Astralis’ new aiming habits might be key to the team’s success

Astralis is one of the best Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams in the world, and the recently won yet another major title at the 2019 StarLadder Berlin Major. It’s not just the size of their trophy case what sets them apart from other teams. It’s also their style of aim.

Reddit user IWillFindAWayToDoIt highlighted Astralis’ aiming habits and how it gives them an advantage over other teams.

In CSGO, taking down the enemies as quickly as possible constitutes a big advantage, and to do so, players aim to get headshots. A headshot is a more effective way to take out an enemy, but it’s not necessarily the most consistent. Astralis, as pointed out in the post, prefers to aim lower and go for body shots instead much of the time.

Aiming lower might be just a habit for the Danish players, but it gives them the upper hand when they are outnumbered. For starters, players are more likely to hit their enemies if they’re aiming for the chest. This is especially true in vital choke points that could see quick and chaotic skirmishes. The first shot slows down the enemy, increasing the possibilitu of hitting the following shots and disrupting the opponent’s momentum.

Trying to explain Astralis’ success through aim techniques

In a fight, the player aiming for the headshot could shoot at least three times before hitting a target, all of this while the player aiming for the chest hits them at least once. Even if the first player couldn’t finish the job, another teammate can step in and finish that job after the enemy has been more reliably damaged.

Contrast this with missing a headshot opportunity, which will often leave the opposing player unscathed.

Spamming smoke into one spot and aiming at the body will also get better results than aiming high enough for headshots. This strategy is similarly effective against enemies that are crouching or just barely peeking.

Aiming for the body may not be the flashiest strategy, but it certainly is more efficient when done correctly.

But if this is more efficient, why aren’t more players using it? A contributor answered the question by saying “people are stubborn and set in their ways”.

The redditor also included a list of examples of Astralis’ new aiming technique that you can watch here.