I assume that you already know what counter-strike is and what is the main goal in playing here.. if not, its just simple really.. there are three types of games:

1). VIP - the counter terrorists(CT) must escort the VIP to its target goal and make sure that the VIP doesn't die, if he does, game over, terrorists(TERROR) win. The terrorists' job is to kill the VIP before he reaches the designated place.

2). Rescue - CT must rescue all the hostages and terror have to prevent this by killing all of the CTs. another way of winning is killing all of the members of the opposition team.

3). Bomb - Terror must plant the bomb at designated bomb sites and protect it from CT so that they can't defuse it. When the bomb explodes, terror wins. Of course killing all the enemies will also win the round.

For beginners, the first thing to master is the controls, without knowing the right keys to press you wouldn't go far in the game. There is a default set of keys played in the game but if you would like you can customize your keys like what i did. It really depends on the player and like what people say "sanayan lang yan".

Now that you know the configuration of your controls you have to know the right weapons to use.

There are many types of guns automatic, semi-automatic, etc. but i would like to class them by their uses. These are some of the best guns in the game the other guns are pretty much useless because you can't kill many with them unless you mastered them.

1). Handguns

- The terror starts with the glock, a pistol that deals light damage. If you're terror, i might suggest you buy another pistol if you won't buy a primary weapon. One good thing about the glock is it has many bullets per round and that it has a secondary function - burst fire, but like i said it is pretty much useless.

- CT starts with a pretty cool gun, if you want to play as a finisher, this gun would do. It has a powerful damaging ability, if one masters its use, you could kill a few enemies.

- Desert eagle is the best handgun because it has atleast thrice the power of the pistol of the CT and it can kill enemies at long ranges. But the user of this gun should be aware that it has only 7 bullets in each magazine so he should make sure each bullet is worth firing.

- Other handguns are well, for fun.. like the double berreta for the Terror.. just looking at it amazes me, but it can't kill.. ok sometimes it can.

2). Mostly used primary weapons- these weapons are used by almost everyone because of the fact that they can easily kill.

- AK47 (4-1) - main weapon of the terrorists, it is known for its power,its bullets can go through walls and with open fire it can rip 3 to 5 enemies at once. With proper usage, it can kill snipers or enemies who are far away.

- Carbine (4-3)- main weapon of the CT, more or less its the same as the AK47, but it has less vibration on the screen so the bullets are concentrated on your target unlike the AK47. It used to have a zoom in scope like the steyr aug but it was removed because the gun was too powerful.

- MP5 (3-1) - everyone uses this because its an effective weapon and its cheap. Its cool to use this gun because it can do the job, but when the enemy has AK or Carbine, you have to be good to kill him.

- Commando(4-2) - also a powerful gun. can be bought only if you're a terror. it has a scope which is very appealing to beginners because it can aide to better accuracy of shooting. Although its a good gun, it is quite expensive.

- Steyr Aug (4-4) - Almost the same as the commando but only CT can buy this from their menu.

- Arctic (4-6) - Very famous for its "one-shot-kill" ability. The newer versions of counter-strike removed its one-shot kill on any part but when you hit the opponent on the main body or head it still works. It has a double scope ability and is used for long ranges. Very expensive, about $4,600 per gun but if you're a master sniper its worth it.

The other guns, in my opinion, are either for players who wants to play around or their tired of the usual guns and they mastered the uses of these guns. The shotguns are pretty nice for short range encounters, the (3-3) gun (sorry forgot the name) is good and has many bullets in each magazine. If you want to test your sniping skill go with the steyr scout, its cheap and you need to hit the opponent twice before you can kill him.

Now that you know some of the guns, I want to suggest some tips on how to play smart in playing CS.

1). Never reload in the open area - find a place where it is secure and you can spend abt 3-4 seconds without being seen by an enemy.

2). Strafe! - you have to strafe when you walk by corners so that you'll be ready to shoot when there are enemies.

3). Look at all angles - self explanatory - you'll never know if an enemy has already spotted you.

4). Also in corners, you could jump and duck so that you'll be in firing position.

5). When encountering an enemy, you can either duck, so that there will be a smaller target for your opponent or you can strafe/jump or just be "magulo" so that the opponent will be confused and the target will hit you less.

6). When using AK47/Carbine = at short ranges- feel free to open fire but make sure you're hitting the enemies! at long ranges, these guns are best when tapped - pressing the fire button at intervals.

7). Master the use of grenades/flashbang - know the meeting points of the CT and Terror and throw some of the grenades and you'll get bonus kills. Flashbang grenades are used to blind the enemy, proper usage of this weapon can give you plenty of kills.

Thats it for now. One cannot be good only by reading things like this, you have to practice, practice, practice, and more practice to become an excellent CS player.