CS-Nation

Covering the future of Counter-Strike
recoil
basic strat: Recoil
this is a CS-Nation feature
» author: Mr Bond

Counter-Strike tries to imitate the real world in many ways to create the impression of realism. This 'illusion' of realism ranges from the style of levels to the real-life weapons to the health settings. A sometimes ignored but very important feature included in CS is recoil. For those who don't know, recoil is the jolting of a weapon after it has been fired. This causes the weapon to fire inaccurately as the holder of the firearm can't hold it steady. Counter-terrorism teams around the world use tactics to counter this—usually a variation on a 'double-tap.' This is basically firing two rounds at a target at a time. When used correctly this improves accuracy markedly, saving ammo and improving kill-ratio.

Where does CS come in? As you continue to fire, your targeting reticule gets slightly larger. This is showing that the bullets you are firing are becoming more inaccurate. Although this difference in accuracy may seem negligible, when it comes to a high-tempo online game, this inaccuracy is the difference between a headshot and a clean-miss. This recoil-inaccuracy is further increased by other factors such as if the player is running. So it makes me wonder why I see so many in CS run at me with an AK only to fire thirty rounds at me while I sit and watch their bullets completely miss.

The solution to this is very simple and, in principle, it is very similar to the real world 'double-tap.' Try never to fire more than 2-5 rounds at a time, as this will keep recoil to a minimum. Keep in mind that recoil affects each weapon slightly differently. While recoil may have little effect at close range with an MP5, recoil control is integral to being able to use weapons like the AK at any range beyond a few meters. Ducking while firing short bursts of a couple of rounds can turn recoil hampered weapons like the Para and AK into precision instruments.

In most situations, there are some basic courses of action to choose from to reduce recoil's effects during a firefight—each should be used in the appropriate situation. Firstly, stop running! When you have a clean shot at an opponent at medium-long range, STOP! This applies to almost every weapon—SMGs to sniper rifles. Unless your aim is to frighten your opponent into psychological submission by firing bullets in their general direction, running while trying to hit a target at a distance is a waste of ammo. Obviously there are exceptions to this case—e.g. remaining stationary in front of an AWP'er won't get you the Nobel Prize in tactics. Secondly, your opponent's head should always be your primary target. However, to hit this target when taking recoil into account, you sometimes must aim a little lower (torso-neck depending on distance) so when recoil sends your aim flying upward, your bullets will actually get closer to the target. This may seem obvious but the number of players who insist on pummeling the air above their enemy's head must be missing something.

Of course, recoil in CS is only a simulated experience. No matter how still you crouched, in real life you could never hit a target with any degree of precision with a Para at long range. Neither would bullets fly randomly within a certain area in the manner that they do in CS (remember those random AK headshots?). Still, in CS, recoil not only wreaks havoc on your aim but sometimes (too often) gives you a headshot even when you aren't aiming for the head. These lucky shots are more chance than skill and often are accompanied by accusations of cheating. Just be prepared to take what you get.

Once you have mastered recoil, weapons in CS are totally transformed—the seemingly useless AK will turn into a deadly strike weapon. By keeping in mind the effects of recoil and movement, you should be able to build up accuracy and increase those crucial headshots.

—Mr Bond