Vertigo appears to be an active in-progress map that they like to change up from time to time, testing new dynamics and bombsites on it every few months. This, of course, means that at least some of the earlier learned grenade line-ups as well as grenade combinations that you like now need to be revisited. In this article, I'll show you how to throw new grenade combinations that will help you get a hold of the new Vertigo, complete with video examples, an evaluation of how hard the line-ups are and more. Be aware that all of these grenade combinations are for the T-side since for the CTs nothing really changed.

B Entrance smoke and molotov

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u74VmOFDG5c" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy-Medium

Do's and don'ts: This combination helps you get into B stairs without exposing yourself too much. The smoke blocks off the main line of sight of the CTs and the Molotov will help you not get peeked cheekily around the smoke to the left while you can spray through or nade behind the board on the right. This is only really viable now since they removed the window to Mid. I'd suggest taking this up into your team default on rounds where you have lots of utility to establish map control that you may take advantage of later in the round.

Pros:

• Relatively easy
• Smoke is really safe to throw
• Grants you access to a terribly contested spot
• Good for defaults
• Good for step-by-step executes

Cons:

• If you don't take care of the board on the right, the CTs may take advantage of that
• You can still get flashed and peeked through the smoke
• Once the Molotov is gone, an aggressive CT may reclaim his Catwalk position to the left

Mid to A

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uRSVMS1S_t8" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Medium (requires you to use both mouse buttons: On the first throw, you need to let go of both at the same time and on the second throw you need to let go of the left click slightly earlier, so practice is required)

Do's and don'ts: Watch out for aggressive and repeeking CTs since this combination requires you to stay in the open quite a bit. I choose a close-up line-up of the Con smoke since the other ones are significantly harder to do and fade quite early in the Mid take, so take advantage of the ~15 seconds a smoke lasts. I'd be careful about the left edge of the smoke and spray it since gaps can open up there due to the random spread of a smoke.

Pros:

• For its effect, it's relatively easy
• Great for Mid-round decision making and calls
• Can be great for faking A when you actually want to go B

Cons:

• You're relatively exposed when using these line-ups
• The smoke in Con can betray you if the CT has a bit of luck and jump on the cover on the left
• The CTs can react aggressively to the smokes with a few flashbangs and destroy your Mid take with a strong peek

B Smokewall + Flash behind

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2vWpVKuOUd8" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Do's and don'ts: The flash is intended to help you look forward and face CTs who have to look straight into it, so please tell your teammates to look forward and not turn around for this flash. The flash also doesn't need to be precise since there is no flash catching all popular Onspot spots. Keep in mind that the far back of Site is still open, but the intention of this smokewall isn't to cut the site off completely and rather to funnel the CTs directly into your focused crosshairs, giving them no 1v1 chances. Great for a set-piece.

Pros:

• Easy to do
• Safe, once you have control of Stairs
• Especially useful late-round when the CTs have little utility left
• Perfect against a team playing only one or two people at B

Cons:

• An aggressive CT may catch you off-guard setting up those line-ups
• Nades and sprays will still pass through the smoke wall and may deny you easy control of Site

Full A-Site execute from Ladder and Ramp

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eghj0vp9IaY" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy line-ups, easy-medium timing effort

Do's and don'ts: This one should not be attempted when the enemies are not respecting your space and constantly looking for aggressive fights since you will get headshotted at Ramp. It has no become easier to set up in Ladder, which makes this combination relatively safe. Perfect for a set-piece in a team where everyone knows what to do.

Pros:

• All in all, easy for the potency of this grenade combination
• Relatively safe set-up effort
• Great as a full execute without any fancy things

Cons:

• Can be enemy specific since players like to push up to Ramp and Secret a lot
• This can heighten the effort needed for this combination
• Please check sandbags

Enjoy, but switch it up!

The reason why pros always come up with new executes and new interpretations of old ideas is because they must. Enemies will adapt eventually, and that is true in the micro sense of a single match or half and in the macro sense of an entire scene or player base. You can't constantly rely on the same five line-ups, so I'd advise you to try and have a big repertoire of grenades and combinations. You can find a utility guide for Nuke here and one for Dust 2 here to help you with that.

Got any feedback or just want to say hi? Head on over to our #Digscord where you can meet players and staff or hit me up on Twitter if you wish so!