AWP
The AWP role is one of the most popular in CSGO since it allows for a very fun and fluid type of playstyle with very high impact.
Whether its running to middle and locking down a big part of the map or using a good spawn to spearhead a rush to one of the sites, the weapon has many uses and works for different types of players.
Dive into the roleWatch the AWP in action
That feeling when you get the pick in middle…
This role specializes in using the CSGO sniper rifle AWP. The AWP is a one-shot kill weapon on the upper body and does 85 damage on the legs of an enemy. As a trade-off to the high amount of damage it has a very slow fire rate meaning you need to be careful not to expose yourself to more than 1 enemy player at the time unless you have backup.
No matter what you should always have an escape plan in mind incase you miss a shot – maneuvering and repositioning is some of the best tools you can use to make the most out of the AWP.
Responsibilities
The biggest responsibilities of the role is to get and keep map control. Key word here is “keep”. It’s all about taking advantage of the good spawns and either get an opening kill or duel another AWP player for control over the map.
Once the AWP has gotten a kill it is important to decide what’s best in that round – to go for more or to keep the control.
Primary focus of the AWP
Get big openings and control large parts of the map
Use a good spawn to get the opening frag
Be smart with your economy to get the AWP
Protect the bomb plant by covering from afar
Use your spawn position to your advantage
Being the first to enter a contested area is vital as an AWP’er. Therefore you should always use your spawn-point to your advantage by getting into position before your opponent. This works on both CT and T side.
Example: On T side cache if you spawn close to B you can get to sunroom and try to kill one of the B players crossing to checkers or get into position before the enemy AWP’er.
Economy and Utility
One of the tricks to being a good AWP player in CSGO is to always be aware of the economical situation he or his team is in. Always making sure to trade an AK or M4 for an AWP or not buying armor in eco rounds are just a few examples of how to manage your economy.
Buy Bind
bind "kp_5" "buy awp; buy smokegrenade; buy vest; buy flashbang; buy defuser; buy flashbang; buy p250;"
Buy binds make buying the right weapons and equipment faster.
Press the button to copy the bind to clipboard and paste it into your console.
We bound it by default to “5” on your Numpad. To change it, replace “kp_5”
with the button you want to use instead.
Pressing the bind button ingame will purchase all the stuff you need as an AWP’er!
Buyority
Pistols:
Pistols are an important tool for an AWP’er as a plan B. Since your priority is to get the AWP, the P250 is our recommended pistol since it is cheap but very effective close range. You should always prioritize a P250 over head-armor.
SMG:
Despite being viable only for a few rounds it is a good way to farm some money for the AWP’er and still do damage. We recommend the Mac-10 or MP9 as your Go-to SMG, as they are the cheapest and boast a high kill bonus.
Rifles:
Your main priority here is to get the AWP. The most obvious way is to simply buy it if you can afford it. Sometimes glass cannon is the way to go (AWP without armor) but you should be aware of your teammates’ economy – if someone has more money than you, offer to trade an AK or M4 for an AWP.
Gear:
Get the armor if you can afford it, but never buy the helmet. You should aspire not to get into close range battles – in fact you should try to stay out of gunfights most of the time and limit your exposure. Sometimes no armor is a good thing – makes you feel vulnerable and thus you’ll be more careful.
Grenades:
All utility for the AWP’er is good as it can help you out of or into favorable positions. Use firegrenades to burn an enemy out of position, use a smoke to cover your side and use flashbangs to disrupt enemy vision and await the repeek.
Pistol Round:
In the pistol round you should not buy anything as those extra $800 will come in handy. They could be the reason you can buy an AWP one round earlier. You have nothing invested into the round so try to be fearless and build up some confidence – you will need it later.
Eco Round:
The rule of thumb on an eco as an AWP’er is to only buy something if you can still buy an AWP next round – if not then its better to just save or to buy a small pistol and armor. The main objective for you is to get that weapon.
Anti-Eco Round:
No matter how much money you have at this point it is usually a bad idea to buy the AWP. If you suspect the enemy is on an eco then you should invest in a small SMG, like Mac-10 or MP9, and try to farm more money. If you do buy an AWP you have to be extra careful to keep your distance.
Force-Buy:
When force-buying as an AWP you’ll most likely go for the classic glass cannon – buying the AWP without armor and little else (if any). If you can not afford the AWP then we recommend you go for an SMG or a smaller rifle like the Galil or FAMAS.
Full-Buy:
First thing you buy is the AWP. Second priority is small armor and then smokes and flashbangs. If you have more money to burn then go for a P250. Least important is the firegrenade as its more of a nice-to-have than a need-to-have.
Videos of the AWP role
Disclaimer: These are staged demonstrations
Here is what you need to know before trying the AWP role!
This role is possibly the most diverse and one of the hardest to master. It requires the ability to know when to be patient and when to be fast and aggressive.
You need to know the right angles to peek and you need to either be faster than your opponent or smart enough to use off angles and baiting the enemy into traps. Keep the composure and do not let the nerves get to you.
You are the difference maker. Are you up for the challenge?
AWP tips & tricks
1. Always save money on pistol and eco rounds to get the AWP as fast as possible
2. Use the spawn you get to your advantage and get a fast entry
3. When you get control over a big area try to just keep the control
4. Do not repeek too often – it rarely works in your favor
Go play a better game
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See you in spawn! B-)
