The Ultimate Mirage Smoke Guide
Useful in many situations, these smoke grenades are essential to playing Mirage the right way!
Useful in many situations, these smoke grenades are essential to playing Mirage the right way!
Smoke grenades. Everybody needs them, but nobody knows how to throw them. There are plenty of smoke grenade guides out there, but most of them contain jumpbind-scripts, and with it being a rule in many big tournaments that you cannot use jumpbinds, I decided that it is time to gather a lot of useful smokes for which you do not need to use jumpbinds. In this article, I will show you 22 different smokes, some of them for T and some of them for CT side. Obvious smokes, like simply throwing one into the exit of Palace from A-site will not be included, as it would pollute this article with unnecessary and obvious information.
This article will have the following structure for all smoke grenades:
The place where you will smoke - Pros and Cons - Visuals - A small video showing the smoke lineup
Before we jump into these smoke lineups, let's talk about what a good smoke is. In order to do so, we can look at the intended purpose of smoke grenades: Smoke grenades are grenades used to mask your movement, in order to stay undetected or gain a safer passage, or deny vision of the enemy overseeing certain spots by removing his ability to see spots where you intend to take map control.
Well, when you try to mask your movement, you need to make sure that the smoke deployed either has no gap or only one close at your destination for you to stay safe after the enemy has had view contact with you. Let's say you want to move into secret on Nuke from Red Container, not being able to throw the second smoke close enough to cover all the way to Secret. You now need to throw the smoke in a way to only have a slight gap at the end. If the gap is in the middle or at the beginning, people can spot you and time shots with their rifle or even AWP, which would make safe passage unlikely. You should, however, always aim to throw gapless smokes. This is also true if you want to take the view contact from an enemy. Let me show you this with an example in pictures:
This would be a bad smoke because it would only cover half of Window, which would allow for the AWPer to repeek at any time.
This would be a good smoke, as it covers all of Window and doesn't allow the Window player to repeek at all.
You also, however, need to look at different criteria other than leaving no gap to the left and right. Depending on the situation and the spot you want to smoke, it can be possible to leave gaps above or below the smoke, like in the following example.
This smoke would allow the Connector player to peek above the smoke and spot, and in extension, potentially kill people going Short.
You will realise that I often have crosshairs that seems similar my normal ones but are incredibly long. This helps me find the lineups I need, and I don't have to waste time double checking if I have the correct lineup. I have, however, forgotten where exactly I learned about it, so here are a few resources for you to readthrough.
You also have to keep in mind that my crosshairs will most likely be different than yours. Yours may be smaller, longer, just a dot or something completely different. Therefore you should compensate for your crosshairs while reading this guide. I will always write from my crosshairs' perspective, as it would be impossible to think of every possible crosshair and adjust the guide.
First, I will show you the T-side smokes that are mostly used to take positions or bombsites that can be useful for you to win the round. A lot of these smokes have positive and negatives, so be sure to read this guide carefully and watch the videos until their end in order to fully understand the value of the shown smokes. Also, right clicking on the pictures will allow you to view the pictures in their original size.
This smoke will smoke off the "Stairs" position. Stairs is an elevated position that is excellent to defend the A-Bombsite from an attack from. Stairs allows the CT holding from there to regulate how many and what kind of peeks he will take, as he can constantly go up and down the steps. An AWPer can be a nightmare for your A take when he is placed on the Stairs position. It being smoked off not only takes a strong position away from the CTs but it allows you to form a smoke wall with a different smoke from this guide. With a few smokes more, this smoke will be part of many standard executes for a lot of teams.
You should place yourself on this part of "Scaffolding" (Upper left image). You then need to line up your crosshair with the edge of that door and the small ledge part (Upper right and bottom image for zoomed in version).
This smoke will smoke off the CT entrance to the A-Site. Depending on the situation, you will either cut off rotations or lock out a CT who is playing behind Ticket Booth. This smoke is also a standard part of many A-side executes.
Before I show you how to throw this smoke, I need to warn you that this smoke does use a jump throw. However, from the position I will show you this smoke it really is doable without any jumpbinds or scripts. This lineup gives you quite a lot of leeway and you will not need to be super accurate with your timing of your jump and the throw. Just try to let go of Mouse1 when you hit your jump key and a few tries will show you how to throw this smoke correctly.
You need to find this metal door in front of A-Main and stand right in the middle of it.
You should then place your crosshair right above and left to the corner of the small roof.
This smoke will smoke off the vision of Jungle and Connector towards the A-Bombsite. This allows for a safe crossing to the Bombsite itself and delays the retake. This smoke, paired with the Stairs smoke, will allow you to cut off almost 100% of the vision CTs could have from Connector and Jungle.
You will need to go to the front of the ledge and then try to place yourself centralised in front of the right window.
Now you need to line up your crosshair with the corner of that left thing as well as the white space between the two bricks in the wall.
This smoke will allow you to exit palace while masking your potential flashbang usage until it is too late for the CT to react. This smoke, together with flashes and a CT smoke, will most likely enable you to plant on the A-site.
You will need to find this plant close to the exit and place yourself centralised in front of the hole in the wall the plant is placed in.
Then you should place your right-side end of your crosshair over this dot on the wall.
This kind of smoke has become popular throughout 2016 as a core component of a sophisticated A-execute. This smoke, combined with other smokes, allows the CTs less movement on site, if they are on A, and denies vision from certain positions, like Connector, to a part of the A-site in order to plant safely or get to good afterplant positions. This eliminates the risk of a hero play from a CT who is flashing through a smoke, as he would most likely get picked off from A-Main when he is on his way to this smoke, and he will therefore not risk it as much as he would through the Jungle smoke, for example.
You should place yourself in front of this pillar.
You will then need to place your top left corner of your crosshair at the lower right corner of this piece of wood and then shift walk...
...until your crosshair touches this pin with its middle part.
This smoke will most likely flush out any player who plays at the popular "Firebox" or "Triplebox" position. Furthermore, this smoke will allow you, together with the first on site-smoke, to separate the CTs into two different groups who will not be able to help each other as much, as well as deny vision of a big part of A. This also minimises the risk of a hero play, for the same reasons found in the "What does it do?" of the first on site-smoke.
Locating, and then standing in front of, this wooden post is step 1.
Step 2 is to line up your smoke with the small protruding metal pipe and the middle of this quarter of a brick in the wall. You will need to slightly shift walk very briefly while throwing this smoke.
This lineup will allow you to smoke the top of Connector, which takes the CTs vision from A to Mid, may trap a CT inside Connector and allows you to keep vision on Jungle in case you have been successful picking off the AWPer or you want to try to boost into Window.
You will need to get into the left corner of this corner of the Cart as well as the boxes.
This one can be confusing, but all you need to do is get your crosshair at about the height of this palm tree and then line up your crosshair with the small notch in the leaves of the smaller palm tree.
This smoke will allow you to cut off rotations and lockout CTs. For a more in-depth explanation of this general smoke position, you should look up my Metal Door to CT smoke lineup. The special thing about this lineup is the possibility to resmoke CT safely while taking A-site.
Stand right in this corner.
Now you need to aim between those 2 holes above the window.
This smoke allows you to enter the B bombsite in a safer manner compared to other executes where bench has vision on the exit of the Apartments. This Smoke, together with other smokes, can lock CTs out of the bombsite altogether or at least grant you a safe plant for the B-Apartments.
You will need to stand in front of this post.
Now you simply need to aim to the right of the lower edge of the ledge protruding from the big tower.
This smoke blocks off the view of any CT playing on site or behind the bombsite to the balcony. It also allows you to plant inside or in front of the smoke, in order to have a good plant for the B-Apartments.
You will need to find this window in Apartments. Then you should line up your crosshair with the right end of the window frame.
Then you will need to place your crosshair just to the left of the two cables and line it up with this black dot under the air conditioner.
This smoke can be the most important one if you want to split B. It allows for your Short players to push up to B without having to take long range duels against a CT potentially standing on site or at the bench, maybe even with an AWP. Together with other smokes, it could be possible to almost completely immobilise all the CTs playing on and around the B-spot.
Firstly, you'll need to find this door in the B-Apartments and then stand right in the middle of the outer door frame.
Now comes the important and complicated part: You will need to line up your crosshair with the lower right edge of the highlighted hole in the wall as well as between these 2 lines highlighted in the closed window below your crosshair.
This smoke may the most important one to get out of the B-Apartments. By covering the window of the shop/market, depending on what you want to call it, you are taking away a powerful position where the CTs may place AWPers who would have no chance to see you crossing or get a shot through. This also allows for one player to stay in the Apartments without having to be too paranoid about the AWP in Window.
Stand centralised under this lamp.
You will now need to line up your smoke with the highlighted edge of the small wooden beam and the roof as well as (about) the middle of the closed window.
This smoke will allow your team to take Mid control early or later in the round. It blocks off the view the Window player has as well as blocking off the vision of any CT going aggressive on Short. You can safely get behind the Midcart by molotoving, or at least flashing, Connector.
Place yourself in this corner.
Now place your crosshair just above the right antenna part, merely touching it with your lower vertical line.
This smoke is quite difficult, but it pays off. It basically allows you to smoke the Window position before the CTs even gets the slightest idea of what could be happening in Mid, allowing you to take Mid control easier and without much hassle. This also, combined with different smokes, allows you to deny the CTs so much information that they have to go aggressive somewhere, where you could catch them making a mistake.
You should line up yourself with the highlighted dark spot at the wall.
You will then need to line up your crosshair with the highlighted edge in the fence as well as the top part of the left antenna.
And you need to run and throw when your crosshair is passing the fence. A bit of practice will be needed.
This smoke allows you to smoke off the window without potentially wasting a smoke by trying it from T-Spawn for the 36th time.
Place yourself inside the right corner of the cart and boxes.
Now line up your crosshair with the top part of this opened top of the box and the left edge of the same box.
This smoke will allow you to further take Mid control, with smokes like top Connector or the Window smokes. This does not only deny the CTs any vision on Mid and therefore a way to reinforce Mid, but it also denies them any vision into Connector, which may allow you to split A more easily.
Stand in front of these steps.
Now aim at the upper circle of the B...
...to then run throw your grenade. There is no real indicator when to throw this, so you should try this one out a few times to get the hang of it.
This smoke allows you to smoke off Short while being relatively safe in Lower/Tunnels. This Short smoke, however, is not as good as the other one that is thrown from Catwalk, as this leaves the CTs a clear passageway into the Ladder Room and therefore into Window, which is a direct and relatively safe connection to Jungle. This smoke only allows you to quickly split A if needed.
Place yourself on the right side of the archway and then centralise your crosshair on the axis of the inverted T-shape.
Then you need to aim exactly at this part, where the ledge meets the pink house wall at the far right side of the wall. You will need to take a slight shiftwalking step during which you will throw your grenade.
This smoke will enable you to safely throw an A-Main smoke. This kind of smoke will never completely lock Ts out, as Tetris often is a pretty secure place to stand in and to progress from in a bombsite take, and the way from A-Main to Tetris is really short. But this smoke can still grant you advantages, especially when you have a player close to A-Main. When he can dodge the flashes, he will be able to spray down at least one T coming out of the smoke. This smoke is also great in an afterplant, especially if the Bomb is planted for A-Main.
Stand in the middle of the 2nd step and walk against the wall.
You should then line up your crosshair with the left line of the metal part holding together all of those pipes, as well as the pipe protruding from the tower.
This smoke is a safe way to smoke off the A-Palace. This smoke is more likely to lock out a potential A-site take, especially combined with the A-Main smoke. It takes every vision from the Palace player, which is especially important if he holds an AWP.
Stand in the middle of the left side of the archway.
Now you need to aim at the highlighted part where one building meets the roof of another. I really don't know how to describe this differently without sounding like a 4-year old.
This smoke will most likely delay B-site executes that are about to happen. Sometimes you will even split the forces of the T side, when they are not sure if they want to push through or not, giving you one or two free kills if you are waiting on the other side. It is really important to throw this smoke deep, as it otherwise may allow the Ts to jump through the window unscathed.
Stand right beside this trashcan.
Now aim to the left of the black cable, right on the shadow while keeping your horizontal line of your crosshair on the cable.
This smoke enables you to delay an A-split execute or to take Mid control back easier. This smoke is thrown in such a way that the people from Lower may be lured into jumping up the ledges left and right, which will present them to you on a platter, as they will not be able to see at first, even though you will see them, especially from Connector.
Stand in this corner, but be aware that there is an invisible clipping brush there. Stand to the left of the clipping brush, right at the wall.
Aim above the upper left corner of the B-sign and place your crosshair on the second horizontal metal piece from above.
Even though this maybe the easiest smoke on here, this will also be the most underrated one. This smoke denies the Ts easy entry into Connector while sustaining the view contact towards Short. This smoke can delay or break up A-split executes.
Stand around where I am aiming.
Now throw your smoke into the corner of the lower archway. It will instantly bounce back a few units before popping.
I hope you learned a lot of useful smokes today and I hope to see people using more smokes on Mirage in the future. Yes, more than just the standard 3 smoke on the A-site.
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