| In Counter Strike, Iceworld is a controversial map | | | | alone an enemy can find where your shot came |
| indeed. People see it as requiring no skill or just as | | | | from. Use the walls on the right and left for cover |
| much skill as any other map. This article will | | | | shooting through your own spawn point and to |
| attempt to show you some strategies and tactics | | | | theirs. Drop it if necessary. |
| on iceworld, a map that inspires love and hate | | | | For the rushing player the SMG, TMP, Mac10, and |
| from all facets of the CS community. | | | | p90 are taken so they can get to the other side |
| I learned Counter Strike on classic maps like | | | | as fast as possible with a gun they can spray |
| mansion, assault, dust, and italy. Each one is a | | | | with. Typically, this does not end well for the |
| completely different animal. The each possess a | | | | rusher because an AWPer is watching one of the |
| noteworthy difference from Iceworld, especially | | | | sides they rushed on. Going up the middle often |
| as tactics look. They each have an objecive. Plant | | | | meets the safe fate due to the assault guns, and |
| the bomb, rescue the hostage, and an | | | | the AWP itself, well positioned to guard these |
| unmentioned objective, get the VIP where he | | | | areas from the start of the round. A rushing |
| needs to go. Iceworld has no such objectives. It is | | | | player may find it better to turn into the middle |
| a small map and looks very much like a pound(#) | | | | of the level and let all the other team's snipers |
| symbol from overhead. A buy zone is located in | | | | check their points first before rushing in. Time is |
| it's center and T's and CT's spawn across the | | | | short on the map, so staying one second too |
| map from each other. With no objectives the goal | | | | short, or one second too long, at any spot may |
| is total anihilation. Kill all of the opposing force | | | | have you surrounded at any time, but the pause |
| before they kill you. | | | | is important to make use of the opposing players |
| Environmentally, every wall can be shot through if | | | | natural rhythm to check the paths for enemies. |
| you have the right gun. When you run around the | | | | Assault rifles, like the Steyr Aug and Commando |
| map you can hear your footsteps, or someone | | | | really shine on this map. At the beginning they're |
| else's, in the snow. The sound of heavy fire from | | | | as good as AWPs watching all the major paths. |
| all sides is all around you from the start, and | | | | When the map is winding down they allow |
| often to the finish. Small walls peak out of the | | | | accurate shooting at a distance without having to |
| sides of the map on it's right and left paths, as | | | | get into close combat. Iceworld's longest distances |
| well as an extended wall of ice at the middle point | | | | are often forgotten and these guns have the |
| of each spawn point. Guns lay on the ground on | | | | ability to let you move faster than when you |
| each side to be picked up. The map is very | | | | have an AWP and still get a punch in your power. |
| simple. It's lack of complication raises the ire of | | | | It's added power means it'll be easier than for |
| many players who want something more | | | | other guns to take out multiple opponents at one |
| "complicated" to do on the map, like the | | | | time without the need to reload. Reloading is a skill |
| aforementioned objectives. | | | | in itself on Iceworld and making your need to |
| I find this map exhilarating. It's small size and | | | | reload less will make you stay alive a lot longer |
| simple design means it's often total chaos. You | | | | than most. |
| really have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. | | | | Shotguns change the game for the person with |
| Iceworld rarely offers any time for a player to | | | | one. Not the auto shotgun, or "noob tube" as it's |
| take a breath and a lot of players never get to | | | | been immortalized, but the m3 single shot pump |
| reload once before the round ends or someone | | | | shotgun. Under a wave of gunfire you're likely to |
| gets them. You may find yourself going against 5 | | | | get one or two shots to their fifteen or more. In |
| CT's by yourself or turn a corner into a firing | | | | a map as chaotic as Iceworld the pump shotgun |
| squad. A split second decision to reload or pick up | | | | teaches best the use of the environment, |
| another gun off the ground can be pivotal on if | | | | however much or little you have of it. Skills some |
| you make it out of the round alive. It makes you | | | | players take for granted that they have now but |
| think on your feet as you could be overwhelmed | | | | had to learn before can also be learned with this |
| by opposing forces from any direction at any | | | | gun on this map. Strafing, shooting while moving, |
| time. It's a Deathmatch type map though specific | | | | using walls for cover. The biggest of these the |
| "Deathmatch" iceworld maps exist for those who | | | | pump does wonderfully in the chaos of Iceworld is |
| don't like the short wait time between rounds on | | | | shooting while moving. While rushing on one side |
| it. | | | | you fire at the enemy while heading somewhere |
| Having played this map for a long time now, there | | | | else, mix moving and stopping to confuse your |
| IS strategy to it. The elegance of iceworld is in it's | | | | enemy's fire without messing up your own. |
| simplicity, and in some smaller details a lot of | | | | Making sure the one shot you do get is accurate |
| tactics and strategy on this map are missed for | | | | and will either kill the enemy or seriously hurt |
| it's Deathmatch look and feel. Iceworld is great | | | | them, so if you get a second shot, you'll finish |
| map to learn human behavior and how people | | | | them off. The pump will have you finding yourself |
| react to intense shoot outs and large player | | | | hiding, ambushing, and trying shots you would not |
| rushes. | | | | normally try if you had a different gun under the |
| Using the AWP and watching two of the three | | | | same amount of fire from all directions. |
| paths is an obvious one. The middle should be | | | | Not all servers allow HE Grenades to be used. I |
| guarded first to take out anyone trying to cross | | | | find it's much easier to dominate with them, but |
| through it. Opposing AWPers will often have to be | | | | are not necessary on the map. Grenade |
| dealt with too because controlling the middle is | | | | spamming is simple enough to do, and throwing |
| strong for any team on this map. A second | | | | one at the start of the map will almost always hit |
| AWPer will usually cover what you are unable to, | | | | somebody. There are times when you will not |
| but if none exists cover the areas they are | | | | throw them to your enemy's spawn, but that's |
| missing. Slowly make your way around the level. | | | | usually when you see a rush coming that way and |
| The AWP is not a quiet gun and on it's sound | | | | simply throw it in front of them. |