SSG-08 vs AWP in CS2: What is Better? — Let’s Find Out

On the one hand, Counter-Strike has always been the game about being successful in aiming duels, which allows AWP to stand out from the whole weapons pool as the only one-shot rifle. On the contrary, it is a tactical shooter, requiring a team game with a strategic approach to money, and the SSG-08 and AWP differences in Counter-Strike 2 in terms of cost/damage approach are clearly in favor of the Scout.

But what can the other characteristics say about both sniper rifles? What is the extended difference between the AWP and SSG-08 in CS2? How and when should players benefit from both guns?

All the answers are in this extensive comparison of the SSG-08 and AWP in CS2.

SSG-08 vs AWP Comparison

We will examine the battle between the SSG-08 and AWP in Counter-Strike 2 in our traditional manner, looking at the key characteristics and parameters of both sniper rifles.

Appearance

Let’s start the comparison between the AWP and SSG-08 in CS2 with the appearance of both weapons. In fact, inexperienced players can easily confuse the rifles as they have pretty similar sizes and folding stands for shooting, but the stock and handle show the difference. Thus, the AWP is closer to the classic design of its bolt-action predecessor, the Magnum Sniper Rifle, and looks quite more massive.

Since the Arctic Warfare Police (AWP) is one of the most popular guns in the game on all levels, Valve dedicated special attention to the variety of weapon skins available. For instance, one of the most popular ones, Dragon Lore, costs more than ten thousand dollars. However, even cheaper variations like Exoskeleton are pretty good, especially after the transition to CS2 and the new look given to 3D-like skins.

The Austria-developed ScharfSchützenGewehr (or simply ‘sniper rifle’ in English) became the prototype of the Scout, which was redesigned as the SSG-08 in CS:GO. In CS2, the SSG-08 looks pretty much the same as in the previous version, but Valve didn’t pay enough attention to deliver cool skins for the gun. Although the Mainframe 001 is one of the cheapest skins for the Scout, it looks much better than dozens of costlier versions, and that is a sad situation for skin lovers.

Price and Kill Reward

With a price tag of only $1,700 and a traditional kill reward of $300, the SSG-08 is miles ahead of the AWP, which costs an astonishing $4,750 and only $100 per kill. Since the typical amount of money for a good buy starts at about $4,000, the AWP requires an extra round of savings. At the same time, the Scout becomes an option for force-buys or even eco rounds.

Result: 1–0.

Armor Penetration

The parameter of armor penetration is rarely used for fast comparison of CS2’s AWP vs. SSG-08, but it is a must for extensive guides, especially if we are talking about sniper rifles. The AWP is an absolute beast in the game, with 97.5% of its bullet’s power being transitioned to the target, while the SSG’s 85% is also one of the best results for the whole CS2 weapon loadout.

Result: 1–1.

Damage (Armored & UnArmored)

The AWP offers a distinct advantage as it can eliminate an enemy with a single shot, except when hitting the legs, regardless of the enemy’s armor. The Scout is great for tagging opponents and leaving them one bullet from death. However, it is still deadly if aimed into the head or on the abdomen/pelvis for Unarmored targets.

Result: 1–2.

Fire Rate, Reload & Deploy Time

Another set of parameters that are rarely discussed when comparing the SSG-08 vs AWP in CS2, but two of them slightly favor the Scout. Thus, the Scout has 48 RPM compared to the AWP’s 41 and is 0.25 seconds faster for deploying, with both having the same reload speed of 3.7 seconds.

Result: 2–2.

Magazine Size & Reserve Ammo

Years ago, the AWP also had 10 bullets in the magazine, just like the SSG-08, which was enough for the whole round of the experienced sniper. However, Valve made the right nerfing step, cutting it to 5, increasing the price for the spamming and inaccurate shooting, and making the life of a sniper slightly harder. It’s pretty tough to imagine that someone uses all 30 AWP bullets of reserve ammo. However, the Scout still offers wider spamming opportunities, with its limitless 90 bullets in the pocket.

Result: 3–2.

Accuracy

Both the AWP or SSG-08 in Counter-Strike 2 are often used as shotguns without a crosshair (if unscoped) at close distances, and Scout is thrice more accurate in such cases: 4.77 vs. 1.88 meters. However, when the player uses scope, AWP gets an astonishing 69.27-meter accuracy, while SSG-08 has ‘only’ 47.18 meters.

Result: 4–3.

Movement Speed

Some can argue that those parameters should be added to the RPM, Reload & Deploy Time under the Mobility characteristics, and will be right. However, joining five parameters under a single label can be too much, especially if they clearly favor the SSG. The latter has 230 hammer units per second when running and 120 when walking, while the AWP offers only 200 and 104, respectively.

Result: 5–3.

Moving Inaccuracy

Of course, we all love legendary moments and CS maps graffiti, with astonishing plays from coldzera and s1mple. Still, they were the reasons for AWP’s jumping accuracy being reduced. It gives an even greater advantage for the SSG-08 now, as its Inaccuracy at Jump Apex is only 37.7, which is 5.7 times more accurate than the AWP’s. The same parameter for a Scoped Jump is even more astonishing — absolutely the best result among any weapon at 8.95, which is more than 15 times better than for the AWP.

Result: 6–3.

Comparison Table: SSG-08 vs AWP in Counter-Strike 2

Here is how the key parameters of the CS2 SSG-08 versus AWP battle look in a table:

The simple summing up of the table parameters also shows a clear advantage of the Scout over the AWP: 12-4, confirming the initial comparison. But is the SSG undeniably better than the AWP? Let’s go to conclusions and clarify some cornerstone elements to avoid manipulations.

SSG-08 vs AWP: Which is Better?

Our comparison of the SSG-08 vs AWP clearly shows the advantage of the Scout as a more cost-effective weapon, with most of its parameters simply being better. However, the AWP stands aside from all the guns in the game, as its two key features — one-shot kill ability and long-distance accuracy — are the game-changing parameters. Every professional team requires a great AWPer to be successful, with some of the flicking AWP shots being an art of its own.

However, it all simply means that the Scout is the cheap sniper rifle for low-buy rounds that can seriously damage opponents at long distances. At the same time, The Big Green is an unbeatable weapon in reliable hands if your team has enough money.

Final Verdict: The AWP is a must-have and first choice if you have enough money and a reliable sniper, while the SSG 08 is the cheap opportunity for low-buy rounds, which can still be deadly.