With global Counter Strike tournaments (for example, the WCG) bringing together the best and most evenly matched teams around the world, it is natural to expect intense competition. Whether you are an experienced seasoned professional player playing for the umpteenth time or someone who is participating for the first time, the value and significance of preparation cannot be underestimated at any cost whatsoever. Naturally then, it pays if you are well prepared and are able to deal with the challenges thrown by the teams you may come up against and one of the best ways to do so is by researching on your opponents.
So, how do you prepare? Well, apart from playing practice matches and honing your skills in terms of shooting, planning, and strategizing, getting to know about your opponents is equally as important. Learning about the weaknesses and strengths of your opponents can not only help you as a player prepare better, but also reduce the probability of surprises when the big day comes.
1. Watch Online Videos
Generally speaking, there are a lot of ways you can undertake research on your opponents. Perhaps the first and most basic way is to watch videos. With Counter Strike as popular as it is, videos of famous teams and players are easily available all over the internet. While in some cases these videos are uploaded by fans, sometimes they are uploaded by teams and players themselves.
By watching these videos, players can get to know their opponents better, not only as individuals but as teams as well. Remember, as Counter Strike is more of a team game,
it is really important to know how the opposing teams operate in a group. For instance, who is their best assaulter? Who are the best snipers? What does the team do when playing as terrorists in maps such as de_dust2? Do they all like to rush or split up in pairs of twos and threes into A and B? With teams hardly changing their strategies during big tournaments, it is likely that what you see is what you will get.
2. Watch Them Live:
Of course, there is no better way of researching on your opponents than seeing them in person. If the opposing team is based in the same city as you are and coincidentally
plays matches in the same gaming zones as you do, you can watch them play in person. Better yet, you can also keep matches against them to gain a better understanding of their game. Naturally, if you get the opportunity to play against your supposed opponents before the actual tournament starts, nothing can beat that experience. This way, not only will you be able to size up your opponents, but also gauge your game in terms of where you stand and what changes, if any, you can make to improve.
Although I personally choose to watch my competitors play live, watching online videos works better for most international tournaments.