Being a Teamplayer, Even If You're Not the Best Player

So…you play CounterStrike: Source, but you’re not exactly hot stuff yet. Well, while you get better, there are some things you can do to help improve your skill, AND help your teammates. Now if you’re a stats whore, and you’re gonna go cry to your momma because you don’t have a 1.275 KDR, then stop reading. Why? These are tips to help the TEAM win. Not a guide on how to get the best score for your screenshot folder.

Wounding the Enemy:

One of the easiest, but most effective things you can do is buy a cheaper gun, and wound 2-3 of your enemies. With weapons like the scout, or an SMG, you may not always get the kill. When you’re buying cheap and have one of these weapons, wounding 2 enemies for 50+ damage is better than taking twice as long to kill one. Why? Because the wounded:
a.) Take things slower, buying your teammates more time.
b.) Are twice as easy to kill, because 1-2 body shots (each) with a rifle, deagle, or a solid p90 spray will finish them off easily.

Also, if you called it out before you died, your teammates now know where “x” amount of enemies are, and where they think they will go. Now, don’t get me wrong, if you have the opportunity to pop 2 of them in the head QUICKLY, do it! The idea here is to NEVER waste a life. Don’t take risks you don’t think you can handle.

A common example would be this:
You are playing T-side on de_dust2. The call is to hold B tunnels, while 3 guys fake long and 1 guy holds mid. You’re the lucky man who gets to take middle. You now have two jobs:
a.) Quickly tell your team anything you see. If someone crossed double, say it. Someone goes upstairs, say it.
b.) If you can, try and clip them on the way. When you’re watching double doors, and short, it may be hard to kill someone, but it could be done. This not only wounds them, but keeps them away from your team while they plant and set up. Also, if you die, your “fakers” will probably catch the rotators on their way back to B.

Don’t worry about if people think you’re useless because you’re 0-4. Here at TTP, your efforts don’t go unnoticed, and if we forget to say “good job” its cause we’re in the zone, and only focused on the next round.

Diversion and Suppression:
Okay, let’s face it. 2 flashes and a smoke grenade just popped out of Long A, so the CT’s are going to hold their sights at A. If you have a scout, and manage to clip one of them, 2-3 of them will probably hold their position firmly. Some people in B may even rotate to A. SHABLAM, you just bought your teammates a good 10-15 precious seconds to plant, and set up at B. That is faking the enemy out, and suppressing them to one area. Here at TTP, no one stands alone, unless that’s the call. Say you’re playing train, and you’re team wants you to fake long A. You buy 2 flashes, a smoke, a nade, and a deagle. You throw them all quickly, so the team is firmly planted at A. Your buddies are slowly approaching B. When you think that enemies have gathered up outside long, you tell your team to hit it, and they run into B, plant, set up, and once again, SHABLAM, you win.

Basically, you were the hero of that round. You’re like a traveling salesman; going door to door to CT’s trying to sell them some guns. If they buy some, you win, if you suck at salesmanship, you’re gonna get hurt.

Holding a sight:
Nothing helps a teammate feel better and play better, than to know that his teammate is holding an area, making it clear for passage or safe from flanks. At the beginning of a round, in say, Piranesi, you could tell your team that you are holding spiral. Holding spiral does two things, eliminating 1-2 of the enemy, and preventing a flank to roof. This can be done in many places of many maps, and it HELPS. Unless you’re just sitting there every round, and eventually NOT helping the team.

Team-Flashing Tactics:
I’m not going to go into big detail on this, because this only works depending on who you’re working with as a team, how you’re doing in the round, etc. Basically, its when you flash an area, and while the enemies are blind, your team comes in from a different area, and clears it all out.

Example: A while back, while playing T-side in piranesi, I would run straight out, wait 1 second, and flash the site. My teammates in sneaky with the bomb, didn’t even have to stop, and cleared out a bombsite full of enemies seeing in white. These can be EXTREMELY effective, but only when executed 100% properly, and with practice. In-game, if you would like to practice this, just ask a teammate, and I’m sure they’ll help you, or work with you on making a strat every round.

So, you may not be a beast, but this guide should keep you busy on being the best teamplayer you can be with your current skill level.

-RudyTheRocka