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By now you'll have loaded up an M4A1 Carbine, shrieked at your monitor when "[DOA]Murphy" shot you through a wall, and had your sexual persuasion questioned by numerous scrubs who spend more time bitching than playing. You'll have gnawed your fist down to the bone as the newbie terrorist waved C4 around frantically instead of planting it, dismantled the radio immediately in "cs_italy", and accidentally shot a friend in the head at your starting point when you thought friend fire was off.

Welcome to the world of Counterstrike. If you've experienced more than one of these magical moments, this guide is for you. You'll find basic weapon information, numerous tactics you can employ to increase your team's chances of victory, and a detailed look at eight of the most popular Counterstrike levels around. So what are you waiting for? "Go Go Go!"

Primary Weapons Detail

There are 16 different primary weapons (i.e. excluding the pistols) in Counterstrike. Some like the chunky goodness of the FN M249 PARA. Others favor the lightweight Steyr AUG. With this in mind, we're listing our preferred weapons with plus and minus points to each one. You may have your own favorites, so if you see your pride and joy described as "fairly average", don't be appalled - the love of shiny metal objects that wound and maim is pretty subjective. And if you're after information on the pistols, here's some: Pick the Desert Eagle! Anyway, on with the gun show!

RATING - Each gun receives a rating from one to three stars:

* - Fair
** - Good
*** - Excellent

M3 Super 90 Combat Shotgun

RATING: *
Pros: Fantastic damage at close range. Nice and shiny.
Cons: Poor damage at long range. Extremely slow-loading.
Use: When you're low on cash, and are in a level with lots of close assault combat (Italy).

XM1014 Shotgun

RATING: **
Pros: Devastating damage at close range. Quick rate of fire - seven shots in succession can take down an elephant. Nicer and shinier.
Cons: Poor damage at long range. Slower rating of fire when reloading. Only seven shots, and 32 total.
Use: An underused weapon, this is the king of close combat.

MP5 Sub-Machinegun

RATING: **
Pros: Cheap, expendable gun and ammo. Gets the job done.
Cons: Bullet damage isn't the greatest, and needs reloading after a few short bursts.
Use: When you're being roundly beaten, and need a cheap machinegun to take down an enemy or two.

Steyr TMP Sub-Machinegun

RATING: *
Pros: Very cheap. Cuts through unarmored men like a (blunt) knife through butter. Your speed is high.
Cons: Armored enemies can withstand these bullets.
Use: Hit close, hit fast, and circle strafe with this pea-shooter.

UMP Sub-Machinegun

RATING: *
Pros: Cheap, a constant barrage of lightly wounding bullets. Your speed is high.
Cons: Bullet damage pretty low, and the speed of fire is sluggish.
Use: When you're tired of the MP5, can keep peppering an enemy until they fall, and you're after a change.

Mac10 Sub-Machinegun

RATING: *
Pros: Cheap reconditioned firearm. Cheap bullets. Just generally inexpensive.
Cons: Not as effective as the MP5, ranged combat is problematic.
Use: A good alternative to the MP5, but not worth saving $100 for. Go with the MP5.

FNP90 Sub-Machinegun

RATING: ***
Pros: Highly damaging, many bullets in the chamber, no need to constantly reload.
Cons: Expensive.
Use: If you can afford it, pepper the enemy with one of these. The extra ammo means you'll win a one on one.

Colt M4A4 Carbine Rifle

RATING: ***
Pros: Optional silencer. Devastatingly powerful bullets. Rapid fire. Can shoot through objects. A monster!
Cons: No telescopic abilities, you need a steady aim at range.
Use: For close and mid-range combat, there is no better.

SSG552 Commando Rifle

RATING: ***
Pros: Powerful, highly damaging bullets, and a telescopic lens. Can shoot through objects.
Cons: Not as rapid firing at the M4A4.
Use: Another sound investment for the terrorist - if you can afford it.

Steyr AUG Rifle

RATING: ***
Pros: Firing in quick bursts, this is exceptional. Added telescopic lens. Can shoot through objects.
Cons: Expensive, limited ammunition and slow (but constant) reload.
Use: If you need some telescopic range, then crouch and fire. If you don't decide between this and the M4A4. They're both great.

AK47 Rifle

RATING: ***
Pros: Extremely cheap and rips through enemies efficiently. Can shoot through objects.
Cons: Fast rate of fire means a lot of reloading, noisy, and no telescopic range.
Use: A terrorist's favorite - pick this over any machinegun - the added cost is minimal.

Arctic Warfare Magnum Sniper Rifle
RATING: **
Pros: Reasonably priced. A magnum, so one shot, one kill.
Cons: Difficult to make out enemies in darker areas.
Use: A faithful sniper rifle. For best results, crouch before you fire.

G3SG1 Sniper Rifle

RATING: ***
Pros: Fast rate of fire. Can be used as a regular weapon. Many bullets in chamber without reloading.
Cons: Bullets not as powerful as the magnums. Expensive.
Use: The preferred sniper rifle of choice. Not as powerful as the magnum, but handy in regular combat.

Steyr Scout Sniper Rifle

RATING: *
Pros: Inexpensive, with a long range. Aiming for the torso yields the best results.
Cons: Slow reloading, low bullet count.
Use: For the sniper rifle on a budget, this can be taken to long range and tested.

SG-550 Sniper Rifle

RATING: **
Pros: Holds more ammunition than the G3SG1, weaker bullets than the magnum. Cheap.
Cons: Less powerful than the G3SG1
Use: A cheaper alternative to the counter terrorist's staple sniper rifle. Great at regular range.

M249 PARA Machinegun

RATING: **
Pros: Outlandishly devastating. Huge weapons clip. A high rate of fire.
Cons: Inaccurate, hideously expensive, your move rate drops to a dawdling pace.
Use: When a teammate shouts, "cover me!" he means use this on the enemy. In bursts.