In Counter-Strike, anti-eco means playing against a team that’s currently on an eco round. These eco rounds aren’t only meant for the enemy team to manage their eco. It’s also your chance to get an even bigger lead in the economy.

When the enemy team is on eco, your best bet is to attack where they are weak. The normal way should be to full buy so they have the least chance to win. But, if you are smart with your weapon choice, you can save more money and fight them with more resources in the next round (when they full buy).

That’s where the Scout comes in. It’s a weapon that’s not great in normal rounds but can be very deadly when the enemy team is on eco. Here is how to abuse it.

Note: The weapon is officially called SSG 08, but the term commonly used by players is “Scout”. For the entirety of this guide, we will use the term “Scout”.

Perfect For Long Range Encounters

In an eco round, the enemy is often on pistols, which are bad at long range. Simply put, the biggest disadvantage for a team on eco is long range, and you have to abuse that to win.

And, when it comes to long range, snipers are just the best there is. You can go and buy an AWP, but it’s very expensive and often overkill against eco rounds. It’d make sense if you saved it from a previous round, but buying on the eco round isn’t a practical idea.

There is also the risk of you dying and handing the AWP to the other team. It could sway the momentum towards the enemy team and could result in a quick comeback.

That’s why the Scout is a better option. In eco rounds, there is a good chance the enemy team won’t buy armor, and without armor, the Scout has a one-shot kill (except on the leg). And, even if you die, losing a Scout won’t be that beneficial for the enemy team.

Even if the enemy team does buy armor, you are still at an advantage. You can get them low for your teammates to finish them off, and if they are going to be on pistols, it’s going to be hard for them to get you if you have positioned yourself correctly.

Finally, even if it doesn’t work in your favor, the Scout is extremely cheap, and it won’t cause a major dent in your economy.

Note: If you already have a gun from the last round, like an SMG or a rifle, then just play with that. Only buy the scout if you have to buy a weapon because you lost it in the last round.

Best Bang For Buck Weapon

The best part about the Scout is its price. For both CTs and Ts, the weapon costs $1700, which is much cheaper than buying a rifle. In this price range, you do have options for SMGs, but when playing anti-eco, it's best to opt for long-range weapons.

And, for $1700, you are getting a sniper that can one-shot enemies if they don’t buy armor. The kill reward is the same as rifles ($300), whereas SMGs do give you more, but it’s a fair trade, given that you are getting a really strong anti-eco weapon.

Even on eco rounds, if you have more money to spare, you can opt for the Scout, and it might increase your chances of winning the round. The best part about the Scout is that it has a lot of impact without costing nearly as much as it should.

Lastly, Scout is also a great weapon to buy after winning the first pistol round. When a team loses the first pistol round, there is a very high chance they won’t buy anything. And, when against unarmored enemies, the Scout becomes as deadly as the AWP.

Lightweight

The Scout is also much lighter than the AWP, meaning your movement speed isn’t hindered as much as when you are carrying an AWP. So, things like Jump Peeks, quick scope, and strafes feel much faster.

You can also be super aggressive with it, which you can’t do with the AWP, because there is a risk of giving it to the enemy. With the scout, the risk is much less.

Lastly, even on full buy rounds, if you are low on money, you can opt for the Scout. It won’t be able to one-shot enemies, but it will leave them weak enough for your team to finish them off. Overall, if you are good with the AWP, try using the Scout when you are low on money, and you will start winning more fights.

Conclusion

Economy is a very important part of CS2, and you have to be on top of the economy race in matches to win. Scout doesn’t cost much compared to other guns but packs a lot of punch. Against eco rounds, it’s the best way to counter the enemy without spending money on rifles.

The whole idea of eco rounds is to save money and cause damage to the other team’s economy. The Scout can be used to counter that. To put it simply, when you are short on money and want a reliable long-range weapon, get the Scout.