It goes without saying that in order to carry effectively when ‘SoloQing’, you need to be a player who is strong mechanically. You need to have good movement and hit your shots. You need to be a jack of all trades who can win big clutches, entry frag and play as a smart bombsite anchor. However, even if you possess all of these qualities, if you don’t play the right maps, the right spots, or with the right mentality as a Terrorist, you simply won’t be able to consistently carry PUGs.



1. Play the right Counter-Terrorist positions



When playing a PUG solo, you need to be relying on your team as little as possible. This is easy to achieve on the Counter-Terrorist side if you play the right maps and play rotator positions. Rotator positions are positions where a Counter-Terrorist is in close proximity to a bombsite and will be able to aid the bombsite anchor if the site is under attack. However, a player who truly capitalises on these positions will, in fact, spend the majority of their time focusing on other areas of the map. If you are a mechanically skilled player, you can consistently get two or three kills every round by correctly positioning yourself throughout the round, which greatly swings your chances of winning in your favour. If possible, these rotator positions should be towards the bombsite that is more difficult to retake as if you lose the bombsite, you should have already lost your life as well. On the maps recommended below, playing the following positions is advised:

On Mirage, play B Short with an emphasis towards Middle until you get a kill or two, then fall back towards the B site.

On Cache, try to play around Highway or White Box focusing towards Middle. If the Terrorists attempt to execute onto the A bombsite, playing around Ladder, Forklift or the wooden box is advised.

On Cobblestone, learn to solo play A. Try to be always learning from your poor decisions, as this position is all about finding the balance between being aggressive for information, while not giving away your life for free. This allows your team to put four players towards the B bombsite, with two holding Drop and two holding Platform.

Here is a great video from vooCSGO on playing B Short on Mirage.

2. Play the right maps

Arguably, the most important thing to carrying PUGs is playing the right map. You want to be playing maps with strong rotator Counter-Terrorist positions, as well as maps which you feel personally confident about playing. In the end of the day, you need to be able to perfectly retake either bombsite from any position or win any 1vsX situation you might find yourself in. You need to be playing maps where you find yourself being most successful, be it due to good natural crosshair placement or playstyle, especially on the Terrorist side. However, as a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to avoid playing Nuke, Overpass and Inferno. These maps have no particularly strong Counter-Terrorist positions that allow you to have a major impact on multiple areas of the map, instead relying too much on having a good team to win Counter-Terrorist rounds. Instead, the recommended maps would be Cache, Mirage and Cobblestone. Cache and Mirage both have extremely strong Counter-Terrorist rotator positions, as well as large open spaces for entry fraggers on the Terrorist side to capitalise on. Cobblestone is in a unique position where a talented Counter-Terrorist can solo hold one of the bombsites. This is a rarity in the map pool and should be capitalised on.



3. Constantly try to have impact as a Terrorist

Finally, your biggest impact needs to come on the Terrorist side. You need to be able to do everything from supporting, entry fragging and getting picks, so staying on the AK-47 is advised. Also, having good map knowledge of one-way smokes, pop flashes and spams can really help you get those vital early picks, even when you don’t feel as crisp as you usually do. This is also when your mechanical skill can really come into play, allowing you to take clear 1vs1 duels early round or securing your team an opening in the round while entry fragging. Try to avoid leaving yourself to lurk, except on occasion, when you might throw your utility and use yourself as a fake while the rest of your team goes to the other bombsite. However, I would only recommend this if you already have the respect of your team by demonstrating your skill earlier in the game, as otherwise they are not likely to listen to your calls. Put simply, you need to step up and out-brain or out-aim the other team.



Here is yet another great video from vooCSGO, this time about having impact on the Terrorist side, even when you aren't hitting your shots.

In conclusion, playing PUGs solo is a stressful and difficult task, often relying on you to simply hard-carry your team to victory. You need to be able to maintain a consistently high level with your aim and make smart decisions round after round, preserving yourself, while not baiting teammates. PUGs play completely differently than the team game and you simply can’t rely on your teammates for anything. If you can queue with a skilled and relaxed friend or two, it will make winning consistently far easier but sometimes this simply isn't possible.