The train has departed and this week we arrive in Morocco for our next map: Mirage. This is another map that revolves around mid control. There are numerous ways to achieve this, but it's not as straightforward as it used to be. Due to how easy it is to either throw a molotov or to smoke off the window room, it's rarely a good idea to go for the early peek unless you have a plan for what to do if you find yourself surrounded by a gray cloud.

Let's start with the set up. Generally I like to play one player on the B-site, whose job it is to spot enemies and call for backup. I would advise against peeking from the van unless you have an AWP and are ready to fall back after the initial shot. It's still a risk due to how easy it is for terrorists to rush down a solo AWPer on B. I would suggest that you try to go for jump peeks from time to time. Even if they're ready for it you're difficult to hit and you'll get loads of information!

The next player is the player on cat. Their role is crucial for your team, but it can be quite challenging. They will listen for footsteps towards underpass or in B apartments. Other than that they'll make sure no one can enter connector without your team knowing. The challenging part is to know when to let go of connector and assist your buddy over at B. Just don't forget to let your team know that connector is open when you do.

Next in line is the other mid player. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't like to peek from window room unless it's a quick peek and you spawned close. Aside from the smokes and molotovs, you risk getting killed early on. If that happens the terrorists can push whichever site they want, knowing that the defenders from the other site will be late to the party. Instead I like to have the mid guy in window room peeking catwalk. If he gets smoked off he can wait for a few seconds and then put down a molotov on cat and then decide if it's best to rotate towards connector, market or to simply stay put. Should the terrorists on the other hand choose to go aggressive towards connector, he can use this pop flash to peek and hopefully secure a kill.

The last two players are obviously the ones on A. It's rare to see an A-push without smokes towards CT spawn, jungle and stairs these days. That makes it a walk in the park for terrorists to isolate defenders on A-site, which is why I'd recommend peeks from far back. CT stairs, danger box and the area around stairs are excellent spots. Once you see the smokes come in you should call for backup and then assess the situation. If they don't seem to push you can tell your teammates to go back to their previous positions. If they however do push you can try to use the smokes to your advantage. Call for a flashbang onto site from either connector or jungle and then jump up on ticket.

Another great option is to spray through the smoke as soon as you hear the bomb plant. If you manage to drop the bomb you have gained valuable seconds for your team to get in position for the retake.

On the next page: how to handle eco rounds, plus a few neat tricks.

Eco rounds

Sometimes you'll find yourselves a little short on money, in which case it's time for an eco round. I'd suggest that you push up mid from connector and use a flashbang to try to catch any peeking terrorists off guard to secure a weapon or two. Just don't do this every eco round as it will get pretty obvious after a while. If you have a little more money you can go for a grenade stack on A and wait for smokes to come flying over T ramp and then welcome the push with your explosives.

A few neat tricks

If you feel confident and want an early advantage you can show off your acrobatic skills and push palace. Smoke T ramp and jump up on the balcony. Once you're in position your friend can flash you in from stairs.

If you get a kill you've made their A-attack a lot weaker. If you on the other hand don't find a terrorist at all you can start to slowly advance. Think Metal Gear Solid. Just remember that you only have one player defending A, so it's important that he re-smokes T ramp to buy you a few extra seconds. Once you make it all the way to T spawn you will have a good idea as to where the final push will happen.

The retake from market to B can be quite tricky as you have two really tight choke points to choose from. To make that endeavor a little easier you can use this smoke from CT spawn:

Just remember that this is a double-edged sword, as it will give the terrorists more options in addition to taking options away.

This next trick will take some practice, but can be really useful. Let's say you're going for a retake on B and get spotted early on inside market. Then it's really unexpected for you to show up on catwalk just seconds later.

Find all of our Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map guides here:

• Inferno Counter-Terrorist guide
• Inferno Terrorist guide
• Cache Counter-Terrorist guide
• Cache Terrorist guide
• Overpass Counter-Terrorist guide
• Overpass Terrorist guide
• Cobblestone Counter-Terrorist guide
• Cobblestone Terrorist guide
• Train Counter-Terrorist guide
• Train Terrorist guide

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