Strafe Commands Help & Examples
Despite the importance of aiming in the game, if you do not know how to move correctly, then you’re in trouble.
Moreover, we are not only referring to strategic movements on the game map and feints but also to actual in-game movements such as running, small strafes, and jumps. While the strafe technique in CS might seem complex in theory, it is actually quite simple to master with practice. So, let’s take a closer look…
Strafe: What Is It?
Movements your avatar makes to the left and right are called strafing. This is important because when you learn to sense when your character stops during movement, your aiming and shooting will start to become more accurate. What’s more, the more precise your movements are, the less chance your opponent has to hit you.
Many experienced multiplayer shooter players will use short strafes to try and make it difficult for enemies to aim – rather than staying in one place and becoming a sitting duck. As we all know, hitting a moving target is a lot more difficult than trying to hit a stationary one.
Beginners often make one big mistake: if they see an enemy and miss their first shot, they will then crouch and keep firing in short bursts. This technique is usually pretty ineffective because it leaves the player vulnerable, sitting right in the enemy’s line of sight – and fire. Crouching slows your movements and makes it hard to change your position quickly or use cover effectively. Additionally, the time it takes to stand up and move out of the enemy’s aim can be fatal.
Mastering the Basics of Strafe
In theory, strafing seems to be fairly simple, but in practice, it can be quite challenging and not as easy as it seems due to its multiple components that will require lots of time and practice to master. The main difficulties lie in the length of the run and the stop. You need to strafe to the sides in short, quick jerks because while running, your weapon aiming accuracy will be seriously reduced. It’s also important that you shoot immediately after stopping. A brief press of the opposite key will stop your character, which will then stabilize the weapon and make it ready for the next accurate shot to be made.
Besides aiming and keeping the crosshair on the enemy, you will also need to consider the strafe distance and the speed at which your character stops. The top professional and most experienced players are able to capture these moments so precisely and exactly that their shooting appears almost continuous. However, this isn’t quite the case. When running, the weapon’s spread prevents accurate hits, causing bullets to miss the target and go off in random directions.
Training for Strafe
We would recommend that you train your strafing on specialized Counter-Strike maps or a KZ server. The great news is that there are a lot of CS maps that have been specifically designed for training your shooting and aiming skills.
The mechanics of strafing are pretty difficult to grasp from theory alone—you will really need to experience them firsthand. Before delving into training, spend a few moments in CS to understand how your character’s momentum works. Move left and right, occasionally releasing the movement keys. This will help you to get a proper feel for the strafe and momentum mechanics.
You can start out with basic counter-strafe training on any map. Stand near a wall and mark two points close to each other. Then, Strafe between these points, counter-strafe, and shoot. After a few sessions, you’ll start to understand the mechanics better and will be able to use them much more effectively in matches.
For more advanced training, especially prefiring with strafes, Yprac maps are ideal (you’ll find a number of these maps available in the workshop). These maps essentially allow you to practise strafing on real maps from the map pool, with bots providing resistance. Focus on using strafes and hiding behind cover after each frag rather than rushing through the map. This methodical practice will help you to improve your strafing skills and ultimately boost your performance in actual Counter-Strike matches. It is worth practising if you see Counter-Strike as more than just a game.
What is Counter-Strafe?
So, what is Counter-strife in Counter-Strike? Well, this is an even more interesting term that refers to the technique of stopping your player avatar from quickly during a strafe. This method is incredibly important for accurate shooting, as it is almost impossible to achieve proper precision while you’re moving.
To shoot accurately without staying still and being vulnerable, players use counter-strafing. To perform this, you need to press the movement key in the opposite direction while strafing. This action will stop your player avatar quickly, which means there will be no further movement and will thus allow you to shoot more accurately at the target.
If you are executing a short strafe, counter-strafing will make your character stop instantly. However, if the model has been moving in one direction for a longer period of time, the stop will not be quite as immediate – and will need more precise timing to achieve accuracy.
How to Use Strafing in Your Game
There are several ways to use the strafe and counter-strafe mechanics in CS:GO.
Strafe for a lunge
This is the traditional method of counter-strafing, which involves the player jumps out, quickly emerging from cover while simultaneously pressing the opposite direction movement key. This will completely stop your character’s movement, which leads to more precise shooting. This is a widely used technique that is often used instinctively by players, even those who don’t even have a deep understanding of its mechanics.
Strafe with a squat
This action is performed similarly to a standard counter-strafe, but the squat strafe involves crouching in addition to the regular movement sequence. This technique will allow you to quickly readjust your aim for shooting while also reducing your hitbox size – thus making them harder targets. However, crouching does limit your mobility, which can make it difficult to quickly maneuver and retreat from combat situations.
Shoulder strafing
This technique basically entails your character cautiously strafing so that it can peek around corners, allowing you to gather up information on enemy positions. This is a commonly used strafe to bait snipers into taking a shot – and reveal their location in the process.
Circle Strafing
Circle strafing skills in CSGO refers to a technique where your character moves in a circular motion around an opponent while maintaining aim and firing. This strategy is often used to dodge enemy gunfire while keeping up your accuracy and positioning for a counterattack.
The primary purpose of strafes is essentially to evade enemy fire and make it much more difficult for your opponents to aim accurately at you. However, certain types of strafes can also be used to gather information and mount counter attacks against adversaries.
Although the strafe technique in CS:GO may seem complex in theory, once you get the hang of it, it’s relatively simple to grasp in practice. Once you have familiarized yourself with the mechanics of movement, including inertia and model stopping, navigating Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will become much smoother. With plenty of practice on counter-strafes and pre-fires, you’ll transition from moving aimlessly around the map to navigating strategically and with greater clarity.
The Importance of Strafe in Counter-Strike
As you can see, strafing is a hugely important movement technique in Counter-Strike, essential for both offensive and defensive gameplay. Understanding and mastering strafe can have a massive impact on your performance, making it a vital skill if you want to be considered a serious player.
- Movement and Evasion:
Strafing allows you to move sideways while maintaining your aim, so you’ll be able to dodge incoming fire much more effectively. This lateral movement makes it a lot trickier for your enemy to land shots, especially in close-quarters combat. By strafing unpredictably, you will basically make yourself a harder target – and increase your chances of survival.
- Peeking Corners:
Strafing is also important for peeking around corners safely. By combining quick strafes with precise aiming, you will only expose yourself to enemy fire for the smallest amount of time, reducing the risk of getting hit. This technique, known as “shoulder peeking,” can help you to get information about enemy positions without fully committing to a corner.
- Maintaining Accuracy:
While moving, your shooting and aiming accuracy in Counter-Strike is normally greatly reduced. However, by mastering strafe shooting, you’ll be able to better synchronize your movements to stop momentarily, fire accurate shots, and then keep on moving. This method, often called “stutter stepping,” lets you maintain a balance between mobility and accuracy, which is very important for winning gunfights.
- Creating Angles:
Strafing helps you to create better shooting angles and avoid predictable lines of sight. By using strafes, you’ll be able to reposition yourself dynamically, making it harder for your opponent to pre-aim and predict your movements. This fluidity in movement can give you a huge tactical advantage.
- Advanced Techniques:
Advanced strafing techniques, like counter-strafing, involve quickly tapping the opposite movement key to stop instantly, which can be used for super-fast changes in direction and improved shooting accuracy. If you can master these techniques it really can make you incredibly agile and accurate, and take your gameplay to an even higher level.
Ultimately, strafing is a very important skill in Counter-Strike that improves your movement, accuracy, and tactical positioning. By practising and using these strafing techniques in your gameplay, you will become a much more formidable and elusive player when you take to the battlefield.
CSGO Strafe FAQs
What is strafing in CS GO?
Strafing in CS GO refers to the sideways movement of your player model using the “A” (left) and “D” (right) keys. This technique will help you to dodge enemy fire, peek around corners, and stay mobile while shooting.
Why is strafing important?
Strafing is important because it allows you to move laterally, making you a harder target for your opponents to kill. It also helps you peek around corners safely, keep up your shooting accuracy when moving, and create better shooting angles.
How do you strafe effectively?
Effective strafing involves using the “A” and “D” keys to move sideways while also managing your aim with the mouse. You can practise synchronizing your movements with brief pauses to help you shoot accurately, sometimes referred to as “stutter stepping.”
What is counter-strafing?
Counter-strafing is a more advanced technique where you need to quickly tap the opposite movement key (e.g., tapping “A” after moving right with “D”) to stop instantly and shoot more accurately. This can help you to be much more precise when performing rapid directional changes.
How does strafing impact my shooting accuracy?
While moving, your accuracy in CSGO decreases quite a lot. How by mastering strafing techniques, such as counter-strafing, you will be able to momentarily stop to shoot accurately and then keep on moving – a perfect blend of mobility and precision.
What are strafe commands?
In CSGO, strafe commands like “+strafe” and “-strafe” can alter your movement controls. The “+strafe” command will allow your mouse to control straight line lateral movement instead of looking around, which can be useful for specific training scenarios. The “-strafe” command will then disable this effect.
Can strafing help in dodging enemy fire?
Yes, strafing can help you to dodge enemy fire by making your movements a lot more unpredictable. If you are constantly changing your direction while moving your character sideways, it can make it much more challenging for opponents to aim, hit you and kill you.