Every Counter-Strike player wants to be good in the clutch. We all dream of cleaning up the enemy team despite being the last man standing, against all odds. While winning a 1vX situation does have an element of luck, most of what goes on in the round is under your control. Here are 5 ways you can tangibly improve your clutch play in CS2.
T Side
Plant ambiguously
Winning more clutches doesn’t just require hitting shots under pressure— it all begins with where you plant the bomb. Even when last alive, players will often plant the bomb in a default position or directly for the position they plan to occupy in the clutch. The former is a worse sin than the latter, but regardless, planting the bomb ambiguously is the best choice, and I’ll explain why.
By planting the bomb in as open of a position as possible, it makes the job of the CTs much more difficult. Instead of being able to tap the bomb and isolate a fight, they’re exposed to many different angles, making their chances of guessing where you went that much lower. For example on Ancient, if it’s safe to do so, planting in the middle of the site makes the defusing player susceptible to Long, Cave, and Ramp—essentially all possible positions.
Use a deductive process
So you’ve planted ambiguously, now what? Staying in the bombsite is not an option unless the timing works out as such. If the CTs aren’t actively bearing down on your position, then you have to make a move.
If given the space to, you should pick a path into the bombsite and begin to clear it. To stay with the Ancient example, after planting open, you have a few options: walk down Ramp to clear Shelf and the entrance to Cave, walk long to clear Ivy, or walk into Cave.
This accomplishes a couple of things, but the main one is deducing where the main part of the CT retake is coming from. If against 3, it’s unlikely that all 3 players will be retaking from the same position. Best case scenario, you find the solo player and eliminate him, but finding the duo can be just as beneficial. You don’t have to take the fight to them, but just finding out where they are can give you the confidence to take the 1v1 against the solo player.
CT Side
Tap early and often
As a CT, you have one major point of leverage in a clutch situation, and that’s the bomb. Discipline is key to winning afterplants for the T side, and the only way you can force the issue as a CT is by tapping the bomb.
Tapping the bomb forces remaining Ts to make a move. Whether it’s because of hubris or anxiety, tapping the bomb is most likely to incite a peek, which will give you a more favorable fight over hunting down the dug-in Ts.
Both sides
Practice patience
Patience can win you so many more clutches on both sides of the map, but it’s often the hardest to train. New players especially get antsy when they hear that defuse sound, and will often jump at every opportunity for a frag, even if it lowers their chances of winning the round.
For both CTs and Ts, getting behind an unsuspecting enemy can create the opening you need to win the round, but it’s difficult to know when to pull the trigger and reveal your position. Unfortunately there’s no silver bullet for every situation, so it really just comes down to your ability to survey the scenario and make a good choice.
For Ts specifically, when you hear that defuse sound, you might have the urge to peek, and you’d be right to in a 1v2+. Since there are multiple players to defend the defuser, you’ll need to be more aggressive with your approach.
In a 1v1 though, resist the urge to peek! If you’ve planted open, the chances of a CT sticking the bomb in a 1v1 are slim to none. This changes, of course, if time has ticked on too long. Keep an ear on the bomb and play accordingly.
Playing Refrag’s Clutch mode
Playing Refrag’s Clutch mode is the perfect way to improve your clutching ability. Clutch places you in a tight position and forces you to defend that position against peeking CTs. With automatic difficulty adjustment, Clutch will minimize your habit to overextend and maximize your 1vX rounds won.
