The map de_train has come a long way since 1.6. And of course, everyone has seen the clips from the Counter-Strike: Source days where a certain speed demon came hopping from Ivy, out Middle, and through Connector. While the good old days of Train are long gone, the newest version of the map is by far the most polished, allowing for a number of strategies to take over either the inner or outer Bombsite. Oftentimes, if you aren't queued up for a game with a full team of five players, it can be difficult to maximize your utility usage. That's why these smokes are designed to be effective in a solo queue environment or with just one buddy, regardless of how helpful your random teammates are.

Smoke One: Z Side of Bomb Train (Method One)

This smoke can be thrown in one of two ways. The first method requires a very simple left-click throw, but it does take a few seconds longer than you might hope if your team wants to go for an extremely fast take of the outer yard. Simply hop up on the dumpster as shown and stand in the center of the red circle. Aim a little above the middle smokestack, and throw.

The smoke blocks off vision from anyone playing from the Z Connector, a common place for an AWP to be positioned. It is possible for a Counter-Terrorist to get an angle from atop the Bomb Train, so definitely be careful of that.

Smoke Two: Red Side of Bomb Train

This smoke will come into the other side of the Bomb Train, just in between it and Red Train. Any Terrorists coming out of Popdog will be safe from an Ivy/A3 player, as well as anyone playing near Camera. The lineup is identical to the previous smoke, except this time we'll be aiming at the tip of the leftmost smokestack.

While it's very easy to remember these two smokes because of their extremely similar lineups, there is a problem that arises. While each are powerful by themselves, in order to take full advantage of these smokes they need to be used in tandem. Unfortunately it's impossible to throw both smokes at the exact same time from the same standing position. The solution was to find an alternate method of throwing the first smoke from a different location. This brings us to Smoke Three.

Smoke Three: Z Side of Bomb Train (Method Two)

This smoke will land in about the same spot as Smoke One, but it's thrown from ground level. Head into the cubby near dumpster and press yourself into the corner. Aim for the connecting piece of the Y-shaped white pipes and jump-throw.

Now that we are able to pair this effectively with Smoke Two, let's take a look at how much easier it becomes to take the outer yard. Send a few of players out Popdog and the two smoke-throwers through T-Main with flashbangs. With just a 600 dollar investment, you can have a great chance of getting a bomb plant, even on an eco round. Of course, be wary of a Heaven player.

Smoke Four: Ivy/A3/Hell

One of the toughest positions to deal with as a Terrorist can be the Ivy area, but it can offer a vast range of options if successfully controlled. This smoke from the end of Halls just above Popdog is a great way to do just that. Head into the corner as shown below and perform a simple left-click throw. Make sure that the window has been shot out first otherwise the smoke will be an utter failure. It's also probably a good idea to have a teammate come with you to protect you while your back is exposed to any CTs aggressing up from the B ramp.

Any Counter-Terrorist hanging out near Ivy/A3 is going to be unable to see anyone coming from Popdog to the A site. Hell players are also negated in this situation, allowing you to focus your attention elsewhere. Instead of doing a more predictable A take after this smoke is thrown, another possibility is to have your teammates wrap from Ivy through CT Tunnel, into the CT Spawn and finally enter the B Bombsite from behind. With any decent level of communication, you can attack from Brown Halls at the same time as your teammates come in from CT Spawn. Something to note if you want to try this wrap from Ivy to B is that Hell players and anyone atop Green Train could be a problem. The smoke won't be useful in stopping those positions in such a scenario.

Smoke Five & Smoke Six: White/Bomb Train & Sidewalk Smokes

The inner site on Train can be extremely difficult to enter if the CTs have an accurate AWPer at the ready. A common place to play is inside the Z-Connector, where they can quickly rotate to either site as needed. These two smokes will make it much easier to enter through Ramp, and your only real risk from anywhere deep in the site is from a random spam through the smoke, or a long grenade toss. This allows you to focus on the closer angles, such as Ladder or Oil. Anyone on top of Red or Yellow will have trouble doing any real damage to any Terrorists running down ramp. The main issue with this setup is that it becomes rather one-dimensional. It could be great for an Eco round to get a plant at the Default spot on Bomb Train, but you might not have as much success if you wanted to plant on the CT side.

If you can time it well, having a player peek out of Upper B towards Headshot and Catwalk can be very beneficial, even perhaps taking a fight to the Z-Connector player. Leaving that player in Upper B for a Popdog rotate is a great idea, and I also suggest timing some flashes for your teammates as they run out to take initial engagements. If you're playing in a Solo Queue, your teammates are still likely to be able to throw a Sidewalk smoke that's halfway decent. It's the White/Bomb Train one that you'll need to handle yourself.

While there are obviously more complex strategies that can be employed with a solid team of five, it's rare to find that nowadays in Matchmaking and PUGs. Take some time to practice these easy smokes and you can really improve your chances on the Terrorist side. Good luck using these in-game!

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