Mastering The Ak In Counter-strike: Source

There is an art form to the proper usage of the AK-47 in Counter-Strike: Source. Where many players choose to hold down the mouse button to ‘spray and pray’ as the saying goes, you can improve your game manifold with a few simple adjustments to your play style. Take these tips into account and watch those headshots roll in. Soon enough you too will be receiving the inverse compliment of the votekicks and bans from players and admins who simply cannot believe that you aren’t cheating.

1. Aim for the head. This sounds incredibly simple and obvious, but many players don’t do this. As you’re dashing around your favourite map, hold your crosshairs at head level. Don’t allow them to drop, and certainly don’t point them at the ground. This measure will save you precious milliseconds when an enemy appears. All you have to do is mouse over him and click. If you’re having trouble finding the proper level, simply adjust your aim when you spawn by mousing over the heads of your teammates. Remember not to shoot, as many servers enable friendly fire.

2. Fire in bursts. All of the weapons in CS have varying levels of recoil. The AK, being the most powerful automatic rifle in the game, accordingly has a great deal of recoil. For me, I find the two round burst works best. This type of firing is most efficient at a medium range. In addition, these short bursts allow for quick recovery from recoil, allowing you to put the maximal amount of bullets downrange with the most efficiency. If your target is quite distant (think all the way at the other end of the water on Aztec) then fire in bursts of a single round, aiming at the head. Anymore and the shots will miss.

3. Pull down and to the left while spraying. If you get up close and personal with an enemy (think knifing range or a bit beyond) and your initial attempt at the headshot fails (because you were holding your crosshair at head level, right?) now is the time to hold down the fire button. While firing, pull your mouse toward the bottom left corner of your mousepad. This move is a lifesaver, and it scores many headshots. Once you get used to this you may even find that you end up aiming at the ground rather than at your target. Don’t worry, the recoil still puts the bullets where you want them.

4. Practice your strafe-shooting. This is more of a general tip, but used in conjunction with the above advice it can prove very effective for the AK. The basic method for this is to use the two keys you have bound for lateral movement (A and D in my case) to rapidly move left the right over and over. Each time you press the key to move in the opposite direction you also fire. The way the Source engine interprets movement makes it think you have momentarily come to a standstill, thus providing you the opportunity to squeeze of a quick shot. This method is effective against both the dreaded AWPer and other automatic rifle users, as it make it difficult to get a fixed shot at you.

There you have it. Keep these four simple tips in mind while you are running around on your favourite server and watch your Kills per Death ratio soar. 

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