line infantry equally between ctrl groups 1 and 2 and use my left hand to manage 1-5 ctrl group. 3 is all my AT guns and 4 is mortars and artillery. 5 is all my engineer units that way I can always select all available repair men and tell them to go to damaged armor. This worked really well in the aforementioned game but once my command tank hit the field I was so stressed with my micro as I was having to put all my pumas in one group, I had no group left for my MG, I had tons of inf but they were all over the map so I didn't feel I had much control over them. With so many infantry and armor I couldn't manage tactical retreats with any units lest I lose them in the commotion (I used to try tactical pull backs when I had lots of units with mediocre results). Now whenever I see one of my armor units get below 50% health I immediately hit reverse command and click my base on the mini map so I won't lose them. The exception is if I happen to be already on them when it happens in which case I will try to do a tactical maneuver if I think I can eliminate the threat first.

Is this the best method when good unit preservation leads to tons of units late game? I find when I start grouping armor in pairs it causes issues with pathing when trying to flank in narrow places. This can spell doom for my pumas and also stugs with no turret. Also what is best with infantry when they start to number 5+ groups? I play primarily as SU, Wehr and UKF.

Sorry for long post, really trying to take my game to the next level and I think this is my most inconsistent area.

Hey hannibalbarcajr

This part of the game is the most stressful and it needs a lot of practice. Even good skilled players struggle with this from time to time

But there is a little hint I can give to you, even if it sounds pretty easy.
Begin to watch replays or live games ingame and try to keep up to overwatch all units of one side.
Behave like you would be the player onto the field:
follow the sniper
listen to sounds and go fast the their point if needed
keep an eye onto the minimap and the unit icons
try to follow every attack and even look for flanking opportunities
etc.

The most important thing here is, that you got a lower stress lvl, you arent in the match as a player, just as a viewer.
You can slowly try to handle fast camera speed easier, to be more sensetive for sounds and get a better sense for danger.

Another good tip is the tactical map, you can see top tier players like luvnest using this map nearly every second. The reason is you got a better overview of nearly every situation onto the battlefield in just a second.

Even try to train you memory. If you can remember every step you ordered a unit to do, you can handle a better unit preservation in the late game. For sure it is getting harder the more units you got, but it shouldnt be a disadvantage for YOU to keep all units alive until the late game starts.
And also never stay with your camera onto one sport for a long time if nothing happens. Move your camera, look at your units, even if nothing is happening there. Repeat the units order to keep it easier in your mind.
The important thing here is, order nothing unnecessary, then it is easier to remember every position of your units.

And a last thing it, I just use the first 4 numbers for the most important units e.g. engis, main inf, tanks and a special unit like sniper.
You could try, for example to put all your main inf onto one hotkey, like 1, then press it and switch through them with the Tab button, for sure it needs some practice, but this is needed everywhere in the game
But this is just one way to do it! So it is not the sample solution

And last but not least dont be upsad if you lose cause of micro issues. Micro is the hardest thing in a game and nearly everyone does some mistakes in a long game. If you lose, rewatch the game and analyse your mistakes

Hope I could help

See you on the Battlefield

tactical map

tactical map

I used tactical map more than j look at regular screen, the issue is when I get lots and lots of armor and infantry together. I would only play in tactical map except sometimes you need to issue special orders to units and make sure your infantry grab cover instead of standing in middle of a road for instance

Hey hannibalbarcajr

This part of the game is the most stressful and it needs a lot of practice. Even good skilled players struggle with this from time to time

But there is a little hint I can give to you, even if it sounds pretty easy.
Begin to watch replays or live games ingame and try to keep up to overwatch all units of one side.
Behave like you would be the player onto the field:
follow the sniper
listen to sounds and go fast the their point if needed
keep an eye onto the minimap and the unit icons
try to follow every attack and even look for flanking opportunities
etc.

The most important thing here is, that you got a lower stress lvl, you arent in the match as a player, just as a viewer.
You can slowly try to handle fast camera speed easier, to be more sensetive for sounds and get a better sense for danger.

Another good tip is the tactical map, you can see top tier players like luvnest using this map nearly every second. The reason is you got a better overview of nearly every situation onto the battlefield in just a second.

Even try to train you memory. If you can remember every step you ordered a unit to do, you can handle a better unit preservation in the late game. For sure it is getting harder the more units you got, but it shouldnt be a disadvantage for YOU to keep all units alive until the late game starts.
And also never stay with your camera onto one sport for a long time if nothing happens. Move your camera, look at your units, even if nothing is happening there. Repeat the units order to keep it easier in your mind.
The important thing here is, order nothing unnecessary, then it is easier to remember every position of your units.

And a last thing it, I just use the first 4 numbers for the most important units e.g. engis, main inf, tanks and a special unit like sniper.
You could try, for example to put all your main inf onto one hotkey, like 1, then press it and switch through them with the Tab button, for sure it needs some practice, but this is needed everywhere in the game
But this is just one way to do it! So it is not the sample solution

And last but not least dont be upsad if you lose cause of micro issues. Micro is the hardest thing in a game and nearly everyone does some mistakes in a long game. If you lose, rewatch the game and analyse your mistakes

Hope I could help

See you on the Battlefield

I all certainly give that a try. Thanks. I like idea of all my infantry in one group. My middle mouse button is actually the Tab key so I can cycle units quickly but the problem I run into is some units have to run back to base and then if I give a command to all my infantry that will include under strength ones. What I have been doing for now is putting all infantry together then when I need them to converge for a push I order all infantry with one click then follow up by dragging rectangle at my base and clicks stop so my wounded units don't leave. Is that the best practice?

If I get you right you are struggling with the micro if all your inf units are in one group?

If I am right then the Tab tip goes on. Just tab to the hurt unit you want to retreat and give them the order. For sure it needs some practice, like I said before, but every maicro tip needs practice never give up
I personally prefer the mouse click onto the unit in the group. Through this I can avoid mistakes during retreat and it is pretty efficiency and accurate.

At least it depends onto your playstyle which the best strategy is. It is nonsense if you are working well onto one way you can handle, just to stop that and then trying a totally different way.
You have to feel comfortable with it and then it will work best
If you arent sure which methode you like the most or you dont feel comfortable with your current way to do it, try the way I do it by clicking.
There are also a lot of other ways to do it. I would recommend you to watch some streams of good gamers and learn from their way how to handle it, if you dont like one of the mentioned options
It also easier to see a method in action than just reading about it.

I always give my units controlgroup-numbers (1 2 3 4 ...)
The frontline units are nr 1, 2, 3 because they are the closest to my hand on the keyboard and need the moest 'babysitting'. PAK's, MG's, PW's, Katties are nr's 6,7,8, ... cause they tend to sit in the back and don't need that much babysitting.

I watch my unit icons in the top left corner a lot, so in that way I can see when my units are in trouble and need to retreat.

I also change my numbers (so nr 1 is not always the same unit throughout the game). It depends on the thing I'm doing at that moment. Am I going for a tankrush? I'll give my tanks number 1, 2, 3 and leave the inantry on other numbers.

That way, I always have quick control over the units that are in the heat of the battle.