Be Great at Counter Strike Source

Tips and tricks that seem like common sense after you read them, but even some decent players don't use them.

Steps

  1. Get comfortable. The monitor position above your head is better for your back, below your head level is better for your eyes. Try to be comfortable and not slouch. Some people play better when sitting upright and far away from the keyboard, with arms extended, some don't. Find a comfortable position for you.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the controls. Get used to moving around with the w, a, s, d keys, and shooting with the mouse. Find a mouse sensitivity speed that you like, and stick with it.
  3. Customize your configuration to work for you. Even if you have used the default config, and that's what you're used to, try to see if you can make some keystrokes more efficient for you. Using low sensitivity is more accurate as you can move with greater precision. Turn off weapon auto switch, turn on weapon fast switch. Turn off Vsync, mouse smoothing and mouse acceleration. Fix your rates, for a high bandwidth connection: rate 25000, cl_updaterate 101, and cl_cmdrate 101 is good... You can tweak your config if you have a slower computer
  4. Know the map. This is important so that you know where you're going, anticipate where the enemy will go, and to know strategic spots. If you are new to a map, join a server with 0 players, and just explore around. Once you are familiar with a map, play in a server with other players. Notice that you can easily predict where the enemy might go now.
  5. Know what weapons to buy. On servers where you start with $800, It's recommended that you buy a Desert Eagle, the 2nd to last pistol on the menu. It is the strongest pistol there is, and a few carefully aimed shots will defeat your enemy. Once you have enough cash to purchase other items, you will have a wide variety of weapons to choose from. Try buying an AK47 if you are a terrorist, or a Colt M4A1 if you are a counter-terrorist. These guns are pretty precise if you aim, and are strong. If you have extra money left over, buy flash grenades, which will help a lot in game, and HE grenades, which can be very powerful. A lot of people ask "Well, should I buy armour?" It could probably keep you alive for a few shots at most, but in some cases it doesn't help. If you are in a server that starts with $16000 every round, then definitely buy the full kevlar and helmet armour, HE grenades, flash grenades, smoke grenades, desert eagle, rifle, and all that stuff since you have nothing to lose.
  6. The AWP. This sniper rifle is so special that it gets it's own step. The AWP is indeed the most powerful weapon in the game, since shooting the enemy anywhere above the legs results in an instant death, while shooting at the legs results in 82-86 damage. The AWP will be hard to learn how to use at first, since it makes you walk a lot slower, its slower to move, and it's slower to scope. Practise using the AWP by going to AWP only servers, usually servers that being with the name awp_. Try awp_india v2, as it is the typical AWP map that everyone loves, but there will no doubt be pros that will keep killing you before you can even figure out how to use this weapon. If that is the case, join a de_dust 2 server with lots of people, and just practice moving the AWP around and scoping. Practice zooming in, shooting, and immediately moving away. Also, use the qq technique, in which you press the q button twice quickly, which basically switches the AWP to the 2nd weapon, and back to the AWP again quickly, faster than right clicking out of the zoom and zooming in again. This is essential if you want to become a good AWPer. AWP-ing is also a lot about quick reflexes, and muscle memory. These you can't really train without practice so just practice a lot.
  7. Know how to aim. As mentioned earlier, you should play with the mouse sensitivity that you are used to at all times. Know how far the crosshair moves when you move the mouse a certain distance. That way, when you see an enemy, you will know how far to move your mouse to put the crosshair on the enemy. Always aim for the head at all times, especially if the enemy is far away. Depending on range, certain guns like the ak47 and desert eagle are instant headshots even with a helmet. Without a helmet most guns will be a one hit kill headshot. However, for very close range combat, spraying and praying (holding down the fire key and randomly firing in the general direction of the enemy) can do the trick, but is mostly based on luck. Crouching and standing still while shooting are the most accurate, while moving and jumping while shooting are the least accurate.
  8. Effectively use flash grenades. Bounce flashes towards the ground for a short throw and quick peek around a corner, clip it right near the edge... that gives them less time to escape (like if you had bounced it off the inside wall.. they get too much warning)
  9. Effectively use smoke grenades. Sometimes throw a smoke, bounce it and then jump out at the same time... they'll think it's a flash and turn around....
  10. When you get flashed multiple times, it's an obvious rush, immediately pull out your nade and counter the flash... usually it'll land right in the middle of them.
  11. An experienced user can pitch a nade around a corner without even peeking it. After the nade hits, pull your gun out immediately and start shooting... they'll most likely still be retreating your nade and you have an open shot.
  12. Predict the opponent. If a player is getting a lot of kills on the opposite team, he's probably working the same angle over and over and you'll easily be able to devise a plan to kill him, perhaps using a flash or smoke grenade that you can now use effectively.
  13. Change up your style. If you're playing someone good, they will figure out what angles you like pretty fast. It's best to switch between many different styles of playing and hiding places to avoid becoming predictable. When you're saving, often buy smokes to defer the AWPers.
  14. When reloading and in a gunfight struggle, just pick up another gun asap. You may not have time to reload before being killed so it may be more effective to just find another gun.
  15. Remember to closely pay attention to your spray, with AK you want a 2 shot burst, with the mp5 you just want to tap on their head 1 shot at a time at a distance, if it's close just spray at Headshot level...
  16. Sometimes if you miss with the AK, a sporadic spray can still get the target, lower your aim to make up for the recoil, try lowering it at an angle towards the direction the enemy is running.
  17. When playing at long distances against awpers, make very small strafing motions back and forth. There is a good reason why: when double scoped with a gun, strafing targets are really hard to hit. You're barely moving left or right, just moving an inch or so back and forth... people forget that when they have an AK out, and they move back and forth several inches, making them an easy target.
  18. Don't always jump around corners, it makes you an easy shot for an awper.
  19. Sometimes come out of a corner halfway, not even enough to peek it, the awper will see your arm and try to shoot, then you can pop out on his recoil.
  20. Look for less obvious cover. Try to observe the map, use every piece as an obstruction for your protection, sometimes even a thin palm tree can block all the bullets you need.
  21. Plant the bomb in open areas so your team-mates can cover it. Sometimes throw a smoke in front of where you're planting, and where you predict the enemy might be, that way they can't see you.
  22. Save some flashes/nades to hold off the counter-terrorists.
  23. Learn the timing of every rush point.. If you rush a or b, know exactly how close the opposing team can be if they rushed it too, from the closest possible spawn they could have.
  24. Talent. Finally it comes down to pure talent. All the above points will make you an informed player but never a great player.

Tips

  • If you have a clear shot, try aiming for the head. It does a lot more damage.
  • Practice against bots. It helps your motor reflexes and you can also learn how to manage the guns' recoil patterns (Yes, they go in a pattern). However, it's not usually recommended to play against "very hard" bots, as they seem to know your position without seeing you.
  • If you don't want to practice developing some skills on public servers, try playing in a server by yourself with bots set at the highest difficulty possible. This way, you can increase your aiming and reaction time drastically playing with high-level bots. Reaction time and aiming can help a lot!
  • The AK is a rifle, not a machine gun. Use bursts, you'll hit more often.
  • When you are near your opponent and he is going to shoot you, move sideways to any one direction either left or right. Don't wriggle about, when you are away from your opponent that is when you wriggle; i.e. move in both the direction left and right.
  • Game Sense. The longer you play, the more you will develop, and this is what TRULY makes you good at counter strike.
  • Aside from basic training and getting used to the game, and becoming a smart player... The thing that really makes you good is just movement and aim. Remember to train your ears and hands to work together. When they fire, you move, when they are bursting and stopping for their recoil, you move and shoot, when they are shooting, you move. Train yourself. When you get it down you'll be a very hard target.

Warnings

  • Don't hack to win. Steam may ban your account and force you to buy a new one; hacking both destroys your reputation and financially costs you. It's simply not worth it.
  • Watch out for hackers, don't blame hackers for hacking if you think they are. Make sure you're certain. Just because they shot you in the head through the door doesn't mean they are hacking. Getting kicked off a server for playing really well is a compliment. Don't get too steamed.
  • Don't let a few bad rounds put you off. keep a positive mind and you can still come back even if you were kid 1 - 5
  • Be careful, every time you change your monitors resolution it will change your mouse sensitivity, that's how your mouse works.
  • Don't crouch near corners, your legs stick out.

Things You'll Need

  • A copy of Counter Strike: Source
  • A relatively new computer (Pentium 4/Athlon 64,1GB RAM, 128+MB Graphics card)
  • A high speed (1 MB+) internet connection.

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