Of all the tools and weapons available in CS2, the smokes shines as a game-changing asset. To play at the high ranks, you must learn how to use them. To help you with that, here is a complete guide on CS2 Smokes.
What are Smokes in CS2 and What are they Used For?
Smokes in CS2 are grenades that create a thick cloud of smoke upon detonation, making them essential for tactical gameplay. Unlike grenades that deal damage, smokes block vision, giving players the ability to control sightlines and create opportunities during a match.
- Price: $300 for both Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists.
- Duration: Smokes last for 20 seconds, providing valuable time for strategic moves.
Smokes have multiple uses that can change the course of a round:
Concealing Movement: Players can throw a smoke between their path and enemy-controlled areas. For example, CTs often throw a smoke at Mid-Doors on Dust 2 to hide rotations to B site from Terrorists.
- Blocking Sightlines: Smokes block key angles, making it harder for enemies to land shots. For instance, a player holding A Site on Dust 2 can throw a smoke at A Long to avoid being seen by opponents approaching from that direction.
- Delaying Pushes or Retakes: Throwing a smoke can stall enemy movements. CTs can use smokes at chokepoints to slow down a Terrorist rush, while Ts can smoke entrances to delay a CT retake after planting the bomb.
- Securing Plant Sites: Smokes help clear bomb sites by forcing enemies out of strong positions. This works for both initial site pushes and retakes.
- Faking Attacks: Smokes can trick opponents into thinking you’re targeting one bomb site while planning to attack another. For example, Ts can smoke A Site while rotating to B, leaving defenders out of position.
Understanding how to use smokes effectively gives your team a significant advantage in controlling the map and dictating the pace of the match.
Why Learning Smokes is Crucial in CS2?
Imagine you are a CT on Dust 2 with 4 CTs alive and only 3 Ts remaining. While the bomb already got planted on A site, you have a significant man advantage. You and another CT try to push from CT Spawn, but the Ts throw a smoke there. Your other teammates try to go from A Short, but the Ts throw a smoke there, too.
Two players risk it and push through the smoke, but they die since the Ts have aimed right at the smoke cloud. You and the remaining player wait for the smoke to clear, but there’s no time to defuse the bomb. You lost a 4v3 just because of two well-placed smokes. That’s the power of smokes in CS2.
A smoke grenade is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal in CS2, thanks to its ability to obscure enemy vision and block their lines of sight. Only two smokes are enough to lock down an entire plant site or completely block a path from enemy fire.
As you start using smokes, you’ll notice a drastic improvement in your win rate. You’ll have a much easier time securing the objectives since smokes will allow you to dictate the terms of engagement, create opportunities, and practically control the battlefield. In other words, learning smokes won’t just make you better at CS2; it will be a game-changer for you.
Learning Smokes
Now that you understand why learning smokes in CS2 is crucial, you might be wondering what it even means to learn smokes. The thing is, in CS2, if you throw smoke grenades while aiming your crosshair and positioning your in-game character at the same spot, they will always land at the same place.
In other words, aligning your aim and position at the same spot will allow you to throw accurate smokes that deploy precisely where you want them to, every time. But how to do that? Positioning your crosshair and the location where you’re standing in the same spot every time seems impossible. Well, it’s actually quite simple.
All you have to do is align your crosshair and position using reference points on the map. You can stand in a particular corner to align your position and use a part of a building or another structure on the map to align your crosshair. For example, if you use the image below to align your aim and location and do a jump throw, the smoke will always land on the X Box on Dust 2.
Once you’ve figured out similar crosshair and position alignments for other smoke landing spots like A Short on Dust 2 or Window on Mirage, all that is left to do is practice using them. To do that, you can check out our guide on how to practice smokes in CS2. However, the problem arises while figuring out those alignments. Fortunately, we’ve already done that for you. Here’s a list of our extensive guides on CS2 smokes for all popular maps:
TLDR
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Conclusion
In CS2, learning the use of smokes is not just another skill to help you win more matches. It’s essential. Without having a few well-executed smokes, your chances of even getting into a plant site would be slim. Check out the smoke guides for each competitive CS2 map above and start practicing.
