CS:GO: Ultimate Train Smoke Guide
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15 Jun 20

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Valkyrie, members

Valkyrie

CS:GO: Ultimate Train Smoke Guide

Increase your Train variety with this handy smoke guide!

Diversifying your utility-pool is crucial to guarantee that you'll be on top of every in-game situation, allowing you to pull out whatever fits the current situation best to claim every bit of an advantage as you can. This guide will help you with that, giving you 19 Train smokes, mostly focusing on the T-Side since most CT-Side smokes are straight-forward and don't need a set line-up most of the time. In this guide, I'll show you the line-up in a video, tell you how difficult it is (Very Easy to Very Hard), insert a small Dos and Don'ts section and then show you pros and cons in a bullet point list to help you fully evaluate what you need and can afford to learn with the time you have.

T-Side
T-Spawn to Sandwich
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i1pI-kYMZfI" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Very Easy

Dos and Don'ts: This loose line-up can help you exit A-Main either early or during a coordinated A-Site take mid-round.

Pros:

  • Very easy, loose line-up
  • Fast
  • Safe to throw
  • Allows disruption of almost every CT-Side set-up
  • Good for early-, mid-, and late-round situations

Cons:

  • CTs will quickly figure out that they'll be able to see above the smoke from on top of Green
  • CTs may try to peek form Ivy to Main to prevent you from exiting too easy in every direction

T-Spawn to the Left of A
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4uQKQLc-RIE" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy/Medium (if intending to throw it early)

Dos and Don'ts: Although smoking off left of A generally eases the resistance from the CTs when you're taking A, this line-up greatly benefits from all of the other smokes around the A-Site.

Pros:

  • Easy
  • Safe to throw
  • Great for early-to-mid-round, full executes
  • Good for late-round situations with lower numbers

Cons:

  • Climbing the container can be a hassle and time-consuming
  • Not too great on its own

T-Spawn to the Right of A
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zPAukd7ITgo" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: Especially good with other A-Site smokes, this one helps your teammates scatter around Ebox or exit Popdog.

Pros:

  • Easy
  • Safe to throw
  • Great for early-to-mid-round, full executes
  • Good for late-round situations where at least one teammate is in Popdog

Cons:

  • Climbing the container can be a hassle and time-consuming
  • Not too great on its own

T-Spawn to A-Site
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4rcXAeb1Vok" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: Works only with the other smokes around A-Site, blocking off the final line of sight from A to Popdog and Ebox, not allowing players on the bomb train to peek you above the other smokes.

Pros:

  • Easy
  • Safe to throw
  • Great for early-to-mid-round, full executes

Cons:

  • Useless on its own
  • Climbing the container can be a hassle and time-consuming

T-Spawn to Connector
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/68A2sDDtGsc" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: Blocking off a strong position on A, it is useful basically every round where you don't know if someone is in Connector or not. Especially AWPers will have to look for a different avenue for kills, greatly increasing your chances of a successful A-Site take, no matter if in a full execute or just with a few Ts rushing out A-Main.

Pros:

  • Easy
  • Safe to throw
  • Great for every Round, unless you know that Connector is empty and the CTs can't rotate fast enough
  • Works great alone or with other pieces of utility

Cons:

  • CTs like to take a chance in pushing through this smoke
  • Climbing the container can be a hassle and time-consuming

Ivy Left
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pjVGBSLFmVg" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy (takes some timing)

Dos and Don'ts: Although you'll have to cross first, this smoke is pretty crucial when you're trying to wrap Ivy to A. Keep in mind that a lot of CTs will flash into Ivy to peek you when you're advancing, so at least one teammate should be with you and play antiflash while you're trying to gain ground, in order to tradefrag you.

Pros:

  • Easy
  • Safe to throw, once crossed
  • Disrupts a lot of Ivy holds

Cons:

  • If there is no utility to cross and the CTs didn't smoke Ivy themselves, crossing can be deadly
  • If you use this smoke with the wrong timing in buy rounds, you'll get mollied off

Ivy Right
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nQKm5x6scjM" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy-Medium (takes some timing)

Dos and Don'ts: The right-side version of the previous line-up, it has the same use but for a surprise A-push while faking the CT go or just for going CT.

Pros:

  • Relatively easy once you get the timing right
  • Safe, once you've crossed Ivy
  • Allows for a double-fake by going A instead of CT with a flash
  • Disrupts a lot of Ivy holds

Cons:

  • If there is no utility to cross and the CTs didn't smoke Ivy themselves, crossing can be deadly
  • If you use this smoke with the wrong timing in buy rounds, you'll get mollied off
  • CTs like to look above the smoke via Green

Pop to the Right of A
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1EhqGCBcbnA" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Medium (You need to use both mouse buttons, but release the right mouse button a bit before you release the left mouse button, too)

Dos and Don'ts: You can use this smoke both, as a real execute smoke and as a fake. To effectively do this, your first few executes to A should include utility from above Popdog, since the enemy team could read your fake pretty easily otherwise. Can't be used in normal A rushes, since you have to walk such a long way.

Pros:

  • Great for fakes
  • Safe to throw
  • Blocks off one of the most potent positions to hold Popdog from, increasing chances of successfully exiting Pop

Cons:

  • Is not too-easy or fast to set up
  • Badly used in team, this smoke will give your gameplan away

Pop to the Left of A
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DEaXFX4VljE" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Medium (same as the smoke above)

Dos and Don'ts: Great for both, direct A executes and fakes, this line-up will allow you to exit Popdog easier, but also ease the general impact of CTs towards Stopper or A in any A take, including ones where players enter from A-Main. This smoke isn't really for early rounds, due to the timing.

Pros:

  • Great for fakes
  • Safe to throw
  • Helps with planting safe

Cons:

  • Is not too-easy or fast to set up
  • Badly used in team, this smoke will give your game plan away

Pop to Ivy
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/c_bTP4Db_p8" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: Also good for faking, this line-up allows you to block off Greentrain, as well as Ivy's line of sight towards A-cross, a good tool to keep your enemy guessing if you go A or not. Best used in the later sections of the round.

Pros:

  • Great for fakes
  • Safe to throw
  • Obstructs one of the most popular and potent A positions for the CTs

Cons:

  • Not really a fast line-up
  • Not great to use in teams, as this smoke will give your game plan away

B Lower Exit
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Yha_LxadsSc" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Very Easy (just aim at the lower edge of the door on the floor)

Dos and Don'ts: Intuitively thrown, this smoke is one of the most important smokes for B on Train ever, granting you a bit of wallbangable cover when exiting towards B, reducing the line of sights that the CTs have towards you. This one can be used in fast rounds towards B, slow rounds or medium rounds.

Pros:

  • Very easy and intuitive
  • Safe to throw once you pushed back the CT potentially holding from the door
  • Removes a variety of dangerous angles
  • Can be used to draw out utility very effectively

Cons:

  • If used too early, it is not unlikely that the CTs have a Molotov ready
  • You'll get sprayed down through it eventually
  • You can get shot if you are not careful about pushing back a potential CT too close for comfort

Brown Halls to the Left of B
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/l6WH9Zqo2o8" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy-Medium (requires timing)

Dos and Don'ts: Showing great potential as a buddy to the previous line-up, this smoke blocks off a multitude of strong angles and helps especially against an AWP on B or a CT who keeps playing for picks while you execute. Can be used in mid- or late-rounds.

Pros:

  • Rather easy
  • Safe to throw once crossed past the door
  • Blocks the view of many potentially execute-breaking angles

Cons:

  • You can get sprayed down through it easily
  • A CT may jump up on the bomb-train and look above the smoke to get a free-ish kill
  • Crossing can be dangerous for you

Brownhalls to Backline
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w3uwuo3vFbw" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: Using this line-up will allow you to push up closer to the rotating CTs during or after your plant, generally allowing greater afterplant positions than the smokes on B shown before. This, however, means that you need to be cautious when walking out B since most close angles are still viable.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Safe to throw once crossed past the door
  • Helps you take control of more of B than the usual smokes

Cons:

  • Not too helpful as a solo smoke
  • Can be dangerous to cross to the relevant spot

Brown Halls to Connector
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/x4VK2o3i_7o" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: This line-up allows you to execute B while blocking off a strong angle and the fastest way to rotate B for the CTs, but also to set up a fake into B lurk, allowing you to eventually lurk out B when your teammates are currently executing A, securing you the round. It is not really viable early round.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Safe to throw once crossed past the door
  • Can be incredibly powerful in full-utility executes
  • Also strong on its own

Cons:

  • You can get shot when trying to cross

B Upper Exit
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/a0LnCyi2YVc" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: After using this line-up, you'll have much more cover to manoeuvre through Upper Exit and are allowed a bit of a choice of either jumping down, staying up or running through the smoke mid-take. Can also be used to make the CTs nervous or allow you to pre-aim Spools at the back of the platform to have a fair chance against a potential AWP holding there.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Safe to throw once crossed past the door
  • Allows a bunch of follow-up decisions, based on the B take and how it is going

Cons:

  • Can be hard to get out of Upper, even with this smoke
  • You can get sprayed down easily
  • You can get killed when trying to cross past the door

CT-Side
Upper B Smoke
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IloSERswyac" width="600" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: As a great retake smoke, this one will block off B Upper, not allowing the Ts to keep splitting your attention or jiggling to get a kill or two while multiple Ts peek you. Although this smoke doesn't stop the Molotov, it does block off a great position.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Blocks off one of the strongest, defensive afterplant positions

Cons:

  • Not really safe, since you can't be sure if a T is pushing below you
  • Won't stop the molly to prevent the plant

Ramp One-Way
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tDZizlBWYtc" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: This One-Way is best used early round, where it is likely that a CT will smoke-off Ramp anyway, not raising any suspicion about a smoke coming in. I'd highly advise you to change position after your first kill and wait for maybe one or two, perhaps three rounds before using this again.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Safe to throw early round
  • Great chance at a free kill

Cons:

  • Not unlikely to get prefired
  • Really only useful once or twice per half
  • If you get no kill, you just wasted $300

Connector to A-Main
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ySWe6BZpunM" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: With this loose line-up, you'll be able to smoke-off A-Main before you have to get into any line of sight of any T, blocking off any T before they have a chance to exit if used as early as possible.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Safe to throw
  • Helps if someone has a similar spawn and wants to push up Ebox

Cons:

  • A smoke isn't a wall, so it won't guarantee that the Ts stay out of A

A-Site to Popdog
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MNm5qZw6A7w" width="600" height="336" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Difficulty: Easy

Dos and Don'ts: A great way to re-smoke or initially smoke-off Popdog without stepping out of cover, it is especially useful if you have information, maybe from your Ebox player, about Popdog or if you're in a 1v1 or similarly small-number afterplant situations.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Safe to throw, unless you didn't clear out the surrounding area
  • Blocks off the probably most powerful afterplant position
  • Helps to keep a tight hold on A against split pushes

Cons:

  • If you're not careful, you'll get caught off-guard throwing this smoke in afterplant situations
  • Maybe it's already too late when you get information about Popdog

A few closing words

It is always worth it to have a variety of utility line-ups in your arsenal, ensuring that you'll never not know what to do. It is hard to win fair duels if you play on a level that's close to yours, so it should be a top priority to force as many encounters into your comfort zone as possible, making the enemy predictable and therefore consistently kill-able for you.

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