Counter-Strike Weapons

By Marty Greene

When you start a mission in Counter-Strike™ for Xbox, the first decision you're faced with is what gear to select, and you're in a hurry, so it's best to have a good idea of what you'll need. Every weapon is rated from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) in four categories:

Firepower
Your firepower rating indicates how much damage the weapon will deliver when you score a hit on an opponent.

Fire Rate
A weapon with a high rate of fire will deliver its damage (based on its firepower) more rapidly than a weapon with a lower rate of fire. But, it will also run out of ammunition that much faster.

Accuracy
The weapon's inherent accuracy assists in scoring hits on the target. A weapon with a high accuracy will hit more often than a weapon with a lower accuracy, given the same circumstances.

Reload Rate
The reload rate is the speed with which the weapon can be reloaded and ready to use. Getting caught reloading in the middle of a firefight can be deadly, so faster is better.

The weapons in Counter-Strike are divided into two types: Primary and Secondary. Primary weapons include rifles, submachine guns (SMGs), and heavy weapons, like shotguns and light machine guns. The Secondary weapons are all pistols. Most weapons are available to both terrorists and counter-terrorists, but a few are restricted to one side or the other.

Rifles
There are 10 rifles in the game, four of which are restricted to terrorists only and four of which are restricted to counter-terrorists only. Some rifles come with scopes, which allow two magnifications, both of which limit your field of view while in use. In addition, scoped rifles are not intended to be used without their scopes, so they provide no targeting reticle when you're in the normal full-screen view. Two rifles split the difference, granting only a single zoom mode, but maintaining a full-screen field of view while doing so and providing a targeting reticle at all times. As you can see in the table below, each rifle has its own advantages and limitations, and some are just plain average in all respects.

Submachine Guns
There are five SMGs in the game, one of which is reserved for the counter-terrorists and one of which is reserved for the terrorists. Like the rifles, each has its own perks, but there are clearer distinctions between the SMGs. some are just plain inferior, and you should only use those if you can't afford anything better. The two models from K&M are good choices for most players, but the ES C90's high ammo count means never having to say "Expletive Deleted!" when you run dry in the middle of a fight. It is, however, clearly inferior to the K&M models in other respects and is expensive to boot.

Heavy Weapons
There are only four heavy weapon options, all of which are freely available to both sides. The Ballistic Shield counts as a heavy weapon because it fills a Primary weapon slot in your gear. It comes with a pistol, the ES Five-Seven, whose stats are reflected below. The Ballistic Shield provides effective protection, but severely restricts your field of vision when in place.

Pistols
There are six pistols in the game, one of which is reserved for the counter-terrorists and one of which is reserved for the terrorists. The ".40 Dual Elites" is actually a pair of pistols—your player can hold one in each hand, which accounts for the high ammo count and long reload time. The Night Hawk is the most powerful handgun, but the all-around best secondary weapon is certainly the .45 Tactical.

Like everything in life, weapon choices are a give-and-take proposition. Naturally, it's best if a team coordinates its efforts and selects complimentary weapons for its team members. These tables should give you the information you need to make good choices, no matter what your affiliation.

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