9 Simple Tricks for Counter Strike: Global Offensive

Twitch mechanics and fast reaction times are really only half the battle in first person shooters. The other half is strategy and making smart decisions such as walking to avoid giving away your position, pre-aiming key locations, or just generally having a consistent strategy with your team. The following tips will help you get on the way to competitive CS:GO play.

#1 Crosshair Placement:

Your crosshair should always be where it could be useful! Never run around with your crosshair on the ground or against walls. Always keep it chest or head level. Refer to the below picture:

#2 Peak Positioning:

Your shots are more effective when you don't have to aim! Always peak corners by putting your crosshair where your opponent will likely be after you strafe into position. Basically, when peaking enemy locations, do so by only using A and D not by moving your mouse while moving.

#3 Spray Patterns:

Your crosshair is not a reliable indicator of where your bullets are going. Know the spray patterns for the weapons! In most cases, after 2-4 bullets, you can expect your bullets to be going far above where your crosshair is, and often to the left and/or right of it. Check out the below video for some ideas.

Know what walls can be shot through and where you can hit. Each map has an extensive list of areas where you can shoot through walls. Learn ALL of them. Even 10-20 damage gives you a nice advantage when an actual firefight begins. Check out the below video for an example on nuke.

Most competitive players use a very low sensitivity to improve accuracy. There is a trade-off between accuracy and the quicker mouse flicking when reacting to enemies, however generally the improved accuracy is more beneficial. I personally use a sensitivity that allows me to turn 180 degrees with a full swing of my wrist but you may want to consider even lower such as 90 degrees or 120 as you don't often need to turn 180 degrees urgently (if you're attacked from behind, some other mistakes need to be corrected in strategy, communication, spot checking, or noise making) Find a number that works for you. It will take a little bit to get used to a change in sensitivity but getting it right will dramatically improve your accuracy.

Knowing where and when to throw grenades can easily give you a huge advantage, either by damage or strategy. Proper 'nades can blind your opponents upon entering a bomb site, completely block common defense positions or take the steam out of an all-out rush and buy time for teammates to rotate. You need to find out which corners bounce right to where enemies may be, where a grenade lands when thrown over something, and which grenades are best placed where and when.

The proper configuration in the console will maximize your hit registration, minimize the difference between what you see and what the server reads, and help your computer and the game perform at a higher level more appropriate for hardcore play. Consider this guide.

Without proper gaming gear, you will never perform at your best. High dpi/polling rate (Such as 8600/6400) mice to maximize your accuracy and minimize response time, gaming headset to improve audio and let you pinpoint enemy locations and communicate with teammates, or keyboards designed for rapid key strokes (such as a mechanical keyboard). At a competitive level, milliseconds are huge, and all your gear should support this. Even the response rate of your monitor is important. Keep an eye out for gear designed for gaming, you'll see brands like Razer, Logitech, or SteelSeries.

I noticed on some occasions I was slow to spot enemies in certain areas because they so smoothly blended in with the map. After dying a few times like this I got frustrated and turned off my anti-aliasing in CS:GO graphics options. Edges aren't as smooth and nice looking, but I spot enemies way faster and would recommend doing the same. This is particularly noticeable in darker or shadier areas such as dust2 halls.

You won't get very far in CSGO without both impressive reflexes/twitch mechanics and strategy. Practice makes perfect and with a little practice you can fly up the ranks as a killing machine by utilizing strategic maneuvers your opponents may not be prepared for. One small move can be the difference between a successful bomb site capture or a successful bomb site defend.

What about you, do you have any advice to add to this list?