The SCAR-20 (commonly called the “auto sniper” and sometimes referred to as just the “Auto”) is a gun for the Counter-Terrorists frowned upon in the lower ranks of CSGO. It is often regarded as a “cheap” weapon that takes no skill to use and makes opponents livid in the chat. In the higher ranks, it is usually inferior to the AWP and you’ll be lucky to get a couple of shots out before your head gets taken off. Nevertheless, that does not take away from the gun’s strengths and great effectiveness in strategic situations. For this article, I will only be referring to the SCAR-20 and not the Terrorist counterpart G3SG1.

In-Game Data

Raw Stats

(full data available @ strike-counter.com)

The Pros and Cons:

Pros:
-High damage per second
-Large ammo capacity
-Long Range
-Relatively accurate when hip firing
-Instills rage in opposing team
-Slightly forgiving to have bad aim (low ranks)

Cons:
-Expensive
-Tunnel vision when scoped
-Long enough delay to possibly get one-tapped between shots
-Low mobility

It is best to use the auto sniper when defending a choke point or narrow passageway, usually during an opposing SMG or eco rush. The auto sniper excels when you have many targets to kill and only a short amount of time to do so. Bullets have high armor and surface penetration meaning they will go through your first target and deal damage to enemies behind it, while retaining high damage. Generally, the SCAR-20 will be a two-shot kill to the body, but you should always aim for the head when you can (which will consistently be a one-shot kill). Watch an example of holding the Dust II, Upper Tunnel choke point here:

It is important to find a great position to set up at while using the auto sniper. It is best to be at an area with a small angle in respect to a choke point, to minimize crosshair/mouse movement. It is wise to have an escape or back up plan. When picking a spot, you should have avenues of escape, or reliable cover to wait for a teammate when you are being overrun. Dying first on a bombsite with the gun will likely backfire and hurt your team greatly. This would allow the Terrorists to use your weapon against your team and make it easy to defend the planted bomb. Call to your teammates when you spot a rush and try to kill as many enemies as you can before you die.

Lastly, I have provided graphics of three popular maps to illustrate some good places to hold sites with the SCAR-20 (Basic map callout knowledge is necessary to understand the notes). Of course there are other places you can position, but these are some of the most common ones:

Dust II

Notes: (Blue) To defend B site, you should sit on Plat and scope into Upper Tunnels. By standing here, you can safely jump onto the site if you get flashed out or need to reload. (Green) From A site, you can stop a Catwalk push or hold an angle on long when your teammate needs helps. Retreat option: hide behind the boxes on site or fall back into Goose. (Yellow) Alternatively, you can have an auto sniper player long and watch any pushes through long doors. Retreat option: fall back to Car (or Under A if you think you have enough time to run).

Inferno

Notes: (Pink) As a defender of B, you can take a more aggressive strategy and take an auto sniper to Car (Banana) to stop the Terrorists from pushing up Banana. Retreat option: if you can stay alive behind Car, you can smoke out the top of Banana and fall back to B. (Red) For a safer, more passive B hold, you can position an auto sniper on Spools to watch the entrance to B. Retreat option: drop down from Spools and play an angle from Construction/Garden looking into B site. (Yellow) As a player in Pit on A, you can prevent a push through the door of Balcony. You have reliable cover in Pit. (Green) If you get a good A spawn, you can rush to Mid and spray down T Ramp. However, you won’t see the Terrorists for long if they are sprinting up the Ramp. Be careful though, because there is very often a player AWPing from there. (Blue) Lastly, you can buy a SCAR-20 and play the corner of Arch Side to prevent any pushes through mid. Retreat option: back off of the corner and run to the corner of Arch, or all the way to Library.

Mirage

Notes: Four of the five main choke points on Mirage are great for Autos. (Red) From B site, you can play on the near-side of Van and get an angle into Apartments. Retreat option: fall back to Bench or Market. (Yellow) With an Auto on Bench, you can hold the angle on Catwalk. This isn’t as narrow as the other recommended places, but it is still very doable to catch the Terrorists strafing or peeking out of Catwalk. The Bench is reliable cover. (Pink) On A site, you can hold an angle from CT Stairs to T Ramp. This is a common area for rushes and (AWP) peeks. Retreat option: fall back down to CT Spawn or hide behind Toll Booth. (Green) Lastly, taking an auto sniper to Jungle lets you watch Palace and hold an angle on the site. The Palace exit is narrow so taking out enemies should be easy.

Retreat option: hold a tighter angle from Jungle; or jump from Window to Connector if Mid is clear to peek at a different angle. Both spots on A are commonly smoked, but often times the smokes pop after the push starts. Sometimes you can get away with stepping in front of the smokes. This can catch the Terrorists off guard and let you continue to hold the angle for as long as you can.