CS:GO Utility Guide

When players mention “utility” in Counter-Strike, they are referring to the various grenades available in the in-game shop. In Counter-Strike games, there are five types of utility grenades:

• Flashbang
• Smoke Grenade
• HE Grenade
• Molotov/Incendiary Grenade
• Decoy Grenade

Using CS:GO utility is a great way of dealing damage without seeing the enemy players, or setting up kills by taking map control or blinding opponents. Overall, proper utility usage can help players gain vision, positioning, and damage advantages in a round of Counter-Strike.

It is compulsory to have a good understanding of how to use CS:GO utility, which is why we’ll discuss each grenade type in the game and how to use them.

The primary purpose of a flashbang grenade is to temporarily blind and obstruct an enemy’s vision. If a flashbang successfully connects onto an enemy player, their screen will turn white for approximately two seconds, depending on how effective it was.

The flashbang is mainly used to set up kills for your teammates, but you can also perform “self-flashes” to make an individual play. This grenade forces enemy players to look away, which opens up a window to catch them while they are not looking. Flashbangs help players push into positions or create openings to take favorable gunfights. There are two essential ways to use a flashbang:

• Pop flash: A pop flash is a flashbang that goes off as soon as it comes across an enemy’s line of sight, giving them virtually no time to react. Throwing a pop flash isn’t as easy as you think. You must have proper lineups and have a good grasp of timings.
• High flash: A high flash is when a flashbang is thrown very high up in the air. These flashbangs are usually thrown over walls or structures to catch enemy players off guard. Most of the time, players will aim at head level, so they might not see a flashbang above their heads.

Using flashbangs is most effective when they are thrown around corners, giving enemies minimal time to react. Additionally, you should coordinate with your teammates as there are only a few seconds to make use of flashbang timings. 

It is vital to remember that flashbangs are also effective on yourself and your teammates. Make sure not to accidentally blind your allies!

The smoke grenade is used to create a cloud of smoke that blocks vision for 18 seconds. This grenade does not deal any damage, nor does it set up immediate kills like a flashbang. However, smoke grenades are crucial for controlling the map.

Smoke grenades are primarily used to block the enemy team’s line of sight, allowing your team to move into favorable positions, whether it is to set up a push, or retreat to cover safely. Teams also use smokes early in rounds to block off common angles, giving them time to take aggressive positions without being punished. There are two essential ways to use a smoke grenade:

• Chokepoint smoke: There are “chokepoints” in every Counter-Strike map, which refers to tight angles or connectors. When these angles are smoked off, a safe passage is created for players to move around and find ideal positions to fight for the area when the smoke fades.
• One-way smoke: A one-way smoke is a smoke grenade that allows you to see an enemy player clearly, but the same cannot be said for them. You will need proper lineups to execute a one-way smoke, as they only work on specific angles. 

Smoke grenades can be exceptionally useful for blocking off vision from enemy AWPers in common positions such as Window on Mirage or Double Doors on Dust II. Temporarily smoking off snipers can help your team gain ground on the map.

Additionally, smokes are most effective when coordinated with teammates to execute bomb sites.

HE Grenades are the real “grenades” in Counter-Strike and work in a very straightforward manner. The grenade will explode after being thrown and deal damage depending on how close it detonates on an enemy player.

The HE grenade deals splash damage, meaning it can impact multiple enemy players at once. It is ideal to throw them in tight areas where it becomes difficult for enemy players to dodge in time. Here are two primary uses of the HE grenade:

• Nade stacking: The term “nade stacking” refers to multiple teammates throwing HE grenades at the same spot. These players throw the grenade at the same time to deal maximum damage. It is most effective to throw in confined locations such as A Long Doors.
• Pre-nading: During the start of rounds, it could be a good idea to immediately throw HE grenades at common angles and chokepoints to delay possible rushes and potentially deal damage.

HE grenades can be extremely effective if you know an enemy player is behind a corner. Throwing it at the player will guarantee heavy damage or force them to take an unfavored fight.

Overall, HE grenades are best-used in early-round situations. Getting early damage and softening up enemy players can give you a significant advantage throughout the round as you can’t heal in Counter-Strike.

In Counter-Strike, there are two types of grenades that create fire upon denotation. On the Terrorist side, it’s the Molotov Cocktail, while on the Counter-Terrorist side, it’s the Incendiary Grenade. Both grenades essentially have the same purpose, but have minor differences such as its price, duration, and damage.

These grenades are primarily used to force enemies out of corners and hiding spots or to delay incoming rushes in narrow chokepoints. They are the most useful grenades in the game if used effectively. Think about these two things when using the fire grenades:

• Flushing out enemies: The molotov and incendiary grenade are best used to force enemy players out of hiding spots. The enemy player must swing out and take the fight, otherwise they will burn to a crisp and have no opportunity to find impact.
• Delaying rushes: Many players on the Counter-Terrorist side expend their molotovs and incendiary grenades early into rounds to prevent any fast pushes, such as A Long Doors on Dust II or Banana on Inferno. This denial of the area gives time for Counter-Terrorists to find good positions to deny entry to the site. 

One way to use these grenades is to throw them at a common angle during retake situations. This gives you one less angle to worry about if no reaction comes out from that area. Additionally, it would be nice to call a teammate to peek with you when throwing a molotov somewhere.

Keep in mind that molotovs and incendiary grenades can be extinguished using a smoke grenade!

Last but not least, we have the decoy grenade, which is widely considered as the most useless grenade in Counter-Strike. Decoys simulate gunfire sounds and display false information on the enemy team’s radar.

As the name suggests, it is primarily used to deceive enemies and cause a distraction. However, this type of swindle only works in low-ranked matches, as experienced players will have no issue calling the bluff. The decoy grenades are appropriately used in the two following ways:

• Masking weaponry: The decoy grenade imitates the gunfire sounds of the weapon the thrower is holding. So, the owner of the decoy could drop their primary rifle on the ground and throw the decoy, which will mask the sound of a pistol. The enemy might think they are up against a low-buy situation and be surprised with a full arsenal. 
• Fake rushes: When coordinated with teammates, Terrorists can throw multiple decoys toward one bomb site. The gunfire might reel Counter-Terrorists to rotate to the bomb site, while in reality, the opposite site is the one being contested.

Overall, the decoy grenades do not have much use in higher-level play, as such tactics won’t work on experienced players. However, decoy grenades are extremely cheap, only costing $50. You can purchase one of them in the pistol round even after buying a Kevlar Vest.

We recommend against buying decoy grenades in full-buy rounds as it will take up a grenade slot, which could be used for the other grenades mentioned above.