Introduction:

AWPing is one of the most exciting and hardest roles in Counter-Strike. In every team there is always that player that is dedicated to taking the AWPing role. Today we will have a look at how the role should be played and improving your efficiency as an AWPer for your team. The key things you should consider when you decide to uptake the role as an AWPer are your positioning, risk analysis and communication skills.

Positioning:

One of the keys to being a good AWPer is to learn how to position yourself properly in order to take the shot without the risk of dying in the process. As an AWPer it is your objective to cover the spots that the enemy’s AWPer will be trying to cover at the same time, positioning in these scenarios is crucial if you are to get the upper hand at the AWP battle. You need to always have sufficient retreat ground as a precautionary measure in case you miss your shot. The time you choose when you change your position is also very important; patience is often the key to winning the AWP duel, it is obviously better if the enemy is walking into your crosshair unaware of your position instead of you walking out and then being caught off guard. Aside passive AWPing, it is often a good idea to take a risk and take an aggressive position. However, playing aggressively with the AWP is a considerable risk.

Risk Analysis:

As an AWPer you have to learn how to make an analysis of whether taking a risky aggressive shot is worth it or not. Playing aggressively with the AWP is seen as a risk since the weapon is expensive, the chances of being caught off guard are considerably high in most cases and if you are trying to play aggressively while getting around a corner there is a great chance you will miss. A good AWPer knows when to take risks and when not to, for example: If you are at a man disadvantage because one of your teammates was killed on a different spot on the map, it would be unwise to try to play aggressively just to even the scale, as this might lead to you getting killed as-well. However, if one of your teammates was killed near you and you have sufficient information on the position of the enemy, it is a good idea to expose yourself and try to go for that shot. In some scenarios, the AWPer has to get the opening kill. In this case it is a must to play aggressively as long as there is a teammate nearby to assist you or perhaps even without the assisting of a teammate if it is a required risk to be taken in order to try to win the round.

Communication Skills:

Playing the AWP role means that you will often get the first piece of information on what the enemies are doing. It is crucial for you as an AWPer to have good communication. Good communication is presented in many forms, such as, how quickly you report the information to your team, how accurate the information is and awareness of the time needed to report the information. Firstly, it is important to give the information quickly as it helps the In-Game Leader decide how the plan is going to be played out. Secondly, The accuracy of the information, needlessly to say is the most important thing in order to help your teammates have proper knowledge of what the enemies are doing, for example: If you spot on dust2 3 players crossing to the B site, it is not a necessity for 2 out of the 3 crossing players to be holding on the site, neither is it a necessity for them to be holding on mid. Therefore, the accuracy of the information report is crucial. You should not provide information based on your personal speculation. Lastly, keeping the information short enough and to the point is generally important in any role you play; Sometimes the information reported is too long or too short, it will be harmful to your team. Awareness to all the 3 factors to communication should be one of your highest priorities as it increases your value as a player to the team.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, in order to be the most efficient AWPer you can be, you need to consider the core factors that make any AWPer effective for his team. Without proper positioning, risk analysis or adequate communication skills; you will not be able to fulfill your role with maximum efficiency and will reduce your value as a player.