Growing tired of the same private servers with 30 people playing at the same time and with almost no competition? Then it’s a perfect time to try ranked in CS2. Where should you start? You should start with learning the maps, the most commonly used tactics and the stats for weapons that are well suited for ranked games.
Do you remember a situation when you’re losing a game just because some guy with an AK-47 kills you faster than you can kill him with your UZI? Well, situations like this should never happen in ranked. That’s why we’ve created this guide. We’ve decided to make a list of the best weapons in each category and situations when they might be useful.
The best pistols for CS2 ranked matchmaking
Let’s begin with pistols, this is what you get at the start of every ranked match, after all. What you buy in the first round will directly affect your next couple of rounds. Losing the pistol round usually results in 1-2 eco rounds for your team.
Glock-18
Damage Glock-18:
Red damage means lethal.
Reloading time is 2.27 sec.
Basic pistol for an attacking team. While not very powerful, it has 20 bullets in the magazine and a 100 more in stock. That’s more than enough to shoot without caring about running out of ammo.
Glock’s price in CS2 is just $200. Only an attacking team can buy one. There’s no reason to buy it if you have any other pistol though.
As you can see, hitting an armorless enemy at the head can kill him instantly. As with most weapons, damage decreases with distance, meaning being 20 meters away from your enemy will make headshot non-lethal, resulting in around 97 damage against an enemy without a helmet.
In conclusion, Glock is not bad for a starting weapon, but that’s all. It should be used in pistol rounds and eco, but you’d better switch for something more powerful in any other situation. Nevertheless, being an attacking team starting weapon, Glock-18 will be relevant throughout the whole game.
USP
Damage USP:
Reloading time is 2.2 sec.
The basic Counter-Terrorist weapon. It’s damage capabilities are much higher than those of Glock, but it has only 12 bullets in the magazine, so you’ll have to be more careful with your fire.
USP. like a Glock, also costs $200. That’s because it’s highly unlikely for anyone to be willing to swap any other pistol for USP.
USP can oneshot a helmetless enemy player almost at any distance, making it great during the pistol rounds, when your enemy will definitely be without a helmet. If you’re playing with an assault rifle you may save your money on buying another pistol, USP will do a good enough job. However, AWP players still should buy something more powerful.
P250
Damage P250:
Reloading time is 2.2 sec.
P250 costs $300. A great choice as a secondary weapon for a sniper. It has fast reloading speed, great firing rate and decent enough damage. Will definitely oneshot a player with an unprotected head. Can also be used by an attacking team during the pistol rounds instead of Glock due to its higher headshot damage.
If you’re brave enough to go into your pistol rounds unprotected (armor can be quite useless at the higher levels, for your main cause of death will be a headshot from USP) you can definitely buy this pistol. That will help you put up a fight to a starting counter-terrorist pistols.
Tec-9
Damage TEC-9:
Tec-9 costs $500.
Reloading time is 2.5 sec.
An expensive pistol for a midgame. It can be bought in a first round if you have some tricky game plan in mind. It has an impressive firing rate that allows you to shoot while moving. It deals more damage than Glock, but it’s high cost should make you think before making an investment in one.
Rushing one of the points with Tec-9 during eco or forcebuy rounds may prove successful, but after several patches it’s main weakness is low accuracy on longer distances. That’s why you won’t see much usage of Tec-9 in professional games, although people still use it in ranked games.
Desert Eagle
Damage Desert Eagle:
Desert Eagle’s cost in CS2 is $700.
Reloading time is 2.2 sec.
The coolest, most powerful and most expensive pistol in CS2. With proper use, this gun can help you win rounds even against full-buy teams with assault and sniper rifles. It’s low ammo capacity of 7 is balanced by guaranteed oneshot of even a helmeted enemy with a headshot. With a good aim you can duel even an enemy with AWP. If you want to try to turn the economy of both teams upside down, Desert Eagle is the best tool to do so on force-buy rounds, get one and don't be afraid to take on your opponents.
We won’t be looking at the remaining pistols due to their low popularity in ranked games.
The best SMGs for CS2 ranked
We’ve won a pistol round, that means it’s time to gear yourself for a more serious game. In this situation several members of your team may want to buy submachine guns, also known as farmguns. They got this name for an ability to make some additional money for your team, thanks to the increased reward for kills made with SMG of $600. The only exception of that rule is P90 that has a standard reward of $300.
MAC-10
Damage MAC-10:
Mac-10 costs $1050.
Reloading time is 3.2 sec.
An ideal farmgun for a terrorist team due to its low cost and rapid rate of fire. In close quarters you’ll have no trouble feeding your enemy with lead and switching to another target. It has a decent accuracy when fired while moving, but its usefulness decreases with a distance to your target. It will be ineffective even against pistols at greater distances.
MP9
Damage MP-9:
MP9 costs $1250.
Reloading time is 2.1 sec.
One of the best farmguns for counter-terrorists. Has an incredible firing rate, one of the fastest in CS2. It’s high rate of fire makes its several bullets at the start of a burst hit almost the same place, that’s a fact that you should use. It’s price to quality ratio is exceptional. MP9 becomes very inaccurate during long bursts, so it should be fired at short bursts of 6-8 bullets at a time. It reloads almost instantly and can be utilized even against teams with full-buy.
UMP-45
Damage UMP-45:
UMP’s price is $1200.
Reloading time is 3.5 sec.
UMP-45 has just 25 bullets in the magazine, pretty low firing rate, but on the other hand it’s very accurate for a SMG and deals significant damage due to its .45 caliber. It’s not as common as the previous two submachine guns, but it’s still viable. It has quite long reloading time, making it less effective against multiple opponents. Rushing with this weapon won’t be a good idea.
The best assault rifles for CS2 ranked
You’ve won a pistol round, got some spare money with farmguns, now it’s time to take out the big guns. But which one should you choose? Let’s take a look at the most popular assault rifles in CS2 ranked.
AK-47
Damage AK-47:
AK47 costs $2700
Reloading time is 2.43 sec.
Probably the best assault rifle in the game and the most well-known weapon in Counter-Strike. It’s incredible firepower, an ability to kill an enemy with one headshot and extremely precise first bullet make it people’s favorite weapon. AK has good armor-piercing capabilities, meaning your enemy won’t be safe behind boxes, doors and thin walls. Counter-terrorists don’t have an assault rifle to rival AK-47 in terms of price and power, so you should always look out for an opportunity to swap your M4 for AK.
You can read more about this rifle in a separate guide on our website.
M4A4/M4A1-S
Damage M4A4/M4A1-S:
M4A4 costs $3100.
M4A1-S costs $2900.
Reloading time for both is 3.1 sec.
Those two are the most popular assault rifles for the counter-terrorist team. They both have the same damage, the exact same spray pattern, similar reloading time. Their only differences are the price and the magazine size - silenced version being cheaper and having 25 bullets instead of 30.
Although price isn’t the only benefit of M4A1-S, it’s bullets also don’t leave traces, allowing its user to safely shoot through smoke. Lack of traces makes it harder to understand where you’re being shot from, especially on longer distances. Overall, the choice between those two is entirely up to you, but if you feel that having 25 bullets is not enough for you, you should consider the rifle we’ll be covering next. In that case, a lesser price of $2900 may tip the scales on the M4A1-S side.
Read M4A4 / M4A1-S full guide ->
AUG
Damage AUG:
AUG costs $3300.
Reloading time is 3.8 sec.
One of the best secondary assault rifles in the game. A lot of players don’t even bother trying out the AUG, but here’s why you should. It has a scope, allowing you to be more accurate at longer distances. This rifle was hated for a long time until recently due to it’s incredible accuracy and almost non-existent recoil. It was nerfed in time, but it still remains a strong choice for counter-terrorists. If you use M4A1-S in your loadout, AUG can be a great alternative due to it’s pros and being just $400 more expensive.
SG 553
Damage SG 553:
SG 553 costs $3000.
Reloading time is 2.77 sec.
That’s another secondary assault rifle that isn’t as popular as it should be. Its quick reloading speed, damage and very accurate first bullet make it an amazing weapon. Just like AUG, it has a scope and ability to oneshot your enemy with a headshot on almost any distance. Even though this rifle was nerfed alongside AUG, SG 553 is still incredibly powerful and costs just $300 more than AK-47, making it a viable choice for ranked games.
The best sniper rifles for CS2 ranked matchmaking
Every team should always have a sniper. That’s a person responsible for keeping his teammates with assault rifles safe and the one doing the most significant kill, thus tipping the scales in his teams’ favour. Even though CS2 has four sniper rifles, only two are commonly used in ranked games.
SSG 08
Damage SSG 08:
Scout SSG 08 costs $1700.
Reloading time is 3.7 sec.
Scout isn’t the most powerful sniper rifle in the game, but it’s extremely cheap. This fact makes it a great choice on force-buy and even eco rounds, if your economy allows it. The main factor for it is SSG’s bodyshot damage against both armored and unarmored enemies. This rifle can be a cheap contender even for the AWP when you’ll get used to making headshots with it.
Another benefit of SSG is that it almost doesn’t slow player character down. Always remember that this sniper rifle isn’t for camping in one corner for the whole round. High mobility should be utilized by actively looking out for frags and zoning the enemy out, making him afraid to get out of his corner.
AWP
Damage AWP:
AWP costs $4750.
Reloading time is 3.7 sec.
The one and only king of sniper rifles. Can kill a player in one hit with a bodyshot. Even hitting an enemy at the leg will turn his health bar red, making him less of a nuisance for your team. It’s extremely high damage is balanced by extremely high price. You shouldn’t spend that much money without weighing out the possible consequences first. One wrong move may leave you with no money to spend on the next round.
A lot of teams build their strategies around AWP and good sniper players are highly valued in both casual and professional games. Having an AWP in your team significantly increases your chances to win.
You can read more about this rifle in the separate guide on our website.
Good luck on the server!
