Half-Life Counter Strike
Weapons and Tactics Guide v.08
by Mochan MOSQUITON@CROSSWINDS.NET
last modified 3-11-2001
===============================================================================
Best viewed on a text processor with a fixed size font, width of 79 characters.
===============================================================================
MISSION STATEMENT
This file is meant specifically for the Counter Strike player who is getting
trounced all the time from lack of experience and/or knowledge of tactics.
I am sharing in this guide all the tricks to help you even out the playing
field.
You can try out all the other guides floating around, but I will be a big
rat bastard and tell you that mine is the best to pick up. ^_^
But that's just me talking. Go see for yourself.
This FAQ is also designed to make my name a household name and to
promote the [gulay] way of life everywhere. By reading this FAQ you
have condemned yourself to become a vegetable. Have a nice day.
===============================================================================
E-MAIL POLICY
******* IMPORTANT! READ THIS BEFORE E-MAILING ME ANYTHING *******
I have created a Mailing List for this guide. I strongly urge you to mail
Anything you have to say there instead of to me. See mailing list info
below.
If you want to mail me anyway, mail to MOSQUITON@CROSSWINDS.NET but
PLEASE add a tag to the subject header [CS FAQ] Make sure to use that tag
exactly as I type it, all caps!
[CS FAQ]
Don't forget.
[CS FAQ]
This will help me sort out all CS-related e-mail. Anyone who does
not follow this rule might not receive an answer. >_<
===============================================================================
ANNOUNCEMENTS
===============================================================================
Some News:
The CS Weapons and Tactics Guide has its own mailing list! See the Mailing
List section. Yes, now there is no need for me to have a news section. This
is the last time you will see this part of the guide.
Since the last version (v.07) I have:
- Canned the History section! Who cares about ancient history?! It's just
making the guide larger than it should be. But if anyone wants it back....
New Techniques:
- AK-47 in-depth weapon guide
Revised:
- FN Para factoids
- Arctic Technique: Shun Satsu Sen (elaborated further on its usage)
===============================================================================
MAILING LIST
===============================================================================
The Half Life: Counter Strike Weapons and Tactics Guide has its own mailing
list! This is primarily for people who wanted me to send them updates as soon
as I finished writing.
From now on, I will be sending a message to the mailing list whenever a new
version of the guide is available. You can then scoot over to my webpage where
I have stashed latest version (or to GameFAQs, whichever gets it up first).
I would have invited you all to join the ML, but I can't remember everyone who
wrote in! Sorry!
You can also use the mailing list to voice out whatever you want to say about
Counter Strike, playing it, and the guide itself. It is also a good way to
contact me. This way, I can keep my e-mail account to myself, heheh. Don't
expect much traffic at the ML, though. I'm not sure if people will be wanting
to subscribe and write in. It's really just there for updates.
To subscribe to the list, send mail to CSFAQML-SUBSCRIBE@YAHOOGROUPS.COM
To post to the list, send mail to CSFAQML@YAHOOGROUPS.COM
The homepage of the list is at -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CSFAQML
Any other info about the list, such as unsubscribing, should be found there.
===============================================================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
===============================================================================
MISSION STATEMENT
E-MAIL POLICY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MAILING LIST
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
1.a -- How to Use this Guide
II. BASIC FIGHTING ATTITUDE
III. BASIC COMBAT TRAINING
3.a -- Camping or Assaulting
3.b -- Aiming: Accuracy and Recoil
3.b1 - The Rule of Aiming
3.c -- Basic Shooting Styles
3.d -- Range
3.e -- Damage: Ammo and Location
3.e1 - Ammo
3.e2 - Location
3.e3 - Armor
3.f -- Stopping Power
IV. THE WEAPONS
4.a -- Pistols
4.b -- Shotguns
4.c -- Submachine Guns
4.d -- Rifles
4.f -- Machine Guns
4.g -- Other Equipment
4.h -- Weapon Movement Speeds
V. COUNTER-STRIKE TECHNIQUES
5.a -- General Techniques
5.a1 - Listening
5.a2 - Weapon Switching
5.a2a - Super Weapon Switching
5.a3 - Radar
5.a3a -- Cheap Night Vision
5.a4 - Miscellaneous Console Commands
5.a4a -- Sensitivity
5.a4b -- Crosshair
5.a4c -- Quick Weapon Switching
5.a4d -- Mouse Filter
5.a4e -- Binding Technique
5.a4f -- On the Fly Config Switch
5.a5 - Speed Buying Technique
5.a6 - End Reloading Technique
5.a7 - Bunny Hopping
5.b -- Defensive Techniques
5.b1 - Side Stepping
5.b2 - Ducking
5.b3 - Jumping
5.b4 - Shadow Technique
5.b5 - Hit and Run Technique
5.b6 - Crowd Defense
5.b6a -- Hostage Defense
5.b7 - Smart Reloading
5.b8 - Continuous Movement Defense
5.b9 - Flee from Fire Technique
5.b10 - Backstabbing Technique (Uragiri)
5.b10a -- Letting the Shadow Pass (Kage Yurutou)
5.b11a -- Baiting the Enemy
5.b11 - Hiding the Ghost (Yurei o Kakushite)
5.c -- Offensive Techniques
5.c1 - Stationary Aiming
5.c2 - Hot and Cold Firing Technique
5.c2a -- Jump Aiming
5.c3 - Figure Eight Sidestep Technique
5.c3a -- Anti-Arctic Technique
5.c4 - Assault Weapon Sniping Technique
5.c5 - Perpetual Motion Agressiveness Technique
5.c6 - Find the Weakpoint
5.c6a -- Finding the Blind Spot
5.c7 - Money Flash Awareness Technique (Kane Kae Sen)
5.c8 - Stealth Technique
5.c9 - Team First, You Last
5.d -- Dirty Tricks
5.d1 - Adjusting Light Gamma
5.d2 - X-Ray Vision
5.d3 - Super Figure Eight Sidestepping
5.d4 - Team Jumps
5.d4a -- Hostage Jumps
5.d5 - Sound Binds
5.d6 - Auto Aim
5.d7 - Smoke no More Technique (Kemuri Muyougiri)
5.d8 - Paralyzing Smoke Technique
5.d9 - Mimic Technique
VI. COUNTER STRIKE ETIQUETTE
VII. WEAPON SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES
7.i -- Weapon Archetype Guide
7A. Arctic Warfare Magnum
7B. H&K MP5-Navy
7C. Kalashnikov AK-47
APPENDIX A -- USEFUL LINKS
APPENDIX B -- BOT TRAINING GUIDE (still under construction)
APPENDIX C -- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
i. DISCLAIMER
ii. CREDITS
iii. ADDENDUM
===============================================================================
I. INTRODUCTION
===============================================================================
This guide was written for the Half Life mod Counter Strike. CS needs
no introduction, I believe it is currently the most popular
multiplayer FPS game in the world. So popular that this unofficial
MOD is now an official Half Life product.
Now that Counter Strike is no longer a beta and has been officially
released, I feel the time is ripe to release a new guide to help the
new CS player on the way to fight the veterans on equal terms. Because
of its new-found fame, more and more new players are coming out of
the wood work. Sadly, these new players are woefully underclassed. Veterans
have the advantage of knowledge and experience over the newbie. They're
just too serious and take the fun away from the newbie. So, in the words
of Mega Man X, it's "Time to get serious!" I got serious enough to
write this guide to impart to the newbie one of the two things they need
to get even: knowledge.
Take note that just knowledge of these tricks will not make you an
expert killer overnight! I am sure these techniques, tried, tested
and proven over the years, will increase your playing skill tremendously,
but in the end only practice and experience will make you a truly
formidable CS killing machine. But these teachings, which I have learned
from personal experience and from speaking with those better than me,
are a good foundation to provide you the basic skills that will evolve
into lethal killing techniques.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.a -- How to Use this Guide
Although in theory I believe that clarity and conciseness is more important
than volume, I am very poor in practice. Thus my ramblings are often very
long. Much of what I wish to impart is contained in these long paragraphs,
and should all be read to understand all that I am trying to say.
However, for those with less patience, I have enclosed in "boxes" important
tips that you should pay close attention to. Even for those reading
everything, these enclosed boxes contain the most important points of the
entire passage.
----------------------------------------
| READ THE ENCLOSED TEXT SUCH AS THIS! |
----------------------------------------
After reading through the guide, don't be worried if you didn't understand
some things. You can't be expected to learn everything in one sitting. Most
importantly, you should get some practical experience, preferably right
after a reading. Always remember, practice makes perfect. Also, repetition
is the key to learning. Once you've read this guide, practice. Then read it
again, and practice some more. You will gain more understanding with each
reading and each practice session, in time leading to an eventual culmination
of all the lessons. And with the many excellent CS Bots coming out (like
Count Floyd's POD Bot), there's no excuse for not finding any punching bags
to practice on.
I also include cheesy quotes like this to spice the guide up. Ignore them
as you wish, they're just there for decoration:
"If the student does not wish to gain strength,
he cannot become truly strong."
-- Hiko Seijuro, Rurouni Kenshin
If the guidelines I stated above seem too demanding, all I can say is that
I'm doing this for your own good. I'm trying to mold you into the best
player you can be. This isn't some overnight miracle guide. You have to
work for it. The desire to be strong must be present, overpowering, enough
for you to overcome all these hardships and strive to reach the goal. If
you are going to be half-hearted about the process, not practicing or
taking the time to understand all the tricks in this treatise, then you
will not become strong.
But in the end, keep in mind that Counter Strike is only a game, and
anyone taking a game too seriously needs to be dragged out and roughed up.
Anyway, to help get the info you need, be sure to check the Table of
Contents and see what looks useful to you. Copy the section of interest and
use your text viewer's find function to skip to the relevant part. I regret
the need to resort to this technique, but my organizational and layout
skills are horrible, as you can see.
===============================================================================
II. BASIC FIGHTING ATTITUDE
===============================================================================
"A sword is a deadly weapon. Fighting techniques are what perfect killers."
-- Himura Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin (Hecto version)
"A gun is a killing weapon. Fighting techniques are killing techniques.
This will always be true."
-- Me, paraphrasing the Hitokiri Battousai
Remember that at all times a gun is a deadly weapon. Point it at
someone only if you have the intention to shoot, and potentially
kill. This is moral bullshit which I think people all people should
remember. But also keep in mind that Counter Strike is just a game,
and pointing a gun at someone in this game is done all in the spirit
of fun. No hard feelings! But when you do point that gun at someone,
be sure that you are whole-heartedly focused on aiming at him, and
shooting to kill. Otherwise you will die and you'll be stuck as a
ghost until the round ends.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mental Focus and Determination are the most important traits of a killer |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keeping your mind focused allows you to react faster, and thus kill
faster. That is why having the right attitude to killing is very
important. You must be whole-heartedly devoted to the act of pointing
your gun at your opponent, and squeezing the trigger. Hesitation will
end up with you dead.
"There is a world of difference in our resolve. Unlike you, I am
staking my life on this!"
-- Rouge, Soreyuke! Uchuusenkan Yamamoto Youko
As a PC game player, I'm sure you are familiar with the concept of
savegames. However, savegames do gamers a disservice by making them
bad players. Why? Because with a save game, you don't value your
life. You are not "staking your life" on the outcome, because if you
die you can instantly reload. However, consider a game with no save
game, or limited save point functions (like Hitman or Resident Evil).
Because you can't save anywhere, you do your best not to die at any
given point (especially if you're far from a save point). Most people
don't notice this, but this is a crucial factor in forming your
mental condition.
In Counter Strike, you should adopt a more advanced version of this
philosophy. You should play as if your life were depending on it, as
if there were no tomorrow. This will put you in a far better mental
state. You must be determined to win. Although I reiterate that this
is just a game, sometimes you need to adopt a deadly serious attitude
to go beyond your limits. I don't recommend this for friendly play,
but if you really must win, you might have to take the game far more
seriously than you normally would.
In real life, I think this is what they mean by "living life to its
fullest."
"Live your life, Kenshin."
-- Hiko Seijuro, Rurouni Kenshin.
Regardless, you must always keep your mind running, even while just
standing in one spot. If you slack off even for one second, your reflexes
will drop, and you will be a dead man. I cannot emphasize this enough. A
casual player will probably just take a passing interest while fighting,
may even snooze a bit while camping. These players often end up dead. But
if you seriously want to improve, keep your mind focused. That is the true
key to victory; physical skills like aiming and shooting are secondary
to this basic truth.
"You can win a thousand battles, but you can only lose one!"
-- Zaknafein, Homeland
I firmly believe that the best fighter is the one who is ALWAYS on
alert; never to let his mind slip at any point. I must confess that I
myself have not achieved this level. Ever wonder why sometimes you
have "hot streaks," or times when you seemingly manage to kill wave
after wave of enemies without taking a hit, but sometimes you can't
kill for the life of you? My theory is that it is a case of mental
control. You achieve a hot streak when your mental focus is at its
highest, and a losing streak when your mind is at a low. While I have
not managed to achieve that highest level of perpetual mental focus,
nor do I know anyone who has, I am sure it is possible. I like to look
at historic warriors who are said never to have lost a single battle --
Miyamoto Musashi, Yagyu Jubei, and so on -- to prove my point.
It might help if you learn to meditate or do some other training to
concentrate and focus your mind. Just a suggestion. Try taking up Zen,
Yoga or some really intense sport if you really want to master Counter
Strike, heheh. ^_^;
===============================================================================
III. BASIC COMBAT TRAINING
Now that you're hyped to kill your enemy, you need to learn some
basic concepts regarding player movement in counterstrike.
===============================================================================
3.a -- Camping or Assaulting
Now, in CS, each side, the terrorist and counter terrorists, have
goals to achieve. Depending on the map, one side will usually be
defensive or offensive. Indeed, some maps were meant to be very
defensible for certain sides. Because of this, there are two main
kinds of playing mindsets in CS: camping or assaulting.
A camper is someone who sits tight in a very defensible position.
People often despise campers because they are cowards who know
nothing of honor and would rather hide behind a crate in a dark
corner rather than fight head-on. Well, campers shouldn't let such
taunts bother them; they do what they do to win, and camping is
the way they know best to do this. Campers rely on patience, and
often work in teams because no single person can cover all the
critical points effectively. They wait for the enemy to take the
battle to them. The team taking the defensive position, such as
terrorists in a CS map, often makes use of camping techniques.
An assaulter is someone who charges right into the fray. Whether
the enemies choose to meet him in the same way, or whether they
hide behind a rock is of no consequence; he will charge right in
and make mince meat of his opponent as soon as he comes across him.
They take the battle to the enemy. The team taking the offensive,
like terrorists in a DE map, often go the way of assault.
Now, each mindset has its advantages and disadvantages, but most
people often fall somewhere in between -- they camp when they
must, but they attack when the need arises. However, I've found
that the truly great players who rack up lots of kills are often
true bred in one of either of the two disciplines: the shameless
camper who waits at the end of long corridors with his AWP, or
the relentless attacker blaring away with his MP5.
Campers have the advantage of position, and can stage ambushes.
Defense is always stronger, they say, and campers can pick the
most defensible position and stay there, waiting for the hapless
assaulter to walk by, conveniently exposing their back to the
camper. The drawback is that campers need lots of patience, and
have to hone their reaction time greatly. Camping condones
laziness, which dulls your reflexes. On average, a camper will
develop slower reflexes than an assaulter. The worst part of
camping is that they have little control over the flow of the
game: they lend their destinies to fate, or more appropriately,
to the actions of the assaulters.
Assaulters, on the other hand, have the advantage of proactivity. By
taking matters into their own hands, they call the shots: they do what
they do, when they want to. They can stick together and attack in masse,
while campers tend to spread out for defense. In other words, assaulters
do what suits them best at any particular time. Because of inertia, a car
in motion will accelerate faster than a car at rest. The same principle
applies to people's brains from a physiological standpoint.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| An assaulter will have a better reaction time than a camper: because |
| they are always on the move, their minds are "in motion," not "at |
| rest" like a camper. |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In theory an assaulter will often shoot first if he and a camper detect
each other at the same time. This has been proven to me time and time
again over the years.
It is up to you to choose what path you really want to take. You
have the potential to rack up the kills no matter what you are,
but keep in mind that the key to racking up those kills and
staying alive depends greatly on how other people behave. The
real secret to CS tactical behavior is anticipating everyone else's
moves, whether they are going to camp or not, and bring the
appropriate tactic to bear.
For instance, if you're planning to camp but all your team mates
are going to assault, you probably won't be getting too many kills.
Likewise, if you go assault, but all your team mates are going to
camp, you'll die in seconds from lack of cover fire. I cannot stress
the importance of team behavior: in a friendly game this is not so
important, but in serious fights like tournaments, or if you're
playing to win, having team tactics is vitally important. But I'll
discuss that some other time, that's an advanced tactic. For now,
just remember that teamplay is crucial in CS.
Knowing your team is not the only thing you need to do; you also
need to know your opponents. If they plan to camp, do you go in
and assault, guns blaring, and hope to succeed? Or do you have to
use the appropriate tactic to breach their defense? Just keep these
things in mind for now, for I will not discuss them at this point.
The important thing now is to recognize the different kind of players
in the game: campers or assaulters. Although I mentioned that pure,
true breds of each are often the better players, the best player will
likely be the wily, cunning player who knows when to be a camper, and
when to be an assaulter. Just keep in mind the basic strengths and
weaknesses of each style, especially with regard to map type.
----------------------------------------------------------
| CAMPERS: |
| Strength: positional advantage (i.e. - sniping points) |
| Weakness: no control over the flow of the battle, |
| slower reaction time |
| |
| ASSAULTERS: |
| Strength: control over the battle |
| faster reaction time |
| Weakness: prone to backstabbing and sniping |
----------------------------------------------------------
Learning to be either a good camper or a good assaulter is vital
in CS. If you're defending positions, like hostage areas for
terrorists or bomb sites for counter terrorists, good camping
skill will help. But keep in mind that a swift assault by the
defensive team is both unexpected and can neutralize the enemy's
advance just as effectively as a long camp-out. As a newbie, you
should master one style first. The choice in, the end, lies in
what kind of weapon you prefer: assault weapons or sniper weapons.
As we'll discuss later, what weapon you use greatly influences
your playing style. If you like weapons like the MP5, M4 and
Steyr Aug, then you should learn to be a good assaulter. But if
you prefer weapons like the Arctic, then camping skills will
suit you well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.b -- Aiming: Accuracy and Recoil
Regardless of whether you camp or assault, the most important
skill you must learn in CS is how to aim. This is the most
crucial part of CS gameplay; if you aim well, your enemy is
toast. If your aim is lousy, you're toast. Simple. Aiming is
equally important no matter what weapon you use, it's just
that different weapons have different aiming nuances. This
will all be discussed in the individual weapon sections.
There are two very important factors to keep in mind when aiming:
accuracy and recoil. Weapons have different ratings for accuracy
and recoil.
ACCURACY
--------
Accuracy determines whether the bullet will go to the spot you're
pointing at. You can tell a gun's accuracy by the size of the
crosshair. The tighter the crosshair, the more accurate the gun.
Your bullet will tend to go in the middle radius of the crosshair's
lines. In addition, the more you shoot, the wider the crosshair
becomes, decreasing your accuracy.
RECOIL
------
Recoil is how much your gun will buck away from where you're pointing
each time you fire a shot. The stronger the recoil, the harder it is
to control the gun.
Recoil is always constant for each weapon, but accuracy is
affected by many things. Four things affect accuracy:
1.) Movement
2.) Jumping
3.) Swimming
4.) Ladders
-----------------------------------------
| While moving, your accuracy goes down |
-----------------------------------------
The amount by which it decreases depends on the weapon, but in general
if you want your bullets to go where you aim, you should shoot while
standing still. While you are jumping in the air, accuracy is virtually
non-existent.
------------------------------
| Do NOT jump while shooting |
------------------------------
Unless you are using a very accurate weapon and are right next to your
opponent, you will likely not hit your opponent. The same goes for
swimming and being on ladders.
-------------------------------
| Do NOT shoot while swimming |
-------------------------------
Swimming is not being in knee-deep water, swimming is when your feet are
no longer on the floor, and your 3D model is doing a breast stroke. Do
NOT shoot while swimming and expect to hit anything, unless you are right
next to the target.
-------------------------------
| Do NOT shoot while climbing |
-------------------------------
Finally, NEVER shoot while on a ladder unless there is an emergency.
You will most likely not hit your target. If you must shoot, try to get
off the ladder as soon as possible before shooting, or make sure your
target is at point-blank range.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.b1 - The Rule of Aiming
The general rule of thumb when aiming is simple.
-----------------------------------------
| Aim for the neck area of an opponent. |
-----------------------------------------
This gives you the greatest trade off of ease to hit and damage. The
mid-section of the body is the easiest target, but you do more damage
shooting the neck area. The most important reason to aim for this
part, though, is to increase your chances of doing a head shot. A single
shot to the head is lethal for almost all guns, except those using 9mm
ammo. You could try aiming for the head, but this is harder and is
something you should focus on only after you have gained a lot of
experience. Head shot techniques will be elaborated on later.
For now, keep in mind the effect of recoil. Because of it your first bullet
may hit its target, but the next ones won't. This is very important in CS,
as one shot is often not enough to kill a fully-armored opponent. Another
bonus to shooting the neck area is that recoil tends to push assault rifles
and submachine guns upward. Thus, your first shot may hit the neck area, but
the next shots might be head shots.
Just keep in mind the effects of accuracy and recoil, and you will
be on the road to mastering aiming.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.c -- Basic Shooting Styles
The next consideration to learning the basic skill of aiming is that
there are two basic methods of shooting: auto-fire and single-fire.
People usually adopt one of these two methods due to their weapons;
someone using an MP5 will more likely use auto-fire, while someone
using an Arctic is forced to go single-fire.
Auto-fire pertains to shooting at a target repeatedly as long as the
ammo holds out. Single-fire is shooting single shots to hit the
opponent, often done while sniping. Someone going assault usually
utilizes auto-fire.
I've noticed that most people prefer either auto-fire or single-fire.
Those that prefer auto usually go assault and master the MP5, Carbine,
Steyr Aug, or Commando. Those that go single-fire become masters of the
lethal Arctic Sniper Rifle. Each style has its strengths, and you would
do well to specialize in one style. Once you've gained familiarity with
one style, you can experiment with the other.
--------------------------------------------------------------
| At first, pick your style, auto or single, and stick to it |
--------------------------------------------------------------
AUTO-FIRE
Auto-fire gives you a higher chance of hitting the opponent, but this
is due to quantity and not quality. The more shots you fire, the more
chances you have of hitting. But each individual bullet has less
chance of hitting because of recoil. Most of the bigger guns let you
engage in auto-fire just by holding the fire button down. Pistols,
which have no automatic trigger, must be fired with rapid-succession
presses to achieve an auto-fire effect.
Auto-fire is useful in the the thick of the battle, speed is often of
the essence, he who pulls the trigger first will hit the enemy first.
However, do not be trigger happy! Because of recoil, many of your
succeeding shots will be less likely to hit the target. ALWAYS aim
carefully before pulling the trigger. Most beginners will aim in the
general direction of the target, and even before the crosshair is at
the target, will pull the trigger and never let go. This is, frankly,
a waste of ammo and a good way to get killed.
------------------------------------------------------------------
| Always put the target in the sights BEFORE pulling the trigger |
------------------------------------------------------------------
This way, you won't waste the most crucial shot -- the first one,
which has the highest likelihood of hitting. Succeeding shots
have less chance of hitting due to recoil, and it is not uncommon
for newbies to miss their target completely by just spraying their
entire clip in a haphazard manner.
SINGLE-FIRE
Single-fire is used by the more skilled as a means of precision
sniping. It is the intelligent way to get head shots. It is very
useful to keep recoil under control, making sure your shots keep
themselves on target.
Because of recoil, some veterans prefer shooting in single-fire
mode, especially when using high-recoil guns like the AK-47 and
the Para machine gun. By shooting just single bullets instead of
sprays, one can minimize the effects of recoil.
------------------------------------------------------
| Shooting single-fire reduces the effects of recoil |
------------------------------------------------------
All guns can be fired in single-fire, some harder than most. Pistols,
the combat shotgun and sniper rifles are easy to fire in single shots.
The assault rifles and SMGs, though need practice and a light tap on
the fire button to shoot in single-fire.
Also, single fire generally fires as fast as you can click. Of course,
the gun will still limit how fast you can fire, but in some cases you
can fire faster than the normal auto-fire trigger would allow. A good
example would be the Sig 550 Commando. The trade-off, of course, is
that you will spend some concentration on clicking the button furiously,
rather than on whatever else you're doing (like aiming at the enemy or
moving).
BURST-FIRE
Aside from the two basic styles of firing, there is a third, which
is a sort of hybrid of the two: burst-fire. Shooting in bursts of
around 3 bullets is a favored method for sniping by some, because
it allows them a better chance of hitting a target, without
sacrificing much accuracy from recoil. To achieve burst fire, use
a touch similar to single-fire, only hold the fire button slightly
longer. Of course, pistols and sniper rifles can't achieve this,
except for the Glock which has a special burst-fire option.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.d -- Range
After learning to aim, you need to apply your aiming skills to four
basic divisions of range: point blank, close, medium, and long. Unit
of measurement for distance is hard to define, so I will talk in terms
of landmarks on a map. Since DE_DUST is perhaps the most well-known
map, I will use it to approximate the distances. These aren't the
exact distances I prescribe for range, but are close enough.
From the primary bomb-site (the one that isn't the CT terrorist base),
imagine yourself at the edge of the map across the double doors. The
bombsite is between you and the double doors.
From this point to the bombsite is basically CLOSE range.
From the bombsite to the double doors is MEDIUM range.
Anything beyond the doubledoors is LONG range.
POINT BLANK is right next to you, close enough to use a knife.
---------------------------------------------------
| Remember that range affects your accuracy a lot |
---------------------------------------------------
At point blank, you will always hit your target as long as he is in front
of you, so accuracy and recoil is not a problem. Shotguns are lethal at
this range.
At close range, only the sniper rifles will have any real trouble
hitting the mark under conditions of low accuracy (moving or being
on a ladder). This is the maximum effective range of shotguns.
Medium range is basically the maximum range for pistols and sub
machine guns to fire accurately and still have a good chance of
being on target. Shotguns will still do minimal damage due to the
spreading of ammo.
Long range is the domain of rifles and machine guns only. While it
is still possible to hit using pistols and SMGs, it is far less
likely.
It is important to note that auto-fire works well from point-blank
to close range, but from medium to long range single-fire will more
likely net you a kill. Also, using single-fire in close range is
best left only to the highly-skilled, because otherwise the faster
trigger finger of auto-fire will likely cut you to ribbons first.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.e -- Damage: Ammo and Location
The final important basic consideration is with the amount of
damage you deal out. Damage largely depends on two things: ammo
and location. Different ammo types do different amounts of damage.
The amount of damage a gun does depends almost entirely on its
ammo, not on the gun itself. Some guns do more or less damage
than others using the same ammo type, but in general damage
is governed by ammo.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.e1 - Ammo
These are the strengths of the different ammo types in Counter Strike,
from weakest to strongest. Take note that this is by no means definitive,
I did not check with the CS team or read a guide about them. Nor did I
interview gun experts. Instead I relied on a much simpler method:
I computed ammo to cost ratios! I honestly have no idea if this is
accurate, but it seems to fit with my experience.
Here is the order, from weakest to strongest:
Cost Ratio Ammo
--------------------------------------------
(0.66) 9mm Parabellum
(1.00) 5.7x28mm
(1.00) .338 Lapua Magnum (P90 Round)
(2.00) 5.56mm NATO
(2.08) .45 ACP
(2.67) 7.62mm NATO
(3.84) .357 Sig
(5.71) .50 Action Express
(8.13) *12 gauge
(12.5) .338 Lapua Magnum (Sniper Round)
--------------------------------------------
* - the 12 gauge buckshot used in shotguns is a special case.
Since it is basically an explosion of buckshot, it dissipates
the farther it goes. In close range, the highly concentrated
buckshot can do more damage than a 7.62 round, but from mid
range it only does about as much as a 9mm, and at long range
it does next to nothing.
Anyway, stronger ammo means that it will do more damage and possibly
punch through armor better, but that also means its recoil is probably
stronger.
Also, there is one gun which is considerably stronger than others
which use the same ammo type: the Arctic Magnum Sniper Rifle. It
uses the same ammo as the FN P90, but unlike the P90 which needs
multiple shots to kill, an Arctic will kill an opponent in one
shot, no matter where it hits. Although they are the same kind of
round, they are prepared differently; the rounds for the AWP come
in these nasty, long, pointed cylinders maximized for long-range
combat. That, in addition to the architecture of the rifle, make
the difference in killing power. However, the truth is that Sierra
messed up somewhere and assigned the wrong ammo to the P90.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.e2 - Location
Now, where you hit your opponent is also important: hitting your
opponent's arms and legs will do minimal damage. Hitting his body
will do moderate damage, while hitting the head will do intense,
if not lethal, damage.
As far as I can tell, there are three basic locations on the
terrorist or counterterrorist body for determining damage:
the head, the body, and the extremities.
HEAD AREA - this is the smallest, hardest to hit area, but also
takes the most damage. Most guns kill an unarmored, healthy head
in one blow.
BODY AREA - this refers to the entire torso. It is the easiest to
hit, and damage is moderate. Thus, armor should usually be bought.
EXTREMITIES - this refers to your arms and legs. While not exactly
easy to hit, people tend to hit the legs in particular when shooting
from a different elevation. Damage here is minimal.
I am not sure if these locations are entirely accurate, but that's
what I noticed from experience. Now, I mentioned armor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.e3 - Armor
Armor helps you absorb damage. Depending on the integrity of
your armor, it will decrease the amount of damage you take from
certain types of ammo. This is the most important thing to
remember about ammo types; many of them cannot pierce through
kevlar effectively.
9mm ammo and 12 gauge buckshot are notoriously weak against
armor, and do minimal damage to a person wearing armor. The
same goes for the .357 Sig and .45 ACP rounds.
5.7x28mm and .338 Lapua Magnum have modest penetration against
armor, but when the .338 is used in the Arctic, armor is
meaningless.
The .50 Action Express is excellent against armor, as well as
the 5.56 and 7.62. In the former's case, however, I strongly
suspect it is because of the rifle muzzle velocity gun and not
really the ammo itself. It is hard to measure, because FMJ and
JHP do not exist in CS.
Armor comes in two varieties: a vest which protects the body
area only, and a helmet which protects both body and head.
However, when you shoot at the neck area of an opponent, you
are more likely to hit his head. Headshots are most feared;
always buy full armor if you can afford it! It's the only
real defense aside from cowering behind a rock.
--------------------------------------------------
| Never skimp on armor. Buy the vest and helmet. |
--------------------------------------------------
Many novice and even some intermediate players don't buy
armor, thinking it's a waste of money. They often complain
that they die almost instantly anyway with or without it.
Believe me, armor makes a HUGE difference. When your dodging
skills have increased and you are fighting on more or less
equal terms, you will notice how much armor keeps your health
up. And when fighting very accurate shooters who aim for you
head, that helmet is pure gold in determining who will win
the battle.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.f -- Stopping Power
Another important consideration which I forgot to mention earlier
(thanks Paul for reminding me) is stopping power. Have you ever
noticed how, during a gunfight you thought you had your enemy
dead in your sights, but suddenly you get hit and your gun shoots
up, ruining your aim? Or how, while trying to run for cover, you
are suddenly hit and you stop dead in your tracks, unable to dodge,
and thus a sitting duck?
These effects are attributed to something called Stopping Power.
It is a very important tactical tool which makes killing an opponent
without taking casualties easier. In this case, who gets the first draw,
has a better chance of winning.
Most guns have some level of stopping power. Some, though, have
better stopping power than others. The stronger the stopping power,
the longer the opponent takes to recover, and the more off his aim
will be. It's hard to pinpoint the exact levels of stopping power
are for each gun. The stopping power usually depends on the ammo
type. I have made a rough estimate, based on CS experience, but
since it's difficult to ascertain, I also relied on some real-world
knowledge of what ammo is supposed to have strong stopping power.
(Strongest)
12 gauge buckshot/7.62mm NATO
.50 Action Express/.45 ACP
9mm Parabellum
5.56mm NATO/.357 Sig
5.7x28mm/.338 Lapua Magnum (P90)
(Weakest)
While the 8.6 arctic sniper round probably has great stopping power,
it is irrelevant because one hit kills, no? Also, take note that
successive shots have a greater cumulative effect of stopping the
enemy. Thus, guns with a high rate of fire tend to have more
effective stopping power than slower guns with better ammo.
I'm not really sure about this table. Just keep in mind that ammo
with strong armor piercing ability tend to have stronger stopping
power -- this is because the impact is absorbed by the body,
instead of going through it. Regardless, all guns have some sort
of stopping power, and the differences between all the guns is
minimal at best. In other words, even the worst gun has pretty
good stopping power, enough to stun anyone as much as necessary.
===============================================================================
IV. THE WEAPONS
===============================================================================
Now that you have a basic concept of recoil and accuracy, you are ready
to learn about the weapons. There are six basic kinds of weapons in CS:
pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and
machine guns. Each have different ratings for recoil, accuracy,
encumbrance, as well as different ammo types.
As a player, you can have two guns with you at most: one primary weapon,
and one secondary weapon. Only pistols are allowed for secondary weapons,
everything else is a primary.
Each gun is detailed as follows:
NAME: The name of the gun (alternative v1.0 name) [Quick Buy Number]
COST: How much the gun plus a full clip costs
AMMO: The kind of ammo the gun uses
CLIP/MAX: The size of the clip/maximum ammo you can carry
CLIP COST: How much one clip costs (number of bullets per clip)
ACCURACY: High, medium or low, high means very accurate
MOVE ACC: High, medium or low, how accurate the gun is while moving.
RECOIL: High, medium, or low, high means strong recoil
RATE OF FIRE: Fast, medium, or slow. The speed between shots.
AUTOFIRE: Yes or no, whether the gun can engage autofire or not
SPECIAL OPTION: What happens when you press the special weapon function.
NOTES: Other things you about the weapon, and my tips and advice.
SPECIAL OPTIONS:
1.) Sniper Scope
Sniper scopes let you zoom in on a far away target. There are two
zoom sizes: 2x or 4x. I just call them that; I don't know if they
really make your vision twice or four times as close. It's something
I carried over from my Action Quake days.
Activating the scope increases movement accuracy, virtually removing
any inaccuracies from moving and sidestepping. However, it also tends
to decrease rate of fire. Further, using the scope warps your
perception, making movement and aiming slightly tricky.
2.) Silencer
Silencers remove muzzle flash and suppress the noise from firing a
shot. This makes them good for ambushing in dark conditions. There
is a drawback, though. I am not 100% sure what the drawback is, but
it has something to do with decreasing your accuracy or damage, or
maybe both.
Realistically speaking, a silencer is supposed to reduce the velocity
of your bullet. I am not sure how this is reflected in CS, but my
tests show that your accuracy, especially at long ranges, is
significantly lowered. I do not know for sure if it weakens the gun's
attack power, but it is possible. I just haven't been able to test it.
Take note that in v1.0 of CS Sierra, for some stupid reason, decided to
rename the guns with some weird, unknown, bogus names. I include them
here for those of you who only joined from v1.0 up, to clear any confusion
as to nomenclature. I am told you can edit the TITLES.TXT file in your CS
directory which corresponds to the weapon names, allowing you to
change them back to what they're supposed to be. Did someone actually
buy the rights to the names of these guns? How come the Ingram was
left out? Heeeee.....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.a -- Pistols
These are your choices available for your secondary weapon. It is crucial for
your survival when you run out of ammo and do not have time to reload. Pistols
have often have poor accuracy at range but are very accurate while moving.
When using a pistol, in close range, be sure to side step a lot. Pistols also
reload very quickly and are very light, allowing you to move very fast. The
main disadvantage of the pistol is that, except for the Glock, they all have
single-fire triggers. This means that you have to press furiously to
achieve an auto-fire effect.
When choosing your secondary, be sure to select a weapon that complements
your primary. Determine this by weapon fighting-style. Primaries that
mostly use auto-fire shooting should have a pistol with a large clip
size and fast rate of fire (like the Glock or Five Seven). Those that rely
on single-fire shooting should get strong ammo pistols that follow suit
(like the USP or Desert Eagle).
NAME: H&K USP .45 Tactical (K&M .45) [1-1]
COST: $500
AMMO: .45 ACP
CLIP/MAX: 12/48
CLIP COST: $25 (12)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: Silencer
NOTES: This is the standard issue CT gun. Counter Terrorists have the weapon
advantage at the start because of this gun. With the .45 round, it is very
strong, and is pretty good at medium range for sniping. A few shots is
enough to kill anyone, even in full-armor. Using the silencer suppresses
shot and muzzle fire, making you almost undetectable in low-visibility areas,
but the trade-off is that you lose some accuracy. It's a trade-off you have
to weigh for yourself. I personally prefer going without the silencer. Anyway,
the USP is the average handgun to which all the other pistols are compared.
NAME: Glock 18 Select Fire (9x19mm) [1-2]
COST: $400
AMMO: 9mm Parabellum
CLIP/MAX: 20/100
CLIP COST: $20 (20)
ACCURACY: Low
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: Burst-Fire Mode
NOTES: The default weapon of terrorists. Unfortunately for them, it
is hands down the worst pistol in the game. It is weak, and shares ammo with
the MP5. The gun has two saving graces: it has a useful burst-fire mode and
a clip-size of 20. The burst-mode is useful for sniping, but forces you to
aim carefully as your firing rate suddenly drops. At close range, burst fire
is very difficult to use unless you have the accurate aiming usually
reserved for shotgun experts. The large clip size may be appealing for people
who prefer auto-fire style attacks, but with v1.0 the five-seven became
available. It has the same clip size, is more accurate, and stronger. The
Glock suddenly became a useless gun. The only reason to use it is because it
is free for Terrorists.
NAME: Desert Eagle .50 AE (Nighthawk) [1-3]
COST: $650
AMMO: .50 Action Express
CLIP/MAX: 7/35
CLIP COST: $40 (7)
ACCURACY: Low
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Medium
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This is my personal handgun of choice. With the .50 ammo, it is the
most powerful handgun in the game, heck is more powerful than most of the
primary weapons. Its biggest downside is that it has a clip size of seven, so
make those shots count. Fortunately, it reloads fast so as long as you are
going one on one, you can usually reload after killing one opponent. The
Desert Eagle is also surprisingly accurate at medium to long range, probably
due to the strong caliber of the ammo. It is capable of making headshots with
surprising ease even at such a distance. To top it off, this is the only pistol
capable of punching through thin walls, like the rifles. Most people who have
mastered the single-fire firing technique often prefer this handgun. The only
other problem aside from the small clip is the slow rate of fire; the slowest
among all the pistols. But with its power, who cares?
NAME: SIG P228 (228) [1-4]
COST: $600
AMMO: .357 Sig
CLIP/MAX: 13/52
CLIP COST: $50 (13)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This gun is similar to the USP pistol, but better in practically every
aspect. It is the second strongest handgun, second only to the Desert Eagle,
but with a bigger clip size. This gun is also more accurate than the USP at
short ranges. The only thing the USP has over this gun really is long range
sniping. At long range, this gun tends not to be as accurate as the USP.
Anyway, I don't find it worth the cost for a CT agent to purchase, as the
improvements are marginal at best. It would be a good gun for a terrorist
to buy in the first round, though. I actually had a long stint using this gun
as my main secondary weapon; but I missed the power of the Eagle in the end.
NAME: Dual Beretta 96G (.40 Dual Elites) [1-5]
COST: $1000
AMMO: 9mm Parabellum
CLIP/MAX: 30/120
CLIP COST: $20 (30)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This is actually two handguns, one in each hand. This option really
reminds me of a cheap alternative to the MP5. They are practically the same,
except that they fire slightly slower, have no autofire option, and are VERY
SLOW to reload. However, considering that they are only $1000 and are a
secondary weapon, they are a top-choice for many as secondary weapons, as they
can serve as primaries, like an MP5. If you belong to the auto-fire rather than
the single-fire school, this will likely be your secondary weapon of choice.
One weird thing about this weapon, though. It's supposed to be very accurate,
I think as accurate as the Carbine. But the shots don't go where they're
supposed to. The two-hand option affects the aim a bit; the left gun shoots
slightly to the left, the right to the right. Its main drawback, though, is the
horrendous reload time. Also, only terrorists can purchase it. All in all, the
Beretta is basically just a more accurate Glock, but slightly stronger.
NAME: Five Seven [1-6]
COST: $750
AMMO: 5.7x28mm
CLIP/MAX: 20/100
CLIP COST: $50 (50)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This new gun that came out in v1.0 is fast contending to be my favored
handgun. It has stronger ammo, has a large clip size, is very accurate, it's
almost perfect! The biggest boon is its sniping ability: this handgun was
designed with the single-fire sniper in mind -- it is about as accurate as
the M4 carbine at long range! That's not to understate its close combat
capacity: the fast rate of fire and large clip make it quite effective, and
it seems to work well against armored opponents. The only reason I still
prefer the Desert Eagle is because it is infinitely more powerful, cheaper,
and can be bought by both sides. The Five Seven is CT only.
TRIVIA: This gun is so new that, as of this writing, it has not had any
real combat experience! Gun experts have no definitive data on its actual
combat capabilities.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.b -- Shotguns
Shotguns are a very distinc weapon-type which only specialists should use.
These are not the same shotguns in Action Quake; these are very specific in
use: close combat. They are very light, and encumber you only about a bit
more than a pistol. They are lethal in close combat, but next to useless at
medium or greater range. One of the nifty features of the shotguns is the
ability to fire immediately after reloading just one shell. This split-
second difference could mean the difference between life and death in certain
situations where you run out of ammo but suddenly need to fire again.
NAME: Benneli M3 Super90 (Leone 12 Gauge Super) [2-1]
COST: $1700
AMMO: 12 gauge
CLIP/MAX: 8/32
CLIP COST: $65 (8)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: High
RATE OF FIRE: Slow
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This is a true specialist weapon, intended for those who have mastered
the art of single-fire headshots. At close range or closer, one shot is enough
to kill, provided you aimed for the general neck area. Unfortunately, the slow
rate of fire means that, in most instances, you get only one chance to kill
your opponent, if you miss the first shot, your enemy with an MP5 or other
auto-fire gun will likely mow you down before you get a second chance. Aside
from the one-shot kill potential at close range, this weapon has no other use.
The buck shot scatters too much even at medium range, making it useless as a
sniping tool, and it only really works against one opponent because of the
slow rate of fire.
NAME: Benneli XM1014 (Leone YG1265 Auto Shotgun) [2-2]
COST: $3000
AMMO: 12 gauge
CLIP/MAX: 7/32
CLIP COST: $65 (8)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This works almost like M3, except that it has a slightly smaller clip
and has auto-fire ability! Because of the auto-fire capability, it is possible
to take on multiple opponents at close range with this gun. It also means you
have more leeway for missing the first shot, as it is fast enough to fire
again before you get plastered. However, for some reason the M3 is slightly
more powerful than the XM1014; on occasion I have hit a person straight on the
head with this gun, yet he did not die, whereas with the M3 they always die.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.c -- Submachine Gun
Submachine guns (SMGs) are great close range weapons. They are fairly light,
heavier than a shotgun but lighter than most rifles, and are usually very
accurate at close to medium range, even while moving. They are also relatively
cheap. Their only real drawback is that they often do not have as much
penetrating power as the real rifles, meaning armor does a good job of
stopping them. Also, they tend to lose accuracy at long range because of
shorter barrels and weaker ammo rounds designed for fast emptying up-close.
NAME: H&K MP5-Navy (SMG) [3-1]
COST: $1500
AMMO: 9mm Parabellum
CLIP/MAX: 30/120
CLIP COST: $20 (30)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: H&K's MP5 is the weapon of choice of most counter-terrorist agents both
in CS and in the real world. Why? It's cheap, is remarkably accurate, handles
perfectly, has a killer rate of fire, and reloads like a dream. Its only real
drawback is the poor penetration power of its 9mm round. Other than that,
it's perfect for assaults, and is also pretty good for sniping at medium range.
In fact, recoil and accuracy are good enough that you can snipe in large bursts
with this gun. Most people train getting headshots with the MP5 by simply
aiming in the general head area and letting go. And they get results, too. This
is the weapon of choice of most players proficient in the auto-fire technique.
This gun is the biggest reason why you should always buy a full suit of kevlar
every round: most of your opponents are likely to be using it. This is widely
held by many in the CS community as the best gun for close combat. It is the
standard from which I compare all other guns.
NAME: Steyr Tactical Machine Pistol (Schmidt MP) [3-2]
COST: $1250
AMMO: 9mm Parabellum
CLIP/MAX: 30/120
CLIP COST: $20 (30)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This is a CT only gun which is basically a cheaper alternative to the
MP5. It works almost exactly the same as the MP5, and is cheaper to boot.
People who love the MP5 will feel right at home using this gun. There are a
few minor differences. First, the MP5 is slightly more accurate at range,
while the TMP is more accurate up close. Second, the Steyr TMP has a slightly
faster rate of fire (I think it has the fastest rate of fire in the game).
Lastly, and most importantly, the Steyr seems to do less damage than an MP5.
Still overall, it's a great bargain at only $1250, and if you're a CT and
love using the MP5, you might consider changing to this to save money.
NAME: FN P90 (ES C90) [3-3]
COST: $2350
AMMO: .338 Lapua Magnum
CLIP/MAX: 50/100
CLIP COST: 50$ (50)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: HIGH
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: It has been called the porcshe of SMGs, and with its sleek look and
lightning fast firing rate, it deserves the name. This gun can shred opponents
in seconds, at close range anyway. It is the most powerful of the SMGs, capable
of doing major damage in a very short span of time. This damage, though, I
believe is due to the ammo type: the P90 is supposed to be good against armor
in real life, so I think that this is the one SMG in CS that does reasonably
well against armor, compared to the other SMGs. Its only drawback is that
it is quite inaccurate while moving compared to the other SMGs, and does not
have the range of the true assault rifles. And of course, it's quite expensive
for an SMG. Sniping with this gun at long range is difficult, but possible,
provided you use single-fire shots. However, this gun was not made for sniping,
and shooting auto-fire at even just close to medium range will already give
you a very poor hit ratio. All in all, this is a good cheap alternative to the
assault rifles, minus the sniping capability. The good part is that it actually
handles better while moving than most assault rifles, and can win a side-
stepping match against the bigger guns most of the time. Best used for close
combat, but the MP5 still rules in that category, I think. MP5 is cheaper, too.
TRIVIA: I have no idea how a .338 round fits in the P90; this thing is
supposed to use the 5.7 ammo type.
NAME: Ingram MAC-10 [3-4]
COST: $1400
AMMO: .45 ACP
CLIP/MAX: 30/96
CLIP COST: $25 (12)
ACCURACY: Low
MOVE ACC: Medium
RECOIL: High
RATE OF FIRE: Fast
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: The Mac-10 is a very volatile, uncontrollable weapon that can only be
bought by terrorists. It is stronger than the MP5, but the recoil is also much
stronger. Now, since I finished up with the MP5 recently, I've been playing
with the Ingram more. I'm learning a lot of new stuff about this weapon! First
off, I realized that this gun has a much faster firing rate than I previously
realized. This ups its rating in my book tremendously. Still, the lack of
accuracy and control still reduce its usefulness. It's still a weapon which
you should buy when you're on a budget but need stopping power. Perhaps the
worst aspect of this weapon is that you need to buy a whole lot of ammo, as
each purchase of ammo gives you only 12 shots for $25 bucks. Not a good deal.
When you consider how much ammo you have to buy, the MP5 is still cheaper.
I like to think of this gun as a mini-AK, except that it doesn't have the
accuracy and power that make the AK-47 a great gun. All in all, this is the
stronger alternative to the MP5, minus the controllability.
NAME: H&K UMP45 (K&M UMP45) [3-5]
COST: $1700
AMMO: .45 ACP
CLIP/MAX: 25/100
CLIP COST: $25 (12)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: Medium
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Medium
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This recent addition in v1.0 is a pretty interesting gun. It is like an
MP5, except that its rate of fire is slow and it has a smaller clip. The boon,
though, is that it has better ammo (.45) and is more accurate, making it easier
to snipe at medium range. However, the gun still stops short of being truly
effective at long range, as is the case with all SMGs. All in all, it is quite
worth its price tag, although it is not as good as the MP5 for close-range
combat. Its slow rate of fire makes it hard to use at close-range. Its real
use is for mid to long range sniping, while doubling as a decent alternative
for close combat. This is easily the slowest among all the SMGs for rate of
fire. Perhaps my biggest beef with this gun is that, like the Mac10, it only
buys ammo in increments of 12, making initial setup harder. In conclusion, I
like to compare this to the AK-47: it's a mini-AK with better close combat
handling, but weaker attack power.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.d -- Rifles
Rifles are the real weapons in this game. They are expensive, but worth the
price. They are very powerful, capable of tearing through opponents in just
a few shots, can punch through walls and armor, and are very accurate for
long-range fire. They usually pay for this in recoil, but all in all these
guns are the lifeblood of many terrorists and counter terrorists. All rifles
can pierce through walls and other obstacles to some extent.
NAME: AK-47 (CV-47) [4-1]
COST: $2500
AMMO: 7.62 NATO
CLIP/MAX: 30/90
CLIP COST: $80 (30)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: Medium
RECOIL: High
RATE OF FIRE: Medium
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: There are two big reasons why people like playing terrorist: the AK-47
and the Sig Commando. This is my personal terrorist-only gun of choice. The
cheap price tag of the AK, combined with its incredible power and accuracy,
made it the bad-ass assault gun back in the early days. Unfortunately, since
beta 7 this gun was toned down by making extremely heavy, slowing your movement
considerably. Still, the AK is a great gun. It is very accurate, making long
range sniping a breeze. Its 7.62 round is so powerful, you will be killing
many enemies with just a few shots. This is also one of the best guns to get
headshots. The only real drawback of this gun, aside from its weight, is its
powerful recoil. You cannot afford to use auto-fire with this gun; most of your
shots will miss. That is why this gun is not really suited for assault, it is
more of a mid-range sniping assault gun. Used in conjunction with single-fire
sniping techniques, this is a very lethal specialist's gun, suitable for
almost all combat conditions.
NAME: Sig SG-552 Commando (Krieg 552 Commando) [4-2]
COST: $3500
AMMO: 5.56mm NATO
CLIP/MAX: 30/90
CLIP COST: $60 (30)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Medium
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: 2x Sniper Scope
NOTES: The Commando is a terrorist-only gun, and is arguably one of the best
in the game. It combines accuracy and power with a 2x sniper scope, allowing
you to pick off targets who haven't even seen you yet. It is the counterpart
of the CT's Steyr Aug, over which it has the advantage of faster reload time,
less recoil and better handling. Its drawback is that it is expensive, and
rate of fire is slightly slower than that of a Steyr Aug. Still, overall,
this gun is worth its price easily.
NAME: Colt M4A1 Carbine (Maverick M4A1 Carbine) [4-3]
COST: $3100
AMMO: 5.56mm NATO
CLIP/MAX: 30/90
CLIP COST: $60 (30)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Low
RATE OF FIRE: Medium
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: Silencer
NOTES: This is a counter-terrorist only gun, the direct counterpart of the
AK-47. It is easily the best all-around gun in the game. It has all the
handling of the MP5, but is more accurate and powerful, making it easier to
kill opponents close up and afar. Its only drawback is that it is a bit more
expensive than most SMGs, but still is cheaper than most other rifles. It is
also slightly slower at firing than an MP5, and has slightly stronger kickback,
but not by much, still getting a low recoil rating. This gun basically combines
the sniping capability of the AK-47 with the assault handling ability of the
P5, in a very light, maneuverable package. My only qualm with this gun is that
it lost its 2x scope in favor of a silencer when the Steyr Aug came out around
Beta 6. It is my all-around weapon of choice.
NAME: Steyr AUG (Bullpup) [4-4]
COST: $3500
AMMO: 5.56mm NATO
CLIP/MAX: 30/90
CLIP COST: $60 (30)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: Medium
RECOIL: High
RATE OF FIRE: High
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: 2x Sniper Scope
NOTES: This counter-terrorist only gun is the direct equivalent of the
terrorist's Commando. Many people play CTs because of this gun. It is a great
gun, although I personally find the Commando better. However, this gun has its
merits. It has the smallest crosshair for any gun, and coupled with its strong
ammo round and the sniper scope, suggests that it is the most accurate gun in
the game. Further, the rate of fire is one of the fastest in the game. Its
main drawback is its powerful recoil and very slow reloading time. It does not
handle as well as the MP5, or even the Commando in close range while moving.
However, it seems to have a slightly faster rate of fire. Overall, it is a
good gun which can kill many opponents at most ranges pretty fast, and its
sniper scope really helps out in those long range situations. If only recoil
wasn't such a problem, this might have been my favorite assault rifle.
NAME: Steyr Scout (Schmidt Scout) [4-5]
COST: $2750
AMMO: 7.62 NATO
CLIP/MAX: 10/60
CLIP COST: $80 (30)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: High
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Slow
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: 4x Sniper Scope
NOTES: This gun is for the sniper on a budget. It is the cheapest of the sniper
guns, and is very limited in use. It is only really effective at long range,
because at close range you do not have enough time to fire two shots to kill
someone, unless you can hit their heads all the time. The 7.62 round is strong
enough that you can kill anyone, regardless of armor, in two hits, no matter
where you hit them. It is the poor man's arctic, and is only really useful in
the early game when people haven't saved enough to buy Arctics yet. Still, the
true specialist can use this weapon in the same way sniper rifles were used
in action quake: for radical assault sniping! If you can keep hitting their
heads all the time, you can go a long way with this weapon, because it is
very accurate, even while side-stepping (unlike the Actic). Otherwise, if
you're not good enough, I recommend you stick to the Arctic. The sniper scope
has two settings, letting you choose your sniping distance - 2x or 4x.
NAME: AI Arctic Warfare/Magnum (Magnum Sniper Rifle) [4-6]
COST: $4750
AMMO: .338 Magnum Lapua
CLIP/MAX: 10/30
CLIP COST: $125 (10)
ACCURACY: Low
MOVE ACC: Low
RECOIL: High
RATE OF FIRE: Slow
AUTOFIRE: No
SPECIAL OPTION: 4x Sniper Scope
NOTES: This is the most bad-ass gun in the game, and my personal weapon of
choice. The AWP is also known as the "one-shot" gun, because one shot is enough
to kill anyone, regardless of health or armor, regardless of where you hit
them. In fact, it is enough to kill three or maybe even more people standing
in a straight line. That's how bad this gun is. Although this was without a
doubt the best weapon in the early betas of the game, this gun has slowly been
downgraded because of its unbalanced power. It is now terribly inaccurate, and
the penetration of the ammo is not as strong as it used to be. Still, it is a
very lethal weapon in the hands of a specialist. Just be sure to use the 2x
sniper setting, or else your shot will go way off-target; a result of the
downgrading the gun went through. In the past, it was great for assaults, but
ever since accuracy was downgraded to the most inaccurate gun in the game, it
is now only useful for long-range combat. Still, master this weapon, and you
easily have the potential to make the most kills in the game. Another note:
this gun is heavy, and you will move very slowly while equipping this gun.
TRIVIA: I believe this is the same sniper rifle used in Action Quake.
NAME: H&K G3/SG-1 (D3/AV-1 Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle) [4-7]
COST: $5000
AMMO: 7.62mm NATO
CLIP/MAX: 20/60
CLIP COST: $80 (30)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: Medium
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Slow
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: 4x Sniper Scope
NOTES: The G3 in CS is a weird gun. A normal G3 is supposed to be an assault
rifle, but here it has been converted into a sniper rifle. Anyway, this gun
has slightly less power than the Steyr Scout, but has a much faster rate of
fire. It was meant for long-range combat for trigger-happy people. However,
it is no match for an Arctic at such distances, and thus I don't find it very
useful. Still, it is good for long range and can pass off as a somewhat decent
assault weapon, if your aim is good. Otherwise, the rate of fire is still too
slow to compete with an MP5 at close quarters. I don't really recommend this
gun, because it is expensive and yet is not as effective as the Arctic. Still,
if you're playing against people who don't use Arctics and want to snipe while
using the auto-fire style, this is your gun. Oh, and as of v1.0, this is a
terrorist-only gun. It is also quite cumbersome and you will move quite slowly.
NAME: Sig 550 Commando (Krieg 550 Commando) [4-8]
COST: $4200
AMMO: 5.56mm NATO
CLIP/MAX: 30/90
CLIP COST: $60 (30)
ACCURACY: High
MOVE ACC: Medium
RECOIL: Medium
RATE OF FIRE: Slow
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: 4x Sniper Scope
NOTES: This is a CT-only gun that was introduced in v1.0. Sadly for the CTs,
this is without a doubt the worst sniper gun in the game, maybe even the worst
gun in the game, period. It is grossly expensive, but is not really suited for
anything -- sniping, assault, nothing. It is utterly worthless. As a sniping
gun, it is very weak, with a rate of fire almost as slow as the G3, and a
sniper round inferior to the Scout. Many people were thinking it was good as
a sniper/assault hybrid like the G3, but the abyssmal rate of fire means you
will be mowed down to shreds by people using MP5s before you get off your
second shot. Its only bonus is that it has a 4x sniper scope with a large clip,
but then the Aug has the same clip size and is more accurate to boot. One
might think that its faster rate of fire makes it better than the G3, but I
contest that this is not necessarily so because the 5.56 round does less
damage than the G3's 7.62. A G3 player still has a better chance of nabbing
a Krieg 550 user in a sniper battle. To be honest, I perform better at
sniping with an Aug or a 552 Commando than with this gun. So the only thing
it has going for it is the 4x scope, but then the G3 has that, the AWP has
that, the Scout has that. A truly weird gun. For now, I have to figure out
how to use it before I speak of it further.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.f -- Machine Guns
There is only one machine gun in this game, the FN Para. It is good only in
the hands of a specialist, it is not the kind of gun a newbie should use.
And yet, for some reason, newbies love to buy this gun. I wonder why?
NAME: FN M249 Para (ES M249) [5-1]
COST: $5750
AMMO: 5.56mm NATO
CLIP/MAX: 100/200
CLIP COST: $60 (30)
ACCURACY: Medium
MOVE ACC: Low
RECOIL: High
RATE OF FIRE: Medium
AUTOFIRE: Yes
SPECIAL OPTION: None
NOTES: This full-sized machine gun is a modified version of the M249. The M249
was supposed to be the standard machine gun issue that would replace the M4 in
the US Army. This gun is NOWHERE as good as the M249 is supposed to be, though.
It is very, very heavy, easily the heaviest gun in the game. This gun is like
an over-souped version of the AK-47, slow, but very painful and quite accurate.
Still, I find this to be a rather pathetic gun, and the only reason I would
recommend you buy it is for its huge magazine clip -- 100 shots. You practically
don't need to reload at all, unless you splurge your fire on the walls of the
opponent's encampment: the true use of this gun. The best use of the gun so far
by my estimate. Hope to score hits by spraying on the walls. Otherwise, it is
too slow for serious close combat use, is quite inaccurate except in small
bursts, has virtually no accuracy while moving, and is very, very expensive.
I'd pick it up if someone left it and I had no weapon, but I would never trade
my AK-47 or Carbine for it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.g -- Other Equipment
Aside from guns, there are other things you can purchase to help you in
your life and death struggle. These can be bought through the use of your
buy equipment key. (Bind this as 'buyequip' -- see Binding Technique)
NAME: Kevlar Armor [1]
COST: $650
NOTES: This will provide your torso area with extra protection. For more
details, see the Damage section in Chapter III.
NAME: Kevlar Armor with Helmet [2]
COST: $1000
NOTES: Same as normal armor, except the helmet works wonders in stopping
those headshots. Buy this and not the first one whenever possible.
NAME: Flashbang [3]
COST: $200
NOTES: Also known as the concussion grenade, flashbangs do no damage
whatsoever, but blind anyone caught in its blast for an amount of time
dependent on the victim's proximity. Looking up or away doesn't matter;
you'll be blinded just the same. However, the blast does not go through
objects, so you can keep your vision by ducking behind an obstacle.
Most people frown on the flashbang, but those few seconds of blindness
can be far more damaging than an HE explosion. You can carry up to two
of these at a time.
NAME: HE Grenade [4]
COST: $300
NOTES: Most players prefer this grenade. It explodes in a small radius,
and anyone inside that radius is damaged a certain amount. This damage
is almost never enough to kill anyone from full health, but is good
enough to weaken enemies and damage their armor. Because of the blast
radius, this is a favorite item for clearing several enemies in one
fell swoop. You can carry only one of these at a time.
NAME: Smoke Grenade [5]
COST: $300
NOTES: Most people consider this a useless item. However, it is perhaps
the single most effective grenade to aid in breaching an enemy's well-
camped position. Once thrown, it does no damage, but it releases a
cloud of billowing smoke for a few long seconds. The smoke impairs
the visibility of everyone. Needless to say, this is the perfect
weapon to get past those sniper-prone areas.
NAME: Defuse Kit [6]
COST: $200
NOTES: In bomb maps, CTs can purchase this to drastically cut down bomb
defusal time. At $200, many CTs may find expensive, but it can mean the
difference between winning the round (and the $2750 bonus) or losing.
Most terrorists leave the bomb at a certain time to prevent getting
killed. If they wait to the last possible moment, a CT who comes in
after the terrorists have fled won't have enough time to disarm it
(provided the server didn't mess with the bomb explosion time). However,
with the defuse kit, the CT can make it just in the nick of time. Thus,
terrorists up against CTs with defuse kits must stay to the death, or
risk having the bomb defused.
NAME: Night Vision [7]
COST: $1250
NOTES: This is one worthless piece of equipment. Although being able to
see in the dark areas of the map is vital to CS, the Night Vision in
this game is so poorly done that it's more of a headache than of help.
It simply ups the gamma a bit and changes the palette to a greener
color, but the palette change is volatile and quite painful to the eye.
If you want night vision, there's a cheaper, better way: see the
Dirty Tricks section.
NAME: Knife
COST: Free!
SPECIAL FUNCTION: Sadistic Stab
AUTOFIRE: Yes!
NOTES: You don't actually buy this, you always have it. Since it is a
weapon, I might as well discuss it. The knife in the early beta days
was one dangerous weapon. Two or three slashes was more than enough
to kill a fully-armored agent. Now, however, knife damage has been
weakened drastically, making normal knife attacks less than half the
strength of what they used to be. The special weapon function is not
a setting change, but a secondary attack of the knife: the sadistic
stab. This does roughly as much damage as the old knife used to do
with a normal attack, but takes longer to execute. In the old days I
would recommend switching to the knife whenever you were at point
blank range. Nowadays, since it does so little damage, I hesitate
to do such. If you manage to get the jump on your enemey, sure. Then
again, maybe not.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.h -- Weapon Movement Speeds
Right, different weapon weights contribute to different weapon speeds.
Here is how movement speed is rated depending on what weapon you equip.
This is a rough guide, estimated from experience.
(Fastest)
Knife, Grenades
H&K USP, Glock, Desert Eagle, Sig P228, Five Seven
Benelli M3, Benelli XM1014, Dual Beretta, Steyr Tactical Machine
Ingram MAC-10, MP5, FN P90, Steyr Scout
Steyr AUG, Sig Commando, M4 Carbine
Krieg Commando
G3/SG-1 Sniper
AK-47
Artic Warfare Magnum
FN M249 PARA
(Slowest)
===============================================================================
V. COUNTER-STRIKE TECHNIQUES
This is the meat of this FAQ, that which separates this from all the
other guides. While these techniques may not be all there is to it,
and certainly they may not be perfect, but these are the best techniques
I have learned. I hope it's enough to help you become a better player. I
eventually hope to put in every single tactic and technique I know, even
the ones I don't use, because part of defeating your opponent is knowing
how he operates.
Now that we've discussed the basics and are familiar with the weapons,
we can get to the nitty-gritty combat tactics. These are tactics which
you will be using most of the time you play CS, be sure to learn them,
and more importantly learn how to counter them!
===============================================================================
5.a -- General Techniques
These tricks are useful for general CS play. Be sure to learn them
and make them work for you.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a1 - Listening
"If you want to defeat me, you must not make a sound."
-- Utsutsu Mujuro, Jubei Ninpucho
Although while playing on a LAN it may be very noisy, listening still
plays an important part in personal fighting tactics. The most important
thing about listening is to listen for your opponent's weapon. Each weapon
in CS sounds distinct, and by listening to the gun fire going on, you can
determine what weapon your opponent is using. If you know what his weapon
is, you can determine what kind of approach you can take to defeat him.
These different techniques will be discussed later in the individual
weapon strategies. In CS, it is imperative that you learn what each
weapon sounds like, so that you know what you are up against, and thus
can plan accordingly.
--------------------------------------------
| Listen for your opponent's weapon sounds |
--------------------------------------------
Another, more difficult skill to learn is listening for footsteps. If you
don't have a friendly dead team-mate coaching you as to the enemy's location,
your best recourse is to listen carefully for footfalls. Most people disregard
this ability, but it is often crucial in ambushing enemy players. When you
hear foot falls, keep quiet and sneak. You just might ambush an opponent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a2 - Weapon Switching
"That's why they call me Himura Battousai, because I learned all the
sword drawing techniques."
--- Himura Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin
In CS, different weapons slow down your movement. The worst perpetrators are
the Arctic, the AK, and the Para. Still, even if you're not using these
weapons, weapon switching is important to get you where you want to go fast.
Weapon switching can mean the difference when you are diving for cover from
enemy fire.
--------------------------------------------------------------
| Switch weapons intelligently! It can save your life, or at |
| the very least get you to where you want to go faster |
--------------------------------------------------------------
At the start of the round, where it is crucial to get to the strategic
points of the map as quickly as possible, changing your weapon to your
knife or grenade is the single best tactic you can do, aside from buying
your equipment as fast as possible. While buying equipment fast takes
practice, anyone can switch to his knife. Most people laugh at those
who charge at the start of their rounds with their knive, but they
don't realize they are doing it to get to the key points as quickly as
possible. This is one of the foundations of good team strategy.
The other important use of weapon switching is to get out of enemy fire.
If you are outgunned and decide to strategically withdraw, you have two
options: shoot back while side-stepping to cover, or change to your knife
and make a mad dash for cover. Switching to your knife is the fastest way
to escape.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a2a - Super Weapon Switching
This is an advanced technique which the advanced, mentally-developed
players use. A player who has refined his awareness and reflexes to a
razor's edge while assaulting will often be seen switching weapons
continuously while marching into enemy territory. Many inexperienced
people will think he is mad, but in truth he is doing so to speed up
movement as much as possible while the enemy is gone. This is a very
powerful technique; it enables one to move as if one were equipped
with nothing (knife speed), but the moment an enemy shows up, the
player immediately has his primary weapon ready -- an AK, a Para,
whatever, and has it aimed at his opponent's head. Because of his
lightning speed due to the weapon switching, lesser opponents have
trouble hitting his fast moving body, and as soon as he sees the
opponent, he opens fire. Dead enemy. Achieving the highest level of
this technique takes long practice, but the lower levels of it are
accessible to the intermediate player.
A lower level use of this technique is to eliminate recoil and reload
time. This is a favorite application of Arctic assault snipers. After
shooting a well-aimed AWP shot (and hopefuly killing someone) an
advanced Arctic fighter will quickly switch to knife and pistol, so
you can move and dodge while waiting for your chance to shoot again.
If you're fast enough, you can potentially switch back, ready to fire
again, shortening rechambering time. Good Benelli M3 fighters use a
variation of this technique, switching to their secondary to finish
the job in case they missed the opponent's head. More on these techniques
later.
The advanced weapon switching technique is easily done by assigning
a key to the "previous weapon" command, preferably one close to the
movement keys. This way, a person can switch weapons easily with one
button while moving. More skilled players do it the hard way: pressing
1, 2, and 3 to switch from knife, primary and secondary while moving
forward with the 'W' key. Practice whatever method you find best
suited to you. Note that you can only achieve the harder version of
the technique by turning "HUD_FASTSWITCH" on. (See console commands)
Take note that while running, using the "LASTINV" weapon switch button,
will switch almost instantaneously between weapons. This is very
important for some guns, like the Arctic.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a3 - Radar
Most people wonder what that green thing at the top left of their
screen is. It's actually a radar which tells you the position of your
teammates! This is a minor concern, but keeping your eye on that HUD
will let you determine where your opponents are, in case an enemy
kills them. Just watch where the light blinks out. Don't overdo it,
though, especially if you are at the front of your team. You wouldn't
want to be caught looking at the radar when an opponent jumps in front
of you and riddles you to swiss cheese.
The best use of the radar HUD is to keep track of where the bomb or the
VIP is. That way, you can easily defend the VIP, or pick up the bomb if
someone kills the bomb-bearer.
You can also actually turn the HUD off, to give you more visibility.
The console command is "HIDERADAR". To get it back, type "DRAWRADAR 1"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a3a -- Cheap Night Vision
Here's a funny technique someone sent in. Notice how the radar HUD is
a lightgreen color? If you are in a darkish area and look through that
little circle, you'll find that it actually lights up the darker areas,
as if it were a nightvision filter! Well, it's rather small and
inconvenient, but hey, it's free.
You can use this little quirk to scout out dark areas on the map.
However, I really don't recommend doing this while assaulting or
while walking since you have to look downwards to get the HUD at
center-viewing level. I only recommend doing this when you're
skulking around in a near pitch-black room.
Take note that, like regular Nightvision, if it is pitch-black and
there is really no light, this won't work at all (like in the hostage
room in CS_ALPIN).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4 - Miscellaneous Console Commands
This isn't really a technique, but you should know this anyway. Console
commands are command-prompt style commands (ala DOS) which give you a
lot of hands-on control over your environment. As much as possible, to
be a truly good CS player, you should familiarize yourself with the
console, and use it as much as possible over the GUI interface. It's
like computer users: Windows users are often technically inferior
compared to DOS or Linux users.
To enable your console, be sure to start Counter-Strike with the -console
switch. If you don't know what that means, follow these instructions:
1.) Right-click on your Counter Strike desktop shortcut.
2.) At the bottom of the menu is Properties. Click it.
3.) The properties window will pop up. There are two parts,
General, and Shortcut. You start in Shortcut by default,
stay there, this is what you're interested in.
4.) In the middle portion are three fields: Target Type,
Target Location, and Target. You're interested in the
third. It should read something like:
"C:\program files\Halflife\cstrike.exe"
5.) Add to this the switch "-console" The new command should
look something like this:
"C:\program files\Halflife\cstrike.exe -console"
6.) Click Apply, close the window with Ok, and you're set. Your
console is now enabled the next time you start Counter Strike
using this desktop shortcut. Congratulations! Now you can meddle
around with all the console commands.
Be sure to make good use of your console, you can type a lot of things
there to improve your game. You can bring out the console by default
by pressing the tilde key (`) beside 1, above TAB. Then you can type
in commands. You can type multiple commands in one line by separating
them with a semi-colon. (i.e. -- "ADJUST_CROSSHAIR";"SENSITIVITY 5")
I will only include here the commands that will directly influence
your gameplay. If you want a complete list of commands, go find
another guide. What's here is strictly limited to the useful
commands that affect your game. I will add other commands in the
"Dirty Tricks" section, the ones which are quite unfair.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4a -- Sensitivity
Be sure to adjust your mouse sensitivity to your needs. Type:
SENSITIVITY X
Where X is an integer from 1-20. Twenty is very sensitive, and a short
tug of your mouse will give you a 180 degree spin. This is useful for
assaulters who need to see a wide area as fast as possible. Twenty,
though is for the really skilled who have perfect mouse control. A
setting of 10 or so is more than adequate for an assaulter, any greater
may entail aiming difficulty. For snipers, a value of 2 to 8 is good,
giving great control needed for precision. The most hardcore snipers use 1.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4b -- Crosshair
Some maps have textures whose color blend with your green crosshair.
You can fix this and make aiming easier by changing the crosshair's
color. To do this, type
ADJUST_CROSSHAIR
at the console. This will cycle from the five different cursor colors:
light green, light red, light blue, cyan, and yellow. Be sure to select
the color that suits the map best. Even if no cursor fits the map
color, it still feels good to change the color to your favorite color.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4c -- Quick Weapon Switching
You need to use this command to achieve the "Quick Weapon Switch"
technique described earlier. When on, pressing your primary weapon
button will bring out your weapon immediately, without you needing
to press the fire button to select it from the weapon HUD.
To turn on, type:
HUD_FASTSWITCH 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4d -- Mouse Filter
Sometimes, you might notice that the movement while looking around
with your mouse is not very fluid. This can be very detrimental to
your aim, and is feared by snipers everywhere. More often than not,
this is due to the mouse filter being switched off. You can switch
it on in the config screen, but that takes too much time. Here's
how to do it with the console:
M_FILTER 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4e -- Binding Technique
Binding commands to a key is a trick which has carried over from Quake 2.
To bind a command to a key, type:
BIND "X" "COMMAND"
Where x is the key you want to bind the command to. For instance, to
bind the adjust_crosshair command to the letter c, type:
BIND "C" "ADJUST_CROSSHAIR"
There are applications to this command, but I will discuss them later
in the "dirty tricks" section. More mundane uses for this are easy
like using the console to change your name, or your controls. Refer
to other documents listing all the commands; I'm just enumerating all
the tricks that can improve your gameplay performance and killing skill.
The most powerful trick perhaps is the power to combine binds into a
powerful hotkey technique. By combining commands, you can bind two or
more commands into one key, for a variety of effects limited only by
your imagination. Simply separate the commands with a semi-colon:
BIND "X" "COMMAND1;COMMAND2"
The most obvious application of this is to power-up your buy menu
hotkeys. For instance, you could have a "quick ammo" button to buy
all the ammo you need in one stroke:
BIND "X" "BUYAMMO1;BUYAMMO1;BUYAMMO1;BUYAMMO2;BUYAMMO2;BUYAMMO2"
This would purchase three clips of primary and secondary ammo
each, at the bargain price of one keystroke!
Learn how to use the console and the binding commands! Old DOS-boys
should have no problem picking this up, it's the impoverished Windows
generation that doesn't get stuff like this. Shame on you Bill Gates,
for teaching a whole generation of computer users to be ILLITERATE!
(or its equivalent in the computer world)
I'm not a real expert on this stuff, and I'm just giving you
the cursory information to get your started. For more in-depth
descriptions of this, see the links section.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a4f -- On the Fly Config Switch
This is a useful technique to get you up and running as soon as
possible in a LAN environment. In the CS directory is a file called
CONFIG.CFG. This contains all your controls for CS, and is loaded
when you start the game. What you do is rename that file as another
file, say MOCHAN.CFG. This is now your very own personal config
file, with all your binds and controls!
Load this file from the console with the command:
EXEC MOCHAN.CFG
This will load all your controls and binds on the fly! Be sure to
edit it manually to add the more esoteric commands (i.e. - the
ones detailed in this section).
Aside from use in LAN shops, this trick is also useful at home, for
instance if you are sharing one computer with someone else, and you
use different controls. This way, you can swap controls on the fly
with a few key strokes!
Also, certain commands do not get saved in the default config file,
like the CL_XSPEED codes. Loading your custom config file with all
these commands makes life so much more convenient.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a5 - Speed Buying Technique
"In the words of my idol Bruce Lee, to win, you must be fast."
-- That guy on the Discovery Channel
This is a technique which all serious CS players should master. Often, it
is this technique which really separates the newbies from the veterans. At
the start of each round, most inexperienced players fumble around the menu
screens, pressing the "Buy Equipment Button" and looking at the gun
selections. Then they "Buy Primary Ammo" and look over the "Buy Equipment"
menu. Unfortunately for the Newbie, they were playing in AS_FOREST and the
grizzled vet had already come over and shot him full of holes.
To avoid this, you have to be very fast in the buy menu screen. You should
at the very least be capable of buying everything in less than three seconds,
faster if possible. The best players waste 0 seconds buying what they need.
---------------------------------------------------------
| Decide what you will buy before the next round starts |
---------------------------------------------------------
This is CRUCIAL. Read the text in the box above over and over and over until
you have nightmares about it. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Many people have quick fingers to buy the goods they want in record time, but
may people hesitate at the start of the round because they do not know what
they will buy. The trick is to decide what you will buy before the next
round starts.
Do not waste time looking at the pretty pictures and stats of the
the different guns in the menu screen. That's why I included a weapons section
in this guide; so that you can read the important stuff now, and not later
while you're playing.
The easy way to decide is to stick to a preferred weapon. This is a good
idea for newbies, because to gain skill quickly, you have to specialize in
one weapon type. The drawback here is that sometimes you might not have
enough money to buy the weapon you want. Specializing in the Arctic, for
instance, takes a while because you need two rounds on average -- three if
you just won the last fight but lost the next two -- to buy one. Thus, an
advanced mastery of this technique requires you keep track of your finances.
Don't worry if you can't compute it all precisely, but you should be able
to estimate how much you will spend.
Now, some newbies like to hoard their money up to the maximum, $16000. This
is a no-no. What good is all that money if you're not going to use it?
Spend as you need; don't be afraid to buy that expensive Arctic if it will
turn the tide to your favor! The only time you should be hoarding is when
you're saving up to buy an expensive gun you need, like the Arctic.
To help you manage your budget, here's the money table (taken from
the CS manual which is in your CStrike directory)
Action: You Get: Your Team Gets:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kill a Hostage -$1500
'Use' a Hostage $150 $100
Kill Opponent $300
Kill Team Mate -$3300
*Terrorist Win by bombing $2750
*Win by Elimination Hostage map $2000 + Hostage Bonus
*Win by Elimination Bomb map $2500
*CTs Defuse Bomb $2750
*CTs Win by Rescuing Hostages $2000 + Hostage Bonus
HOSTAGE BONUSES:
Surviving Hostage Bonus $150 per hostage
Rescuing a Hostage $1000 $150
Hostages Rescued Bonus $250 per hostage
*Either Team Loses Round $1400
Either Team Loses 2 Rounds Straight $1400 + $500 per round
over 2 (to maximum $2900)
You should be able to get a good estimate of how much money you will
have in the next round using this table. Now, in most cases you will
not know the outcome of the battle, unless there is an overwhelming
reason for you to assume who will win (like the bomb is about to
explode with no CTs in sight, or a 1 on 5 situation). As such, to
properly estimate your balance in the next round, you must assume
you will be defeated, to ensure that you can purchase whatever you
had in mind.
"To prepare to defeat your opponent is to first prepare for
your own defeat."
-- The Ookina, Rurouni Kenshin
Of course you could get cocky and assume you will always win, but
such an optimistic view can tend to get you in budget trouble. The
best approach is the conservative approach, methinks.
Thus, you must particularly memorize the bonuses I marked with an
asterisk -- these are the bonuses which you cannot determine before
the round ends, and which are the most useful for estimating how
much income you will have next round. Other things, like killing
an opponent or hostage, you can check before the round ends in most
cases. Just keep in mind the ones marked with an asterisk. If you
have a good head for figures, you can also figure in the hostage
bonuses, but these are hard to keep track of, and doing so would
really detract from the fun of playing.
Next, make use of the prices I gave in the weapon guide. Also take careful
note of whether you will buy armor, and how much ammo you plan to take
along, and what peripherals (grenades, etc). Most people like fully loading
their ammo, so I have also included the maximum ammo you can carry. Keep
in mind that all weapons you buy come with a full clip, but no extra ammo,
unless you had some previously. For instance, as a terrorist, if you buy an
MP5 you will already have 40 rounds carried over from your default Glock.
Remember that CTs start with 24 .45 ACP rounds, terrorists with 40 9mm
rounds.
Carefully plan how much money you will spend each round. It helps to
remember how much you spend with the configurations you routinely buy. For
instance, I like buying an Arctic with 10 extra rounds and a full suit of
armor. That's $4750 + $125 + $1000, for a total of $5875. I also know how
much I will spend for a fully-loaded MP5: $1500 + $80 = $1580, plus armor
for $2580. Keep track how much money you expect to have, and compare it
with your standard configurations. That way you can have smooth sailing
while buying at the start of each round.
-----------------------------------------
| Use the Hot Keys and Quick Buy Numbers |
-----------------------------------------
Now that you've got a good grasp of the economics and the foresight to buy
what you want, let's get to the actual buying techniques. Many newbies rely
on the primary buy menu (defaults to F1, I think) to buy all their equipment,
even their ammunition. This is a big no-no, because it takes more key clicks
and wastes time. Instead, you should assign a key for the main buy menu only
to buy guns, and three more hotkeys for the three important submenus: primary
ammo, secondary ammo, and equipment.
With these four hotkeys and the "Quick Buy Numbers" I notated in the equipment
list, you can achieve godspeed in arming yourself. Quick numbers are the
corresponding menu slots of certain items. For instance, the MP5 is [3-1] in
the primary buy menu: assuming F1 is your hotkey for the buy menu, you would
press F1 to bring out the buy menu, then '3' for SMGs, then '1' for the MP5.
Check out the Quick Buy Numbers in the weapons list.
This is how you should buy:
Step 1: Before the round begins, know what to buy
Step 2: Buy your main and secondary guns with the primary buy menu
Step 3: Buy your ammo with the ammo hotkeys
Step 4: Buy your armor
Step 5: Buy other peripherals (grenades, bomb kit, etc)
My controls are configured this way: Bind Command
F1 - Buy Menu BUY
F2 - Buy Primary Ammo BUYAMMO1
F3 - Buy Secondary Ammo BUYAMMO2
F4 - Buy Equipment BUYEQUIP
In case you haven't configured your controls properly, you can quick
configure them using the binding technique. For instance, to bind
the buy equipment menu to F4, type at the console:
BIND "F4" "BUYEQUIP"
Using Quick Buy Numbers, I can buy whatever configuration I chose ahead
of time in a second or so. For instance, as a terrorist one of my favorite
setups is an AK-47 with 2 extra clips, full armor, and a flashbang. As
soon as the round starts, I very quickly press F1-4-1-F2-F2-F4-2-F4-3.
Nine simple keystrokes, all in a few seconds. I am ready for action
while most newbies are still deciding what weapon to buy.
-----------------------------------------
| Start moving the moment you buy items |
-----------------------------------------
Some servers have a few seconds at the start of the round to buy equipment,
but many more do not. Thus, it is imperative to learn how to apply the
buying technique above WHILE moving. It depends on your control setup, but
if you modify your controls be sure to do to keep all your buy keys right
next to your move keys, so you can achieve this technique. To ensure that
you don't waste time and thus lose strategic ground, be sure to master
buying while running. This is useful because most of the time you cannot
press all those keys in under a second. Further, sometimes you may have to do
twelve or more keystrokes, if you choose to buy a secondary weapon. This can
take up to three seconds or even more, and those three seconds are crucial,
best spent already running for your objective than standing at your base.
FINAL NOTE: I haven't explored this fully, but you can if you want.
You can use bind scripts to simplify this entire process. Imagine
assigning one key for your "MP5 Configuration," and having to just
press that one key to get fully suited up. Go see the links section
for sites going in-depth in the use of scripts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a6 - End Reloading Technique
This is a very simple technique that many people do not do. Most likely,
they will reload at the start of the next round, which is a big waste of
time. In order to achieve maximum speed, you should always start the
next round fully loaded. Doing this is simple:
---------------------------------------------
| Reload the moment the previous round ends |
---------------------------------------------
It's as easy as that! Make it a habit to press your reload button as
soon as your team wins the round. When the next round starts, your gun
will automatically be fully loaded, even if you hadn't finished reloading
yet (it happens with slow reload guns like the AWP, Steyr Aug, and FN Para).
If you reload at the end of the round, you will be free to utilize the
Speed Buying technique in the next round. Most importantly, you will
be able to switch to your knife immediately and run for whatever key
point you have to secure as soon as possible.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.a7 - Bunny Hopping
This is a funny technique which is very hard to master. Actually, I
haven't actually managed to pull it off yet, but Paul Kerr assures
me that it works. You just need lots of practice.
Remember in Thief Gold, where you could run, jump, and at the precise
moment that you land jump again, and so on? With each successive jump,
by spending as little time as possible on the ground, you increase your
velocity, as if you were falling down a long pit. It's a bug which is
present in almost all the older FPS games, Quake II included (and thus,
Counter Strike by default).
If you do this properly in CS, you can achieve inhuman speed while
travelling in a straight line. This is actually bordering on being
a cheat, but since its usefulness is limited and it is very, very
difficult to pull off, I don't consider it as such. You actually
have to work hard to pull this one off! Cheats are usually things
which give instant results without training, so this thing is still
valid in my book.
===============================================================================
5.b -- Defensive Techniques
These techniques are invaluable for keeping yourself alive. Defense is the
most important, more important than offense. Defense comes first. Most
advanced offensive techniques can only be learned after first mastering the
basic defensive movement techniques. To become a true fighting god, you must
master the basic defensive movement techniques.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b1 - Side Stepping
Side-stepping is a very useful skill for staying alive. Even beginners
have little trouble hitting a stationary target, but a moving target is
far more difficult to hit. Especially when the target is moving from
side to side, directly perpendicular to you. To ensure that your opponents
have as much trouble as possible hitting you, the zig zag side stepping
technique is essential.
Basically, you just side step directly left and right when your opponents
start shooting you. Barring taking cover and not showing yourself, this
technique is the best defense against one-shot Arctic snipers. Assaulters
should master this technique first and foremost, because they are often
in the line of fire.
-------------------------------------------------------------
| Sidestepping decreases your accuracy, but keeps you alive |
-------------------------------------------------------------
The drawback to side-stepping is that your accuracy goes down dramatically.
A shot you might have made easily while standing, will often go wild while
side-stepping. Thus, you generally should only attempt side-stepping while
fighting at close to mid-range, especially while using pistols or the more
accurate assault weapons like the MP5 and M4 Carbine.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b2 - Ducking
Ducking is an important defensive technique, and is also an offensive trick.
Ducking will help you take cover behind smaller obstacles, but it is also
equally effective at making you a smaller target when in plain sight. The
drawback to ducking, though, is that an opponent aiming for your body might
get a headshot when you duck. Still, that is a calculated risk you will have
to take, because ducking gives you the added advantage of increasing your
accuracy as you counterattack. That is why ducking is also an offensive tactic.
-----------------------------------
| Ducking increases your accuracy |
-----------------------------------
In general, you must choose from one of these two techniques when fighting
an opponent. You can either keep side-stepping while firing back in order
to make yourself a harder target, but you also sacrifice your own accuracy.
Ducking is less defensive, as you will be easier to hit than a side-stepping
maniac, but the trade-off is that you will have an easier time hitting your
opponent. It is your call, but you should adapt a tactic based on your
opponent's weapon. For instance, if your enemy is using an MP5, ducking can
be safe, but if he is using an Arctic, ducking is a stupid thing to do, and
side-stepping would be better.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b3 - Jumping
Jumping is also a defensive technique which can save your skin. However, it
is not as important a technique as side-stepping or ducking. Jumping is more
the coward's technique: you will usually want to side-step and jump only when
you have no intention whatsoever of fighting back. Unlike side-stepping and
ducking which is meant as evasive techniques while counter-attacking, jumping
should only be used for purely evasive purposes. Why?
---------------------------------------
| Accuracy goes to shit while jumping |
---------------------------------------
Remember this basic truth, and you'll go a long way in Counter Strike. Lots of
newbies like jumping around while firing back at their enemies. Small wonder
most of their shots miss. If you're going to attack while dodging, stick to
side-stepping. Jumping while sidestepping is a purely defensive, escaping
tactic. However:
----------------------------------------------
| Be careful jumping around an Arctic player |
----------------------------------------------
A skilled sniper will calculate the end of your jump and aim their, tagging
you instantly as you land. Avoid jumping in plain sight of an arctic
wielding opponent; it is a quick way to die. If you must jump, begin the jump
where the opponent cannot see you, thus he will have trouble anticipating
your jump and your landing. Or, jump only when the end point of your jump is
concealed from the Arctic's deadly line of sight. Jumping also plays a role
in Arctic-to-Arctic duels. More on that later.
These are the basic movement-related defense skills. However, true defensive
skills are awareness-based and not movement based, and are more tactical in
nature. Most of these techniques I might eventually disclose in specific
map tactics, but for now I will just give a general overview of the general
advanced defense techniques, the mind-based techniques.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b4 - Shadow Technique
Since CS uses the Half-life engine, which emphasized dark shadowy corners for
monsters to hide in, the CS environment is complete with dark places on the
map where you can hide and, in general, make yourself less visible. One can't
shoot what one can't detect, and making yourself hard to see is the key to
exploiting this weakness. This technique is especially useful for campers.
Be sure to find those spots on the map where you are given cover, whether by
obstacles, shadows, or both. Surprise is a lethal weapon that is worth more
than a hundred bullets. I may someday write specific map tactics to point out
all these good hiding places. For now, a good example of the shadow technique
is the CT-side of the sewers in DE_AZTEC. The back of the grate from the
bridge is pitch-dark, and a CT agent wearing a dark skin is practically
invisible from a terrorist coming from underneath the bridge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b5 - Hit and Run Technique
This is what is called the "Style of the Ages." There is no better way to keep
yourself alive than to shoot fast at the moment you see your enemy, and run
like hell away after that shot. That is, shoot your enemy once, hoping to
damage or kill him, but regardless run away and duck for cover as soon as the
shot is fired. This gives your opponent no chance to react to you and do you
harm, yet gives you the chance to kill him. This technique works best with an
Arctic, but can be adapted for any gun. These guerilla tactics will harass and
frustrate your enemy, if nothing else. And messing with your opponent's mind is
one of the most important tactics in winning a battle. Needless to say, to
succeed with this technique you must have pinpoint sniper accuracy in as quick
a time as possible.
Some people like to pop out again after hiding, but this is dangerous as your
opponent knows where you are likely to come from, and the advantage of surprise
is lost. The best course is to run away completely and flank the enemy to try
to get at them from another angle they don't expect. It's easier said than
done, but familiarity with the map and experience will help you achieve this.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b6 - Crowd Defense
If you're a smart, unscrupulous player and are not playing for the good of the
team, one of the most effective defensive techniques is the crowd defense.
Stick with your team, and be with them all the time! This is the best way to
increase your chances of survival. Specifically, hide behind your teammates
whenever an opponent shows up. This way, your teammate will likely get fragged
before you, but he will hopefully have softened up your opponent, leaving you
to clean-up the mess.
This technique also works cooperatively while camping. Two heads is better
than one, so to speak. When camping, it is best to camp in crowds. You can
cover more area, and there is a good chance if the opposing team assaults,
they will kill your other teammates instead of you. So make sure to use the
shadow technique while camping and make yourself less visible than your
teammates, so they will be hit first while you finish off the attackers!
5.b6a -- Hostage Defense
This is a varation of the Crowd Defense technique. When teammates are scarce,
the next best alternative is to use hostages! By having hostages follow you
around, you can easily get some cover from fire, and if you're good enough at
dodging, your enemy might actually hit and kill the hostage, getting a
whopping cash deduction. In fact, one of the cheap tricks I do for fun is get
a hostage, hack it down to 7% life, and have it follow around. An enemy will
shoot me, miss, and hit the hostage, depleting his money. Even better, I often
get groups of the hostages and hack them down. Enemies love throwing grenades
all the time, and it only takes one well-placed grenade to kill all of them,
leaving the grenade thrower with no cash whatosoever.
One of my nastiest techniques involves the Hostage and Shadow Defense
techniques in the darkest corridor of CS_MANSION. Recall that corridor outside
the hostage room? Hide in the intersection of the corridor, where it's really
dark, and put a hostage to either side of you. CTs charging in will likely hit
the hostages, killing them, and leaving you to mop up the mess. It's a very
effective technique, though your enemies will probably curse you for the coward
you are. ^_^
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b7 - Smart Reloading
Reloading is an often ignored aspect of Counter Strike tactics. But knowing
when to reload and when not to is one of the most crucial aspects of CS
gameplay! Reloading tactics vary from weapon to weapon, and there are a lot
of specific circumstances which one can learn only through experience. But
I will try to give a basic theory of how to reload properly.
Basically, you want to balance your reloads such that you are not
reloading when an opponent is likely to show up, but you must also
reload whenever the rounds in your clip is below the amount you need
to make a kill.
In general, you must gauge how much ammunition you need to kill one
opponent. When you know this number, you should keep at least twice
that number in your clip at all times. If you have less than that, you
should consider reloading.
Reload sparingly, as much as possible don't reload at all. I see a lot
of newbies get killed because they see an enemy, fire a few shots, which
the enemy dodges easily as he ducks for cover. As the enemy disappears,
the newbie immediately begins reloading, "to keep his guns at top capacity."
Then as soon as they reload, the enemy pops out and shoots holes in them.
This is really sad. Many novice players reload their MP5s even while they
have 20 or more rounds in them. This is no good, the risk of getting caught
reloading is greater than that of running out of ammo. Learning to balance
when to reload when ammo is running low is crucial.
The opposite extreme is also true. The newer players -- particularly those
who have either not played an FPS before, or are used to Doom-style shooters
where there is no reloading -- often do not reload at all. In the middle of
a gunfight, they suddenly run out, and find themselves automatically reloading
as they are still pressing the trigger button tight, out of ammo. The enemy
will immediately smile at the clicking sound, and gun them down as they change
the clip.
The most important consideration, though, is enemy density and proximity.
If it's the start of the round and enemies are far away, you can reload
with no worry. But if it's late in the game and an enemy could be waiting
just around the corner, reloading is dangerous.
----------------------------------
| Do not attack while reloading! |
----------------------------------
Doing so is one of the most idiotic thing you can do, but sadly I see a
lot of people do it (I myself am guilty of this at times). If an opponent
suddenly shows up, you'll be dead before you even fire a single shot.
A few basic tips to reloading:
- When reloading, keep yourself covered. Reload either when you have a
buddy backing you up, or after ducking behind a crate or empty corridor.
- Do not move toward where an opponent could be hiding when reloading.
Only actually start to reload when you are safely hidden and you are
sure no enemy is hiding around you.
- Be prepared to bring out your secondary if an opponent does jump you
while reloading. This is your last-ditch effort to save yourself in
case an enemy catches you with your gun down.
In general, reloading also depends on your weapon. Weak weapons which require
lots of shots to kill, like the MP5, should be reloaded as much as possible,
whenever there is a lull in the battle. Stronger guns like the AK-47 and
especially the Arctic, should be reloaded sparingly. I usually don't reload
my AK until my ammo goes below 15, and I only reload my Arctic when I have
less than 5 shots left.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b8 - Continuous Movement Defense
The final important mental technique is that of continous movement.
----------------------------------------
| Never stay in one place for too long |
----------------------------------------
Even a camper shouldn't stay in one place too long, for an enemy may
go around and flank him, sneaking up on him from behind. Also, the
use of continuous movement makes you as hard a target as possible at
all times. CS players, particularly Arctic snipers, love nothing more
than a stationary target. But someone who is constantly on the move
will foil this expectation, making you far more difficult to kill,
even if an opponent catches you by surprise.
But, the most important use of continously moving around, is to constantly
exercise your mind, keeping it from stagnating. This is an important
physiological consideration, as allowing your mind to stagnate will dull your
reflexes and make you easier to kill.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b9 - Flee from Fire Technique
This is a very basic technique which all CS players should learn, but
surprisingly few put into action.
What do you do when you walk into a room or clearing and suddenly the
you hear gunshots, and if you're unlucky the screen might flash a bit
as you are hit by some unseen sniper? There are two basic responses to
this: first, the player looks around, trying to find the culprit, and
shoot back. Second, the player ducks back the way he came like a coward.
If you're the kind who does the first, then I commend you on your
bravery but I condemn you for stupidity. I admit I still do this
sometimes because my instinct is to kill kill! But chances are, this
course of action will get you killed. Why? Because of the simple fact
that you are already in your opponent's sights, while you have yet to
locate your opponent. This is NOT favorable at all, and unless your
opponent is using an underpowered gun or is stupid (or both), you will
die.
While under some circumstances it is to your benefit to quickly locate
the opponent and fireback, in general it is the more prudent approach
to back out quickly before you get your ass kicked. This is the
"Flee from Fire Technique." Trust me, it will keep you alive more
often than not.
When not to use this technique? There are some situations when you will
want to ignore this teaching. The first is when you are in an assault
squad trying to break into the enemy's defensive position. A good
example would be when playing CTs in CS_ASSAULT. In this case, death
is practically inevitable, you would best be served by having a
"I'll take as many of you down with me" mentality instead. But in
general, this technique is the rule if you want to survive.
Another instance you might want to ignore this rule is when you are
using an Arctic Sniper Rifle, and the opponent who took potshots at
you was using a Glock or something (you should be able to tell by
the sound of the gun). In this case, it is your call whether you
want to take the chance, but keep in mind your remaining health and,
of course, your confidence in your sniping skill.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b10 - Backstabbing Technique (Uragiri)
When camping, it is best to camp with your other team members.
But in those instances when you are alone or don't want to camp
with team members, the usual camping tactics must be discarded
in favor of "uragiri" techniques.
If you are alone but choose to camp and hold a particular point,
chances are you won't survive against a wave of enemies unless
you are really good and/or using an Arctic. But if you don't have
an Arctic, you must resort to the less valorous backstab.
This should be discussed in detail in specific maps to point out
the good backstab points, but I will explain here the basic theory.
Backstabbing is done best with a good close-range weapon like
a shotgun, MP5, Desert Eagle, or Carbine. First find a secluded,
shadowy area where an opponent is likely to pass, but you are
not likely to be seen behind cover. Hide in your niche and
switch to your knife. This minimizes your visibility since the
knife is very short.
Now, when an enemy passes by, switch to your gun and riddle his
back with holes. Simple, no? It is easier said than done, but
with experience and knowledge of the best backstabbing points,
you can pull it off. When you've gained enough skill in this
technique, you will be able to spot the best backstabbing points
in a map immediately. In the future, I hope to give out specific
map strategies to point out these good backstab locations.
Just be sure not to do it all the time, because the next time you
do it your opponent may be ready. Never use the same backstab
location twice in a row. Move to other spots to outwit your
opponent. Teach him to fear the corners. When you've done that,
switch to the otherside so that when he checks the old corner,
he turns his back to you again. Happy backstabbing!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b10a -- Letting the Shadow Pass (Kage Yurutou)
This is an advanced modification of the backstab technique. Use it
when you expect a lot of enemies, and when you are very confident
in your hidden niche and your enemy's ignorance.
Most players go for the backstab immediately as soon as an enemy
passes by. This is fine, especially if the enemy is alone and has
a good probability of spotting you. But what if he has friends?
When camping in an unlikely position where the enemy is not
likely to check, and when there are a lot of them (at least two of
them passing you by), then it is often prudent to "let the shadow
pass;" that is, let the second guy (or the last guy if there are
more than two) get past you. ONLY then should you start shooting
at their backs.
This way, they will all have their backs turned to you! It is less
likely for them to fire back at you under these conditions. If you
had fired on the first guy, you might have killed him, but then
the guy right behind him would likely make minced meat out of you.
Have patience; if you weren't detected, then waiting a few seconds
won't hurt you. Premature firing will. After you make sure no one
else is coming, that's the when you shoot them all in the backs.
Of course, if you are detected, then you have no recourse but to
fire back and try to kill them before they kill you. It's just
the risk that a backstabber takes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b11a -- Baiting the Enemy
This technique was sent in by avielh, and I actually find it pretty
funny yet very sound. Basically, before you go camp to do an ambush,
you drop your secondary weapon in plain sight where the enemy is
likely to pass, as "bait."
Judging where the enemy is likely to come from, he will stop over
the weapon to examine it, maybe even to pick it up. If this
happens, you have the advantage of surprise as you jump out of
your camping spot (out of sight from where you think he will come)
and grab a quick kill.
This seems to work best with certain guns. As a terrorist, the
Dual Berettas, though expensive, are great because they look
very distinct and are especially coveted by CTs, who can't buy
it themselves. As a CT, maybe you could use the 5/7, but that
gun isn't in demand as much. You could also try using a Desert
Eagle, it's shiny and catches attention a lot, and many players
(myself included) would rather have it than the default gun.
Of course, don't use this trick too often.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.b11 - Hiding the Ghost (Yurei o Kakushite)
This is a simple technique you should always keep in mind. In CS,
as with just about all First Person 3D games, clipping (parts of
character models passing through walls) is a big issue. What this
means is that, if you stand next to a thin wall or door, parts of
you might clip through it, making you visible from the other side.
Needless to say, this makes you a great target for snipers and
rifles on the other side.
This is especially true for big guns with long barrels, like the
AWP. No gun gives your position away like the Arctic sniper. But
then, no gun takes advantage of this more than the Arctic. Just
be sure not to point your gun over a thin door or wall -- it'll
reveal you to any enemies on the other side. Try not to stick to
walls too closely, either.
I don't need to say this, but use this knowledge well to find
enemies clipping through walls! And when you do, be sure to hit
them with an AWP, Para, AK-47, or some other weapon with wall-
punching ability.
===============================================================================
5.c -- Offensive Techniques
These techniques were designed to kill, or help you while killing. They
will reduce the chance of you dying while you are attacking, while increasing
the mortality rate of your opponents. Combined with the defensive techniques
earlier, these techniques will help shape you into the ultimate warrior.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.c1 - Stationary Aiming
The most basic offensive technique is aiming while not moving. Those who
like camping or otherwise not moving around should master this technique --
such to the point that they can find the opponent's head on average in half
a second. Since you aren't moving, you have to learn to kill quickly before
your moving opponent hits you. This requires long hours of training to
acquire a fast reaction time.
One of the tricks to improve your stationary training is to keep your
mind focused and busy. Never allow your mind to stagnate. An assaulter
does this easily by constantly moving, but a camper can often forget when
he stays glued to one spot. That is why campers need mental training even
more than assaulters.
-----------------------------------------------------------
| Keeping your mind sharp is the key to stationary aiming |
-----------------------------------------------------------
Do not just think of anything, though. You must concentrate on the attack.
Focus is necessary, keeping your mind busy is not just a matter of thinking
random thoughts. If you think of just anything, it might distract your
concentration away from your aim. One good mental exercise to do while
camping is to mentally visualize how your opponent will look and move when
he does show up at the point you are guarding.
Another, simpler but more difficult technique to master is to be totally
aware of everything you see and hear. This will keep your mind busy and
keep you totally aware of every detail, heightening your senses and your
reaction time. This is a difficult technique to master, but if you do it
will increase the effectiveness of your camping a hundred fold.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.c2 - Hot and Cold Firing Technique
This is an advanced form of the stationary firing technique, which is very
useful for weapons that have low accuracy while moving. It is a combination
of defensive movement techniques and stationary firing. Basically, you side
step as usual when confronted by enemy fire. While dodging, you take aim,
and when your aim is true, you suddenly brake, stopping your movement
altogether, and fire. As soon as you fire, you move again, making yourself
once again a hard target.
This is a difficult technique to master and execute effectively, but when
you do it will increase your offensive and defensive capabilities
tremendously, especially while using single-shot low movement-accuracy
weapons like the AK-47, the FN Para and the Arctic.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.c2a -- Jump Aiming
This is an advanced form of the Hot and Cold Firing technique. You jump
to avoid enemy fire, and while in the air you are already