The first thing I´m going to discuss in this article series is probably the most important, in terms of getting really good. I mean, everybody can probably learn how to use the AWP and do so quite successfully. However, if you want to get to the absolute cream of the crop among snipers, you have to understand certain principles that will allow you to get in very favorable positions and thus be that edge that a lot of teams today really need. According to Gotfrag – this is from my memory, so it might not be correct, but I think it´s quite accurate – the team that gets the first frag will win around 75% of the rounds. On all maps, depending a bit on the side you´re playing and who you are playing, you will be able to get that first frag a lot easier being an AWP:er, using long distances to your advantage.


You really need to have a very self-confident and cocky mentality in-game when playing as an AWP:er on a top level. When you´re up in the game – you attack. When you are down in the game – you attack. You always need to put pressure on your opponent and not let them control the game. As a team, you should always try to force the other team to play your game, in a pace you decide. Using your sniper early in rounds, you will be able to get that entry frag that every team wants. It´s my job to do it now and it will your job to do it after you´ve read this article series. If you want to, that is.


Trevor Schmidt (Midway from Gotfrag) once said, when broadcasting a game at the CPL last winter, that Fnatic were a team that played with a very assured mentality, while teams like JMC had a “scream when you win a round”-approach to the game. I really believe that the approach we have is the best one and it makes it much easier for us to stay confident, as opposed to the very climatic/anti-climatic approach that JMC use. We play very calm, exactly as we do when we practice and we rarely get emotionally upset or nervous, too happy or excited.


To sum up my thoughts about the mentality I feel you need, I would say that the most important thing is to have confidence in yourself. If you don´t, you will start to miss shots and not really capitalize on the very favorable positions you can get in. Watch demos of players like cogu, hpx and fRoD, just to mention a few. You will pick up a lot of good things from them. And the things you pick up will be very important for your development as a sniper.

The next part of this series will be more about positioning and the last part will probably be more about handling an AWP, when to zoom and double zoom etc.

"Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." -Sun Tzu

Last in this blog I would like to thank Razer and Everglide for their
long-time support.

I hope you enjoyed this blog,

Harley, 'dsn'.