Hallzerk's Favorite AWP Spots

6 Dec 20

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An Overview of hallzerk’s Favorite Spots to AWP

Learn the favorite spots of DignitasVIE’s AWPer, hallzerk.

The big old Green is easily one of the most iconic weapons of CS:GO - the infamous sniper gives a one-shot kill above the waist, making it a favorite for millions of players. One of those players is none other than Håkon "hallzerk" Fjærli, the AWPer from DignitasVIE that made headlines when announced as the fifth player that would be playing with some of the biggest veterans of the game.

I’ve had the opportunity to go through each map with hallzerk to know what is his favorite spot in each one, why it is, and what makes it a good position. It’s important to have in mind that this is his personal opinion - every player is different, and every player has their own playing style, so whatever you take away from this article, make sure to adapt it to your own playstyle!

But let’s talk about maps and cover all the ones from the entire active duty map pool:

Dust2

Favorite Spot: Slope/Ramp on the A Bombsite

One of the better-known maps, not only on CS history but in FPS in general. hallzerk quickly said he didn’t have any particular favorite spot on this map but had a particular fondness to this one.

“That's a hard one, there's no position I actually really like, but I would say Slope, on the A bombsite. You're in a good position if they rush you, since you can peek and hide, allowing you to get a lot of nice kills!”

- hallzerk

It’s important to note that you should make sure you have a player watching Long to make sure you’re not overwhelmed by players coming from Short while you’re trying to watch both locations. It’s also a good position to play with a Rifle - rain, from FaZe Clan, is an amazing player to watch in this position. You have a lot of protection, you can make one peek at a time, use Flashbangs above the site, use Smokes, and run away to Long… there are countless possibilities here.

AWP Scope on Dust2 Slope/Ramp Toward Cat

Inferno

Favorite Spot: Short on A Bombsite

Short on the A Bombsite is the most straightforward path for the Terrorists to reach the Bombsite, making this position a crucial one to defend.

“I would say Short on A, because you can get a lot of free frags of people just rushing out Boiler or peeking Short just to try to get the info. You can also peek out Mid if you get the timing right.”

- hallzerk

It’s a position that not only gives you good cover, but also has lots of different positions that allow you to surprise your opponents almost every time. You can play on the corner in the beginning of the round, just looking at possible peekers on Middle, before you retreat a little bit and watch Boiler. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also play above the Roof, or even below it. Just remember that these last two positions are best used with Rifles instead of an AWP.

AWP from Short aimed at Boiler/Middle on Inferno

Mirage

Favorite Spot: Window in Middle

DignitasVIE does not play Mirage, it’s their permaban, which means that hallzerk only plays it outside of the team's work. Still, it’s one of the most played maps of the pool and the one that everyone in the community is sure to be the next one being replaced for a makeover.

“We don't practice Mirage, but I would say Window, just because it's the most used position and you can re-peek after getting Flashes from Short or A.”

- hallzerk

AWP and Window on Mirage, name a more iconic duo. Middle is undoubtedly the most important spot on the map, as it allows the Terrorist to reach everywhere - B Bombsite, A Bombsite, CT Spawn, flanks, every spot is at their disposal by controlling Middle. Since it’s a big open area, the AWP has a place to shine. Just remember that it’s a very common spot, which means you’ll get pre-fired, nullified by Smoke Grenades, and you may even have to battle an opposing AWP every buy round. Again, watch professional demos to understand how players approach the position and what they do to counter the enemy team.

AWP playing Window Close aimed at Cat/Middle on Mirage

Vertigo

Favorite Spot: Short/Fold/Ivy on A Bombsite

hallzerk does not like to play AWP on Vertigo, but still has a preferred position as a CT. Being a map that has a lot of close corners, being aggressive can be an advantage, which was exactly the point the DignitasVIE player wanted to convey during the interview.

“I don't really use AWP on that map, I like to use Rifles to play more aggressively, but I would say on Short A. You can get a lot of free frags by people not caring and just rushing in. Also, it's a rather easy position to re-peek.”

- hallzerk

Although Short is a position that favors aggressive players and allows you to catch Ramp players unaware, make sure to have a teammate flashing over Crane, or at least throwing a Smoke Grenade to Ramp, giving you more space to work. It’s also a perfect place to toss a good Incendiary to push the Terrorists away and avoid being run over by a rush. As soon as you get a kill, make sure to go back to the corner. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in a one-and-done situation.

AWP on Short on Vertigo

Train

Favorite spot: Back 6

Back 6 and Ivy has to be one of the hardest positions to defend on Train due to how important it is. If you die early, you leave the entire map open for Terrorists, even allowing them to go around and flank the B bombsite.

“My favorite position has to be behind Back 6, as CT. You can peek Ivy, you can peek T-Main, and also wide Popdog! You can get a lot of free frags on people just jumping over T-Main, it's a strong position.”

- hallzerk

Back 6 is a position that allows the player to watch Ivy, Main, and Popdog almost at the same time, making it not only a very strong position but also a very important one to hold. It’s up to you to make sure you delay a possible attack from Ivy as long as possible (you can use Flashbangs, Smoke Grenades, or even an Incendiary if you haven’t used it on Olof near Main Gate. Make sure you know the different timings your opponents can appear on Gate, Ivy, and Popdog to make sure you’re not caught unaware.

AWP on Back 6 aiming towards Ivy on Train

Overpass

Overpass

Favorite spot: Sign/Map on A Bombsite

Sign (or Map) is a dangerous position, and you should make sure you have a Smoke Grenade to get away from there as safely as possible. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time if you miss your shots.

“Sign (or Map). You can get people just walking up Banana, they'll go through your crosshair for free. If you have a teammate on-site, you can get Flashbangs to re-peek Banana or even Long.”

- hallzerk

You can watch both Long and Banana/WC from Sign, but there’s an important thing to note - you can watch WC while staying hidden from Long, but not the other way around. The best way to make sure you’re safe from Banana/WC while peeking Long is to put down a Smoke in front of you. That Smoke will not only allow you to peek Long, but also retreat to the bombsite if needed. Another thing to have in mind is that you’re in a very strong position to ask Flashbangs from your teammate.

Awp on Sign aiming towards Toilets on Overpass

Nuke

Favorite spot: Heaven, above the A Bombsite.

Heaven can be a strong position, especially against teams that like to take outside control. Looking over the Bombsite A, you pretty much only need to be aware if someone sneaks through outside and tries to climb up Hell to get where you are.

“I will say maybe Heaven. You can rotate everywhere! You can go Ramp, you can go Yard if needed... Actually, you can have very good control over Yard on Heaven if you have an AWP. Also, if they rush Inner, you're also in a good position to get some frags there.”

- hallzerk

As hallzerk said, it’s also a position that allows the player to reach other map positions very fast - since Nuke is a map with very fast rotations, the AWP can quickly shift to B from Ramps and still have a very good position to cover the Bombsite below.

AWP in Heaven aiming at Vents on Nuke

Although you’ve read this article, I can’t stress enough how important it is to find spots you feel comfortable in. Just because a professional player uses a spot and it works for him, it does not mean it will work for everyone. Play around the common spots, test different positions, and what’s good and bad for each one.

A good advice I can give you is to make sure you also practice ways to flee if the pick goes wrong. Let’s say you miss the shot and you have to run away - maybe you can bounce a Flashbang off a wall that will force your opponents to turn their back on you. Small details like that are what sometimes differentiates a good player from an average one.

Make sure to also watch and study hallzerk’s demos from his professional matches with DignitasVIE to understand how he applies these positions during the match, how he approaches them, and above all, what he looks for!

Thank you for reading this article! You can reach out to me via Twitter for suggestions or feedback! Also, make sure you follow hallzerk on Social Media!

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