A Guide To CT Side Defense on Dust 2
Different CT side set-ups, when to use each one, and how to use your team's AWP effectively.
DUST 2 CT SET-UPS
So you’re on CT side of Dust 2 and you’re wondering how your team’s defence should be set-up, whether they should be set-up as 1-2-2, 2-1-2, or 2-3. This article will discuss 3 of the most common CT side set-ups, how to decide on a set-up, their pros & cons, and where your AWP player will be most effective.
THREE MAIN SET-UPS
It can be a bit difficult deciding on which set-up to use. The first thing to consider is where your team’s AWP player is going at the beginning of the round. Dust 2 is a very wide open map in which nearly every angle can be held by an AWP. It’s important to have your AWP player playing a different position at the beginning of each round, so that the enemy team never knows where to expect them. An appropriate set-up can be chosen based on where the AWP player decides to go.
Bombsite B
If the AWP player is going to Bombsite B, consider a 1-2-2 set-up or a 2-1-2 set-up. A 2-3 set-up can also be used if your AWP player decides to go to Bombsite B, but I’d recommend against it, as your Bombsite B set-up would be very weak to a Middle to B push
Middle
If the AWP player is going middle, then all 3 set-ups can be used.
Bombsite A
If your AWP player is going to Bombsite A, then all 3 set-ups can be used, but a 2-1-2 set-up is preferred
Note: If your team has opted to go for a double AWP set-up, then your team should keep 1 AWP player stationed in one position, and keep the other AWP moving from one position to another each round.
The last thing to consider is which of the three set-ups suits your team best. If your team always has great success with a 2-1-2 set-up, then there is no real reason to change it. However if your team is having difficulties with their current set-up, you should consider a switch to a different set-up. After your AWP player has decided where to go, your team can adjust accordingly.
2-1-2 set-up
A 2-1-2 set-up consists of 2 players in Bombsite B, 1 player Middle, and 2 players towards Bombsite A. This set-up can be used no matter where your AWP player decides to go, so your team could just use this set-up every round. It’s also seen as the default set-up in pugs and matchmaking, making it very easy to coordinate with strangers.
Bombsite B
The 2 players in Bombsite B focus on Tunnels, while the player in Middle makes sure no one flanks them.
Middle
The player in Middle can either watch Catwalk, or they can be boosted up onto one of the boxes in CT spawn, and see over any Smokes from there. I’d recommend having your player in Middle watch Catwalk, as he can give your players on Bombsite A an early warning, and can free up a player who’d normally be stuck watching Catwalk, allowing him to play more positions.
Bombsite A
The 2 players on Bombsite A should be positioned so that there’s a player in Pit, then depending on whether the player in Middle is watching Catwalk or not, should either be near Car to quickly help the player in Pit or on A Ramp/Goose to watch Catwalk.
Pros And Cons
A 2-1-2 set-up can be used in any situation, so your team can just use this every round. If you feel your team is having troubles with this set-up, you should consider either switching the positions of individual players, or switching to a new set-up entirely. It’s strong against mid to B/ B pushes, but can leave the A site vulnerable. I consider it to be the strongest CT side set-up.
2-3 set-up
The next set-up I’m going to talk about is the 2-3 set-up. This set-up consists of 2 players in the B Bombsite, no one in the Middle, and 3 players towards the A Bombsite. This set-up is commonly used when the AWP player is Cat or Car, or less commonly when the AWP player is Long A. It can also be used when the AWP player is in Bombsite B, but I’d recommend against this as it becomes easier for the enemy team to take Bombsite B through Middle.Your team shouldn’t try this set-up if you’re playing a double AWP set-up, as it’s unwise to have 1 of the 2 players on Bombsite B wielding an AWP when there are no players in the middle, and it’s very unwise to have 2 of the 3 players on Bombsite A wielding AWPs.
Bombsite B
One player on Bombsite B should either be watching Middle by jumping past B Double Doors, or sitting somewhere where he can easily move into position to stop a Middle push if one of the players on Bombsite A is watching Middle. The other player on Bombsite B watches tunnels, usually from Plateau or behind the big box. These two players need to coordinate their positions so that the player watching Middle has enough time to get to cover before any players pushing Tunnel have the chance to catch him off guard and out of cover.
Bombsite A
The players on Bombsite A should be positioned with 1 player in Pit, 1 player near Car (usually the AWP player), and 1 player either on A Ramp or Goose. The player in Pit is in a strong position to slow down a Long A push, the player near Car can help out towards Long A, Cat, or Middle, and the player Goose/Ramp is in a strong position to slow down a Cat push. If your team normally does a 2-3 set-up, and your AWP player has decided to go to Bombsite B, it may be better if you switch to a 1-2-2 or a 2-1-2 set-up, since a 2-3 set-up with an AWP player on Bombsite B makes your defence weak to B pushes.
Pros And Cons
This set-up works well against any pushes towards Bombsite A, but leaves Bombsite B vulnerable to a “Mid to B” strategy. Only use this set-up if your players in Bombsite B can delay or shutdown pushes into the site effectively.
1-2-2 set-up
The last set-up I’m going to mention is the 1-2-2 set-up. This set-up consists of 1 player on Bombsite B, 2 players in Middle, and 2 Players towards Bombsite A.
Bombsite B
The player on Bombsite B absolutely has to play a passive position. If he dies before the players in Middle can rotate into the site to help him out, then the site is lost and retaking Bombsite B on Dust 2 is one of the most difficult retakes in the game.
Middle
The players in Middle can both watch Catwalk and boost up onto the boxes in CT spawn. They can also boost onto one another so that they can still watch Catwalk even if the enemy team Smokes off Middle doors. Once players are spotted on Catwalk, both players should move into CT Spawn. From there, one player should watch Catwalk and try to shoot the players as they push up, and the other player should remain focused on Middle, to ensure that no players push through and shoot them in the back.
Bombsite A
The players towards Bombsite A should be positioned with 1 player in the Pit, and 1 player either Car, A Ramp, or Goose. This will allow Long A to be covered from a very defensive position, and you can still have a player defend against Catwalk pushes, and help the player in pit.
AWP
Your AWP player can play any position with this set-up as well, however I’d recommend against placing your AWP player on Bombsite B unless he can consistently win aim duels against the enemy AWP player.
Pros And Cons
This set-up is very good at stopping pushes onto Bombsite A, and Middle. However it is the weakest against pushes into Bombsite B. This can be the strongest set-up if you put a strong player in the B Bombsite to deal with the B pushes, but only attempt this set-up if you have confidence in your solo B player to stay alive and buy time. This is by far the most risky set-up.
WHERE IS THE AWP MOST EFFECTIVE?
With Dust 2 being such a wide open map with so many long range angles, you can place your AWP player just about anywhere on the map and he’ll be able to hold the angle. However, some positions are more beneficial than others.
Bombsite B
On Bombsite B, the best place to position your AWP player is on Plateau, as only the top half of his body is exposed. They can also play on site and hold an off angle, but this requires quick reactions and won’t give much of a warning as to when the enemy team is pushing into the site. Do not attempt to hold from site if you are the only player on Bombsite B.
Middle
There are 2 very effective positions your AWP player can play from in the middle, the choice being dependent upon how many players you have in the middle.
If you have 2 players in the middle, then your AWP player should be positioned so that he can watch palm tree. This will give your team an early tell if the enemy team is deciding to push Catwalk, allowing him to rotate to Bombsite B more quickly from this position, and he can see over any smokes in Middle intended to block his line of site. However, since your AWP player is in such an open, exposed position, it’s important that you have a second player with him to back him up. The second position is close to the wall, watching Catwalk. Since this position can’t see as far down Catwalk, your players on Bombsite A will get the warning that the enemy team is pushing Catwalk several seconds later than they would had your AWP player been in the other position. Your AWP player isn’t nearly as exposed in this position, and he has a better chance of falling back. I’d recommend using this position when the AWP player is alone in Middle.
Bombsite A
Finally, on Bombsite A, your AWP player has many positions to choose from. Each position has it’s own strengths and weaknesses depending on where the rest of your team is located. Car is the strongest position to play from as the player there can quickly rotate to an optimal position to watch any entry point into Bombsite A. This position can only be played to its full potential if you have a teammate watching Catwalk. Another position is on A Ramp where you can watch Catwalk through a small gap between the boxes on site, or play an angle where only the top of your head is exposed. This position requires the rest of the team to have a strong Long A defence to play this position. Last position I’m going to talk about is Fox Spot, which is on the railing looking down towards the stairs on Catwalk. Here, once you’ve taken your initial shot, you can drop down into CT spawn and throw a Smoke Grenade to block off Catwalk while you reposition yourself.
I hope this has helped you and your team with their CT side hold on Dust 2. If you feel like I left out other important positions, or forgot to mention your favorite set-up, why not mention it in the comment section.
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