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Mirage Map in Counter-Strike: Description of the Map and Gameplay Tactics

Mirage Map in Counter-Strike: Description of the Map and Gameplay Tactics

Mirage is a map based on the bomb planting scenario. The teams fight in a Middle Eastern setting, assumed by players to be in Iraq.

The "T" team must plant explosives at the embassy or destroy a weapons cache to take control of the city. The mission of the Counter-Terrorists is to prevent this scenario.

This map is quite popular, mainly because Mirage is a well-balanced map where both attacking and defending teams have equal chances of success.

Main Points on the Mirage Map

As with all competitive mode maps, the main points on Mirage are the A and B bomb sites. Players can reach the A bombsite through the Carpet, Pit, or Connector, and the B bombsite via Short or the same Carpet.

Additionally, there are several other key points on the map Mirage.

  1. Mid: The largest area on the map. Most of the major battles occur here.
  2. Tetris: Boxes where attackers hide after entering the A zone and planting the bomb, while Counter-Terrorists use them for ambushes during defense.
  3. Pillars: A spacious area near the A bombsite where "T" team members often run. Thus, Counter-Terrorists frequently set up ambushes here.

Tactics for the "T" Team

Players on the "T" side must prioritize controlling Mid. To achieve this goal, it’s important to learn how to perform smoke setups, as safely reaching Mid requires throwing a smoke grenade at the window (advice from professional esports player Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov).

Additionally, a few more smokes will be necessary to disrupt the enemy at other key points. Once you’ve secured Mid, you should either perform more smokes or execute an open kill. At this stage, the enemy will be divided into two groups, and you’ll be able to easily proceed to plant the bomb.

Important! When playing as "T", it’s not necessary for the entire team to rush for Mid control. It’s also possible for a few players cs2 to stay in Palace or Apartments, keeping an eye on the defending team and relaying information about their movements and actions to teammates.

Tactics for Attacking the A Bombsite

To safely enter the A bombsite, it’s essential to remember that success is unlikely without smokes and surprise. The latter isn’t always important in every round, but smokes will make a big difference. Flashbangs will help block most of the key positions, especially if the defense has a good sniper.

It’s important to enter the A site quickly. If you fail to plant the bomb before the smokes dissipate, the chances of failure increase significantly.

Tactics for Attacking the B Bombsite

Attacking the B bombsite follows a similar strategy as the A site. The team will need to buy 4 flashbangs, throwing two on Short, and one on the window and door from Kitchen. After that, the team should quickly enter the bombsite and plant the bomb.

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Tactics for the Counter-Terrorists

The defending team should take proper positions. The classic tactic involves having two players on A, two on B, and one on Mid. However, when playing against high-level opponents, this might not be effective. In many cases, experienced "T" players prefer to attack through Mid, so a 1-1-3 tactic can be more effective. If positions are chosen wisely, this can lead to a successful defense.

Tactics for Defending the A Bombsite

The A bombsite has three entrances for the enemy: Palace, Pit, and Mid. It’s an open site, but defending it is not overly difficult. This is because the Counter-Terrorists can flash the enemies and then leave their cover to launch an attack.

The primary objective for Counter-Terrorists isn’t to kill all enemies but to delay them so that teammates from Mid have time to rotate. Therefore, when defending the A site, don’t hesitate to spend money on smokes and other grenades.

Tactics for Defending the B Bombsite

The best recommendation for defending the B bombsite is to play aggressively. On many competitive maps, defensive aggression can be punishable, but on Mirage, the situation is different. Aggressive plays can be effective not only on Mid but also on the B site. However, this doesn’t mean you should always engage in direct confrontations.

Before counter-attacking, throw Molotovs or flashbangs at the enemies, and only then open fire. Alternatively, you might not push at all but instead take up a secure position, such as hiding behind the couch or wall. Attackers often check bombsite points but fail to think about the possibility of getting shot in the back.

Interesting Facts

  1. On the Mirage map, you can find 2 televisions with colorful SMPTE bars. A shot or a knife hit will cause the devices to stop working.
  2. The first version of Mirage was a user-made map called de_cpl_strike.
  3. The Mirage map has its own skin collection, also named Mirage, containing 15 skins cs2 for in-game weapons.
  4. Near the truck on the B bombsite, there is graffiti featuring an AWP with four red skulls. This is a reference to the legendary move by esports player Marcelo "coldzera" David, who managed to kill four enemies with a sniper rifle while jumping without using the scope.