Using Utils – Make the Most of Yours CS:GO Nades

Learning how to use utility in CS:GO correctly is the biggest improvement players can make. The best CS:GO teams have rigorous utility routines that allow them to execute various strategies. Getting to this level might not seem achievable for every player, but there are steps you can take to improve your CS:GO nades, smokes, and flashes.

Image Credit: PC Gamer

CS:GO Nades

The HE grenade is the most basic piece of utility in CS:GO. Costing $300, the idea is simple – you throw the nade, it explodes. However, it can be used in more tactical ways, such as blowing open doors.

HE grenades are great for stopping a T rush onto a bombsite. It’s easy to get blindsided by an unexpected rush, and you can offset this by pre-throwing a nade where you expect it to come from. Think Nuke A-site Hut rush for example. It might not stop the enemies, but it can certainly slow them down and hit them for huge damage.

You can also coordinate your HE grenades with your teammates for a free kill. If you know where someone’s hiding every round, simply have yourself and a teammate lob a nade at the spot. You should get the kill, and it’s unlikely they’ll keep trying that spot, ruling out another place to clear later.

If you’re new to the game, you should use CS:GO nade practice commands to get to grips with the basics of HE grenades.

CS:GO Flashes

Flashes are an underrated piece of utility, and shouldn’t be underestimated. At $200 each, you can carry two of these at a time to help you rise through the CS:GO ranks.

They have two main purposes in CS:GO. First, you can use them to take bomb sites. As you’re entering a site, you or a teammate should flash into the site as you clear. That’ll give you a moment to clear the site of enemies while minimizing the risk of dying. It won’t work every time, but it’ll absolutely increase your chances of making it into the site.

Another key use is to clear corners. It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference. The best example is Inferno, where the A site has plenty of difficult entry points. Your best chance to enter A site will almost certainly come from a well-placed flashbang, and a swift headshot coming around the corner.

Image credit: Mavink

CS:GO Smokes

In CS:GO smokes are perhaps the most useful piece of utility, and the one with the highest skill ceiling.

You may have seen smoke lineups in professional games. These lineups are the best way to attack and defend bombsites, but there’s a reason they’re not common in lower ranks. They’re hard to pull off and coordinate, and even the best players mess them up. Do them right, however, and you’ve got a free pass into any bombsite.

When learning how to 1v1 in CS:GO smokes are crucial. When looking to defuse, a ninja defuse could be the right move. When 1v1, Terrorists play more cautiously if the bomb is planted. Often, you can simply wait until they run away, smoke the bomb, and ninja defuse. They’ll come running back, and you must hope they don’t hit you through the smoke. It won’t always work, but when it does it can cause the entire enemy team to tilt.