Support players are often overlooked in CS:GO, but they play a crucial role setting their team up for the win. In this guide, let’s go over some of the most important aspects of being a support player and the ways in which you can train your skills!
Although they may often be overlooked when a list is made of the most impactful players, support players are nevertheless crucial to a team’s core and success. A good support player enables their entry fraggers to make those flashy plays they’re known for. So what exactly is the difference compared with entry fraggers or lurkers? After all, every player is expected to get kills and to buy utility.
Well, even though roles may be less defined in CS:GO than in other comparable titles such as Valorant, there are still a few key differences between entry fraggers and support players. Being a good support player means knowing these differences through and through, optimally fulfilling your role by filling the gaps in your team composition. In this guide, I go over these differences and look at some of the ways you can become the most useful asset to your team.
As may be rather obvious from their names, if you’re not an entry fragger, you will not be the one getting the first shot at entry kills. However, that does not mean you can remain passively on the sidelines. On the contrary, you are the backup plan, the failsafe. When the entry fragger fails to secure a kill, it’s your time to shine.
As the support player, you should be right behind your designated entry fragger, ready to shoot at any enemy aiming in his direction, covering angles to which he’s exposed, and getting the refrag if necessary. Considering the main goal of the entry fragger is to open up the site with little regard for their own fate, the pressure of bringing the round home after the initial take-over will almost always rest on the support player’s shoulders.
Of course, this also means that your aim should be up to par. Just like entry fraggers, you should practice your accuracy, speed, and spray control. If you need some guidance on how you can warm up, several other guides can give you some pointers, such our warm-up guide. If you’re looking for some external aid, our fantastic content writer ‘yoda’ has written a guide on getting started with an aim trainer.
Support players generally do not appear on the frontlines, so, often, they are the last man standing and will usually be the designated bomb carriers. So, in addition to sharp aim to help their entry fraggers, support players also need to have a smart brain and quick decision-making skills. In difficult situations, they should always manage to keep a level head and to make the best possible decisions based on the information available to them.
For example, when your team tried taking the site but only managed to take out one defender, do you push ahead or choose to rotate? If the last defender on the site is low on HP and you have information that the other defenders have only just started rotating, it might be a good idea to fully commit. However, if you’ve been lingering in front of the site and your opponents were given plenty of time to reposition, then maybe you should reset and see whether you can find another opening.
Due to their defensive position and the subsequent overview they receive of the battlefield, support players also tend to take on the in-game leader role, making the grand strategic decisions at the start of and during rounds. Consequently, support players often have very good game knowledge, being able to make the right calls based on the information they receive. Moreover, as they are usually the last ones on their team to die, they frequently end up in clutch situations where the entire outcome of the round depends on their aim and decision-making. In other words, support players carry a heavy burden, and those who take on this role must be well-rounded individuals that excel in all aspects of the game. To improve some of these aspects, it is generally a good idea to watch professional teams and see what kind of calls they make. Make sure to think about whether you agree or disagree with the call made, and whether that call turned out to be the smart thing to do.
Although CS:GO is mainly centered around getting frags, utility usage is just as important when it comes to taking over a site, even if only to delay the retake. However, there might not always be enough money for each individual to buy a fully decked-out kit. In that case, it falls to you as a support player to get the best possible buy for your team.
Depending on the situation, there are several actions you might have to undertake. For example, if you have more money than the best player on your team who is unable to buy a rifle, then it might be better to drop him and ask him to drop you an SMG instead. On the other hand, if you’re the only one on your team that doesn’t have the required funds to buy, as a support player you should generally prioritize utility over firepower, meaning you buy the grenades you need first and, if necessary, opt for an SMG or pistol instead of a rifle.
Naturally, downgrading your equipment to purchase utility is only actually useful if you know how to use that utility. Consequently, as a support player, you should be well aware of different line-ups to land smoke grenades, throw pop flashes and use Molotovs to force enemies out of hiding. On my profile, you can find a list of must-know utility guides for the T-side of every map, and soon you should see the same guides appear but for the CT side. However, if you are to truly dedicate yourself to the support role, you might extend your knowledge beyond these guides. For example, by watching professional teams play you can often pick up the latest and most useful line-ups to know.
Usually, the entire team will throw utility at the same time before taking a site. However often there is still a designated person who throws flashbangs and remains behind as their teammates aggressively push onto the site. As the support player, this responsibility will most likely rest on your shoulders, especially if you were the one to sacrifice his firepower for utility. As the road to success lies on your shoulders, don’t needlessly push the enemy before you have had the chance to throw the utility. Let your other teammates push first, aiding them with utility or the refrag if necessary.
In this guide, I looked at the role of a support player and the main ways in which they can support their teammates. There are four main actions you should focus on. First of all, you should help your entry fragger, following them closely and providing them with the necessary extra firepower. Secondly, continuously improve your game sense so you are reliably able to make the best decisions based on the available information, including in clutch situations. Thirdly, you should sacrifice your economy for the needs of the team, even downgrading your own loadout if necessary. Finally, although utility usage is a team effort, you will be the foundation of your team’s utility usage and should focus on creating the best circumstances for your team through your utility. If you can master these three aspects, you’ll very quickly become an indispensable member of your team.
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