Introduction

Counter-Strike

It is safe to say that Counter-Strike has become the largest afterhours pastime in the FiringSquad office. Nightly cries of "Why isn't that idiot planting the bomb" and "YOU STOLE MY KILL!" (Brandon only) have become more common than "Cap the flag, you idiot!"

With tens of thousands of people playing the game at any given time, we figured it was time to help our readers get on the route to the top of the frag list. That's why we've put together our own little Counter-Strike weapons guide.

Where to begin? There are so many topics to cover when learning the ins and outs of Counter-Strike's weapons. Simply picking a weapon to purchase isn't a cut and dry decision. The obvious weapon attributes such as range, accuracy, and damage are important to consider, but other considerations include the map you're playing and the kinds of enemy encounters you'll likely face.

Unlike Quake, it's not as easy to come out on top of a 2on1 confrontation in Counter-Strike. The weapons are far more powerful and players are far less resilient, making the average conflict last less then a second. The weapon you choose is going to make all the difference in these split second battles.

Basics

The weapons in Counter-Strike are separated into six types: Pistols, Shotguns, Sub Machine guns (SMGs), Rifles, Machine guns, and grenades. The grenades are labeled as "equipment" in the buy menu, but we include them in this guide. Before we get into specifics for each weapon, we should cover the strategies that are common to nearly every weapon in the game.