With the new operation, Valve has added eight new maps to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The classic map de_nuke has made a comeback, but there are also a couple of new maps that are rising in popularity. One of these being de_santorini made by FMPONE, who is also known for creating de_cache. In this guide we are going to take a look at how to play de_santorini on the T side and the CT side. We’re going to look at a couple of smokes and flashes you have to know for executes and for defending the different sites.

Some of the smokes used in this guide are thrown using a jumpthrow bind. To get a jumpthrow bind paste this command into your autoexec file and change [key] to a key you want to use to jumpthrow.

The callouts being used in this guide are from this picture created by Reddit user DD5432112345.

T side: Mid Control

Having mid control is one of the most important thing to have on de_santorini. From mid you can go to either site, or fake that you are going to take one bombsite and then go to the other. The mid window is a very powerful spot for the CT’, which allows them to keep mid control throughout the entire round. If there is a CT AWPer playing the mid window, he can easily get an opening frag on the T’s, which puts them in a great disadvantage. To gain mid control as a terrorist you need to smoke of the mid window. The smoking of the mid window is really easy and can be done within 30 seconds of the round.

To smoke of the window, position yourself against the blue railing and boxes at the dumpster area. You'll notice you get 'stuck' when walking against the blue railing. Once you're 'stuck', aim a little bit below the leaf that is sticking out at the corner to your right. Do a normal throw. This smoke will land inside the window, and block of any vision from a Counter-Terrorist towards mid. When this smoke is down you can go to A or B really fast to surprise the CT's.

T side: A

Taking the A site as a T can be a big struggle since there are a lot of angles you need to worry about entering the site. The two main spots you need to watch are café and window. To smoke of these positions, you need two players staying on the stairs of A long before entering the site.

To smoke of cafe go to the A long stairs and position yourself so your crosshair lines up with the edge of the first stair and so you're against the left wall. Now look up at the blue beams / railing. Aim where the lowest blue beam and the left corner of the building cross (see picture). Do a jumpthrow. This smoke will block of cafe so you can enter the A site without worrying about that angle.

Combine the cafe smoke with this window smoke for a simple but effective A take. Go to the bottom of the stairs and position yourself so your crosshair is on top of a black mark in between the rubble at the bottom of the stairs. Look up at the light that is closest to you. Then aim at the top bolt to which the light is attached. Do a jumpthrow. This smoke will land inside the A window, blocking of any vision from CT's. The final result should look like this.

T side: B

Smoking the B site is pretty similar to smoking the A site. You need two smokes to block off the two main entrances of the CT's, street and B platform. These smokes can be thrown with relative ease and are essential for a good B execution. For the B platform smoke, position yourself in this corner in the garden area. Look up towards the B site and locate the green vines. Look at the corner of the vines and do a medium throw (holding the left and right mouse button). This smoke will cover of the B platform which is a powerful position to hold for the CT's and it will block of any rotating CT's.

To block of street, stand in between the red mailbox and the red door at top mid, and line yourself up with the black line of the doorframe. Then turn around towards top mid, and locate the corner of the mid arch. Aim at the corner and do a jumpthrow. This smoke will block of the street and arch position, which are very strong positions for the CT's.

Use both these smokes and you have an effective B site execute. Combine it with a couple of flashes and you have control of the site. After that you just have to hold of the site from any retakes. Easy as that! The end result should look like this.

CT side

Both the sites on Santorini have two main lanes that lead in to the site (B upper from garden and B lower from the underpass, A long and A lower). Because of this it's advisable to play a 2-1-2 CT side setup. So have one player spotting mid, preferably with an AWP, and two on each site holding the two main lanes in to the site.

CT side: A

The best positions for a passive CT side A hold are window and cafe. From these positions, you have a great overview of the site and you can fall back if necessary. If the Terrorists decide to push the A site from A long or underground, you'll also have a nice crossfire setup from these two positions. If you decide to play a little bit more aggressive on the A site, it's very hard to fall back once you have taken an aggressive position. Goose on the A site for example is a one and done spot, but can be used very effectively when playing together with a teammate in window or cafe. Here are two flashes you can use if you get stuck or need to fall back.

The first flash can be used if you get stuck in goose. Crouch down in the corner of goose and look up at the line where the black stone meets the white stone. Now do a normal throw. The flash will bounce against the wall and go up in the air, flashing anyone who is on the A site or coming from A long. The second flash will blind anyone getting onto the A site. Get in the corner of the window and look up at the first steel beam that is in front of you. Aim at the bottom of it and do a normal throw. The flash will bounce over the window and blind anyone in lower A or on the A site.

CT side: B
Like mentioned earlier, the A and B site are very similar. Both have two lanes into the site, one of those lanes being underground. A very strong position on the B site to watch upper/garden from is on top of the boxes on the site. But you have to play this spot together with a teammate who is actively watching lower, otherwise you are dead once the T's push the B site from lower. A great smoke to throw at the beginning of the round is to block of any pushes from the terrorists from lower. Here's how you throw it.

While coming out of CT spawn, look at the small blue window on the building in front of you. Now throw the smoke while still on the B platform running towards the B site. This smoke will block of the lower entrance to the B site, and you don't have to walk around to the right of the B site to throw it which saves precious time. The smoke doesn't have to be precise, but it has to be thrown so that it bounces right in the middle of the entrance.

And those are a couple things I have noticed while playing de_santorini. The map itself is great and steadily rising in popularity, so prepare yourself for when it will be added in to the active duty mappool. Good luck!

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