Simple Tips for Countering Strikes: CS:GO

A list of simple tips, hints and tricks to help you get the most out of your competetive games. Also includes common mistakes you might make, and simple strategies you can employ. And look, I'm even drawing pictures!

Welcome

Well hello there

If you're like me, then you like Counter Strike.Your friends love Counter Strike. Everyone loves Counter Strike! If you're like me, though, then you've been playing long enough to notice those small trends and mistakes made by you an your teammates that add up to lost rounds, games, and ranks- especially in silver ranks. But that's okay! Even I screw up half the time. That said, I thought I'd put a few tips and tricks together in a guide to help players both old and new, with the help of my good pal Wellbasically[wellbasicaly.tumblr.com] (who's been playing the game a lot longer than I have, and knows a lot more technical jargon than I do).

And look, I'm even drawing pictures!

Gear up-

Half of Counter Strike's gameplay revolves around the guns in your hand and the grenades around your belt. What you choose and how you use can alter your play-style, tactics and team-play. And you thought you just shot bullets, didn't you?

• BUDGET UP. When buying guns at the start of the round, it's usually not a good idea to use 100% of your cash, especially if you're losing. If you do spend all of your money in one round, what happens if you lose? You'll start the next round with barely enough for armour and a new pistol. Keeping some cash in the bank for better gear in later rounds can really help.
  
• CONTROL YOUR SPRAY. Especially with higher-recoil Terrorist weapons, holding down the trigger and firing on full-auto won't help to hit your target. Tapping the left mouse button will fire in shorter 'bursts' will give you better accuracy in your shots, especially when compared to spraying like a garden hose. Remember, in most cases, an AK-47 shot to the head results in an instant kill. Try to hit as many shots as you can, instead of trying to fire as many shots as you can.
  
• CO-ORDINATE YOUR GEAR. Try to buy gear that suits what gear your teammates already have, or where you intend to go. For instance, if you know someone on your team already has an AWP (The big green sniper, for those unsure), it's generally a bad idea to have more than one on a team, depending on the map. AWPers can kill enemies from long ranges in a single shot, but can barely defend themselves at close range. If everyone on your team has an AWP, then the other team can co-ordinate to fight a more close-range battle.
  It's also worth considering what route you're going to take or site you're going to attack/defend. There's no use buying a shotgun if you plan on storming a long-range area, but they could be useful for protecting/storming cramped corridors and chokepoints.
  
• GOTTA TRAIN 'EM ALL. Even if you can't snipe with a rifle to save your life (like me, for instance), it's still a good idea to try and get used to each weapon- know how they work, what kind of shooting works best, how accurate they are, etc. Some research may be required for this.
  Knowing how to use each weapon type can come in handy when you're forced to use them.
  
• SMOKE RESPONSIBLY. Smoke grenades can be invaluable to a team's strategy, but then again can end up doing more harm than good. When throwing a smoke grenade, ask yourself- Am I blocking vision for my team? Could enemies move AROUND the smoke? What does smoking this area accomplish?. Smoking areas can provide cover for your teammates, or block vision from your enemies. It can prevent enemy snipers from being effective, and can force enemies to move out into the open. They can extinguish fire, too!
  
• 10/10 CAN BANG. Flashbangs are one of the other non-damaging grenades available, and they too can be used strategically and effectively- or stupidly with great cost to the player. Again, when planning to throw the nades, ask yourself- What does throwing this accomplish? Will it affect my teammates? Will the enemies be able to turn away in time? Flashbangs obscure enemy vision, so charging towards them while they're blind is an optimal move- although they can still shoot. If an enemy or your teammate has an arm covering their eyes or face, it means they're affected by the flashbang, so check for this when making an attack. Efficient enemies can turn away from flashbangs, and so can you. Use them wisely.
  
• THE ROUND ONES EXPLODE. HE Explosive grenades are great for dealing damage to packed groups of enemies, enemies in cover or around corners, or enemies without armour (during the first round, for instance). Unlike most other grenades, these grenades need to be near their victims to take effect. It's also probably a good time to mention-
  
• HEY, LISTEN! Different grenades make different noises. They also have unique shapes, but that may be difficult to understand if they're far away or out of vision. Smoke Grenades clatter like a spray can when they bounce, Explosive grenades go 'tink' (before they go 'BOOM'), and molotovs clink like glass (hey, you try to explain sounds with words. It's hard, yo). The only grenades that have the same noise/shape are Flashbang's and Decoys, so it's possible to fool your enemies into staring at a wall with a Decoy (although some players may not. It's a subjective thing. Be careful). A lot of elements of Counter Strike have distinct noises (Grenades, AWPs, footsteps, etc), so listen in and you might be able to predict enemy strategies and counter attack before they even happen.

-and Move Out!

If half of Counter Strike is shooting guns, then the other half is... everything else. Where you stand, how you stand, and how you get to your stand-y point can rock a game one way or the other. What you do on the field is crucial. Here's how to do it better-

• DON'T BAIT. People would yell at me for this before I had any idea what I was actually doing. Apparently, 'Baiting' is the act of leading a teammate into enemies, thinking you'll cover their backs. This generally leads them into tough enemy resitance by themselves, essentially killing them. If you're not going to push out into danger, give them a heads up using Voice Commands or a microphone. Communication is key here.
  Although, if you DO end up baiting, at least learn from the experience. Your teammate would have been able to reveal how many enemies are present via the minimap, and can tell you how much damage they managed to deal before they died. Don't let their death go without purpose.
  
• KNOW WHEN TO PEEK. 'Peeking', another fancy CS:GO term, is the act of peeking around a corner to scope out the enemy, where they are and what they have. However, when peeking, you leave yourself vulnerable with little chance to counter attack, especially if they have an AWPer. If you know they have a sniper, take extra caution. Throwing a flashbang can distract or blind enemies, giving you a good chance to peek clearly.
  
• KNOW WHEN TO ECO. (New guide idea: Stupid CS:GO terms 101). To 'Eco' a round is to play the round without buying weapons or gear, or maybe some cheap stuff in small amounts. What this does is save what little money you have, so you can buy better gear next round. It also means your enemies can't pick up your weapons and grenades if you do buy/die. On the off chance that you win an eco round, you can also pick up your enemies guns and gear. Free guns are never bad, right?
  
• CROUCH WITH CAUTION. Yes, crouching can improve your accuracy, but it also slows down your movement speed. When caught out in a firefight, mobility is generally more important than a slight accuracy boost (which doesn't mean you should run and shoot at the same time- only that you should have the option to run to cover quickly, if you need to. Crouching reduces your ability to do this). Also, in lower levels of Silver Ranks, most people aim for the chest or the body. If you crouch, this'll put their crosshairs over your head, and I will laugh at you through my computer screen.
  
• LEARN THE CALLS. Position is important, and knowing where to go is twice as. If someone in your team says, "They're all at Outers! Go Outers!" and you don't know where that is, you'll be bumbling around lost while the Balkan Terrorists blow up the Nuke. The top left of your screen, above the minimap, will display a message of what your location is called. If you don't know where to go, ask. These are questions you'll only need to ask once.
  
• WORK AS A TEAM. Where you go isn't important, as long as you work as a team. When as Counter Terrorists, teams are usually split to two per site, as well as one extra down a middle lane or alternate position, and Terrorists usually move as a group. Tell people where you're going, and cover the bases that need to be covered.
  
• STICK TO THE PLAN. During those first few seconds of each round, it's a good idea to discuss where everyone's gonna go. Especially playing as Terrorists, it doesn't matter which bomb site you go to, as long as you go together. If someone has a mic and starts calling the shots, just let them. Unless they tell you to run down the field with your knife drawn, their plans should be straightforward enough.
  
• KEEP IT FRESH. If you keep making the same plays every round, your enemy can start to see the patterns and work around them. Likewise, if your enemies keep dominating you with their own plays, work around them instead.

Out of Office

Outside the confides of the war on terror, people are people. Here a just a few things you can do that aren't strictly 'Gameplay Based' that can add to your Striking Experience-

• IT 'AINT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER. Losing the first round does not mean you'll lose the entire game. Likewise, winning fourteen rounds in a row does not guarantee victory. Don't call GG until anyone's got at least 16 wins under their belt. Comebacks can be made by anyone.
  
• DON'T BE A TOSSER-IST. Or Counter Tosser-ist, for that matter. If you're a jerk, people will lose morale, give up, disconnect or even just shoot you on sight. If someone else is screwing up, tell them what they're doing wrong in a way that encourages them to do better. I know that sounds like a 3rd Grade Teacher line, but it's the simplest advice I can give. Don't be an ass.
  
• SKINS DO NOT EQUAL WINS. Sure, they look cool, but just because you have a Field Tested Forest DDPAT Butterfly Knife doesn't mean you're the best gamer on the planet.
  
• PRACTICE UP. Don't be that guy who jumps straight into competetive matches on their first game. Counter Strike is a technical game, and can be very intimidating for newer players. Instead of jumping straight into competetive games, play Casual or Deathmatch games for a couple hours first. While they won't give you the best representation of tactics, they'll show you how the maps work and how the guns feel to use. I repeat: Don't jump straight into Competetive Games.
  
• HAVE FUN. It's a freakin' game, guys. Don't lose your cool over imaginary guns and meaningless ranks. Just embrace the joy that comes with shootin' dudes in the face, alright? Who knows, you might even have a good time.
  
• DON'T HACK. If you're a fan of my guides, you'll remember that my tip for Payday 2 was "Hack Respectfully". That is not the case here. Hacking is a serious offence in CS:GO. Unlike other games, if you get caught hacking, you'll recieve a Valve Anti Cheat (VAC) ban, which poses as an unremovable red mark on your CS:GO profile. People won't trade with you, they'll berate you in games, and it's something that cannot be removed. Also, any wins you do recieve while hacking will be removed while from your history, and everyone on your team. Your hacking exploits will amount to nothing in the end, anyway. Also- why even bother? Practice up, learn the game- get good. Earn those ranks. Anyone can do it.

Giraffe

Well, that's about all the wisdom this Sassy SAS has to offer. Get out there, practice up and kick some ass. You can do it! I believe in you! HAVE FUN.

If you've got a tip of your own, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Now, watch as I blatantly promote myself over the internet.

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[✪ vol]

Great guide! I'll be sure to think about this stuff in-game. By the way, what MM rank are you?

[C-Dog]

nice photo:D

[bg]

nice pics man :) guide good too

[Gasman The 69 Legend]

I love your drawing skills :).Also a really nice guide I had quite alot of problems but you solved them,happily for me.

[Assist King]

Kids, say no to drugs.

[Facelet]

nice guide for new player ! I also like your drawing's here, have a key

[Dog Doin]

o yea great guide <3

[Dog Doin]

pls sign my cyrex

[a.u]

Great guide

[Rizzem - veryeasy.win]

No 360 no-scoping tutorial, bahahhah noob guide.