Burst Fire
Because Counter-Strike tries to simulate the recoil of actual guns, the longer you hold down the trigger the less accurate your rounds become. Unless you are at point blank range, after the first few shots you will likely just be blasting ammunition into the wild blue yonder, well over the heads of the enemy. To prevent this, and make your ammo count for something, it is a common practice in Counter-Strike to fire in short bursts of only two or three rounds, giving you a chance steady up for the next shot.
Compensate for Recoil
It may seem like common sense, but if you know that your weapon is going to recoil, it helps to compensate for it as best you can, typically by aiming down a little. Of course, the longer you press the trigger, the more difficult it will become to compensate adequately, so this is most effective when combined with burst fire as described above.
Plan Your Reloads
Reloading is one of the elements that differentiates Counter-Strike from some of the earlier FPSes. When your gun runs out of ammo, you must replace the clip, and although this can be done quite quickly, it often makes the difference between life and death. Try not to jump into an O.K. Corral style shoot-out without a fully loaded weapon, and when the time comes to reload, it's nice to have somewhere that you're not a sitting duck to do it.
Keep Your Pistol Handy
On a similar note, since you can switch weapons faster than you can reload in most FPSes, a quick weapon change at a critical moment can turn around the confrontation. We've all seen two players empty their guns into (or near) each other and almost simultaneously run out of ammo. Sometimes a good Counter-Strike player will finish the enemy off with his pistol or even his knife rather than wait for a reload.
Customize Your Controls
Making fast weapon changes and pulling off more complex maneuvers swiftly is greatly facilitated by customizing game controls and using scripts. Every player seems to have a personal preference when it comes to key combinations, and having the commands you need at your fingertips will speed up your gameplay considerably, although you will have to experiment with different configurations. Many experts have a custom configuration for each different class that they play.
Strategic Jumping
When you're in an open area or you know there are snipers targeting you, it's important to move around as much and as unpredictably as possible. Jumping, but not too regularly, can force the enemy to aim vertically as well as horizontally, or it can, if you're lucky, turn what would have been a head shot into something a little less damaging. That said, some players are prone to jumping continuously, even when out of harm's way, which can make you look like an idiot.
Sticking together
I can't stress this enough. You shouldn't be anywhere without a buddy unless your only goal is to make a bunch of noise as a distraction. If you get taken out before you can pass on any info to your team, you have failed to bring anything to the game. All they have from this is really just the left-overs, your gun & items.
Flashes
Unless you are broke, EVERY SINGLE player on your team should have two flashes. This game isn't meant for you to wade into three camping enemies and gun them all down without dying. It's meant for you to use their lack of mobility to your advantage. Call for flashes if you are out, don't run around a blind corner without one. Don't let flashes go to waste because you know it might not have been effective as much as you'd hoped. At least use the opportunity to get a peak around the corner, or to set-up for another flash.
Terrorists on bomb-sites
T's CANNOT afford to get caught in gun-fights for any length of time. It then comes down to a straight death-match. When up against someone who has the advantage of more accurate fire you will most likely lose. It's a gamble you shouldn't be taking.
Flanking
A good tactic to use is to pin the enemy down, One guy keeps them busy, the others go around. The one guy can make a whole bunch of noise to mask the approach of the other team. Straight-up fights are challenging but not if your aim is steady and accurate. I find shooting someone in the back of the head is much easier but lamer than 'spray n praying' at them and hoping for the best.
Getting pinned-down
If two of your team mates run around a corner and get picked off by snipers, the first thing you don't want to do is follow them! If you do you will just be an Easy Target for the enemy snipers that have their Cross Hairs on that position waiting for you to run out. Try to move somewhere where you can cover that area well a place where enemies can't attack you so well from other directions.
Blocking
If a team mate gets into a fire-fight and needs to retreat, don't block him by either running through the same door/position he went or by trying to steal his/her kill, I have seen some people do that and to me and it gets really annoying. Make his escape as easy as possible.
Knowing your position
There's a long buy-time for a reason. If a plan is made, and you ask why everyone is running a certain way, then you have failed even the most basic concept of "tactics." Learn your position and your team's positions before the match even starts so you have no chance of getting mixed up through the game.
Cover your areas
If there are 4 T's/CT's in a group and no one is watching a certain important position then you should spread out a little. E.g. Dust2 and all your team are watching A site and one is playing middle to keep an eye on things. Get at least 2 players to watch B otherwise your vulnerable because its hard to watch 2 places at once. Also you should watch your radar especially in matches, I have noticed people TKing (team killing) each other because someone pops around the corner and you don't look at your radar to see who it is instead your fire first & check after, not the way to go!
Rushing
T's go for a bomb rush, you have the bomb. You get to the site and it's crawling with CTs. What do you do? As soon as you get the chance you should attempt to plant the bomb. If the guy planting the bomb gets killed and you were closest to him try to pick off the enemy if he retreats get the bomb down. As soon as the bomb is down hold off the enemies for as long as possible so they have no time to diffuse it. The whole point of a rush is to get the bomb down before the CTs can get into defensible positions. You have team mates that should be doing the shooting for you, let them. Having the bomb down is a powerful weapon in itself. That ticking drives the CT's to run in to disarm it. They will even run in one-by-one if they aren't thinking smart.
A basic NS strat is: when faced with a superior foe, force him into a position where he either:
1. Has to meet you in combat on your terms.
2. Has been stripped of his ability to determine the outcome of the game.
If CT's are busy trying to pick off randomly firing at T's they can't disarm the bomb. You don't have to kill them just keep them busy for a certain amount of time so they can't diffuse even with a diffuser kit.
Please post your opinion.
Request for sticky.
Because Counter-Strike tries to simulate the recoil of actual guns, the longer you hold down the trigger the less accurate your rounds become. Unless you are at point blank range, after the first few shots you will likely just be blasting ammunition into the wild blue yonder, well over the heads of the enemy. To prevent this, and make your ammo count for something, it is a common practice in Counter-Strike to fire in short bursts of only two or three rounds, giving you a chance steady up for the next shot.
Compensate for Recoil
It may seem like common sense, but if you know that your weapon is going to recoil, it helps to compensate for it as best you can, typically by aiming down a little. Of course, the longer you press the trigger, the more difficult it will become to compensate adequately, so this is most effective when combined with burst fire as described above.
Plan Your Reloads
Reloading is one of the elements that differentiates Counter-Strike from some of the earlier FPSes. When your gun runs out of ammo, you must replace the clip, and although this can be done quite quickly, it often makes the difference between life and death. Try not to jump into an O.K. Corral style shoot-out without a fully loaded weapon, and when the time comes to reload, it's nice to have somewhere that you're not a sitting duck to do it.
Keep Your Pistol Handy
On a similar note, since you can switch weapons faster than you can reload in most FPSes, a quick weapon change at a critical moment can turn around the confrontation. We've all seen two players empty their guns into (or near) each other and almost simultaneously run out of ammo. Sometimes a good Counter-Strike player will finish the enemy off with his pistol or even his knife rather than wait for a reload.
Customize Your Controls
Making fast weapon changes and pulling off more complex maneuvers swiftly is greatly facilitated by customizing game controls and using scripts. Every player seems to have a personal preference when it comes to key combinations, and having the commands you need at your fingertips will speed up your gameplay considerably, although you will have to experiment with different configurations. Many experts have a custom configuration for each different class that they play.
Strategic Jumping
When you're in an open area or you know there are snipers targeting you, it's important to move around as much and as unpredictably as possible. Jumping, but not too regularly, can force the enemy to aim vertically as well as horizontally, or it can, if you're lucky, turn what would have been a head shot into something a little less damaging. That said, some players are prone to jumping continuously, even when out of harm's way, which can make you look like an idiot.
Sticking together
I can't stress this enough. You shouldn't be anywhere without a buddy unless your only goal is to make a bunch of noise as a distraction. If you get taken out before you can pass on any info to your team, you have failed to bring anything to the game. All they have from this is really just the left-overs, your gun & items.
Flashes
Unless you are broke, EVERY SINGLE player on your team should have two flashes. This game isn't meant for you to wade into three camping enemies and gun them all down without dying. It's meant for you to use their lack of mobility to your advantage. Call for flashes if you are out, don't run around a blind corner without one. Don't let flashes go to waste because you know it might not have been effective as much as you'd hoped. At least use the opportunity to get a peak around the corner, or to set-up for another flash.
Terrorists on bomb-sites
T's CANNOT afford to get caught in gun-fights for any length of time. It then comes down to a straight death-match. When up against someone who has the advantage of more accurate fire you will most likely lose. It's a gamble you shouldn't be taking.
Flanking
A good tactic to use is to pin the enemy down, One guy keeps them busy, the others go around. The one guy can make a whole bunch of noise to mask the approach of the other team. Straight-up fights are challenging but not if your aim is steady and accurate. I find shooting someone in the back of the head is much easier but lamer than 'spray n praying' at them and hoping for the best.
Getting pinned-down
If two of your team mates run around a corner and get picked off by snipers, the first thing you don't want to do is follow them! If you do you will just be an Easy Target for the enemy snipers that have their Cross Hairs on that position waiting for you to run out. Try to move somewhere where you can cover that area well a place where enemies can't attack you so well from other directions.
Blocking
If a team mate gets into a fire-fight and needs to retreat, don't block him by either running through the same door/position he went or by trying to steal his/her kill, I have seen some people do that and to me and it gets really annoying. Make his escape as easy as possible.
Knowing your position
There's a long buy-time for a reason. If a plan is made, and you ask why everyone is running a certain way, then you have failed even the most basic concept of "tactics." Learn your position and your team's positions before the match even starts so you have no chance of getting mixed up through the game.
Cover your areas
If there are 4 T's/CT's in a group and no one is watching a certain important position then you should spread out a little. E.g. Dust2 and all your team are watching A site and one is playing middle to keep an eye on things. Get at least 2 players to watch B otherwise your vulnerable because its hard to watch 2 places at once. Also you should watch your radar especially in matches, I have noticed people TKing (team killing) each other because someone pops around the corner and you don't look at your radar to see who it is instead your fire first & check after, not the way to go!
Rushing
T's go for a bomb rush, you have the bomb. You get to the site and it's crawling with CTs. What do you do? As soon as you get the chance you should attempt to plant the bomb. If the guy planting the bomb gets killed and you were closest to him try to pick off the enemy if he retreats get the bomb down. As soon as the bomb is down hold off the enemies for as long as possible so they have no time to diffuse it. The whole point of a rush is to get the bomb down before the CTs can get into defensible positions. You have team mates that should be doing the shooting for you, let them. Having the bomb down is a powerful weapon in itself. That ticking drives the CT's to run in to disarm it. They will even run in one-by-one if they aren't thinking smart.
A basic NS strat is: when faced with a superior foe, force him into a position where he either:
1. Has to meet you in combat on your terms.
2. Has been stripped of his ability to determine the outcome of the game.
If CT's are busy trying to pick off randomly firing at T's they can't disarm the bomb. You don't have to kill them just keep them busy for a certain amount of time so they can't diffuse even with a diffuser kit.
Please post your opinion.
Request for sticky.
Last edited:
