Credit: Steam Community CS:GO roles have something in store for everyone. You like creeping behind the enemy’s lines? Go lurker. You like rushing onto a site like a mad dog? Go entry fragger. You like bombing a site to smithereens? Try support.
In fact, read this article on all CS:GO roles explained in brief if you want to quickly get the idea of what role might interest you the most.
However, if you are the kind of guy or gal who likes to patiently nest and pick off your enemy as soon as they show as much as an eyelash on the horizon, you’ll love the AWP role.
AWPers are a different breed. They need to be composed yet super jumpy when they need to pull the trigger. These players are usually the reason why you hate playing online if you lack skill.
Imagine making a turn behind a wall when rotating only to see your character falling onto the ground dead the next millisecond. The fact you need more time to soak in what happened than the same AWPer to take out the teammate that followed you is what constantly generates hate toward the AWP role.
However, AWPers are critical players that need to cover long and open spaces in order for rotations to be successful. If you have a reliable AWPer on your team, you’ll feel like you have a guardian angel.
Take a look at what this CS:GO role has in store for you, and keep reading this article to learn the best tips for becoming a better AWPer.
What Does the AWPer Do?
Every professional CS:GO team has a designated AWP holder. These players hold long angles and get easy pickings on designated areas on the map.
If you didn’t know what AWP means, it stands for Arctic Warfare Police, a type of CS:GO fan-favorite sniper rifle that can one-shot an enemy if you hit them anywhere but the legs. It has great accuracy, but a slow reload time. However, this is one of the most expensive weapons in the game and requires players that wield it (hence the name AWPer) to commit to a special regime during matches.
AWPers (pronounced “Ah-pers”) are players with the greatest aim and reflexes that know how to handle pressure and anticipation. With the right skills, they can help their team dominate matches. If you find a team with a strong AWP, make sure to bet on them and win big.
AWPers must know where to position themselves on each map to have the best angle and clear long-distance shots at their enemies. They provide excellent cover for their teammates and can easily pick off enemies that aren’t careful when crossing long distances (usually going for rotations).
Their main course is early fraggers that aren’t backed by support’s flashes, HE grenades, and smokes. However, to maintain the edge on their enemies, AWPers must be handy with pistols to be more mobile and save enough money to buy an AWP.
AWPers usually get one chance to blow the enemy’s brains out, as the long reload time of the AWP will put them in a not-so-great situation. By the time they reload or switch to a pistol, chances are they’ll be under heavy fire.
That way, similarly to the lurker role, AWPers must be top CS:GO players with superb mechanics that will make their enemies turn to dust as soon as they peek behind a wall.
Although AWPers need to cover critical angles on maps, they must be agile enough to make rotations, given they can sometimes be the nearest players to the rotating site.
If that’s the case, they must be ready for close encounters with pistols so they can provide enough time for their teammates to complete the rotation.
Tips for Being a Better AWPer
Aside from these essential skills, you’ll need to excel in mechanics and other aspects of the game.
Here are a few tips for improving your AWP scores and feeling like an American Sniper or Simo Häyhä AKA White Death anytime you nest on the map.
Put Some Hours In
If you want to develop a steady hand and timely reactions, we suggest you play the game with a more straightforward role to get the gist of it.
You can try your shot with snipers when you start feeling like nothing can surprise you during a match. Chances are, your experience will earn you the cold-bloodedness you need to handle one-shots flawlessly.
Practice Your Aim (Again)
Even though you might have great aim, handling a sniper won’t be the same deal as handling a rifle. You’ll need to adjust your eyes and hands to unique crosshairs and their mechanics.
Remember that if you carry AWP, you can one-shot anyone if you land the shot anywhere but on their legs. If you don’t have the budget for AWP and go with a low-budget sniper (which we don’t suggest), you’ll also need to practice headshots.
If you want to focus solely on your mechanics and aim, try playing practice and aim maps designed to improve your shooting skills.
Make Use of Your Pistol
Remember that pistols are your second best friend when you’re playing as AWPer. Don’t expect to carry one of the heaviest guns that take time to set up and easily defend yourself on the way to your nest.
You’ll need a good pistol to fend off lurkers or other enemies when you need to reposition to another location.
Also, if your team needs a hand on a site, you won’t be of much help crouching comfortably in your nest, waiting for the heat to pass by. Instead, grab your guns and help your teammates in need.
Learn Map Positions
You’ll need to learn every possible angle that gives you a decent cover for those slow reloads and a clear shot on your enemies.
Try learning the most popular maps that are played today. Pick one or two and start practicing your positions with bots until you feel comfortable enough to test them on your enemies.
For instance, Overpass has one of the best sniping nests in the game. From here, you can get a hold of B Short and B Long and easily access both sites if needed.
Learn Economy
As the AWP is some of the most expensive weapons in the game, try to be reasonable with your spending. Practice a few eco rounds or rely on your support to get your hands on the AWP after a few rounds.
Of course, be careful not to die and lose your expensive rifle. If you don’t have the skill to stay constantly alive, especially if you’re nesting, then go back and practice your aiming skills until you feel more comfortable.
Break the Patterns
You need to analyze two patterns during your game: your enemy’s and yours.
If you catch your enemy doing the same old again and again, be ready to break their routine with a few smart long-distance shots.
However, if your enemy finds out you love going for that particular spot round after round, get ready to be stabbed from behind.
Thus, learning your enemies’ habits and recognizing your own to be more versatile in play will be another thing to keep in mind when playing as an AWPer.
CS:GO Roles: AWPer Conclusion
Of course, many players like taking this highly rewarding role. However, only a few have enough skill to pull it off.
If you have superb mechanics and knowledge of CS:GO maps, you should test your nerves and play a few matches as AWPer to see how they go.
Although, if you saw a few matches pro players streamed years ago and think this looks fun and easy, get ready for some serious frustration.
AWPers are skillful players who can turn a match’s tide in less than a second. They will usually have a few chances to make their shots, and if they miss them, they’ll get overwhelmed by the enemy’s bullets.
Nevertheless, if you’d like to be on the top of the scoreboard and get all the fame and fanfare AWPers usually have, put in some serious hours practicing your sniper aim.
