Everyone knows the classic rush strategy in Counter-Strike! I mean, you can barely go five minutes on a match with random people without hearing something along the lines of “Rush B”. The memes are real, everyone knows about it… but is it that simple? Naturally, it’s not.

In this article, I’ll tell you why it’s not a good idea to rush all the time and when are some good times to do it. As you know, no two CS:GO rounds are the same, and no opponent team will behave the same way every time, so be prepared to fail some rushes even when the timing and execution are both perfect - it’s all part of the game.

What’s a Rush in the Context of this Article?

Although most people see rushing as just plain running, chucking a few flashbangs, and trying to brute force the way in into the bomb site, there’s so much more to it. You can run, wait for the initial utility to go out (opposing Incendiaries or Smoke Grenades, for example), and then you can start your rushing. Not all rushes need to be mindlessly executed, they can be planned and well made.

Take this as a heads up that this article is focused on rushes that are made when playing decently smart CS:GO and not the classic rush you hear about on those random Matchmaking matches, where some people get into the site, others chicken out at the sight of the first flame of that incendiary… you know how it goes.

What Makes it a Good Time to Rush?

It fully depends on what’s happening in the match at any given moment. If the opposing team is trying to push a lot, maybe it’s not a good time, since the information that you’re rushing will be communicated early and gives the other team more team to rotate before you finally get into the site. The key to a rush is to be able to surprise!

Let’s say you’re winning a lot of rounds in a row while doing the same strategy every time, or at least playing with a slow approach. Your opponents will be ready for that approach in the next round - maybe they won’t waste utility at the beginning of the round because you’re only trying to commit to a peek after 30-40 seconds, maybe they’ll be preparing a different way to receive you with open arms and that takes a few more seconds to set up… that’s the perfect opportunity. If everything goes smoothly, they’ll be caught off-guard and will probably panic a little bit trying to defend you. That makes it easier for you.

But let’s be honest - you’ll rarely have those perfect conditions happening when you finally decide to rush. But it’s up for you to create those opportunities as much as possible - like I said, if you make them think you’re an easy read, you’ll have an easier time when rushing. Or even just go on a contact approach. Don’t use any utility, just group up and slowly approach the bomb site’s point of contact - as soon as you’re spotted just rush and destroy them.

What If You’re Losing?

In my opinion, that makes it even easier to pull out a successful rush. Let’s say you’re losing 4+ rounds in a row and you know the situation is dire. At the same time, if you lose one more round, it’s only that, right, one more round… so why not try something different? You know that the more tactical and default approach is not working, so why not try a full rush?

Try to surprise your opponents by doing a fast rush, somewhere where you’ve identified that the early defense is not as solid. Maybe you’re playing Mirage and you’ve noticed that they don’t use that much utility on the B entrance? Well, that’s your entry point. Still, make sure to have at least one player ready with a Smoke Grenade to put out the fire of an Incendiary grenade, just in case.

Make Yourself Unpredictable

Everything is about identifying patterns. As I’ve said, you don’t want to rush every other round, as that will make you way too predictable. Even if they waste some utility on the rounds you’re not rushing, it’s being used for a reason and it will hurt you eventually because you’ll rush out again soon. Instead, try to make your behavior as unpredictable as possible.

I’ll give you a practical example - let’s say you’re playing Nuke on the Terrorist side. You know an A execute that you’ll use eventually, one that needs for the windows on the A ceiling to be broken. If you only break them in the round you’re going to use the execution, guess what? They’ll instantly know what you’re doing and will be prepared to receive you with a warm welcome on site. Instead, break them EVERY round, even when you’re not going to use them. I’ll say, even more, use a full execute utility setup and then don’t use it, just go elsewhere (fast) like ramps. That way, you’ll keep the opposing team on edge at all times, and that’s exactly what you want. You want them to be nervous so they react to everything you do, even when most of it is just fake information.

CS:GO is a mental game. It’s a game where a player with good aim can be good, but it’s also a game where only a player with good mental fortitude can really become amazing. You won’t get more than just good if you don’t know how to get around your opponents mentally and understand how you can trick them into falling onto your traps.

Layout your game plan better - that’s something you’ll only learn with experience, playing the game more, and, above all, enjoying the process!

Thank you for reading this article! You can reach out to me for feedback or suggestions via Twitter.