Tips for playing Mirage

CS 2 brought a lot of interactivity compared to the previously familiar CS:GO. The new visuals and rating system were the reason why players immediately began to adapt and improve their performance. In this article, we will help you improve your gaming skills and tactics on the most popular map in CS 2 – Mirage.

Map Callouts

For those who have recently started their journey as a fighter in CS 2, it’s worth explaining what callouts are. This is a plan of action previously discussed before the start of the round for the players of one team, in which each player must complete one or another task. Depending on which side you play, the callouts will differ.

Let’s look at examples of callouts on Mirage for the defensive side.

Playing on a CT side

Playing as Counter-Terrorists on Mirage, as in principle on most maps, involves controlling critical points through which an attack can develop. In the case of Mirage, first of all, it is “middle.”

The “middle” is often where the most critical fights happen. Counter-terrorists can control it from three positions: “window,” “connector,” and “short.” For a better understanding, let’s analyze the gameplay on each separately.

Window position

The player in this position usually is the main sniper in a team. Since the contact distance with the enemy is quite far, the AWP is an excellent device for controlling this position. The main thing here is timing, so ensure your arrival time is minimal and the enemy needs more time to take advantageous positions.

The window player needs to move and be flexible. In cases of a quick attack on one of the points, you should immediately rotate to help your allies, leaving control of the middle to the supporting player. While rotating, try to choose the safest routes so as not to run into an enemy lurker.

To engage in the “middle,” the enemy will probably use smoke grenades, and you must know how to counter them. If you see smoke flying towards your position, you can have time to jump out of the window and quickly pull yourself into the connector or “lower tunnel.” In this variant, try to shoot the first opponent who will occupy the middle and move away to safety.

If you did not have time to react, play the round more passively. Wait for the smoke to dissipate and try to retake the middle with the help of your allies. If smoke has blocked your position, move to the one where you can meet the attacking players.

Connector position

The connector player is a support link. At the beginning of the round, he should help establish control over the middle and then control the lower tunnel. He concentrates on repelling the attack on A site in cases of attack at early timings. If the team plans to re-occupy the middle, the player in the connector position should throw blinding grenades. 

In cases where the sniper has gone to the B site to help, taking control of the middle is a priority. The position is quite challenging to play without the proper level of shooting because you are in a tight space, so aim training and reaction speed are vital for a player in this position.

Short position

Identical gameplay style for the support player as in the “connector” example. It’s a little more convenient to control the middle due to better visibility and area for movement. When the “middle” is outside your control, do not post because this way, you will significantly weaken the defense on the B site.

Nevertheless, it is possible and necessary to play aggressively from short. The main thing is remembering the potential threat from the “lower tunnel.” If there is none, you can safely try to earn an advantage for the team.

To complete the picture, a few words about the gameplay of anchors.

If there was no callout to aggressive play and pushing attack positions on one of the sites, the anchor should always play in the most comfortable position. Try not to make a lot of noise because this will make it easier for the enemy to find out your location or, moreover, to pre-fire you.

With defense, everything is quite simple, but concerning attack, there are things that every player should know and be able to do.

Playing on a T side

Playing as an attacker on a mirage is challenging, especially when hit-and-run tactics don’t work. Here, you need to resort to tactics and carry out the execution of the site as it should be using the utility. You can learn how to use grenades on a Mirage in our article.

Mirage tactics

Since the map’s structure is quite simple, you can only come up with some familiar things, but these tactics have been time-tested and are widely used even at the professional level. There are three ways to execute sites: the classic method, split through the middle, and fake execution. Let’s look at each of these tactics and the pros and cons of each.

The classic execution

The classic execution plot implies an exit from one direction on the map. For example, let’s take A site; the classic execution is carried out through two positions: “pit” and “palace.” Ideally, use grenades or act after first contact (a riskier option).

The essence of the tactic is that an attack using smoke grenades closes the positions of the defending side, thereby complicating their position as much as possible. Players widely use it, but knowledge of smoke grenades is required for perfect execution.

The main advantage of this type of tactic is its ease of use. Every player knows the standard layouts for sites A and B. So you can agree and execute this call without any teamwork preparation. The main disadvantage is predictability. Seeing grenades flying toward the target, defensive players can quickly call for support.

Splits

It is one of the most challenging types of tactics to repel. The essence of this tactic is to attack the target from two directions. Attack players divide into two groups. One plays directly in positions close to the bomb site, and the other uses “middle.”

It is tough to beat off a perfectly executed split because only 2 to 3 defenders resist the attack and are under pressure from different sides. This is one of the main advantages of this tactic.

The disadvantage is that there is a risk that, due to the separation, players in one direction may need more firepower. There is a chance that they will encounter the aggressive actions of the opponent and suffer losses.

Fake execution

It is one of the most challenging attack methods to execute. It consists of the following: attack players create the appearance that they will attack one of the sites and simultaneously attack the opposite site. This is done with the help of a utility and one or two players who will fake.

The beauty of such an adventure is that the players can take the plant without resistance if it is successful because all the defenders will be defending the fake execution. All that remains is to plant the bomb and prevent the defense from a retake.

The main disadvantage is the difficulty in execution, because each player must do everything as accurately as possible and at the correct timings. After all, if you fail, you will not have grenades, and it will be tough to attack the site.

Tactics is a team skill that significantly affects your chances of winning, but in addition to them, you can also use individual features.

Most useful tips to play Mirage

In this section, we will look at tricks that will help you gain an advantage or improve your performance without the help of allies. The first thing I would like to start with is the position in the window, which is quite well known but, for some reason, is rarely used:

In this spot, it will be difficult for the enemy sniper to kill you with a prefire. Also, being in this position, it will be almost impossible for you to be blinded. Use it in early timings and surprise your opponent.

The second useful trick that is worth learning is jumping from the “window” to the “short” or the “ladder.” It isn’t easy to perform, but it will help save you a lot of time to rotate to the B site. Jumping on “short” is more complicated than jumping into the “ladder.”

Most likely, you will fail the first time, but after a couple of attempts, you will achieve success. A sniper can also use this trick in early timings to surprise the enemy attacking mid.

The third helpful trick worth learning is a quick jump to the apartment’s balcony on the second site. It’s pretty simple to do. You need to take a running start from the van’s bumper and sit down at the end of the flight.

With this acrobatic trick, you can push the apartment while losing a minimum amount of time. When playing passively in defense, you can take the balcony position before the attack sees or hears you.

To Sum Up

Mirage is the most popular map in CS 2. You will have to play approximately 60% of all matches on this map. To do this well and ideally, you must understand how the map is structured and how players act. To improve your performance, use various tactics and tricks. With their help, turn the game against you into an impossible challenge for the opponents.

If you liked this article, you can find guides on other maps on our blog. The success in CS 2 will be only a matter of time for you, so go for it!