With the return of the MR12 system in Counter-Strike, the importance of the pistol round has increased significantly. After all, no one wants to lose the pistol round and potentially start the game with a 0:3 score. Therefore, it's crucial to learn how to win pistol rounds.

Specifically for our readers to have an easier start with a victory in the pistol round, we've written a detailed guide on how to play the pistol round correctly in Counter-Strike 2.

Purchasing

At the start of the game, you will have only $800, and it's essential to spend it wisely. There are several scenarios to consider. The first and most reliable is simply to buy a Kevlar vest and hope that your opponents can't hit you in the head, but only shoot at the body. After all, when wearing a bulletproof vest, your character model won't shake as much after being hit.

However, when playing on defence, at least one player should buy a smoke grenade and wire cutters for bomb defusal. This player must play as carefully and passively as possible to survive until the bomb is planted and then easily defuse it.

Another option is to purchase a P-250 pistol, but often the team's strongest rifler will ask for this pistol to be dropped to them, and they buy a bulletproof vest. At the same time, the player who bought the P-250 also buys grenades and plays a support role in this round.

Also, consider the Dual Berettas, which are extremely effective at close range in Counter-Strike 2, such as in the Connector on Anubis.

Playing Defence

Different maps have different player placements for the best defence against terrorists. Let's look at the most default situations on all maps from Premier Mode.

Starting with Mirage. Usually, four players with bulletproof vests head under point B to counter a possible push by opponents. Meanwhile, the player who bought defuse kit and smoke jumps behind the ticket box. If terrorists decide to go for point A, the player at CT simply gives them the point, and the rest come to him, and you all start clearing the site together.

Let's see what happens on Inferno. Here, of course, everything is quite simple. Three players from the start of the round go to Banana and try to defend this zone. The other two players under point A try to survive as long as possible around the pit and under the balcony.

On Overpass, the situation is different. Four players move under point B at the start of the round. The player who stayed under site A runs to Mid, checks it, and based on the information received, decides whether to go into deep defence of site A or to pull back to B.

On the Anubis map, during the pistol round, a default play is usually made, and no one comes up with anything special. Three players go to point B, one player plays in the middle of the map, and one stays under point A.

The attack on Nuke is famous for its quick pushes to point A, which only a few can handle. Therefore, the defence team focuses on site A. Three players take advantageous positions on the point, such as TOp Hut, behind the Silo, and on Heaven. In turn, two players play near the ramp.

As time goes by, the tactics of Ancient remain unchanged. More and more often, attacking players just push Donut to A. So we send three players under point A. One stays in the camera in the middle of the map. The last player goes to point B.

Despite terrorists on Vertigo pushing either A or B with no discernible pattern, the defence side is used to playing three on point A and two on B. But this is only for the pistol round. Also, don't forget about the centre of the map, someone still has to be there at 1:30.

Playing Attack

With a Glock-18 in hand and a bulletproof vest, there's no need to come up with complex strategies for this round. After all, a well-thought-out rush using a minimal stock of grenades and some luck is enough for victory.

Also, remember that you can buy another pistol such as the Tec-9 or P-250, which perform well during the pistol round. But don't try to take the Desert Eagle or R8 Revolver, as they are not intended for the pistol round.

Play Together

One of the important tips for successful gameplay is to avoid fighting alone at short distances; instead, act in pairs or groups. Allies can provide additional firepower, increasing the chances of successful exchanges or even double kills. Also, acting in pairs allows for more effective position holding, increasing the likelihood of winning a shootout.

Group action enables faster advancement and control over larger territories, facilitating a more effective change of position to a more advantageous one. Moreover, acting together, you can isolate an enemy who is watching the flank. Attacking simultaneously from different angles can effectively deal with opponents.

If your team successfully conducts such attacks, it will keep the enemy in constant tension, expecting an attack from the flank, which, in turn, will reduce their ability to carry out aggressive actions. This is especially important in situations where your team is armed with less powerful weapons.

Don't Be Afraid to Die

Although it may sound unusual, don't be afraid to take risks in the game. This does not mean reckless attacks, but sometimes for your team's success, it's important to boldly engage the enemy or lead an attack. After all, the main thing is the victory of the team, not personal achievements.

There's no point in a high personal KDA if most of your kills are just consolation frags, and the team still loses. It's important to be ready to attack and not to avoid risk when necessary. Your activity and readiness for aggression can be decisive in winning a round or even the entire match.

Training Pistol Rounds

Essentially, the most important thing in a pistol round is to shoot quickly and accurately at the head. This means we need to improve our AIM with pistols. For this, you can use Pistol DM or Pistol Retake. To find such servers, you just need to enter the name of the mode in the "Community Servers" tab, and it will find the closest servers to you where you can play this mode.

Regular Retake, where everyone runs around with assault rifles and you with a Desert Eagle, will also work well, which will greatly affect your training in shooting with pistols.

The most common way, of course, is Aim Botz, where you simply monotonously hone your shooting with various pistols at moving and stationary targets.

Positioning the Crosshair

Proper crosshair positioning is half of the success of a gaming strategy. It reduces reaction time, eliminating the need to manoeuvre the mouse, and allows for a quick transition to shooting. The main rule is to keep the crosshair at a level where the head of a potential enemy might be.

Aiming at the floor is pointless, except when you need to pick up a weapon or grenade.

However, keeping the crosshair at head level is only part of the job. It's also critically important to consider your reaction time. Don't aim directly at the corner from which an enemy might appear. It's important to leave a small gap from the corner to give yourself time to react to the appearance of an enemy.

Therefore, the optimal solution is to keep the crosshair slightly further from the corner where the enemy is expected to appear.

Conclusion

The importance of the pistol round in Counter-Strike cannot be overstated. Effective use of the initial $800 to buy bulletproof vests, grenades, and specific weapons depending on the team role is critically important. Key strategies include team play and adaptation to maps and situations. Proper crosshair positioning and readiness to take risks for team victory are also fundamental elements for winning the pistol round.