RandomGuy

The major difficulty with going the apartment route as a CT on cs_italy is exiting the apartment onto the bridge. There may be Ts above you on the balcony and there may be Ts with their sights on the doorway waiting for you to appear. The situation calls for flashbangs, but the geometry of the doorway makes it impossible to throw the flash far enough out the doorway to blind the Ts for more than a second which is usually not enough time to get through and take them out. It's worse still if you have a group of teammates trying to get through. While the Ts are blind they can still nail you if their sights were already trained on the doorway by just firing while blind because they know you have to go through there.

We all know the benefits if you can make it through the doorway and get established: you're now on equal footing with the Ts and you can really help open up the stairway approach for your teammates.

Clearly some teamwork is needed to get the CTs safely out of the apartments. Here's one recipe for success:

It's pretty simple. CTs divide up into 2 groups. Group 1 is made up of 2 CTs with a full complement of smoke grenades and flashbangs each. Shortguns (shottie or SMG) will do. Group 2 is made up of the rest of the team who should have a frag and a few flashbangs between them. This group is better off carrying long rifles (m4s or augs).

Group 1 heads left out of spawn and takes positions on the staircase that heads into the wine cellar (don't go into the wine cellar itself). You must move quickly to pick off any Ts who try to get to get to the balcony above the apartments. Hold this position while Group 2 heads into the apartments and slowly works their way through.

Once Group 2 has made it through the apartments tell Group 1 you are "ready". Upon hearing this, Group 1 will move back down the stairs and throw their smoke grenades from below up as far back as possible to the corner where the Ts are sitting with their sights trained on the apartment exist. Wait 4 seconds for the smoke to accumulate and then throw the flashbangs back there too. Yell "go" and then move back up the stairs and this time go into the wine cellar and work your way through it.

When group 2 hears the "go" signal they pour out of the apartments and across the bridge. Toss a few frags and a flashbangs around the corner, but make sure you do it right. You must bounce the grenades around the corner so they dont blind your team. The smokescreen won't protect you from a bad flash. Do not go around the corner yet. Instead, get in position and wait for group 1 to get in position at the exit of the wine cellar.

Now co-ordinate the next thrust. When both groups are ready, someone gives the "flash" signal. Each group should throw one flash bang toward the general vicinity of the staircase leading to the T spawn. Once the flashes have gone off both groups move in and secure the T spawn area. It should be straightforward to kill all the Ts who have not retreated back into the hostage house.

Take up positions outside the hostage house and take out any Ts foolish enough to stick their heads out. From here on your team should be able to co-ordinate breaching the hostage house. Just work together, use both entrances and blind them with any remaining flashbangs.

Well, that turned out to rather long, but the plan is really quite simple. I tried to be descriptive so I wouldn't need screenshots, but if something's not clear let me know.

CingularDuality

Nicely written. I've seen this succeed many times just like you've described!

__________________

Become a supporting member! -- Shop at the Tactical Market!

Take the world's smallest political quiz! "I was touched by His Noodly Appendage."
TacticalGamer TX LAN/BBQ Veteran:

Usarion

Good stuff there. Thank You.

__________________



A good man stands up for himself. A great man stands up for others.

Root

Very helpful. I always kinda knew where I wanted to get to with a tactic for the apartment, but you beat me to it and rather articulately (is that a word?) too.

Root

TheFeniX

You can solo the apartments, but you gotta be damn good or damn lucky. Break that stupid armiore then angle a flash in there, setup with a scout and use that 1 second to your advantage.

Not recommended, but it can work in a pinch.

__________________

Vulcan

I like to create two levels of smoke up there. One at the corner and one at the start of the bridge (on t side). This sets up a double barrier so the T's can't just move forward and avoid the smoke and flash you are putting in the same spot. They can also turn around and pretty much miss it. The double layer smoke is very effective to allow the CT's to come out of the apartment safely.

__________________

Swoop

I use the cover to jump up to the roof of the apts as a CT. It allows for a positioned gunner to provide cover to advancing CTs. Helps to take out the Ts that jump around the corner and spray. Its hard for a T to be successful when the he has to spray vertically instead of horizontally. Plus the reaction of the T is cool "OMGWTFACTONTEHROOF"

-swoop-

AzzMan

When playing on italy, I always favor the mantrain up long hall with tons of smoke.

Appartments are the hardest one to get up, but they flank amazing. (Hello sniper in the window in the house, I will HS you with my TMP...)

RandomGuy

Good idea. I like it.

pimpcain

nice write up, ive been a part of this strat many times, now i know who to thank for it