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Title

Introduction
Getting Started
Weapons Breakdown
General Map Strategies
Individual Map Strategies
Guide Contents

Chapter Two: Weapons Breakdown

Counter-Strike has a wide variety of weapons that you can buy, but they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. These weapons are the tools of your trade, and knowing which ones to buy and which to avoid will make you a better tradesman.

Pistols

Pistols are the least expensive of the weapons in Counter-Strike. And while they might lack the firepower of the rifles and submachine guns, they can still be quite deadly when used properly.

screenshot Heckler & Koch USP Tactical

Retail name: K&M .45 Tactical
Caliber: .45 ACP
Price: $500
Clip capacity: 12
Description: As a counter-terrorist, your default weapon will always be the H&K USP Tactical. While it's a formidable pistol, it lacks the firepower of some of the more expensive sidearms. One advantage it does have, however, is the ability to be silenced by using its special weapon function. While silencing makes this pistol slightly less powerful than it normally would be, doing so makes it a little more accurate. Silencing almost completely hides its gunfire noise and masks its muzzle flashes, all of which make it perfect for catching terrorists by surprise.
Recommended use: Attach the silencer to the USP before the round begins. Doing so makes it a much more effective weapon, especially at catching other players off guard, since they won't know they're being fired at until they actually get hit.

screenshot Glock 18

Retail name: 9x19 Sidearm
Caliber: 9mm
Price: $400
Clip capacity: 20
Description: The Glock is the default weapon for all terrorists. It's slightly less powerful than the H&K USP, but its maximum rate of fire is limited only by your finger speed. So the faster you can click your mouse, the faster this semi-automatic pistol will fire. Additionally, its special weapon function is a triple-burst fire, which is deadly at close range. This mode makes the Glock very inaccurate, though, and using triple-burst over any distance longer than point blank isn't recommended.
Recommended use: The Glock might not be very powerful, but its maximum rate of fire is only limited to your finger speed, so the faster you click on that attack button, the more effective the Glock becomes. Always aim at your enemy's head while using the Glock, otherwise it'll take several shots to the torso to kill anyone. And while it might be tempting to use its triple-burst mode, you should stay away from it because of its horrible accuracy.

screenshot Desert Eagle

Retail name: Night Hawk .50C
Caliber: .50AE
Price: $650
Clip capacity: 7
Description: The Desert Eagle, affectionately called the "deagle" by Counter-Strike veterans, is the most powerful pistol you can buy in the game. At the start of the very first round on a new map, most people will forgo their default pistols and buy one of these portable cannons instead. The Desert Eagle can penetrate some walls and doors, which is a distinction that only the most expensive rifles own. However, it's severely limited by a maximum clip capacity of seven rounds and a longer than average reload time.
Recommended use: Since you start the first round of each game with $800, usually you should buy a Desert Eagle. It'll give you and your team a supreme firepower advantage over the other team, who'll likely be carrying either Glocks or USPs. Because the gun only carries seven rounds, you should reload at every opportunity you have. Also, don't forget that this is the only pistol that can penetrate various walls and objects, so if you spot an enemy reloading behind a door or a crate, shoot right through it. The Desert Eagle loses its appeal after the first round, however, since it can be overpowered by any submachine gun or rifle.

 
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