A Counter Strike 2 Beginner Guide

Counter-Strike 2 is Valve’s popular five-versus-five tactical shooter game. It has gained popularity due to its competitive aspect, where players strive to become the best. The game has an incredibly high skill ceiling, ensuring players need thousands of hours to become good at the game. 

The most popular Counter-Strike 2 mode is the Bomb Defusal scenario, an objective-based game mode between Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. Here’s everything you need to know about the roles of each side.

The job of Terrorists is to plant the C4 Explosive on a bomb site and guard it until it detonates. Terrorists will be awarded a round victory for eliminating all enemy Counter-Terrorists or protecting the bomb from oppositions until it explodes.

Meanwhile, Counter-Terrorists are essentially the defenders. Their job is to prevent Terrorists from entering bomb sites and laying down the explosives. If pesky Terrorists slip through and plant the bomb, Counter-Terrorists must perform a retake to defuse the bomb before time runs out.

Two teams will compete in a 24-round match, where the first team to claim 13 rounds will emerge victorious. Do note that there are two halfs per match, and teams swap sides after 12 rounds of play. 

Counter-Strike, being a first-person shooter game, is nothing without weaponry. Players must equip themselves with guns, armor, and grenades at the beginning of every round. Both sides will be rewarded with cash injections after every round, with the amount depending on the performance of the previous round. 

Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists will have different weapons to work with. For example, Terrorists have access to the AK-47, while Counter-Terrorists only have access to M4s. Here is a quick rundown of recommended guns you should use on each side.

Terrorist Side Weapons

The Terrorist side is equipped with dozens of available choices, but we’ll whittle down the options to make it easier for you with the best recommendations to use.

• Pistols: Glock-18, Tec-9, Desert Eagle
• SMGs: MAC-10, P90 
• Rifles: Galil AR, AK-47

Counter-Terrorist Side Weapons

Counter-Terrorists have varying available weaponry in the buy menu. Here are the most recommended weapons to use on defense.

• Pistols: USP-S, Five-SeveN, Desert Eagle
• SMGs: MP9, P90
• Rifles: FAMAS, M4A4/M4A1-S

The AWP

The AWP is the primary sniper rifle in the game and is accessible by both sides. Typically, one player is entrusted as the team’s sniper. 

The AWP is a high risk, high reward weapon that costs $4,750. However, it is a 1 shot 1 kill when the bullet lands on the body or head. The AWP has a very slow fire rate and reset timer, so it is crucial you don’t miss your first shot. 

In Counter-Strike, players can equip themselves with different types of grenades that have various purposes. Here is a quick rundown of all the grenades available in the game:

• Smoke Grenade: Creates a cloud of smoke that obstructs enemy line of sight. Smokes are used to gain control of certain areas of the map or cross safely. 
• Flashbang: Used to blind enemy players. Flashbangs are usually used to set up teammates for kills. A “pop flash” is an instant flash that is difficult to react to.
• HE Grenade: Detonates after being thrown, dealing damage to an area. Primarily used to soften up enemy players. Coordinate with teammates to throw at the same time. 
• Molotov/Incendiary Grenade: Creates fire upon detonation, perfect to slow down incoming rushes or force an enemy player out of a hiding spot. 

Grenades are a one-time use, and must be re-purchased in the next round. Players can only carry a maximum of four grenades at a time. Players cannot carry more than one smoke, HE, or molotov grenade at a time. However, they can carry two flashbangs simultaneously. 

Finally, you must have a decent understanding of the available equipment in the game. 

Armor is accessible on both sides, and is crucial for reducing damage from incoming bullets and HE grenades. Additionally, you will experience “aim punch,” which is movement slow after taking damage from bullets without armor.

There are two types of armor in the game:

• Kevlar Vest (Body Armor): Kevlars are necessary in almost every round, as it provides players with body protection. Additionally, vests help players tank damage from HE grenades.
• Kevlar Helmet (Head Armor): Helmets are a luxury, and aren’t needed in every single round. Helmets reduce damage taken from headshots, which is important against lower weaponry such as SMGs or pistols. 

Many Counter-Terrorist players prefer skipping the Kevlar Helmet as the AK-47 is always a one-shot headshot either way. 

In Counter-Strike 2, players will engage in combat in various maps. The most common maps you will play on are included in the Active Duty Map Pool, which consists of seven maps.

The maps you’ll expect to see often are:

• Dust II
• Mirage
• Inferno
• Vertigo
• Ancient
• Anubis
• Nuke

Every Counter-Strike map features two bomb sites: Bomb Site A and Bomb Site B. Terrorists can plant the bomb on either bomb site, so make sure your defenses are fortified on both sides of the map. 

The most popular maps among beginner players are Dust II, Mirage, and Inferno. The remaining maps are relatively harder to play, as there are many tight chokepoints and varying elevations.

Now that we’ve gotten a good grasp of how Counter-Strike is played, let’s recap some of the most relevant beginner tips to put you on the right track.

Always Aim At Head-Level

In Counter-Strike or any other first-person shooter game, everyone knows that the best way to secure kills is by getting headshots. It is important for you to exercise proper crosshair placement, which means your crosshair is positioned around head-level height. 

That way, when you see an enemy player, the verticality of your crosshair is all set; you just have to make micro adjustments to secure the kill. 

Stand Still While Shooting

Your bullets will go over the place if you spray your weapon while making movements left and right. To shoot accurately, you must stand still so your bullets go in a straight line. 

It is recommended for new players to practice burst firing, where 1 to 5 bullets are shot at a time. That way, players can avoid controlling weapon recoil, which is difficult for most beginners.

Pre-Aim At Common Angles

Before swinging to peek at an angle, properly align your crosshair to where the enemy player would be if they were holding that position. Doing this will give you a massive advantage in an upcoming gunfight, as your crosshair is already positioned correctly.

If you notice that an enemy player is always playing in the same position every round, consider prefiring the spot, which means you are shooting as you are turning a corner. 

Understand Recoil Patterns

Every weapon has distinguished recoil and spray patterns when you hold down Mouse 1. This is an intermediate skill that beginners must eventually master.

Spray your weapon at a wall and see where the bullets are going. You must go the opposite direction to ensure your bullets are being shot at a straight line. Mastering recoil will put you miles ahead of other beginners!

Don’t Hold The Same Angles Every Round

We’ve talked about pre-aiming and prefiring common angles, so we need to make sure you don’t fall victim to that. If you are consistently playing the same angle every round, your position becomes predictable. 

Remember that you’re playing against real humans with brains. You will be figured out soon enough and get punished for it. Additionally, holding angles requires patience. Don’t push mindlessly and throw a man-advantage situation!

Mind Your Footsteps

Footsteps are one of the primary methods that Counter-Strike players use to gather information. Just because you cannot be seen through a wall doesn’t mean an enemy player on the side can’t hear your footsteps.

Make sure to walk to conceal your presence, and remember to run with your knife out for maximum speed. 

Listen To Audio Cues

As we have just discussed, footsteps are an important audio cue in CS2. Make sure to play Counter-Strike with headphones, as hearing footsteps and what weapons enemy players are shooting with will provide you with valuable information to approach the round. 

Ideally, it is recommended to play Counter-Strike on high volume so you don’t miss out on any audio cues. 

Learn Map Callouts 

Every position in a Counter-Strike map has its name, which is referred to as “callouts”. It is vital for new players to start learning these callouts as quickly as possible, since information of enemy positions must be relayed to the team. 

Watch guides on YouTube to quickly get a rundown of the most important callouts on certain maps. Start by learning one map at a time, and slowly progress to learning more. 

Communicate With Your Teammates

Counter-Strike is a team game, and communication is the key to victory. Use the knowledge of map callouts to pass down information to teammates. This communication goes both ways, as you will benefit from information received from your teammates, too. 

Ask your team what the plan is, and communicate your next move as well. However, do not communicate everything you see or hear, as it might clog the comms. 

Manage Your Money

Money plays a crucial role in winning a game of Counter-Strike. Getting better equipment increases the chances of you taking a round. However, it is sometimes required to concede a round by performing an “eco,” or a save round. 

Make sure to coordinate your purchases with the team, so there are no unbalanced buys. Understand the terms “full buy,” “force buy,” and “eco.”