Mirage can be a complicated map at times. With many interconnecting routes, plenty of verticality and a number of well-known executes, it can be hard for both sides to play effectively - especially in a pug scenario. With most players now being aware of the T side A smokes popularised by Ninjas In Pyjamas, A executes can be a difficult prospect to hold off, especially with players potentially late pushing from Connector, Palace and even Jungle if they've been given a boost from Mid. Here are some of the key positions that you might want to hold as a CT and the methods that can be used to play them.

CT Spawn or Ticket Booth is a great area to hold for both AWPers and Riflers as a defensive position during both A takes and retakes. The position offers flexibility as you can head glitch at the Ticket Booth box as enemies enter site from A Ramp towards Tetris and take them out. If they enter site you can push back to the left and kill both people entering from Palace and pushing onto default plant positions as well as Firebox. Quite often during an A execute, CT will be smoked. However, to fully smoke off ticket box, an almost pixel perfect throw is required. If they smoke CT, you can jump on to the box and peek from the far right. You’ll be in the open but you’ll be hard to see and can quite often get a pick before the Ts will see you. If it’s fully smoked, you can opt to jump on Ticket Booth to surprise your enemy but often times it’s just better to sit back and play for the retake once the smoke has expired.

Olafmeister Spot or Triple Box is a fantastic spot to play on A Site that allows both aggressive and defensive possibilities. Generally in an A execute, most T's will be entering the site from A Ramp and Palace, this position enables you to peek left into A main and Tetris and right for players that push from Palace. Used in conjunction with another player watching the Terrorists' entry patterns, you can effectively remain hidden until the right time, peeking out to get a kill as they push out from either position then ducking back into cover. If you get overwhelmed and see the opportunity to escape, a simple flash over the box by bouncing it off the wall behind you can allow a quick escape into CT for the retake. Be careful of players pushing Connector, if you’re focused on A main it is easy for the T's to come up while you’re looking away and frag you. The only real way to stop this is having a team mate hold Mid or Connector directly.

Stairs is a safe spot to both hold and retake A Site. Players can elect to hold on Stairs directly, watching Palace and having the advantage of head glitching as the T's peek onto site. If you fail to win the duel or another player pops out you can drop down next to stairs to peek the same position, forcing the T's into a 50/50 pre-aim situation while you can basically play chicken.

Similarly Jungle can be used to hold a pixel gap on Palace seeing if T’s are attempting to work into that position. This is a good spot to counter an enemy AWPer. The benefit of Jungle is that it also allows you to more safely peak towards T’s crossing from A Ramp to site as you can take a couple of shots and back off into Sniper's Nest. From both of these positions you can also watch Mid via Sniper's or Connector, becoming a valuable teammate for the person holding Triple Box. However these positions are generally targets to be smoked off during an execution. While you can aggressively pop flash out, it is usually safer to sit back and retake site in this situation.

Triple Stack/Site is a great location for holding A Ramp and Tetris that offers a lot of flexible plays surrounding the box. From here you can peek left, focusing on A Ramp, peek right focusing on Tetris or jump on the box which also focuses on Tetris but allows you to duck for cover, potentially taking the Terrorists by surprise. With so many potential positions to play around this box it’s hard for T players to reduce your effectiveness with nades, making this position great for competent aimers. However, if you fail to hold back the T's, it becomes easy for them to overwhelm you without many options for counter smokes/flashes or retreats. The best way to play this spot is to peek early and get as many frags as you can when the T players are open on Tetris and Site. You’re effectively getting as many frags as possible to make it easy for your team to retake. Be careful of being pushed from Palace when watching Tetris. It's best to play this position with someone on Stairs or CT who can frag a Palace player before they push out.

Construction is a good spot to play if you’re looking to change up positions and play somewhere sneakier. You can change positions from Top of Palace to watch both the entry into A Site and Tetris and Unders to watch Tetris and players as they enter CT. This is a good spot to crossfire with a player at Olaf Spot, as when they enter and focus on you, your teammate can easily trade and vice versa. Unfortunately, it is easy to be naded from Palace in this position and you are essentially locked in to playing there because it’s nearly impossible to escape. Aim to frag quickly and use this position sparsely, because if the T’s expect you to be there it becomes ineffective and easily negated.

Mirage's A Site is difficult but rewarding to hold, as it is an open positon that requires a good knowledge of potential T strategies and a solid aim at long ranges. Generally make sure you smoke A Ramp on entering the site to reduce the chance of being rushed and be aware of the positions your teammates are holding to make sure you don’t get shot from behind. While some locations like Sandwich, Firebox and Ninja can be held, I consider them a little gimmicky and inflexible so I chose not to include them as major spots. Master these positions and work with your team and A Site won’t be a problem for you to hold.

Are you into fantasy leagues? Then check out AlphaDraft and put together your allstar lineup!