So you want to be the next KennyS, Skadoodle, JW, or whoever is your favorite awper in CS:GO? Well we can get there, but we start with baby steps. A lot of people don’t understand that even though you can hit those crazy flick shots or reaction shots now and then it doesn’t mean that you are an amazing awper. Often times this means that your good reflexes are making up for your poor mistakes. Awpers like Ska, KennyS, and JW can go for those sliver angle shots and flick shots because they put themselves in a position that favors them and they can give themselves opportunities to take these risky shots. But let’s start with the basics. If you are a seasoned CS:GO player with over two thousands hours or has a rank higher than LE than maybe you don’t need this guide. However, becoming an amazing player means you have to have the basics down and you can’t let them get rusty, so I encourage to at least skim through the guide. Afterwards you can even check out my intermediate awping guide that will follow this article shortly.

UNDERSTANDING THE RISK OF THE AWP

Many people often make the mistake of thinking that because the AWP costs so darn much that it’s the best gun in the game. The AWP, though powerful and extremely useful, will never be as versatile as the AK-47. While the AWP has its uses, it also has its flaws.

Main advantages of the AWP
- Heavy zone control
- Single (most of the time) shot kills
- Long range
- Good wall penetration damage
- You can get some cool clips!

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Main disadvantages of the AWP
- Bolt action: take a shot and reload barrel
- Cuts off visions
- Unreliable at close ranges
- Slow
- Expensive
- A lot of pressure ("put down the AWP, kid, you're trash" - Teammates during a 1v3)

This may seem odd because it doesn’t seem like it when you look at them side by side, but the AWP is definitely not worth the risk of buying. When it comes down to it the AWP isn’t worth the money unless you really know how to use it. If this wasn’t the case then we’d see pro teams buy all AWPs more often than just in the last rounds of a Dust II match. Although the advantages of the AWP are great, the disadvantages outweigh them and I’ll explain why.

One of the biggest reasons why the AWP is so popular is because it’s a one shot kill most of the time making it easier to kill enemies and take control of an area. However, when you take into consideration the disadvantages of the AWP they seem to counteract this. The AWP, if challenged by an aggressive player, only really has one chance to hit their high pressure shot to save their lives otherwise they will overwhelm the AWP in its reload time and get a free kill. Along with this, the AWP is just not reliable at a distance any closer than about twenty meters because at that point you are relying on a heavy and far flick or a lucky no scope. Also keep in mind the economy the AWP costs $4750 and for every AWP kill you get $100 in reward. So in theory you would need 47 kills to make up for how much that costs. If you lose, you will be losing a ton of money and if you haven’t planned ahead for that, it could put you in an eco-round that would potentially mean a lost game.

I won’t go over every single disadvantage, but I hope you can see why the AWP is such a risky buy in CS:GO and how the disadvantages can overweigh the advantages.

UNDERSTANDING WHEN TO BUY AN AWP

In almost every game of CS:GO you’re going to want at least one AWPer, sometimes more depending on the map. If you are playing a map like Cache, Dust II, or Mirage where there are multiple sections of the map that are long and can be controlled by an AWP, you can consider having one or more AWPs on your team. However if you aren’t playing on a map like that, then you should really only be buying AWPs in two situations.

1. If you are the person responsible for a very important part of the map that can be held easily with an AWP. (Archway on Inferno, Snipers Nest on Mirage, or A Long on Dust II)

2. You feel confident that you can use the AWP to counteract the strategies that the other team is running. (Slow apartment pushes, catching them in a choke point, or you just straight up know that you can beat their AWPer in a duel 9 out of 10 times)

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO USE THE AWP

Again if you are a seasoned counter strike player, I’ll be preaching to the choir but it couldn’t hurt to refresh your memory.

1. If the enemies are pushing towards you, do not take more than one shot at a specific position. If you are an advanced AWPer you can get away with this, otherwise fall back to another position.

2. Do not hold sliver angles, angles that give you an inch to work with, if you aren’t absolutely confident in your abilities.

3. Always have a plan. AWPers are extremely vulnerable and if the enemies that to overwhelm you, you need to know how to get out.

4. If you aren’t extremely positive you are a better shot than the opposing AWPer, do not peek into him. Hold an angle and hit the easy shot, don’t force yourself to take a hard shot.

5. If there was one rule I could use as a universal rule for all new or beginner AWPers it would be to always take the easy shots, don't force yourself to take the hard shots.

Hopefully this guide helped you if you are a new player or new AWPer or even if it reminded any experienced players on some things that might have slipped their mind. Keep in mind these rules are NOT meant for the experienced players to follow religiously, these rules are for those who find themselves uncomfortable or unconfident with the AWP. I will have an article for more experienced AWPers out in the near future! Have fun and keep ranking up!