Counter-Strike map: Dust2 - a newbie's strategy guide

Dust2 - the sequel to the most popular map in the world

Many experienced Counter-Strike players will tell you that Dust2 is better than Dust. What I like about it is, it's more balanced for both sides, even on a public clanless server. Dust2 has the same look as Dust, and it has a simple layout, but otherwise it's quite different.

In the original Dust, the burden falls on the Terrorist side. The only time I see the Terrorist side win consistently, is when the whole team rushes together, usually to A. If half the team rushes, and the other half camps, advantage goes to the CTs.

In Dust2, your side is rewarded for splitting up into groups and defending choke points, and this applies to both sides. As in any Counter-Strike map, team communication is important, so once the bomb has been planted, surviving CTs have to regroup and make one final assault.

Footnote: no matter how good is your side's strategy, it won't work unless you are able to kill your opponents and survive. A 1:1 ratio of kills to deaths will not suffice. So keep practicing!

Dust2 articles - Good Links

If you have read my Dust guide, and you've put in some hours playing on the public servers, you will enjoy these Counter-Strike map strategies.

» Dust2 clan strategies - Counter-Strike Forums
» Dust2 strategy - CS-Nation
» Dust2 Tactics and Strategies - FidosRevenge
» The Making of: Dust2 by David Johnston
» Excellent 2D map of Dust2 by Counter-Strike 2D

In this guide, I will discuss my newbie observations of de_dust2, and leave the advanced strategies to the experts listed above.

Feel free to report any errors, inaccuracies, comments, suggestions, etc. E-mail: smeerkat @ gmail.com (remove the empty spaces)

24/7 Dust2 Server

I used this server for taking screenshots:

20 players max
The Reservoir/Source CS/FF ON/NO AWP ALLOWED!
69.20.61.202:27015

Note that the über-powerful Arctic Warfare Magnum rifle is not allowed on this server. If you can afford it, always buy a smoke grenade to cut down snipers' line-of-sight. Friendly Fire is enabled, so use your radar to know your teammates' location.

Here's a FF-off server:
16 players max
[C.A.P] 24/7 Dust/Dust2 - hosted at gotgameservers.com 65.98.59.245:27015

Ashes to Ashes, Dust2, Dust

A few general tips, worth repeating here:

It is very important for both sides to rush at the beginning of a round. You cannot waste time in-game, buying weapons and equipment. That must be done before each round begins. Use the CSBANANA CS:S Buy scripter and copy the code in your config.cfg file. Your config.cfg file is located here:

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\your-email-address\counter-strike source\cstrike\cfg

I have 2 keybinds for this purpose, one for the early rounds (Deagle, secondary ammo, defuser kit, vest, helmet) and one for the later rounds (AK47 or M4, primary ammo, defuser kit, vest, helmet, grenades). If my side is doing well and I'm really rich, I'll hit both keys so that I have a Deagle and automatic rifle. With keybinds, it takes about 1 second to be fully equipped and ready to rush.

When you rush, switch to the knife. This will increase your foot speed. Then when you get to your destination, switch to your primary weapon.

Do not rush carelessly through double-doors. At the beginning of a round, you can expect a firefight at the double-doors that lead to the route called "Long A" (the long walkway that leads up to Bomb site A). If you are T, you'll be able to go past the first set of double-doors (you'll find yourself in a tiny dark area with a crate). If you are CT, you'll be able to hide behind a crate or around a corner, to prepare for Ts coming through.

Try to throw a flashbang ("fb") through the double-doors, possibly blinding your opponents. Then jump in and open fire. This trick won't work all the time, as your opponent will be smarter next round and wait further back. But it's a good technique to use in any CS map. Alert your teammates before throwing a flash (using the voice chat works best here), or else you will blind your teammates.

Counter-Strike wouldn't be the same without all those crates. You can jump on top of the smaller ones, but for larger crates you'll need a "boost." Have your teammate crouch down, then you can jump onto his back and then jump on top of a large crate. This higher altitude will give you an advantage in firefights: the element of surprise, and a greater chance of getting a headshot.

Before you go online, learn the maps! Dust2 is a bit more complex than Dust (but not much more), so create your own empty server and familiarize yourself with the map before going to a public server. If you are a Dust2 newbie, it might be easier to go T than CT.

Dust2 basic strategies

OK, you're ready to join a populated Dust2 server and get your ass kicked.

Terrorists: beginning of round

There are two areas of Terrorist spawns. One area is a bit closer to Bomb site B, and the other is a bit closer to site A. Before the round begins, have a look around to see where your teammates are facing.

The 5 routes are:

(1) Long A: go down the ramp on the right side, through the sets of double-doors, then up the long, straight walkway to bomb site A.

(2) Short A: instead of going through the double-doors, you take a left turn and go around, on the catwalk, to site A.

(3) What I'll call Short B: The shortest path to 'B' is to go straight from T spawn to the main building, go inside, take a left, then out. You will be at site B.

(4) A longer path to 'B' is to go straight through what I call "Sniper Alley", then through the double-doors, make a left, go uphill, through another set of double-doors, thus avoiding the main building altogether.

(5) The longest path to 'B' is to go into the main building, then turn right, down the curved stairwell, exit the building, turn left, go through the double doors, make a left, go uphill, through another set of double-doors. Phew!

Keep in mind that there are multiple variations on the 5 routes. For example, you might be heading Short A, but then change your mind, drop down to the mid, then head to Bomb site B. If you're playing T, and you want the fast rush, Short B is your best bet.

The T side will want to mix-and-match routes, to keep CTs guessing. Most servers enable voice chat, this is very useful if you use it for coordinating rushes.

Terrorists: mid-game

If you didn't go for the fast rush, and you haven't planted the bomb yet, things get really interesting. You still have time to get to a bomb site and plant the bomb, but you can bet there will be CTs camping the two sites.

Bomb site B is easier to protect (for either side that controls it first), there are many crates and an elevated platform that looks right into the main building. If you're inside the main building, walk don't run. You don't want your footsteps to give away your location.

The other entrance to B is a set of double-doors, you can expect the enemy to be parked behind the door, around the abandoned car.

The third entrance to B is a bit sneaky, you start from "Mid", go uphill, and climb up some rocks, then crawl through a hole in the wall. Newbie players might not know of its existence, but experienced players will be watching it.

Site A is not as easy to defend as site B, as it is more open and there are three paths to get there.

Depending on how many CTs survived, you can expect at least 2 CTs defending A: one CT sniper looking down Long A, and the other CT roving around, keeping an eye on the catwalk while listening for footsteps underneath. You might even find an AFK (away from keyboard) under the catwalk, since thaTs the CT spawn.

If you can plant the bomb in mid-game, and you're not the last T still alive, you should be able to defend your area and win. You need to kill your opponents quickly, and not take too much damage from return fire.

Terrorists: end-game

If you haven't planted the bomb yet, all is not lost. You can still hunt down all remaining CTs to get the victory. Start with the bomb site that is closest to you, then check the CT spawn area for any AFK's, then check the other site.

A note about the "meta game": if you're a newbie like me, you will spend a lot of time spectating the game. Use the chase cam to observe the opponents, what weapon they prefer and where they like to camp (if they camp at all). If you can connect a player name with a weapon and style of play, that might give you the edge in-game. Good snipers will vary their camping spots, so you can't always guess correctly.

Counter-Terrorists:

First of all, read the section on Terrorists, so you know what to expect from the T side. Since the Ts have so many options, CTs have to be able to read-and-react well. Communicate (meaningful) information to your teammates, so they can rush back to an undefended bomb site.

Counter-Terrorists: beginning of round

Unlike Dust, Dust2 has a lot more variety of game situations as the round progresses. Like Dust, Dust2 forces CTs to be coordinated in their early rush so that they can prevent the Ts from getting an easy score.

Complete containment of Ts (possible in Dust) is not a viable option, in a public clanless server (in my opinion). At the beginning of the round, CTs have to rush to certain choke points, and try to win the firefights:

- the double-doors through which the Ts will pass, to get to Long A. Two CTs would be preferable, and they can communicate to their teammates if they sense a mass rush.

- right up the middle, and then veer left to see if Ts are trying to go Short A. In the later rounds, Ts can afford AWPs or autos-snipers, so bring smoke grenades.

- a mad rush to Bomb site B, where Ts are likely to exit the main building. Depending on your foot speed, you should be able to throw a flashbang into the corridor before the Ts come out. Two or three CTs should do the trick. If it turns out that no one is inside, then you can recover by taking the curved staircase back down to "Mid".

Counter-Terrorists: mid-game

If the bomb was not planted right away, CTs can settle in to protect both bomb sites. Ideally, you want to have 3 CTs at each site, but realistically you won't.

At site A, you'll want a sniper covering long A, another CT covering the catwalk (Short A), and a third CT could be camping in the dark area under the catwalk.

At site B, you'll need three CTs, one to cover each possible entrance.

Of course, in real life, players are too restless to stay in one spot. So what normally happens is that CTs wander around, looking for Ts. It's better to wander around in pairs than solo, if you must.

Counter-Terrorists: end-game

As the round nears its end, Ts have to locate all CTs and eliminate them to get the win. Hopefully you've still got enough ammo for that final firefight. If not, look around for corpses, chuck your weapon and pick up theirs. Who knows, you might get someone's AWP or machine-gun. Note that spray-and-pray firing doesn't work well in medium to long-distance fighting. If you're going to pick up someone's weapon, go for a scoped weapon and/or a Desert Eagle.

CS-Nation - Guide to weapons

If there's only one Terrorist left, perhaps he's AFK. So check the T spawn, just in case.

Summary

If you would like to see more Counter-Strike map strategies, feel free to contact me.

XFire: smeerkat
E-mail: smeerkat @ gmail.com
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