Lately I have noticed more and more players in and around the Supreme and Global Elite ranks who are very unaware of the impacts they make on their in-game economy. This can potentially lose you multiple rounds in a row if you don’t win those crucial force-buy rounds. I decided to write a guide on economy control to help new players make intelligent decisions when it comes to their economy, and help players who are already familiar with the game touch up on their knowledge of the in-game economy.

Different Pistol Round Scenarios

Every single game of Counter-Strike includes two pistol rounds, they happen in the 1st and 16th round. These two rounds are extremely important and can get you to a three round lead if you play them out correctly. You have $800 to spend on these pistol rounds. If you are new to the Counter-Strike series then I recommend always starting with Kevlar during the pistol rounds, this gives you more survivability and allows for more mistakes to be made.

If you’re an experienced Counter-Strike player, you should consider buying a Defuse Kit (if CT side) and Grenades. Although not all five players should be buying defuse kits and grenades, if even one person sacrifices their Kevlar for utility it can make a huge difference in the pistol rounds and might be the missing factor to winning the round.

If you won the pistol round you should consider buying an SMG or a shotgun, as they awards you more money per kill ($600 for SMG kill and $900 for shotgun kill) and do a lot of damage against unarmored opponents, but keep in mind most players will force-buy the second round meaning they bought armor + pistol or a scout. While it is a smart investment to buy SMGs, it is also a good idea to have 1 or 2 players on rifles against armored enemies.

If you lost the pistol round as a CT you should always force. If you got a kill in the 1st round, consider buy a Scout or a Mag-7 as they can be extremely dangerous if used correctly. If you didn’t get a kill in the 1st round, you should buy Kevlar + Helmet and a pistol. Once again it is highly recommended to have at least one defuse kit. If you lose this round, you should save and your first full buy round should be round 4.

If you lost the pistol round as T and did not get a plant, you should force-buy. The most popular buy is Kevlar + Helmet and Tec-9, you can also purchase a P250 instead of the Tec-9 and buy a flashbang or Kevlar + Helmet and a Desert Eagle. If you can afford it you could also go for a Scout . If you lose this round, you should save and your first full buy round should be round 4.

If you lost the pistol round as a T and you planted the bomb, you should save, as they extra money from the plant will make it possible for your team to buy Kevlar + Helmet, AK-47 and some grenades.

Full Buying as a Counter-Terrorist

The very first decision as a CT player you need to make is if you should buy Helmet on your buy round, you shouldn’t buy Helmet when you know the enemy will have AK-47s and AWPs as they are 1 shot to the head anyway. This simple tip seems to be overlooked a lot and can actually save you a large amount of money on your CT side.

You won’t always have the same economy as your teammates and you might end up being a little short for that precious AWP or even M4. In this case, you should consider your limited options and pick what you feel comfortable with. A lot of the players go for the UMP because of it’s high money reward and good armor penetration for an SMG, some go for the Famas as it only comes third to the M4 and AWP, others fall back on the shotguns to hold angles and rack up money. Whichever you choose to be your go to force weapon, you should always adapt to the weapons playstyle, such as playing close quarters with the shotguns.

In this situation your teammates should already have bought a Defuse Kit so it is not necessary for you to purchase one, but you should still buy grenades.

Full Buying as a Terrorist

As a Terrorist, you should always have a Helmet against the CT’s M4 as they will one shot you if you don’t have one.

Buying is a lot cheaper as a Terrorist so not being able to afford Kevlar + Helmet and an AK-47, this means you won’t need to force-buy on the Terrorist side as much as you would on the Counter-Terrorist side. If you do find yourself in a position where you have to force-buy, consider the Galil, Scout and Tec-9. I recommend the Galil for new players as it’s similar to the AK-47, and the Tec-9 for more experienced players that know how to use the utility that you will have available when buying this pistol. Whichever you choose to be your go to force weapon, you should always adapt to the weapons playstyle such as playing close quarters with the shotguns.

Extra Information

Knowing how much money you get per round is useful for calculating how much money you will have next round.

Victory by eliminating the enemy team - $3250

Time out win - $3250

Time out loss - $0

Bomb defusal win - $3500

Bomb detonation win - $3500

Loss #1 - $1400

Loss #2 - $1900

Loss #3 - $2400

Loss #4 - $2900

Loss #5 - $3400

Max Cash - $16000

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