CS2 Support Role Meaning

The support role in CS2 is among the most counterintuitive of all the things you can do in the game. A support player wouldn't necessarily lead the K/D charts, and can receive a lot of criticism because of that. At the same time, neither AWPers nor Entry-Fraggers can do their job without a timely thrown flashbang or smoke.

So, what does it mean to adopt a CS2 support team role? What are the responsibilities, which skills should be mastered first, and does this role suit your game style? Let’s break down all these aspects step-by-step to finally define whether this role is necessary and why.

Who is CS2 Support?

The CS2 Support player role is focused on helping teammates and establishing map presence. In practice, support’s responsibilities include advanced utility usage, information gathering, and economy management. In other words, adopting a CS2 support role means you’re likely quite altruistic, being ready to sacrifice a chance for personal glory for better team results.

Since grenades are the most obvious part of the Support’s job, let’s take a look at how such a player can be useful in a particular round on T-side Ancient:

Let’s assume your team decided to make a fast B-site rush. The first thing you need to do as a Support is use a pretty simple line-up for three smokes from the same spot as fast as possible. This way, you will cover your Entry-fraggers who should run fast and make contact.

If your teammates still need some help after you throw all the smokes, run fast to the B site to throw the remaining utility. It can be flashbangs to clear the Long Corner and Back Alley, or a Molotov to cut off any help from the CT Spawn. If you’ve done everything right, you can come up to the Doors and cover the T-Lower and Heaven, keeping your teammates' backs.

Even if your teammates were killed by CTs during a retake, leaving you in the 1v2 post-plant situation, or you are smoked on the Ramp, you can use a few easy but reliable ways to throw grenades or spam from T-Lower or Cave to kill a defuser.

Main Tasks of Support in CS2

Throughout the different versions of the game, the tasks and responsibilities associated with Counter-Strike Support role didn’t change much:

Throw Supportive Grenades

The main element of the supporting playstyle in a game like CS2 is to throw grenades to help your teammates deliver more impact. For instance, if your team’s Entry or Sniper has a good spawn, the task of throwing basic smokes will go to the team’s support. Depending on the map, providing the team with timely flashbangs and other utilities in the mid or late-round can be just as essential.

In-Time Trade or Sacrifice

The CS2 Support team role also requires a good understanding of in-match trading and its applications. It’s often advisable for a support player to follow Entry-fragger closely and always be ready to sacrifice or trade himself if the situation demands it.

Gather Information

A good Support should know how other roles act on every map and gather more info as the match goes on. It is different from what Lurkers are doing, as the role mainly involves listening for sound cues and adjusting in-round strategy. For instance, Dust 2 Catwalk is a near-perfect support spot, as simply being there provides you with a lot of info about enemy rotations.

Provide Team With Better Weapons

A Support is also the donor who allows the team’s star players to get good guns earlier in the game. One of the best examples is the Natus Vincere (2018 revision), with young “s1mple” and older “Zeus” and “Edward” in the squad. The young Oleksandr was the one who could win any round with a Desert Eagle or AK in his hands. Therefore, his teammates bought him everything he needed, which often paid off even in the near-unwinnable rounds. That is a clear example of what a Support can do for their team when accompanied by other proficient players.

What Loadout Should a Support Have?

The best CS2 weapon loadout for a Support does not differ much from what any other player should bring. The main emphasis is on executing the team’s strategy and going for the cheapest reasonable options, as the CS support role is seemingly synonymous with personal sacrifices.

Pistols

Many teams love Dual Berettas on the pistol rounds, and dropping those pistols can give your star teammates a bonus in the form of Kevlar or other utility. Other pistols that can swing the course of a match in your favor are Desert Eagle and P250, with Five-Seven and Tec-9 being a good addition while playing for the side that can get these.

SMGs

The only obligatory weapon here is the cheapest farming gun, so you can’t go wrong with a Mac-10 or MP9. Everything else is up to you and your teammates' preferences — it can be Negev, P90, MP7, XM1014, or other SMGs.

Rifles

Once again, the focus here is to give your teammates some economic advantage. SSG 08, AWP, and the cheapest rifle (FAMAS or Galil-AR) can all be of immense help if you drop one for your rifler. Of course, AK-47 is beyond competition and is a must when playing as Ts. For Counter-Terrorists, the situation is a bit more complicated with M4s, SCAR-20s, and AUGs, so you’ll be better off relying on your situational awareness.

Grenades

Although grenades aren’t part of the pre-game loadout choice, you should still have a good idea of which of them you’ll need. Support players usually utilize all four grenade types, depending on the strategy in the round. For instance, if your teammates want to make a fast push, you should have two flashbangs, and if your role is to keep opponents at bay, go for HE, Incendiary, and smoke.

How to Become a Pro Support?

For those who are serious about the role and want to improve their theoretical understanding of it, we present the following:

Master Altruistic Mindset

A Support role requires an altruistic approach to the game. It means enjoying how your teammates destroy blind opponents just as much as delivering headshots yourself. Remember that Counter-Strike is a team game, and providing timely help that leads your squad to victory can be a rewarding experience in its own right.

Learn More Grenades

Almost all the Pros know hundreds of grenade spots, but perfect Support should learn the same number for each map. While such a number may sound too high, simply count how many spots and firing angles each bombsite has (10 or more), and imagine learning at least two flashbangs for each. Then add Molotovs, smokes, and HEs that can destroy those positions, and you’ll end up with far more than a hundred specific spots for each map. Yes, there is no need to know a hundred nades for each bombsite to enjoy CS2, but we are talking about what a pro-level support should be able to do.

Follow Demo’s of the Best Pro Players

Following tiny details of the CS2 Support pro role in real games can help you evolve far past the usual training. Oftentimes, this role is taken by IGLs, and experienced lions like “karrigan,” “apEX,” or “Aleksib” are a good role model for aspiring Supports. You can also watch demos of NaVi’s “jL,” “xertioN” from MOUZ, or HEORIC’s “sjuush” — those guys are successfully combining a Support position and impressive personal stats.

Break Down Other Roles’ Duties

A CS Support is a universal soldier in the team who should know every potential threat. Thus, knowing maximum firing angles allows you to prepare a perfect grenade to assist your teammate, while understanding opponents' behavior will help to outsmart them. While AWPers usually prepare to counter an opposing sniper, or Entry learns the spots of countering Anchor, a Support should know them all, including a calling style of the IGL.

Conclusion

Although the CS2 Support meaning speaks a lot for this role’s duties, this is one of the two most challenging positions in a squad (alongside IGLing, which is psychologically exhausting). To become a good Support, you should have excellent game knowledge, and understanding of other roles, and delegate the game basics — shooting and killing — to a secondary place in your gameplay. At the same time, reliable support can easily be a team carry, helping others perform better and becoming a team’s godfather. And for the Supports reading this, you’re our precious angels, and we love you. Good luck!