People often say teamplay and coordination is what gets you far in CS:GO. While it is true, it’s not always that simple. You will notice that people won't put much value in them especially when playing solo. While understandable, people should always at least try to play as a team. When you play with four random guys your playstyles might not mix very well, so simple tactics and communication become even more important. Luckily there is more than one way to be a good teamplayer.

Entries are Important

A good way is to become the entry fragger for your team. If you are the one to go in first and take one or two kills you have opened the way to the site and usually this gains respect from others. This is also probably the best way to win most of the time. Setting aside the whole concept of playing as a team, just call out your intention of going A and pop a few heads. Leading by example works well with random people since many still think the scoreboard is the only thing that shows who is contributing and who is not. Entries are very important because your opponent is most of the times as disorganized as your team, so retakes are much harder than with a 5 man premade.

Be a Tactical Mastermind

If you feel uncomfortable playing entry, then the next best thing is to be the in-game leader for your team. It is almost a rule of thumb that when your terrorist side starts, you encounter total silence or someone asking “what you guys want to do”. Calling out simple tactics works almost every time. Only thing to keep in mind is to accept that not every person wants to listen your tactics, and no matter what happens, do not get mad about it. If you keep your cool and are polite, most of the players will want to do as you ask. So work with what you have and make the best out of it. When going to CT side, ask who is good with the AWP and try to get them into a spot where they can make the most of it. So even if you dislike playing de_inferno B, maybe it is better to let that player take A long. If you are playing a league where you can communicate with your team when you are dead then it is good to coordinate your living teammates when going for retakes. Tell one to wait for the others or maybe call that you saw someone while spectating. Just remember not to talk too much after they commit to the retake because many players get irritated if someone is constantly talking and breaking their concentration.

Communication is Everything

This cannot be stressed enough. I would even go as far as to claim that 90% of solo matches are lost because of lack of communication. First of all, it is really hard to play when you have absolutely no idea where your teammates or enemies are. Secondly, many people get frustrated when people are not talking and stop trying completely. And in a way it does give the feeling that people have given up before the game even starts. Not talking because “it is just MM” is no excuse, since for many people it still represents the only meter of how they are improving and that next rank means a lot for them. Counter-Strike has always been a team oriented and highly tactical game, so communication is vital part of it whether you play as a team or solo. Even if you have a language barrier you can always use simple location calls when spotting enemies or calling out which bombsite you intend to play. These calls are pretty much a universal standard, so don’t be afraid to use them. Even if your teammates are the silent type you should try to call out some tactics and enemy locations. Just maybe it will encourage them to start calling information too!

Without proper communication the enemy might be right next to you and you wouldn't know

When the Game Just Won’t Go Your Way

Every player has, had and will have games when it feels that anything you do just ends up in the spectator view with no frags. When you notice this happening, try to change to the ultimate support player. Save money to buy guns for the teammates who are getting the frags and ask to pop-flash for them when pushing sites. Buy a Tec-9 and go gather info about opponent positioning. If playing as CT ask if you could change your spot to a more passive one where you can minimize your deaths and still gather information. Good example would be changing from de_inferno A long to apps and hold from balcony or pit.

In conclusion you should always aim to be a team player and adjust the how to suit yourself. But whether you are an excellent shot or the esteemed tactical leader, always remember to communicate with your team as well as you can. Never be the mute guy who runs to the opposite way the rest of the team is going even if you notice yourself tilting. When you apply these things people might like you enough to add you as a friend and then you can start playing together which reduces the randomness in games.

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