Assassin Maps (AS_ maps)

Learn how to play Counter-Strike 2 Assassin (AS_) maps! Understand VIP roles, CT objectives, Terrorist goals, and essential HUD elements for victory.

Alright, let's talk about Assassin maps in Counter-Strike 2, often called AS_ maps. These are a bit different from the usual bomb defusal or hostage rescue. On these maps, your main job as a Counter-Terrorist (CT) is to keep the VIP alive and escort them to a specific point on the map. If you're playing as a CT, you can actually choose to be the VIP yourself from the team selection screen. Just remember, the VIP can't pick up any other weapons – they're stuck with the USP pistol they spawn with. The Terrorist team's goal is simple: eliminate the VIP. If they succeed, they win the round. If they fail, the CTs win.

Now, there's a general rule that applies to almost all map types: if all players on one team get eliminated, the other team wins. The only real exception is on bomb defusal (DE_) maps. If a Terrorist plants the bomb and then gets killed, the CTs don't automatically win. They still have to defuse the bomb by holding down the [E] key while standing over it.

Team Selection & Spawning: When you first join a server, you'll see a Message of the Day (MotD) explaining the server rules. Seriously, read it! Ignoring it could get you banned. After you hit 'ok', you'll get to pick your team. If you want to see the scores before committing, hit the TAB key. Sometimes, the scores are shown right with the team selection. If you don't mind potentially missing a round, you can hit 'spec' (spectate), then TAB to check scores, and join the game on the next round. Once you're on a team, you'll pick your character skin. For Terrorists, the '1337 Krew' skin is usually best because they have the smallest player model, making you a harder target. For CTs, go for the GIGN skin – their head model is smaller, which is obviously a huge advantage. When you first join, you might be put in spectator mode until the current round ends. Just hang tight, chat with people, and watch how others play to learn. After the round, you'll spawn in – this is where you start each round and where you can buy gear.

Buying Gear: Buying weapons and equipment is super important. While you can pick up dropped weapons, you can't pick up equipment (except for the CTs' diffuser kit on bomb maps). Press the [B] key by default to open the buy menu. It's broken down like this:

• 1- Pistols
• 2- Shotguns
• 3- Sub-machine Guns
• 4- Rifles
• 5- Machine Guns
• 6- Primary Ammo
• 7- Secondary Ammo
• 8- Equipment
• 0- Exit

You can find more details on what each weapon category means in Section 3.0. After picking your weapon, don't forget to grab ammo, Kevlar, and maybe a grenade or two. Once you're kitted out, pull out your knife or pistol and move quickly to your starting position, whether you're attacking or defending. The best spots for each map are usually covered in the map-specific sections of this guide.

The HUD Explained: The Heads-Up Display (HUD) shows you all the important info that isn't part of the game world itself. Your ammo count, for example, is part of the HUD.

• Radar: That green circle in the top-left corner is crucial. It shows you where your teammates are and if they've advanced. If they're stuck somewhere and you push ahead without knowing, you're likely to get picked off. For instance, as a Terrorist on Dust, use the radar to see if your teammates have pushed into the tunnels. If they haven't and you go alone, you'll probably die instantly. Here's what the dots mean:
  • Red Dot: VIP on AS_ maps, or the Bomb location on DE_ maps.
  • Purple Dot: Teammate.
  • T shape: Teammate above you.
  • Upside down T: Teammate below you.
  • Yellow dot: Teammate using voice chat or commands.
• Weapon/Equipment Selection Menu: This is where you switch between your gear. Pro tip: type hud_fastswitch 1 into your console. This lets you switch weapons just by pressing the number key, making it way faster in combat. The number keys correspond to:
  • 1- Primary weapon
  • 2- Secondary weapon (pistol)
  • 3- Melee weapon (Knife)
  • 4- Grenades (Flashbangs, HEs, Smokes)
  • 5- Bomb (only for Terrorists on DE_ maps)
• Health: This shows your current health. You die at zero. Health doesn't regenerate, so getting shot or falling can be dangerous.
• Armour: You need to buy armour for this meter to show up. If it's at zero, you either didn't buy any or it took too much damage. You won't die if your armour breaks, but you're definitely more vulnerable.
• Round Timer: This counts down until the round ends. If the bomb gets planted, the timer disappears. If a team wins before time runs out, the round ends early.