"How to be good at Counter-Strike?"

I get this question all the time from people all over the Internet and from the second they ask me it, just by the wording of the phrase, I can tell that they are Noobs. Thankfully for them, they came to the right place and that place is here at NextLevelGamer.com

Fear not my new found, bullet-magnet friend, admittance is the first step toward change. Change is good. You are not cursed.. Most definitely not the victim of some mysterious voodoo but are lacking the most important thing that separates the good players from bad, the elite from all others.. and that is.... Experience.

Now there are many ways to gain that experience, but in the end, experience takes time to develop. The trick is being able to reduce the time it takes, and that's where we come in. Now you could just play on a Counter-Strike sever all day long for months if not years to get good.. or as a much better alternative, read through all the strategy and CS guides on this site in addition to playing on a server and I promise you'll become a much better player in even less time!

So without further ado, here's a breakdown of some of the best articles found on NLG to help elevate your game in CS and CS source.

 

Basic Setup Articles

Customizing your crosshair (CS:S)
Customize your Counter-Strike
Disable Automatic Server Sound Downloading
Counter-Strike Source Launch Options
CS Buy Binds (CS:S) – Weapon And Scripting
Key Binding Setup, ESDF not WASD

CS Tweaks

Kaizen’s CS: Source FPS Cfg v1.1 Released!
The problems with net-code in CS:S
De-fragment your Counter-Strike Game Files
Reducing Choke, Optimize your network settings

More System Tweaks

Got a CRT? Use Refreshlock!
Don’t modify your Windows Sensitivity
Running Steam in Low CPU Priority
Optimizing your USB Mouse polling-rate
A very in depth system tweak guide
Disabling mouse acceleration in Windows XP

Even More System Tweaks

TweakUI A gamer’s optimization tool
Scan and cleanup your registry
Tune up Windows
TCP Optimizer – speed up your network connection
Speed up your performance, remove spyware
Windows media player performance tweak?
LCD Refresh Rate Issue
Minimizing to Desktop Randomly While Gaming?

CS Fundamentals

How to improve your reaction time
Being one with the Shadows
The element of surprise
“The secret rule” to headshots
Concentration is key
Pulling out of Slumps
Efficient Reloading
Destroying bad habits
Don’t forget about the radar
Map Analysis: De_Dust2 (CS:S)

Specific Weapon Overview & Handling

The Scout (CS:S)
The Mac-10 (CS:S)
The Aug, aka “The Bullpup” (CS:S)
The UMP (CS:S)
The P90 (CS:S)
The M249 aka the Para (CS:S)
The Auto Shotgun (CS:S)
The Machine Pistol (CS:S)
The USP (CS:S)
The Knife
The Defender aka Galil rifle (CS:S)
The Compact (CS:S)
The Five-Seven (CS:S)
The Glock 18 (CS: S)
The M3 Shotgun (CS:S)
The Dual Elites (CS:S)
The MP5 Submachine Gun (CS:S)
The AK-47 (CS:S)
The Desert Eagle (CS:S)
The Awp (CS:S)
The M4A1 Colt Carbine (CS:S)

Advanced CS Weapon Handling

How to control your recoil
Basic intro to flash-bangs
Awping 101 (The Basics)
How to beat an Awp
Grenade Tactics (CS:S)
A quick guide to smoke grenades
HeatoN Counter-Strike Tips & Tricks Videos

Advanced CS Tactics and Strategy

The “speed ladder” trick
How to Bunnyhop
Advanced Bunnyhopping Techniques
How to Use the Scoreboard Effectively
A good sound video tutorial
Can you dodge a bullet?
Stop missing your flickshots
Introduction to Angles

Counter-Strike Match Strategy

Freezetime Checklist
Use spawns to your advantage
How to be “clutch”
How to win the pistol round
How to defend

Other CS Tips and Tricks

3 coffee-break tips to becoming a better player
CS Source Boost Jump Trick
Test your aim, sv_showimpacts 1
Practice against Bots
Use mIRC to find FPS scrims or ringers!
How to Spot a Real Counter-Strike Hacker
How to Pubstar: Rushing – The Basics
How to deke a pro
The accusations are endless
How to juggle a girlfriend and gaming

 

Take a look and make sure I didn't miss any articles on Counter-Strike Strategy