CS:Source Strat Guide Pt.1

Christian from clan [PAF] has put together the following strategy guide for Counter Strike: Source.... So Enjoy!

I. Getting Started

Purchasing Weapons and Supplies:

If you’ve just started playing CS then I suggest that you spend time orienting yourself with each of the many various weapons. Everyone has their particular favorite(s) weapons. Since you’ll undoubtedly not always have enough money to buy the gun you desire, it is best that you are proficient with one from each category: Pistols - Shotguns - Sub Machine Guns - Rifles - Para. If you ask me, not buying a gun and saving for another round is a waste. With only a pistol, one does not stand a chance against an automatic rifle. If you continue to do this, your deaths will pile up and you kills will be few and far between. Say for instance you wait two rounds for money to purchase a Para and only produce one frag. For these three rounds your KD [Kill-to-Death] Ratio would be around 1:3 which is not good. As a result, buy what you can, when you can and fight with what you have. Ex = a SMG round + a SMG round + a SMG round > a Pistol round + a Pistol round + a Para Round. While the expensive weapons are fun, I don’t believe dying constantly and having bad statistics is enjoyable.

As stated before, practice with all the weapons in a LAN game and find one of each category that suits your skills. Each of the guns has a different recoil and damage, and playing with an assortment will confuse a player’s aim. Personally I use the USP or Glock as my Pistol, MP-5 as my SMG, and either a M4A1 or AK-47 as my rifle. Depending on the map, I buy one over the other. If a map contains open spaces I’ll likely go with a Rifle over a SMG because of its long range power and accuracy. Although it will take many shots for a kill, the MP5’s low recoil makes it accurate in close quarters. Once you’ve chosen your favorite(s): practice, practice, practice. Knowing a gun’s accuracy and tendencies will help you in combat.

At the buy screen my number one priority is to first purchase my suit of Kevlar with helmet. Although you might question the effectiveness of the armor at times, it does provide protection. If for nothing else, Kevlar helps your self-confidence. Going into a round without armor, one has to feel less comfortable. My second selection at the buy screen is my weapon and its matching ammo. From here you’re ready for combat; that is unless you have a few bucks left for the “extras.” Grenades are a topic I will discuss later on, and when used properly can bail you out of sticky situations. Unless you’re a CT facing a T team who make’s a priority of planting the bomb, a defusal kit it unnecessary. You can defuse the bomb without one if you clear the bombsite of hostiles quickly enough. Also, a fallen comrade may have a defuse kit on their corpse which you can “borrow” after they’re gone. Nightvision = a complete waste of funds, thus you should not buy.

Movement:

The ability to transgress every obstacle will help you evade death. Ex = A Terrorist has you pinned you down with automatic fire and you need to retreat. Choice A: you can stumble over the file cabinets and be a sitting duck, or Choice B: execute a crouch-jump over the objects and around the next corner. As with weapon efficiency, practicing these maneuvers will help in -game. In CS:S most of the moveable objects can be hurdled if your timing and tactic of jumping is correct. Below are tips and explanations of the various jumps.

1. Normal Jump [Space Bar]
* This jump is self-explanatory and basic. With this command you can jump over objects or boundaries of heights no greater than, let’s say two feet. If you so chose, one can use this to “hop” around a firefight in order to be a harder target. A negative side of jumping while shooting is that your accuracy will be lower than walking. Also if you’re hit in mid-air you are stopped dead and will be a much easier kill.

2. Crouch-Jump [Combination of Ctrl and Space Bar]
* In order to climb those boxes and crates you’ll need this jump. To execute, approach the desired climb and hit the space bar. At the apex, or the top of your jump, hit the crouch button [Ctrl]. Often times it might take a few attempts, but once you’ve had practice you should be able to crouch-jump smoothly and with ease. So next time you see a guy in a hiding spot and state “how the heck did he get there,” you’ll know that he used a combination of normal and crouch jumps to do so. [Hint: your teammates can be used as stepping stones do reach otherwise unreachable heights.]

3. Running-Jump w/Knife
* If an area of length is your target jump, the running-jump will be needed. There is really no difference between this and the normal jump except that you need momentum and your knife equipped.

If you’re wondering why others on your team are moving faster than you, it’s due to them equipping their knife instead of their primary weapon. You may not choose to run with a knife due to the fact that you’re vulnerable to an attack without a weapon out. However, in order to reach that bombsite before the Terrorists do, you’ll need to run faster.

Walking or sneaking around is most often necessary when you’re outnumbered by the other team and the only one on your team alive. By holding down Shift or Ctrl, you will hear footsteps approaching while silencing your own. However, if the other team is walking around it can provide quite a fright suddenly seeing a hostile. If you see one of your teammates sneaking around, please be courteous and do so as well. When he’s trying to hear the enemy, he doesn’t need your footsteps interfering. [Hint: If you’re a CT and in a silent mode, it is best to use a silenced weapon: either the H&K USP or Colt M4A1 can be equipped with a silencer by simply right-clicking. The Steyr TMP also comes with a fixed silencer. Using a silenced weapon against your opponent can allow you to remain hidden, while the other team cannot hear your shots.]

II. Weapon Reviews
Pistols:

Glock

Price: $400

Country of Origin: Austria

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum

Clip Capacity: 20 Rounds

Rate of Fire: N/A

Weight (Loaded): 0.9 kg

Projectile Weight: 8 grams

Muzzle Velocity: 1132 Feet/ Second

Muzzle Energy: 475 Joules

Review: Standard issue pistol, you will spawn with this weapon every round you are on the Terrorist team. Equipped with two modes of fire, this weapon is versatile, but not powerful. While in a firefight against other pistols, the Glock may have 20 rounds, but it needs every one. Even with an accurately placed three-round burst, many body shots are needed for a kill. One of the better long-range pistols, the Glock is accurate but not powerful.

H&K USP

Price: $500

Country of Origin: Germany

Caliber: .45 ACP

Clip Capacity: 12 Rounds

Rate of Fire: N/A

Weight (Loaded): 1 kg

Projectile Weight: 15.2 grams

Muzzle Velocity: 866 Feet/ Second

Muzzle Energy: 553 Joules

Review: Standard issue pistol, you will spawn with this weapon every round you are on the Counter-Terrorist team. Of all the pistols, the USP has the only silencer for those situations that require stealth. The USP is also the 2 nd largest caliber round pistol, behind only the Desert Eagle. While the USP is slight less accurate than the Glock, it can kill with less rounds. If you empty your primary weapon’s clip in a firefight, a USP is a worthy weapon to finish off your opponent. [Hint: Often times, it is better to switch to your secondary weapon instead of reloading your primary. Reloading may take time that you cannot spare, while a pistol can provide cover while you can retreat or kill your opponent.]

Sig Sauer

Price: $600

Country of Origin: Switzerland/Germany

Caliber: .357 SIG

Clip Capacity: 13 Rounds

Rate of Fire:> N/A

Weight (Loaded): 1.03 kg

Projectile Weight: 8.1 grams

Muzzle Velocity: 1400 Feet/ Second

Muzzle Energy: 600 Joules

Review: Rarely used pistol that has pluses and minuses. A positive is that it has one more bullet than the USP, however it is not as accurate and that extra bullet will be needed. Many body hits will be needed to kill, with the .357 SIG ammunition slightly more powerful than that of the 9mm of the Glock.