A dice with two sides

Alright, with almost all the weapons covered and my computer destroyed so I can't experiment any further, I'm going to move on with another player type- one that we all hate for the instant shock they gave us whenever we turn a corner. Yes, I'm going to talk about Shotgunners today. I'm going to teach you how to turn their own blasters against them. Although somewhat rare in Counterstrike, they still presented a great risk, especially in tight areas, and as they are rare, few people specialize in dealing with them. To face one head-on, especially one with high-end accuracy, would be a gamble, like rolling a dice with only two sides, one representing life and the other death.

Regrettably, as my computer has broken down, crippling me to the point of inactivity, I'm not able to take a good photo of a Shotgunner. But I'm sure it would be easy to envision one. Just put the shotgun image I have in the guns menu in the hands of a player model and there you have it.

So, the first thing I'm going to touch on would be the general behavior of these shockers first. First, their weapon preference is pretty straightforward and predictable. Most would go for the m3 Super 90, a pump action shotgun, because:

1) It has higher firepower. A point-blank shot could do 90+ damage to an armored target if it is aimed at the chest. Any pellet that hits the head would guarantee a one-shot kill.

2) It is highly effective against unarmored targets. Even a medium-range blast could kill an unarmored target.

3) It is very easy to direct and aim. With the low rate of fire due to the pumping action required, the recoil would not affect the accuracy of each shot at all.

4) And lastly, the m3 Super 90 has arguably the most consistent accuracy in the world of CSS. No matter what you do, be it jumping or running, the pellets would still go in the general direction of where you're pointing your gun at. The only thing deciding whether the victim lives or die is the accuracy of the shotgunner.

Shotgunners are very unpredictable, depending on the accuracy of the user. If they are inaccurate and unsteady, then even at close range they are not much of a threat. But before you know it, you would be dead the second you meet one. Below this paragraph is the knowledge you need to increase your chances in the edge of chaos, so that you won't lose a $5000 machine gun just because a guy with a $1700 shotgun decided to meet you for a duel.

Offensive Shotgunners

Anyone who is offensive would not be keen to stay put and wait for their prey to come into their hunting zone. They seek what they want. But as a result, they may get more than what they bargained for- provided that you know what you're doing.

The shotgun is a weapon designed for short-range combat, and is less effective at range. Use this to your advantage. Do not fight them in a tight area, or a narrow alley. Strike when you're far out in the open. The spread of their shotgun pellets would also mean less damage done to you. Crouch to reduce your chances of getting hit. For as long as you are holding a rifle, sniper rifle or machine gun, it would end quickly. But if you are holding an SMG or only a pistol, the Shotgunner would escape. Anyone with a lump of brain would know that you'll be in a major disadvantage if your gun doesn't shoot straight at far range. If possible, seek cover, as it decreases your chance of getting hit more so than against other forms of firearms.

Sometimes, during an event of a long-range skirmish, a shotgunner would switch to his sidearm, which would increase the risk of death in your part. Respond by moving instead of lying prone on the ground, as stay immobile would render you vulnerable to pistol bullets, which are straight to the point, sometimes with the end point at your forehead.

Defensive Shotgunners

Defensive Shotgunners are much more trickier to dispose of, as their barricaded position would mean that they are harder to kill. But fear not, for their weapon is also infamous for their slow rate of fire. The mathematics would be simple- less shells discharged = less chance of successful hits. Combine this with a flashbang and it would almost be impossible for them to hit you.

The main idea is to blind them, then come from the area they are guarding, but you must make doubly sure that your flashbang got them. They could be hiding behind a crate or wall, and this would mean a flashbang would have no effect, so you must exercise caution. Throw in a second one behind their cover if you know your first one missed.

Alternatively, you could take alternative routes, places where there are more cover for you to hide behind. Shotgun pellets cannot penetrate walls and objects. Use this to your advantage. Also, if there are any doors or entry points far from their hiding spot, take it- as it would render their shotgun less effective. Note however, that you must get behind cover quickly after entering their hunting zone before they switch to their pistol and take you out.

Common Tactics

So in other words, you need to exploit the many weaknesses of their weapon. As the shotgun is not known for their versatility, it would be difficult for them to react to a battle with no advantages to their side. Below are some tactics to scrape off both the offensive and defensive Shotgunners off your boots:

1) Use flashbangs at tight areas. As the shotgun has a slow rate of fire, their chances of hitting you while blind would decrease, and your chances of success would increase by a skyscraper.

2) If it is possible, engage them from behind cover- Shotgun pellets cannot penetrate objects and walls, so your chances of getting hit would be minimized greatly. The main reason is to take advantage of the spread of their pellets. If you combine this tactic with engaging them from afar, you would be almost invincible against a shotgunner.

3) If you have no choice but to engage one at near-range open combat, fire at full automatic to dish out as much damage as possible to decrease his chance for a second shot. Any one successful shotgun blast would either decrease your lifespan by almost a lifetime, or kill you.

The One

Damn, sorry guys for the late entry. My computer monitor broke down, and I can't work without looking. But, here it is, so enjoy.

Today, I will review to you the secrets of my knowledge, of the final type of assault rifle I use. From this article, I hope that you could catch the essence of what I pass on. Today, I shall unveil the M4A1 Carbine, one of the three deadly rifles (The other two are the AK47 and the AWP rifles). To master the M4A1 Carbine would make you highly versatile, as the weapon itself is versatile, at least more so than most of the other rival rifles. The gun has a rough balance of each factor, making it all around useful, at point blank to far range. A standard issue of the gun should look something like this, something of a modern design:



Finally adopted in the 90s as a standard replacement of the US army for the M16 family, the M4A1 is a devastating weapon designed to pierce body armor from afar, while at the same time, designed to be light and automatic like its predecessor. These characteristics are reflected in the streets of counter-strike, all broken down below for you to read at your pleasure... and learn its secret. Read on, if you want to succeed.

Firepower: Designed to penetrate armor, the M4A1 has a significant damage range from around 23-28, though its firepower is nothing compared to its Terrorist counterpart, the AK47, which could do up to 30+ damage per bullet. As a result, about 4 to 5 bullets from the gun would have been enough. Due to its damage range, it was never uncommon for players to survive after a heated firefight with an M4A1 wielding foe with less than 8 hitpoints, leaving them highly vulnerable, even to a shot from a syringe. However, due to the damage level, the M4A1 would not be able to kill with a single shot to the head, but would drastically shorten the lifespan of the guy below the barrel, again leaving him vulnerable to any form of weaponry. The damage range, from my experience, and the experience of many other players, would be reduced if you put on a silencer with the right mouse button.

Accuracy: Making up for its second-place firepower relative to the AK47, the M4A1 is much more accurate than the AK47, in any mode due to its reduced recoil. However, at far range, you should still fire in singles or doubles. For point-blank to medium-far range, feel free to fire in any mode save for automatic at the longer ranges. From my experience, putting on the silencer would reduce the accuracy, making sure that you fire from one to three bullets at far and very far ranges, and reducing the accuracy of your extended bursts somewhat.

Range: Due to its overall great accuracy, the M4A1 is fit at any range. Nothing much could be said, just make sure, however, not to go against a sniper in the open with this gun. A sniper rifle is better in accuracy, but also dependent on the user. To pin a sniper down, make sure to find a cover for yourself.

Clip Size: A standard black banana magazine includes 30 stinging 5.56mm bullets. Take care not to fire in auto mode for too many times. Restrict yourself to 8-10 bullets per nearby opponent, do not empty your gun on just one foe, as others may come by to pick on you at your most vulnerable time.

Ammo Pool: In your belt, you could fit 90 additional 5.56mm bullets, which should last you more than a round. However, much less than the bullets that fed the AK47. Due to the nature of the gun, players using this weapon would be prone to consuming bullets faster than those with the AK47 (The wooden gun is the slowest rifle in terms of rate of fire).

Rate of Fire: The rate of fire for the Carbine is second worst in the rifles section, in between the AK47 and the Steyr Aug. However, this small difference is enough to coax players into wasting away more ammo. Do not victimize yourself, train hard to save ammo.

Reload Time: As compared to the AK-47, its arch-nemesis, the M4A1 carbine reloads slower, perhaps around 0.5-0.8 seconds slower, which is enough for around 2-3 bullets to be shot at you, depending on the weapon your enemy is carrying. So, never reload out in the perilous open unless you have a very secure hole to hide inside.

Cost: The price of the M4A1 is hefty, costing at $3100, making it one of the more expensive assault rifles. However, it is somewhat cost effective, as the M4A1 is highly versatile, with a somewhat higher rate of fire, considerable damage, good accuracy. With, of course, a silencer thrown in for more tactical options. Though, if compared to the scoped assault rifles, the M4A1 would be cheaper.

Weight: I'm sure you would be interested in this one. The M4A1 is the second lightest rifle there is (The lightest gun would be the SG-552 Commando, not to be confused with the automatic sniper rifle), which is a feature that could be added to the list of factors contributing to cost-effectiveness. Its light weight would translate to faster speed, and is apparent when you compare your speed to when you carry an IMI Galil or AK47.

The M4A1, after my analysis of it, is highly versatile, with weaknesses that are not that hideous at all, which is, the rate of fire, and reload speed. It does considerable damage, is accurate, has a stealth-worthy feature (Silencer), is light, and has standard ammunition capacity. I would recommend this destructo-cannon to anyone. Attached below is a summary of the tactics that you would want to employ when you are deployed with this rifle:

1) At far range, feel free to fire in singles up to 2 bullets.

2) At medium-far range, feel free to fire up to 3-4 bullets at a target.

3) At medium range, I would recommend a burst of 5 bullets or slightly more to kill your opponent quickly.

4) Then, any nearer than medium range, feel free to unload 8-10 bullets per enemy. Do not fire in full automatic and waste away your ammo, especially when several fiends are converging upon you. You won't have the time to reload.

5) If you prefer a more shadowy approach, you could put on a silencer, which will muffle any sound and eliminate gun-blaze, making you much harder to detect. You could easily assassinate anyone who isn't looking. But if you do this, you would be sacrificing some accuracy and firepower. Make a wise choice. It is useless to accessorize your gun with the Silencer in the face of the enemy.

6) As the gun reloads slow, try not to reload out in the open. Switching to a pistol helps very little, as it reduces your rate of fire immensely, and your firepower (but this can be avoided with the Desert Eagle, in return of giving the devil some of your rate of fire).