Boosting... something so familiar in CS:GO, but at the same time, something that many players don’t know how to apply properly. Being able to work around boosts is an ability that can make your game much more fluid and can provide very interesting opportunities during a round, which could allow for some unpleasant surprises to your opponents.

This article is part of a series in which I’ll be talking about the most useful and overpowered boosts on each map of the competitive pool. In this one, I’ll be dissecting CS:GO’s version of the most iconic map in the history of First-Person Shooters – Dust2. Note that I won’t be covering common boosts such as the Elevator or Short ones, as those are commonly known and widely used by everyone.

Dust2 is a very straightforward map, with a simple layout and easy, but long, rotations. Being so simple is what made it so well-known across the world – and one of the reasons why it has what it needs to be so competitive. It is also a map with a low boost potential, having very few boosts that can be truly useful or unexpected. But there are some, and I’ll list the top five you should try to implement into your matches to get an edge over your opponent. While some of these can be implemented on the go with random players, others require better communication and synergy with your teammates. These can be used on both halves of the match (Terrorist or Counter-Terrorist), but some are mostly useful to one side or the other.

Short to Lower

Easily one of the most surprising boosts present in this article. When playing PUG’s or MM, you can almost 100% expect your opponent to not be aware of what you’re doing, allowing you a free kill and easy repositioning. The player that stays below has the crucial job of killing players pushing Short, as that’s pretty much the only weakness of this boost. To reduce the risk, you should always have a teammate defending Catwalk from CT Mid, as the sooner you get the information that Short is being pushed, the sooner you can dismantle the boost and protect yourselves.

Short to A Bombsite (Above Smoke)

If the CTs know you’re on Short (or T’s on retake situations), it’s logical to smoke it out, as pushing it is as good as signing a death sentence. But you can peek above it, while being almost invisible. If you climb up on the Short boxes and boost a teammate up, he is sure to get a view of the entire A bombsite. To maximise the potential of this boost, an AWP is almost a necessity, as the particles of the smoke can make it hard to discern enemies when not scooped. Also, make sure to avoid jumping in the boost while only behind the smoke. All jumping necessary (whether it is to get on top of your teammate or to allow him to stand up) should be made while covered by the Short wall. Then, and only then, you should move to your left and peek.

Long Doors Boost

Although being a recognizable boost, it is still able to surprise opponents almost every time. This boost is better used on the Terrorist side against an overly-aggressive CT opposition. If you make presence in Long during the beginning of every round, but suddenly you stop in the subsequent rounds, it’s relatively easy to predict that your opponent is going to push. If you hide on the boxes (after being boosted), you’ll get an easy free kill. Be careful with double pushes – if the enemy player hasn’t spotted you, you can wait a few seconds before killing him, allowing you to check for a possible second player.

B Bombsite to Middle

This can be one of the most powerful boosts in the map, whether you are defending the B Bombsite as a CT or defending the bomb plant against the retake as a T. The player boosting has to hide just beside the window opening on the wall, allowing to other to climb on its back and peek Middle above B’s wall, allowing for an easy kill on the players rotating from CT Spawn. This is another boost that using an AWP is the key to maximise its potential.

Blue Box in Long

Commonly used by CTs due to its location – the big blue box in front of Long Double Doors. Whenever you get control of Long as a CT, you can smoke double doors and get a player up the box, which can make you catch an opponent unaware. Despite being a relatively good boost, I recommend only using it when you have another player covering you, as it is common for the Terrorists to push with more than one player, leaving you exposed after the first shot is fired. Your teammate can play on Corner, on Pit or even cross-firing by playing near the wall in Long Doors. Or for a bonus surprise, let him hide behind the door, making your opponents being caught off-guard from two uncommon spots.

One important tip I can give you is to not be eager to get more frags than you deserve: as soon as you get the first frag, most times it’s better to just retreat with the man-advantage, as trying to go for more can easily get you killed and the boost would have been almost meaningless.

Like I said previously, some of these are easier to execute than others. With that said, practicing is important. You should definitely take your time and practice these in private servers with your friends and/or teammates, as these will be much more useful if you’re able to execute them fast and as silently as possible. Remember to also make sure to have your teammates checking the angles you might be exposed to, as not doing it can easily offer a free kill to the opposing team – and that’s exactly the opposite goal of your boost. Communicating and saying exactly what spots you’re watching and what spots you want your mates to watch is the way to go! CS:GO is a team game and you should play it as one.

Remember to check back on our website to read the next article in the series as soon as it is released! If you have any questions or suggestion, you can reach me via Twitter!

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