Now, I consider myself a fairly competent CS:GO player, but I am not the best. I am competent in combat, but I play conservatively whenever possible, while my teammates are often eager to rush at what I consider to be inopportune moments. If we have the bomb planted, and there is one Counter-Terrorist remaining, there is no reason why any of us should feel the need to run out there and risk being killed looking for him, especially when we are sitting on his goal. The same goes when we're CT, covering both bombsites and the last terrorist still hasn't moved with 10 seconds on the clock: The punishment for running down the clock is heavy for a terrorist team. They earn no money the next round if they fail to plant the bomb or eliminate the Counter-Terrorist team (I think the same goes for a Counter-Terrorist team that fails to rescue a hostage or eliminate the terrorist team on cs_ maps).
I don't like getting into combat if I don't have to, and I think my method of using grenades to buy time and cover my team is part of why I've been successful in the matches that I've played. I'll try my best to explain why I throw grenades where I do and what each grenade toss does for my team.
Smoke Grenades
Smoke grenades are often not used effectively. A smoke grenade is used to conceal movement from the enemy; run alongside smoke, never through it, as the enemy will see you (or your shadow) before you will be able to see the enemy. Running through smoke has essentially the same effect on visibility as a flashbang.
One very popular position for smoke grenades is on de_dust2, at Middle between CT spawn and B, shown here
Middle Doors between CT spawn (to the left) and Bombsite B (to the right)
This is effective because terrorists will watch (and snipe) CTs passing through the gap in the doors. Obscuring vision here is very effective, because it prevents the terrorist team from being able to determine how many CTs are guarding B and taking pot-shots at CTs moving from spawn to B.
One thing I like to do as a Terrorist is to toss smoke grenades on de_cache up at the overlook at bombsite B (Molotovs are also good, but don't last as long as smokes).
Bombsite B Overlook/Heaven
That spot is very effective for CTs defending the site, and if left alone, a CT can sit up there and easily take out a good portion of the team--or win altogether, as I will show in the next section.
Also on de_cache, the Terrorists can rush to bombsite A, which is a wide open, dangerous area. In the way back, near CT spawn, is a truck that CT snipers like to hide behind and potentially snipe incoming Terrorists.
De_Cache bombsite A "Main" Behind that smoke is a truck that provides cover for CT snipers
This allows the Terrorists to only have to worry about CTs to the right side and possibly one or two to the far left behind a forklift or a catwalk above that.
For the CT side, they have an excellent opportunity to use smoke grenades on cs_office when rescuing a hostage that spawns in the corner of a hallway behind the Terrorist spawn area. This area is particularly difficult for CTs to attack, and the smoke provides ample cover. A word of caution: Note where the hostage is before you toss the smoke, and use the minimap/radar to escape to safety!
I've got the hostage and can't see a damned thing. However, neither can they!
This is very good because the Terrorists are very unlikely to try to run through the smoke to try to shoot you, and if your teammates followed you, they can cover you as you make your escape. It's worth pointing out that there are three potential hostage spawns, and I'm not sure how likely it is that a hostage will spawn in that spot in a competitive match. It's still worth knowing this, I think (cs_office is one of my favorite maps).
One Last Note on Smoke Grenades
If a bombsite or hostage rescue point is heavily contested (this is especially true at bombsite B on de_season, which I couldn't get a screenshot of because it's no longer available in matchmaking), throwing smoke and planting the bomb (or defusing the bomb as a CT) is extremely effective in CS:GO. The enemy can't see you, and they are much more likely to concentrate on fighting through your teammates than trying to hit what they can't see. Again, note where you are before you toss that smoke!
Incendiary Grenades / Molotov Cocktails
Incendiaries are expensive ($400 for Molotovs, $600 for Incendiary Grenades), and I seem to be the only person who uses them. I don't expect to actually hit anyone with them (though it's cool when I do), but they deal significant damage, and stop the enemy in their tracks, buying time for your team to join you at the area under attack.
Long Hall on cs_office
What I have to do is peek out from an area just to the left of where I am, and lob my Incendiary grenade all the way to the rear. I have to be fast, or I will be killed, especially if there is more than one Terrorist in that area. If I pull it off, the Terrorists will retreat into the rear hallway, allowing my teammates and I to advance. From there, we can easily toss more grenades into that smaller hallway and slowly chip away at their team, eventually eliminating them or reaching a hostage. I have won almost every single round that I've done this in. This is the most effective use of an incendiary grenade in the entire game.
Another area where incendiaries are useful is in de_cache as a CT from the Overlook area smoked out in a previous image. Here, there is a CT watching the Terrorists' entry point after throwing fire down into it. It is recommended by a teammate once that I wait a few seconds before throwing it, because it really doesn't last long, maybe 10-15 seconds at most.
CT watching Bombsite B on de_cache from Overlook/Heaven. The checkered room to the left is still a viable entry point if they decide to retreat. Or, if they're faster than you or your team, they can push through the fire, either straight in or around and through the checkered room.
One final note on Incendiaries and Molotovs: As a Terrorist, if you think you're going to lose, it is very possible to save the round if you throw an incendiary on the Bomb, buying time and possibly even killing the CT who tries to defuse. However, a Terrorist guarding the bomb is likely to be sought out, and the time it takes to switch to and throw a Molotov on the bomb may be better spent shooting the enemy. I have only pulled this off a couple times, and it's deeply satisfying when it does happen.
Terrorist threw a Molotov on the bomb at bombsite B on de_mirage
Other Grenades
The other grenades--High Explosive/Frag, Flashbang, and Decoy grenades are nowhere near as effective as deterrents or as offensive tactics as the Incendiaries and Smoke Grenades are. The flashbang, even if tossed correctly, can be defended against by a skilled player simply by turning away from the grenade as it goes off, minimizing the flash effect. I have *never* been able to use flashbangs efficiently, and it's always a guess whether you have incapacitated your enemy. Decoys are easy to identify. As such, the probability that it will compel your enemy to move is minimal. The frag grenades only do approximately 57 damage, but they have to go off right next to the target, and are almost completely ineffective at a range greater than a few feet. Because of this, they are hardly worth the $300.
On Smoke Grenades in Counter-Strike 1.6
In Counter-Strike 1.6, because of its lower particle count, it is very possible to still see through the smoke with the game on high settings. Smoke grenades are thus much less effective in this version of Counter-Strike, and they should not be depended upon to the degree that they can be in CS:GO and CS:Source.
No comments:
Post a Comment