Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most tactically diverse and hyper-competitive video games ever created, and currently boasts an Esports scene like no other. Each and every player sees and operates the game in different ways, leading to one of the highest skill ceilings in video gaming history.
Because of this, building a competitive team that has the right balance of chemistry is more important now than ever before. Much like in something like football or soccer, you need to ensure you’re building a team that covers every playstyle and has every aspect of the game covered. To better help get to grips with what makes a professional CS team click, we thought we would run through each role a side needs to fill.
Fragger
So many CS:GO rounds are decided by the opening kills that come about. Swinging from a 5v5 to a 4v5 obviously has its logistical benefits for a team, however it also goes a long way in disrupting an opponent’s gameplan, can hurt morale and can play havoc with the respective economies.
Such an important role is taken up by a team’s entry fragger, a fearless individual who usually rushes out to face the enemy in the hunt for opening round kills. The hit rate on these kills can vary pretty wildly, which can negatively impact their scores on the leaderboard, and they obviously have much lower clutch rates due to being killed a lot earlier than most of their teammates.
Support
Support players play pretty much exactly as you would expect them to: skirting around the map as best they can and helping out their team in whatever way they might need. A good example of seeing Support players in action is by watching sides attempting to defend Banana on Inferno, one of the most stacked and hotly contested straights in the entire game.
Supports need to be able to match the pace of a game, keep a cool head under pressure and have a good level of utility knowledge such as when are where to throw each piece.
Leader (IGL)
Every good side needs a good leader. So often the difference between a strong performer in the CSGO odds and just another team that bottles it when the going gets tough, the In-Game Leader is responsible for co-ordinating the team’s strategies, working with the coaches on new tactics, keeping morale up during a game and making the split decisions that decide rounds on the fly.
AWPER
The stars of any side, the AWP is the most expensive gun in the game and has been responsible for some of the most breathtaking moments of brilliance ever seen in the competitive scene over the years. With its sniper scope and one-hit kill potential, it’s a weapon that is entrusted to the superstar of the side.
You can read a lot into a player’s personality by how they play the AWP. Do they hide away in the shadows at the back of the map and wait out a chance to strike, or go flying out of the tracks and attempt to score a big, breathtaking hit?
Lurker
As the name would suggest, Lurkers prowl around the entire map and keep their team informed on what the enemy is up to. They’re a bit like a scout in some regards, but their roles can extend to claiming some of the most pivotal and high-reward kills in a round.
Patience is so often the key with a Lurker, with the more slower plays prompting a big reward. The backstabs and sudden double, triple or even quad kills that the most legendary of Lurkers can perform are testaments to how hard it can be perfecting this particular skill.