CS-Nation

Covering the future of Counter-Strike
evasion
E v a s i o n

Evasion is the art of being able to live to fight another day. If you can't beat your opponent, don't fight him. Evasion is also being able to move without being seen. It is as simple as that, in theory at least. But how do you actually do that?

If someone is in pursuit of you, run! Find a spot to hide and run to it. Don't let your opponent see you, however. It is imperative that if you hide somewhere your enemy does not see you go into hiding. If he does he will most certainly kill you with complete ease. If you're running down a corridor, and you come to a corner, try and dive behind a box, so that he'll go running past and you can get the jump on him.

Choosing a good hiding place can be difficult, and at times down-right frustrating. But, if you persevere, you will succeed. The easiest way to find a place to hide is to know the map. However your opponent will know the hiding spots as well. There are rather tight spots to hide in, so look around and experiment with different locations.

If you don't have a Submachine Gun pointed at your tail, you can be a bit more conservative and liberal at the same time.

Now, take your time; walk, don't run. Stay in the shadows if you can, or at least out of sight. Don't ever run out into the open unless you're in a group that is covering all angles, or you'll set yourself up as an easy target (Yes, one of the main advantages to being in a group is that a sniper might choose to kill someone else instead of you). If there's a fierce gun battle, find cover as quickly as possible, or else you'll soon find yourself on the receiving end of a few bullets.

Move around the borders of the map. Take your time, while using stealth there is no need to rush. In fact, rushing will eliminate your stealth and act as a catalyst to your demise, as running produces footstep sounds. This can be avoided by taking things nice and slowly.

On complex maps such as cs_italy, one of the best ways to avoid the enemy is to stay off the main routes. Go through side-corridors, crawl through vents, swim down a river, but if you're outnumbered, always try and keep off the 'busier' parts of the level, as the less enemies you run into, the greater your chance for survival. At most, you'll be encountering enemies only one or two at a time in these type of deserted parts of the level, so you stand a better chance of coming out on top than if you were running about outside shooting your gun all over the place. Stop often to ensure that you're not being followed, and if you are, sit behind a box so you can get the jump on them.

Unfortunately, stealth is more something that must be learned more than it can be taught. You can get tips like crouch on ladders, walk, etc. Nevertheless, effectively avoiding your opponent requires a flare of luck and experience. Maybe the person you're trying to avoid is a newbie who won't be able to tell the difference between you and the wall, or maybe they're a CS veteran who'll see you immediately. Luck is the key word. Practice and you will end up evading your opponent without even realizing what you are doing.

T e a m w o r k

In order to win in CS you MUST work with your teammates as teammates. This is a team play mod for a reason. If you don't work as a team, your opponents will and they will win. Many games are totally dominated by one side because, while they are coordinated and cover all possible avenues of attack, the other team is in chaos, they argue amongst one another, or some members of the team go out of their way to act like an ass, making team work almost impossible. If that happens, then the team fragments into 8 or so people going solo, and they will always lose against a squad of 3 opponents, each of whom are covering each other.

Attack and defend with at least one teammate at a time. Do nothing by yourself, except if you're the last alive. This is a team game for a reason. A lone maverick isn't going to win the match, and will be a prime target for the enemies, as he can only concentrate on one person at a time, while another enemy goes for the kill.

As a team, split up into smaller groups (squads). Each squad should take a different route. Keep the squads together between rounds so you learn each other's habits. This way you will start to anticipate your 'mates' movements. This is ideal for clan games, but probably won't happen in a public game. Don't fret, just try to stay in ONE team rather then 6 one man teams. An important part of team play is knowing what they are about to do, and blocking a corridor that your team mates will need to escape by won't win you any popularity contests. Avoid blocking narrow entrances and exits, as it will frequently cost a team-member their life.

Most maps have at least three different routes you can take. Send one squad on EACH of them. If you have an extra squad send it as backup to a particularly difficult route. Keep such squads off to a distance. Their role is more to provide backup in extreme emergencies, and cover fire if needed. If your team is acting all losey goosey, take command. Start giving orders, and insist that the team break up into evenly numbered squads. There is no point in sending a strong force one way, and a one-man army the other, so once he's eliminated, the enemies can close in on the main group's flank and take them by surprise.

Have a member in each squad provide cover. This can mean covering the squad's rear or staying a ways back. If you have a sniper, keep him in the rear off a ways. He can snipe anyone moving towards you without being at risk. Alternatively, someone with a SMG or PARA can stay in the rear while being close enough to keep anyone from sneaking up on you. Preferably, have some people running backwards and constantly checking the rear, as this will prevent any nasty surprises that might occur.

Another important element of team-work is breaking away from the main force, and teaming up with one or two other people. On levels like de_dust, where the teams usually stick together, a small squad can break away, go a different route from the main force, and launch a surprise attack from the behind. In one instance, myself and another CT made our way under the bridge on de_dust, and the Ts were busy fighting a battle at the T-junction inside the building. Myself with a Colt and my fellow CT with a Para took out 5 Ts, and the few stragglers were picked off by the rest of team. Don't go for a glory run, but instead try and give your team the edge by opening up a "second front" for the battle, forcing the enemies to split numbers, and so, reduce the amount of fire power going in any one direction. Surrounding the enemy team is a sure-fire way to win the match, as they'll be too busy concentrating on one part of the team to take care of the rest.

Most importantly don't do any one-man stuff. Don't just go off and rush on your own. You may need to work with your team to make your own styles, but do so! Also, when traveling as a team, try and use the voice communication technology instead of the radio commands as enemies can now hear those and will close in on your position more quickly.

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