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

Italy - popular Counter-Strike map

Italy is one of the most popular Counter-Strike: Source maps, and it is one of my favorites. Although I am probably the least-qualified person to post a strategy guide, my goal is to introduce this great map to the newbies, and share some tips.

Since this is a Hostage Rescue map, the burden falls on the CT side to be proactive and work as a team. Terrorists spawn right next to the safe-house containing 4 hostages, so if they wanted to they could sit back and wait for the CTs to arrive.

There are many paths to the safe-house, so the CTs have to be organized before rushing. Try not to rush a choke point by yourself; make sure you have some backup. Don't wait too long in one spot; your opponents might sneak up behind you!

I never do well in this map, but it's fun to play. There are firefights all over the map, and all weapons are useful - from the shotgun, to the sniper rifle. Listen carefully to footstep sounds; they will help you to locate the enemy.

Italy strategy - Good Links

Check out these Counter-Strike map strategies and articles:

» Counter-Strike Strategy Guide: Italy - GameSpy.com
» Italy strategy - CS-Nation
» Italy Tactics and Strategies - FidosRevenge
» Interview with GlenC, mapper of cs_italy
» Excellent 2D map of Italy by Counter-Strike 2D
» Level of the Week, June 9, 2002: cs_italy
» Control spray - Counter-Strike Forums
» The weapons of CS:S - HalfLife2.net

Important: No matter how good your team's strategy may be, it doesn't mean squat if you can't kill your opponents in a firefight. There are many ambush spots in Italy, so practice your flash-banging, jump-strafing, bunny-hopping, head-shotting and whatever skills you need to stay alive.

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

24/7 Italy Server

I used this server for taking screenshots:

16 players max, FF off
::YgS:: Clan Server | Italy 24/7
66.208.106.48:27016

All roads lead to ... Italy

I love playing cs_italy on a large server (say, 40 players) because there are many routes to cover in this map. Depending on which route you take, you can expect a firefight in about 15 seconds or less. If you're playing 2 vs 2, it's more of a cat-and-mouse game, but still interesting.

First, a few general tips:

Learn how to manage your money. Consult the CS weapon info page for prices of your favorite weapons and items. If your opponents win the first couple of rounds, know when they can afford the AWP or auto-sniper (just under $5000). I guarantee there will be at least one T sniper covering the tunnel that leads up to the safe-house (or a CT sniper covering the other end of the tunnel).

If your team loses the first couple of rounds, don't be discouraged. If you're playing T, the default pistol (Glock) is very competent, especially in close-quarter combat. High rate of fire, large clip size (20), and you can easily get headshots. If you're playing CT, I'm not a big fan of the default pistol (USP) because of the smaller clip size (12) but it does have a high rate of fire and a silencer. Silenced weapons are very useful in maps like Italy.

If you're still broke in mid-game, when the default pistol simply won't do, hang back a bit and let your teammates do the initial rush. After the initial firefight is over, you'll be able to grab a nice weapon from one of the corpses. Beggars can't be choosers, so learn how to (effectively) use all the weapons in CS:S. Don't forget to reload when you steal someone's weapon.

I still believe the AK-47 and Colt M4A1 are the best weapons in the game, because of their versatility and price. Decent rate of fire, good clip size (30), good accuracy in short bursts, high power, and you can buy them early in the game. In a map like Italy, which doesn't have large, wide-open spaces like Aztec, the weaknesses of these rifles are not that apparent.

If I'm playing T in Italy, Office or Havana, I like to steal an M4 as quickly as possible, to have the benefit of a silencer. Make use of the "walk" key (default: SHIFT), so you can sneak up on your opponents and kill them quietly.

You're allowed to carry two flashbangs, so learn how to use them and get easy kills. Don't flash your teammates! A poorly thrown flashbang can get your team killed. I use a keybind for the "Fall back" radio command, to warn my teammates before throwing. Against newbie opponents, one flashbang will do the trick. Veterans know how to turn away and avoid being blinded, so wait two seconds and throw a second flash to be sure.

Italy basic strategies

Why do I love Italy so much?

- High replay value. There are many routes between the CT spawn and the hostage safe-house, around 4 or 5 direct routes and then many possible permutations if you zig-zag your way around. So after the initial rush and firefights, you're never quite sure where your opponents could be hiding. The Ts may be passive or aggressive; they may stick together, or spread out; they may camp the safe-house, or the hostage rescue point.

- Z-axis action. The term refers to the 3rd axis (up-down) on the 3D grid; in Italy, you always have look up (or down, depending on where you are) for potential ambushes. You can also boost your teammates onto a tall crate (or roof...) for a tactical advantage.

- Stealth. Different surfaces give different footstep sounds, so you can anticipate your opponents' arrival by listening carefully. This map is not just about the rush; you can have a great deal of success if you walk quietly.

- All the weapons are useful in Italy. The shotgun is devastating in close quarters like the central building, the cellar, and the safe-house. There are some good lines of sight leading to the safe-house, for sniping. You can use inexpensive, rapid-fire weapons (MP5, Mac-10, TMP) for ambushes. Expensive rifles like the Steyr Aug ("bullpup") and Krieg 552 are always useful in any map, but the scope will help you take out the pesky snipers.

- This map separates the men from the boys. I consider Dust to be a good learning map for new players, because it's bright, it has a simple layout, and it's not that easy for an opponent to sneak up behind you. Italy, on the other hand, has lots of twists and turns, and when you go through a doorway or around a corner, you have to be prepared to face multiple opponents. Experienced players can survive longer.

Counter-Terrorists: beginning of round

When you spawn, you will be facing a wedge-shaped building. You can go to the left, or the right of that building. There are four general routes to get to the safe-house, but you can make detours so the actual number of routes is much higher. Use voice chat to coordinate with your teammates before the round begins.

The 4 routes are:

(1) Left, then to the cellar: go to the left of the wedge-shaped building, go up some stairs, inside the building, then down some stairs into the cellar. When you exit the cellar, you can turn left and go up some stairs to the safe-house, or turn right and head back toward the fruit market.

(2) Left, then under the overpass: same as 1, but instead of going up the stairs to the building with the cellar, you make a right-hand turn and go under the overpass. Then you can turn left toward the cellar's exit, or turn right and go toward the fruit market.

(3) Right, then jump over the logs and climb into the central building's window: it takes a little bit of practice, but you hop onto the pile of logs, then hop onto the window sill and climb in. There will be three small rooms that you have to pass through, and when you exit the central building you will see a long walkway ahead.

(4) Right, then turn right to go through the fruit market: you could consider this to be two routes - there are two alleys that lead out of the fruit market, the closer one will take you to the cellar's exit, and the farther one will take you to the tunnel that leads up to the safe-house. The alleys are connected to each other, so it doesn't matter which alley you take.

There are multiple variations of the above routes. For example, you could go through the fruit market, hear the booming sound of an AWP, change your mind, then double back to the logs at the central building.

The CT side will want to mix-and-match routes, to keep Ts guessing. Travel in groups, to increase your chances of survival.

Counter-Terrorists: mid-game

On a larger server, your team will have enough players to cover all 4 routes. If you do not cover all routes in your initial rush, there is a possibility that some Ts have come through the uncovered route(s) and will be trying to sneak up from behind. Once in a while, take a peek over your shoulder, or have a teammate watch your back.

If you survived the initial rush, now's your chance to upgrade your weapon. Take a quick look at the ground for any valuable weapons. Use the "drop" key to lose the weapon you're holding (default: G, I think) then walk over the new weapon. Reload, to make sure you have a full clip.

Use the radar (top-left corner of your screen) to locate your surviving teammates. Or use voice chat to get a quick head count.

Now you have to focus on rescuing the hostages. There are 4 hostages in the safe-house, 2 on the ground floor and 2 upstairs. There are two ways to enter the safe-house: climb up onto some crates and then jump onto the window sill, or go through the doorway on the ground floor. If you did not encounter much resistance during the initial rush phase, then you can expect to find more Ts camping inside the safe-house.

It is very likely that there will be one or two terrorists waiting for you inside the safe-house. Smoke grenades and flashbangs would be really useful, to disorient your opponents. Avoid using the HE grenade; if you hurt the hostages, you will lose some cash.

Although the tunnel appears to be the easiest exit route to take the hostages, it might not be the safest. It's a bit dark, and there are at least three ambush spots for Ts. Furthermore, Ts could be waiting in one of the corners of the fruit market. Depending on how much backup you have, you might consider taking the hostages to the central building and then out the window.

As you approach the hostage rescue point (same area as CT spawn), take a peek over your shoulder to make sure all the hostages are still there. Sometimes, one will get stuck and you have to go back to retrieve him.

Walk quietly, and prepare for a terrorist that might be hiding around the corner or behind a crate.

The cash you receive for rescuing the hostages is well worth the risk you took. Be proactive in this map; don't camp.

Counter-Terrorists: end-game

You'll need around a minute or more, to bring the hostages safely back to the rescue point. If time is running short, you can still win by eliminating all the Terrorists. Problem is, they could be anywhere.

Check the popular ambush spots around the CT spawn area, to the left and right of the wedge-shaped building. Another hiding spot is the south-east corner of the fruit-market (if you consider T spawn to be north, and CT spawn to be south). There could be a T hiding behind the crate inside the safe-house, on the ground floor next to the 2 hostages. I would also check the area next to the logs, under the window.

Terrorists:

First of all, read the section on Counter-Terrorists, to familiarize yourself with the 4 major routes.

Terrorists: beginning of round

Ts can be passive (hang around the safe-house with sniper rifles and wait for the CTs to arrive) or aggressive (rush to meet the CTs at the various choke points) or sneaky (hide in dark corners or behind crates, and ambush the CTs before / after they arrive at the safe-house). Or some combination of the three (what you'll find on a public server).

Take a look at the screenshot on the right:

1) You can jump down onto the lower level, turn right to go into the cellar, or go straight toward the mid area.

2) You can stay on the upper level, turn the corner and wait for CTs to come through the central building.

3A) After you turn the corner, you can go straight to the central building, or hop down onto the lower level.

3B) Instead of hopping down to the lower level, you can hop onto the crate and try to climb onto the roof. Or wait to see if any CTs are heading toward the cellar.

If you go to 3B, and there are no CTs going to the cellar, you can jump down and head to the CT spawn (hostage rescue point) and wait for CTs to arrive with the hostages.

4) (not shown in the screenshot) You can head down the tunnel that leads up to the safe-house, and rush to the fruit market. You will always meet a few CTs there at the beginning of the round.

Counter-Strike is a numbers game; at the beginning of the round, you want your side to survive the early firefights, so that you outnumber the surviving opponents in the mid game. If the Ts outnumber the CTs in the mid game, it will be very difficult for the CTs to enter the safe-house undetected, and rescue the hostages.

Terrorists: mid-game

Always communicate with your teammates (and I don't mean spam). Let them know that you've survived the early rush, where you are located, where you are going, and if your sector is clear. Use keybindings to save time: CS:S Radio scripter from CSBanana

When a teammate uses a radio command, you will see a blinking red dot on your radar screen. So you will know where he is located. If he is in visual range, you will see a green exclamation mark above his head.

In the mid-game, the surviving CTs will be heading toward the safe-house. So you can head back to the safe-house yourself, camp the CT spawn, or try to sneak up behind the CTs.

If you want to sneak up on the CTs, use the "walk" key (default: SHIFT) so they can't hear you approach. Nothing's more satisfying than a knife kill. :D

T snipers will want to cover (a) the tunnel leading up to the safe-house, (b) the path leading to the central building, (c) the path leading from the cellar exit, (d) the open area that is the T spawn. When you play Italy, you will always here the booming sound of the AWP in the vicinity of the safe-house.

Terrorists: end-game

Depending on where you are located, you might not have enough time to check the safe-house (to see if the hostages are still there). So head towards the CT spawn, and find a good ambush spot (there are plenty).

If you are near the safe-house, and the hostages are still there, you can camp inside or wait on the ledge (accessible from the upper level of the house) outside. Or you can find a dark corner in the tunnel.

Another good waiting spot, is the area to the left of the stairs that go up from the cellar exit. You can see an Italian flag on the wall.

If there's only one CT left, perhaps he's AFK. So check the CT spawn, just in case. Just stay alive, and your side will win the round.

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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