CS:GO Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist Sides: Know Your Team

CS:GO is a game of two halves. In-game, you’ll either play as a CS:GO Terrorist or Counter-Terrorist, before swapping after fifteen rounds. But there’s a bit more nuance than that. These are the differences that you need to know between Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists.

Credit: CS:GO on Steam

CS:GO Terrorist

Your role as a Terrorist is to plant the bomb on one of two sites or eliminate the enemy team.

There are some advantages to being a CS:GO Terrorist. The huge advantage is the AK-47, which in the hands of the best CS:GO players, is a deadly weapon. At $2700, it deals more damage than the M4A1-S on the CT side, for cheaper. One magazine can be all you need to wipe out the entire enemy team with the AK-47. As a Terrorist, your Molotov is also cheaper than the CT equivalent, at $400 vs $600, despite them functionally being the same. On the flip side, you’re immediately at a disadvantage from the pistol round as a Terrorist. Without buying a new sidearm and forgoing armor, Terrorists are stuck with the Glock-18, which is traditionally seen as a worse option than the CT’s USP-S.

For many newer players, being a CS:GO Terrorist can prove to be a tougher role. The nature of the role means entering well-defended bombsites, and that can be difficult for players who don’t know every nook and cranny of each map. Still, in most cases as a Terrorist, you’ll have the advantage of your entire team being with you, as opposed to the CT side, where your team is split between multiple sites.

CS:GO Terrorists. Source: Polygon

CS:GO Counter-Terrorist

As a CS:GO Counter-Terrorist, you must prevent the Terrorists from planting the bomb. If they do, you must then defuse the bomb.

You need to play a certain way to make the best use of the benefits of being a CS:GO Counter-Terrorist. The main positive is access to silenced weapons. The M4A1-S is one of the most accurate weapons in the game and should be the rifle of choice for any CT, while the USP-S can remove unarmored heads in a single shot. It allows you to tuck away silently in tactical positions on the server, which just isn’t possible on T side. You also have access to the MP9, which can shred through armor with its rapid fire rate. It can be purchased for $1250, and pays out a massive $600 per kill, making it perfect for building economy early in games.

Most of the maps in CS:GO are inherently Counter-Terrorist sided. The starkest example is on Nuke, where you might notice an advantage as a CT. This is broadly the case across the game, but great players can overcome this. This is especially noticeable in competitive CS:GO matches on the pro circuit, where the skill ceiling is extremely high. Playing as a CS:GO Counter-Terrorist is a great way to build map knowledge. You’ll always be looking for new hiding spots and will become more aware of where others are placing themselves for the best chance of victory.

CS:GO Counter-terrorists. Source: Medium.com