There are many factors that go into ranking up, but today, I’ll narrow them down a bit. Take, for example, aim and game sense. Aim isn’t just about frags, but what actually goes into it, such as movement and spray. On the other hand, game sense isn’t just about choosing the best positions, but correctly analyzing your opponent’s behavior as well. 

To truly rank up means you as a player get better rather than just comparing wins to losses. In other words, try to place a higher emphasis on the elements of the game you have control over than those you do not. This, in turn, will help you develop as a player, regardless of the match's outcome.

5. Movement/Aim/Spray (M.A.S.)

(0:00-1:29) *Feel free to watch the rest of the video for more tips.

Practicing your aim is often the best starting point for learning how to play. But keep in mind that having good aim also depends on your spray and movement. 

First and foremost, it’s important to realize that trying to get headshots all the time isn’t practical, therefore you need to learn how to spray. But instead of viewing headshots and spray as two different concepts, think of them as linked, or interdependent of each other. So when you can’t get a headshot, your spray is there to back you up; all in one smooth and continuous process.

Good movement also helps with your aim by conditioning yourself to shoot at head level as much as possible. And while good movement doesn’t directly affect your spray, it can influence your starting point.

A few notes about movement itself. Good movement mostly involves time/consistency and comfort/adaptability.

First, it’s nearly impossible to get the hang of your sensitivity right away, depending on various factors such as angles, running, walking, strafing, and moreover, because it’s a new experience. So realize that it will take some time to get the hang of it.

Second, try to stick to one sensitivity and not change every few weeks to maintain a level of consistency.

Third, you need to find a sensitivity that’s not only comfortable but adaptable. Are you for example, able to turn halfway or all the way around corners smoothly or from an enemy behind you? If you look at your demo, is your movement like a straight line as you walk/or run about and turn corners? Are you able to sort of, pause your movement momentarily as you track and shoot down an enemy? If your movement is like a crooked line, it could mean you’re having trouble tracking, aiming, and moreover, moving around a map ( or perhaps you just need a higher sensitivity). These are just some things to think about, but remember, like most skills, good movement takes time to develop as well. 

To improve in this area, feel free to use the workshop maps or deathmatches from Steam or the Community Servers. Examples include the Yprac Maps, Aim Botz, Arctic Servers, and so on. 

Lastly, you can check out the video below that gives some general and relevant advice on aim, movement, spray, and practice maps to use. These tips mostly focus on these skills as general concepts, and as a way to start off.

How It Works…

• Good aim is a combination of headshots, spray, and movement
• Since going for headshots all the time isn’t practical, it’s important to work on your spray as well
• In order to have good aim and spray, you need to work on your movement
• Having good movement improves your aim by greatly increasing your chances for a headshot, as it makes it easier to align your shots/spray towards the center/head
• I didn’t mention this before, but good movement can also help you reach Point A to B faster, since it tends to be more like a straight than crooked line

4. Utility (+ M.A.S.)

(1:30-2:45)

In addition to fine-tuning your aim, spray, and movement, it’s not only important to use utility, but determine how much to use. Some beginner players, for example, either won’t buy any util at all or will buy a full loadout. What’s wrong with full util loadout for beginner players you ask? Well, it depends on your level of experience and skill. For one, you might be buying a bunch of util, but don’t know how to use it, thus wasting your money. But, perhaps what goes more unnoticed is that many beginner players have not practiced enough on their spray and movement, and thus cannot rely on their aim to support their util usage. An example of this would be getting consistently killed from fairly straightforward encounters (encounters that could have easily been won, for example), and subsequently losing an additional ~$800 or more worth of utility from multiple rounds.

Once you have established a level of comfort with respect to your aim, spray, and movement, then I’d recommend using full util buys. Otherwise, if you’re barely starting or have little experience, take a hybrid approach. That is, buy utility often, but not in high amounts; that way you’re not wasting money and using more time to work on your aim and movement. Plus, you’ll still be getting some practice with utility. One example is buying a smoke and flash or a molly every time you get a rifle.

In other words, the best way to use utility is to supplement it with good aim. This, in turn, will allow you to seize more in-game opportunities or encounters. Therefore, I’d suggest taking a light approach for utility if you’re still struggling with your aim and movement (or even game sense). Once that’s taken care of, by all means, go for full util usage then.

Aside from determining how much utility to use, it’s important to use it in the first place. A smoke or molly, for example, can act as a wall or block entrance to a certain pathway. A flash can also clear a common angle from an AWPer and push them away. A grenade can finish off low hp enemies. As a result, utility gives you more map control and more opportunities for frags or rounds (for you and your teammates) compared to dry peeking every corner. Even getting traded from util usage can open up a site and force a retake as well. So using utility can not only have a negative impact on your enemies, but a positive impact on you and your teammates as well.

To improve in this area, check out the workshop maps such as Yprac Practice and Warmup, Dolnma (author), or play offline with bots. You can also bind a large crosshair that can help you pinpoint certain spots when throwing util across the map. Afterward, you may want to go back to your original crosshair.

Also, feel free to check out the video below that also gives some general advice on utility and why it’s important. These tips mostly focus on utility as a general concept, and as a way to start off.

How It Works…

• Ranking up is not just about your aim, but util usage and effectiveness 
• Utility can give you more map control and frag opportunities that are not always there from dry peeking/without util
• Utility not only hinders your opponent, but can give you and your teammates more time to react in certain situations
• Personally, I recommend a hybrid utility approach (buy often, but not in large quantities) if you’re struggling with your aim and movement or at lower skill levels
• One of the most effective ways to use utility is to combine it with good aim; hence players should learn to be sufficient in both aspects synchronously or gradually

3. Roles (+ M.A.S. + Utility)

CS:GO Rank Up Tips | Roles, Timing, and Positioning

Generally speaking, roles can be divided into 5 categories: 1) Entry-Fragger, 2) Support, 3) Lurker, 4) AWPer, and 5) Leader (not necessarily ranked). In fact, all 5 need to work together in order to have success as a team.

A common misconception about these roles is that they are stagnant, or always stay the same (in-game). Instead, roles in CS:GO are fluid and change over time, depending on the situation, the number of teammates, enemies, positioning, player awareness, and so on. If roles do stay the same, it’s rarely for the whole match (AWPer and Leader may be the two exceptions).

Moreover, these roles aren’t necessarily concrete either; meaning players don’t always decide who does what before, or sometimes, during a game. It really just depends on what you, your teammates, and your opponents are doing and at what time. And it’s not just changing roles on a round per round basis, but analyzing the previous rounds as well. However, creating a plan before a round, can also be effective, since your teammates have a better idea of where to go. Both of these factors, in turn, can help you execute strategies, disrupt your opponent’s timing, and pick up on your team and opponent’s behavior. 

For example, an entry fragger who keeps dying early on might be better suited for a support role later, or a support player who finds him or herself (intentionally or unintentionally) getting early frags might be better suited as an entry fragger for the time being. Or sometimes, it’s better to mix and match these roles to throw off your opponent’s timing and positioning. 

A few notes about each role. As an entry-fragger, you don’t have to necessarily get kills right away, but you do in fact, want to get that first kill consistently. This in turn, gives you better map control and more opportunities to take a site. Sometimes, however, you won’t have many of these opportunities based on your opponent’s skill level, low utility, lack of funds, etc. In that case, you might have to switch into a support or lurker role every now and then, and let someone else take the role as an entry fragger. As I mentioned before, this isn’t so bad because it can mess up your opponent’s timing, as you’re not pushing into the same sites around the same time over and over again (unless it’s working), while your teammates can do something else to catch your enemies off-guard. Lastly, if you or your teammates keep dying early, it may be better to postpone the role of an entry fragger for a few rounds or so, or however much time is needed. 

Support players usually back up the entry fragger or use a plethora of utility to help take ahold of a site. Sometimes, they might even sacrifice or trade themselves so their top fraggers can burst their way into a site. Without support players, however, it becomes much more difficult to take or hold a site because of a lack of utility (and thus no way to obstruct your opponent’s view or push them away), forced dry peeks (such as a failed attempt to counter strafe an AWPer), and a lack of trades (e.g. you or your teammates not backing you up). 

While all roles in CS:GO are constantly trying to gain information on their opponents’ location, the lurker pushes it a little further. Oftentimes, lurkers may be exposing themselves to greater danger or risks in hopes of a higher payout. For example, lurkers will sometimes stray from the pack or bomb carrier to see whether a team has stacked a site, determine the number of players on a site, or possibly gain a man advantage. If the lurker can catch up with his/her team while they’re attempting to take a site, then this strategy could pay off, as some of your opponent’s attention is diverted toward holding the site, and not what’s behind them, so to speak. The lurker can also relay certain information to his/her teammates so they can take ahold of another site. 

It’s also important to consider the number of players on each team, behavior patterns, round buys, utility, etc., as this will help determine whether you should lurk or not. For example, you probably couldn’t lurk much in a 2v5, nor do you always want to isolate the bomb carrier. Lurking in a 5v5 on an eco buy is fine since you don’t have much to lose, but it’s also fairly predictable since your opponent usually knows that as well. Hence, lurking is less effective if it’s highly predictable (like on eco rounds; that doesn’t mean you can’t lurk though) and more importantly, if you’re unable to get impact frags during these rounds. Lurking once in a while on a 5v5 on a full buy could throw your opponent off, since the risk is greater, and assuming your timing is right (based on your analysis of the previous rounds). Of course, some players during a match are constantly able to get entry frags or lurk kills because their opponents can’t hold a certain spot or site. If that’s the case for you, then, by all means, keep doing what you’re doing. 

As for the AWPer, his/her greatest assets are speed (as in the time it takes the shot to go from point A to B), damage, and distance. Although the AWP has no fire rate, the shots travel fairly quickly, even at long distances. So even if you can’t afford full armor or are low on health, you can still get your first shot across before a rifler does, generally speaking. And since you cannot die at the same time your opponent does (when you shoot), the AWP will often, if not always, supersede. 

But, why play close when you can play at mid to long distances? Generally speaking, it’s harder for your opponent to spot you at mid to long-range distances, especially if they don’t have a scope. Not only that, but even if you miss a shot as an AWPer, it’s easier to run away at long distances and regroup for another chance. Of course, sometimes you are forced to play at close range or do so to throw off your opponent’s timing. Lastly, the AWP, as you know, is a one-shot kill to the body or head, so perfect accuracy is not necessary. 

Some factors as to what makes a good AWPer include aim, positioning, and awareness. Aim here refers not only to accuracy but how fast you can reach point A to point B, practically speaking. Make sure you adjust your sensitivity to those factors (e.g. comfort and adaptability), if needed. For positioning, you can either use the same spots if it’s working or mix it up. This includes corners, off angles, shooting through smokes, quick peeking after util usage, boosts, and so on. Awareness is similar to positioning, in that it affects where you play each round. Are they constantly peeking mid for example? Are they trying to take control of a part of the map, but can’t? Are they more likely to be in certain spots or areas of the map, depending on the number of opponents or teammates (to gain an advantage)? The main key for an AWPer then is to combine his/her awareness of the situation with factors such as distance and damage. 

If one or two roles were to stay constant, it would most likely be the AWPer, or Leader. Leaders, for example, will sometimes call a B rush beforehand, or dictate which site to take in the middle of a round. They can set the stage, so to speak. They might not even have the most kills, but use their keen awareness to predict their opponents’ behavior, which can help win rounds. Hence, leaders usually possess exceptional game sense if they don’t already have superb aim.

So the key for a successful in-game leader is usually awareness. Instead of analyzing what your opponent does round by round, try to look at it as a whole. For example, if your opponent is stacking 3 or 4 on A site, it could mean that you’re not committing to B as often as you should, even if you have a few failed attempts every now and then. Even taking B once or twice wouldn’t suffice, as you’ll essentially have to prove to them (even with an attempt or bomb plant) that you can go to any site at any time. This doesn’t mean you pick the same site every time, or rush every round, but instead, gather information, vary your timing, and spread out/group up throughout each half, when needed. 

Sometimes, though, as a leader, it’s important to realize that players aren’t trying to trick you as much and instead are just trying to hold a site or play cautiously. In that case, as the leader, you may want to continue with the same strategies, stack a player towards another site or switch players around for the time being, if needed. Aside from picking up behavior patterns from your teammates and opponents, other aspects of leader/player awareness include utility usage and location, trades, callouts, buyouts, and so on. Although the leader carries a heavy responsibility, it can be quite rewarding as well. 

So although roles in CS:GO can be fluid and constant, what happens in-game will change that. This is based heavily on what you, your teammates, and your opponents do; which can also be categorized as strategies and behavior patterns. Sometimes, your opponents will maintain the same roles and keep doing the same things over and over again because it’s working, or sometimes your opponent will mix up roles or strategies to throw you off, and then go back to what they were originally doing, or sometimes they’ll do something completely random to shift the momentum in their favor, and sometimes they’ll use a combination of these or different strategies. Knowing your opponent’s, teammates, and your role not only before, but during a game then can help you make the right decisions at the right time.  

Lastly, feel free check out the video below that gives some general advice on how to play a role and role changes during a match. These tips are slightly geared to intermediate players, but everyone can learn something from them nevertheless.

How It Works…

• Generally speaking, there are 5 roles in CS:GO: Leader, AWPer, Entry-Fragger, Support, and Lurker
• All 5 need to work together for the utmost success
• There is no particular rank/order for these roles
• These roles are not always constant and can change before or during a round
• To rank up faster, see which role best fits you not only before a match but during a game as well, depending on the situation

2. Positioning (+ M.A.S. + Utility + Roles)

CS:GO Tips on Positioning | Ranking Up

One of the main takeaways for positioning is to never put yourself in a fair fight; instead, try to gain an advantage. Doing so gives you more opportunities to shoot and makes it harder for your opponent to shoot you. As the video mentions, some ways to do so is to use spots that 1) give you cover, 2) allow you to reposition yourself or fall back, 3) create an off-angle, 4) are unpredictable (over time), and 5) use trades.

For starters, using spots that give you cover makes it harder for your opponent to shoot you. Plus, it often allows you to re-peek, giving you another chance to shoot. Having cover also affects your teammates as well by giving them more time to respond if an enemy is spotted and if subsequent shots are fired on either side. 

Using a position that allows you to fall back is also crucial since it often gives you multiple opportunities to shoot, or partake in multiple encounters. This is especially true for AWPers that tend to play at long range. Riflers, however, can still take advantage of this opportunity, as long as they are able to disrupt their opponent’s timing. Falling back also allows you to regroup with your teammates or lurk elsewhere, in addition to gathering information about the enemy. 

Off-angles are usually uncommon in that they tend to be out in the open. Sure, you might be exposing yourself, but as we’ve often been told to check every angle, we become somewhat conditioned to expect someone hiding in a corner because they're generally harder to spot or have some sort of cover to fall back to. Off angles also work well when you can isolate an enemy. If you’re using an off-angle and holding B site by yourself on Inferno, for example, you can be easily traded and leave the site open. Say, however, you sense an enemy slowly walking into apps in Inferno; sometimes, you can stand in the middle of apps (near balcony) to catch them off guard, since they usually will use a sweeping motion (left to right or vice versa) to clear the area first. Afterward, you can easily fall back into balcony or pit. Nevertheless, off-angles should be used occasionally rather than frequently, as having some cover offers better protection and survivability overall. Off-angles then, can disrupt your opponent’s timing and give you more map control or a man advantage when used from time to time.

Being unpredictable with your positioning sounds obvious, but let me elaborate on it a little further. If you truly want to be unpredictable, you have to be somewhat predictable. That sounds counterintuitive, but just hear me out. Being “unpredictable” often implies that you always change spots each round. The problem with that is, if players rarely expect you in the same spot, then they’re less likely to clear it, cut corners, and look elsewhere. For example, if your opponents can’t clear pit and you and your teammates are able to hold A site, then keep positioning yourself there, or somewhere close. If you keep getting mollied and killed in pit, however, then, by all means, go elsewhere, but don’t be afraid to go back every now and then. Even if you get demolished in a certain spot, it’s okay to occasionally go back (or even the round after, once in awhile), as they might think you’ve moved elsewhere because of the aftershock. 

Being truly unpredictable then is essentially giving your opponent the illusion of control when in reality, you’re in control, or (forgive me for sounding mean), giving them some level of trust and then taking advantage of it. So don’t be afraid to use the same spots occasionally, which gives you more opportunities to eventually position yourself elsewhere, otherwise, you can stick to what’s working. 

As for trades, consider the potential impact or aftermath. Not all trades are created equal and often favor t-side over ct. A trade that leaves a site open for a bomb plant, for example, is usually not ideal, even if you do get another frag added to your name. A trade that turns a 3v2 into 2v1 on either side, however, could be worth it. Some positions, like fence on Dust 2 (near the ledge outside of tunnels), may only give you 1 or 2 kills, but leave the site completely open. Although many positions in-game result in trades, it happens moreso at close range and/or if you don’t have much space to work with (or fallback to). Keep this in mind as you position yourself throughout the game, and potentially sacrifice yourself for the greater good every now and then.

How It Works…

• Good positioning essentially disrupts your opponent’s timing
• There’s nothing wrong with positioning yourself in the same spots if it’s constantly working 
• To be truly unpredictable, position yourself in the same spots occasionally; otherwise, always changing your spots ironically, becomes predictable (no need to change it if it’s working, however)
• As you position yourself, keep in mind that not all trades are created equal
• Some other effective ways to position yourself include taking cover, using distance to your advantage, and creating off-angles

1. Game Sense/Awareness (+2-5)

Tips on Game Sense | Ranking Up

By now, we’ve covered the importance of mechanics, utility, dynamic roles, and positioning. Arguably the biggest difference at higher ranks, however, is awareness. Take, for example, a pro match. Oftentimes, each player’s movement and aim is so consistent and clean that there are only slight differences; the key differences, however, are their in-game decisions and subsequently, their positioning. In fact, in-game mechanics become instinctual after so many hours of practice, but for something like game sense, it often requires more experience and understanding based on an intangible factor. 

If you still think aim is more important than game sense (nothing too extreme, however), consider the following questions. How often do you see your favorite pro players miss a shot from an enemy out in the open? How often do you see any pro player with crooked movement (and thus not consistently aiming at head level)? Both are important, no doubt, and you should still train your aim often so as to not lose touch. But, good game sense generally allows you to put yourself in a position where you don’t have to put yourself in a fair fight, give yourself the advantage, and most importantly, makes encounters easier for you. Why then, should you always try to out-aim your opponent when you can spot them beforehand?

Aside from experience, some ways to improve in-game awareness include 1) reflecting not just on your frags, but deaths, 2) reading the economy, 3) reading man advantages, and 4 ) balancing between predictable/unpredictable moves.

It’s always nice to win a game and move on, but it’s also important to consider the impact of those frags/deaths. This often determines whether you outplayed your opponent or not, aside from a simple aim duel. Say, for example, you’ve gotten a couple of kills hiding in a smoke as the terrorist rushed onto B site. You wait a few rounds, and do the same thing on A, only to be instantly killed, as the memory may have stayed fresh in their minds. Or after hiding so many rounds in a corner, you decide to use an off-angle with an AWP and get the opening kill. You attempt to use another off-angle a few rounds later, only to realize you were too out in the open. So, what I’m trying to say is, the more you understand why you died on certain rounds, the better equipped you are to counter it. Same line of thought with your frags. It’s similar to the idea of building on your strengths while working on your weaknesses, and not just saying everything is fine because you won the match, for instance.  

Earlier I mentioned eco rounds and whether to lurk or not. This ties into one of the aspects of reading your team’s or opponent’s economy. So in the case of eco rounds, it’s important to understand that players don’t have as much to lose if they decide to lurk or rush a site. However, if this becomes too predictable over time, then not only are you likely to lose rounds, but your game sense will also take a hit. That’s one scenario. Another scenario is lurking every now and then on a full buy. Although this poses a greater threat, the rewards also tend to be higher, simply because you have more to lose.  

Other aspects of the economy for riflers, support, and AWPers depend on certain strategies such as a delayed rush/push, decoy sites, full rush, contact plays, etc. Many of these can happen on full, half or eco buys. A full rush though, generally won’t happen on a full buy. One reason being is that you can slowly use util (on either side) to bait enemies, lurk to gather information, have impact trades across the map, and moreover, take or hold a site more easily. So in sum, take into account the overall economy (on both sides) and how that affects your team and opponent’s behavior/strategies before and during rounds.

Similar to reading the economy, reading man advantages can improve your game sense. An opponent might be more likely to push or lurk if he/she has a sub-par weapon and a man advantage simply because he/she can afford it.  On the flip side, an opponent may push into an area to gain a man advantage, and yet, not lose as much (in their minds at least) because of his/her sub-par weapon. On a 5v3, and depending on the previous rounds, your opponent may decide to push into your spawn out of, “desperation” to even the playing field after losing so many rounds before that. Again, just a few examples.  

But, even if you do have the man advantage (or disadvantage), you don’t have to push or do the same things frequently, because if you did, then that would be predictable and easier to counter over time! It might be better to give the appearance of, “throwing in the towel,” occasionally, to give your opponent the illusion of control. More likely then, you could disrupt their timing on future rounds. These are just a few scenarios, but the main point is that man advantages/disadvantages can create favorable scenarios in a chaotic and orderly fashion, using factors such as the risk/reward ratio, a level of predictability, and sometimes just sheer unpredictability. 

In case you missed it, I mentioned previously how there needs to be a balance between predictable and, “unpredictable” plays or positions. For one, it's okay to have a predictable strategy if it’s constantly working. I remember a time where my team kept going towards the A site on Mirage, but failed (including myself) to secure the rounds. As a result, the opposing team only had one player B and maybe one Mid for the next 6 or 7 rounds. Highly predictable? Yes. Highly effective though? Yes, admittedly. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you’re playing different spots every time, then your opponent is less likely to expect you in the same spot or same occasional spots. So mix it up, if necessary.  

The following video touches on these topics while focusing on higher ranks (but we can all still learn from it!)

How It Works…

• Awareness is arguably the most important aspect/skill in CS:GO, since mechanics can be easily trained over time (tangible) whereas game sense cannot (intangible), or as much
• Good game sense generally comes from experience and understanding
• Some ways to improve awareness include 1) being predictable/unpredictable, 2) looking at your demos/frags/deaths and how they came about, 3) looking at the economy on both sides, 4) reading man advantages, and 5) even going into an offline map to look for new ways to position yourself, depending on the situation
• Being unpredictable also means doing something out of the blue, not just once, but a few times; otherwise it may just be considered an outlier
• Having good awareness allows you to avoid aim duels more often by spotting your enemies first or shooting first during an encounter

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