Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a leading title in the world of first-person shooters. The competitive shooter by Valve is renowned for its legacy in the esports scene starting from Counter-Strike 1.6 which is still standing strong after 20 years of its release.
CSGO is a game of great complexity and requires a combination of reflexes, mechanical skills and gamesense to master. However simply having all these aspects may not be enough if you’re getting the basics wrong. Today we take a look at a list of 5 things CSGO players generally get wrong. If you want to climb up the spectrum of ranks on your way to global elite, reading these tips will surely put you a step ahead of your opponents.
Effective Communication
Communication covers a lot of key aspects and is of utmost importance in a competitive game like CSGO. From not using the voice comms at all to excessively shouting at the microphone, players generally can’t get the hang of using the in-game voice communication as effectively as possible. Don’t speak about unnecessary stuff in the microphone, only give the crucial information which you believe can put your team at an advantage.
Keep your calls short and precise, include as much information in a callout as possible. After you die, don’t rage about the death or complain about your lagging problems in the microphone. Instead, focus on informing your team if the enemy is rushing or falling back after the kill, even try to include if the enemy is reloading so your teammate can get the trade. You’ll be surprised at how much does your winrate increase by simply following these communication manners.
Gunfights
You may be playing CSGO for 2000 hours, but chances are you still don’t have the proper idea on how to maximize your odds in winning a duel. No, gunfights aren’t solely dependent on your aim. You need to refine your micro-movements, but not move as much that you’re at the point of spraying and praying.
The general rule is, if your enemy is close enough, try to finish him off ASAP by aiming for the head and crouching yourself to dodge off the headshot attempt from the enemy, but when you’re taking mid or long range duels, you have to be constantly moving. Spraying isn’t very effective at longer ranges.
Try to shoot out bullets in burst, throwing in occasional crouches and small movements to the left or right to make the enemy miss his mark. Dodging enemy bullets is equally as important as hitting your own and you need to work to improve your dodging skills. Also remember to refine your spray patterns to the point where you can easily transfer your AK spray from one opponent to another without getting lost.
Movements
Movement is an aspect that I’ve seen even veteran players completely ignoring. Sure, bunny-hopping isn’t nearly as effective as before but proper movement techniques can get you out of the most impossible situations. Practice jumping, strafing and long-jumping – A well timed jump from window to B-short on Mirage can easily turn the tide of any round, and even the game.
Bunny-hopping is simply a combination of jumping and strafing. Good bhoppers can jump their way out of enemy awpers’ sights when pinned down in a corner. There are several game-changing jumps scattered throughout maps like Cache, Inferno, Nuke and Mirage which can easily be pulled off by just a bit of practice. Apart from all these, as mentioned earlier, good movement will also enable you to win more duels which in itself is enough reason for you to hop on to a KZ server and refine your movement skills. The easiest way to improve your movement techniques while also enjoying your time simultaneously is to find community bhop or surf servers and master those. It doesn’t require much time, and you’ll find yourself gliding through the ranks in no time.
Reading Your Enemies
If you can’t outfight them, outsmart them – Not all games can be won based on your skills alone. Regardless how good you are at the game, there’s always someone out there who’s better than you or simply having a good day. That’s where the mind-games come to play. During a competitive game, you should be consciously focussing on predicting your enemies’ next move at every point in the game.
It’ll take some time to master, but once you’re accustomed to reading your enemies, you’ll find yourself accurately predicting your enemies’ exact locations on the map. Focus on reading the layout of the map, know the time it takes to rotate from one site to another, do the opposite of what your enemy expects you to do, it’s not that hard and can give you a significant advantage against your enemies.
Always be unexpected, do occasional rushes through smokes and you can easily catch enemies off-guard and score some free kills. Even consider going as far as to push through your own smokes as a CT when the terrorists will be expecting you to guard the site.
Economy Management
Economy is the key to winning a competitive game in any rank. From pistol rounds to the end of the game, be sure to keep track of what you can buy and what you’ll need to save for the next round or two. One mistake newbies make is to save up the 800$ you get in the pistol rounds – don’t do that.
Buy up a Kevlar, a kit combined with utility or simply just nades to get a tactical advantage. Remember that winning the pistol round is crucial and will easily land you the next two rounds due to the economic advantage it brings you.
Also, other than eco rounds, focus on buying Kevlar every single round before buying guns, combined with a helmet if you’re playing as a terrorist. A Kevlar not only reduces the damage you take from gunfire, but also negates the aimpunch you can get by taking a bullet hit which can completely throw you off your accuracy.
Remember to drop guns to your teammates with the extra cash you have, buying as a team is essential for a team game such as CSGO.
Other than following all the tips mentioned in the article, always remember to keep a positive mental attitude towards any game, even if you’re losing 14-0. I can’t stress this enough – Any game not lost is a game that can potentially be won. Always do your best in any game and most importantly, don’t rage. The next thing you know you might just be playing on FACEIT lvl 10 in a few days.
