Counter Strike - Equipment

Note: To save me a lot of typing, Terrorists = T, Counter-Terrorists = CT

Pressing your buying key (default B) when in a 'buy zone' will give you access to the buy menu. In the equipment section you'll have access to the following...



(Note in bomb missions you also get the chance to buy a defuse kit for $200) 

Note: The menu above is the old version that can be seen when you turn off the vgui menus (click here for more details). Although there should be no need to turn off the vgui menus as they are more attractive than the version above :).

Kevlar Vest

Cost: $650
Function: Offer basic protect against knifes, small arms fire, and grenade blasts.

Detail : Although Kevlar vests offering some added protection, they only offer very limited protection. In the case of arms fire hits to the chest, these will be partly absorbed by the vest (your armour value will drop), however you will have a percentage of your health taken off as well (although less health compared to a non vested player).

Kevlar Vest & Helmet 

Cost: $1000
Function: Offer basic protect against knifes, small arms fire, and grenade blasts.

Detail : Same as for the vest alone, but the helmet helps offer protection (although very limited) to the head. Of course the face is still exposed so head shots will still cause same damage levels, however machine gun fire maybe absorbed partly by the vest and helmet in a fire fight. Damage will still be taken, although on a lesser scale than that of a non protected player.

*Helmet By Jeffrey Lau
Cost: comes with kevlar for $1000
Comments: Normal headshots do 4x damage. Helmets reduce this to 3x damage.

*Kevlar By Jeffrey Lau
Cost: Buy indivually for $650, or with a helmet for $1000
Comments: Kevlar absorbs about 1/4 the total damage done to a target. In other words, a weapon must do a total of at least 125 points of damage before the target is killed. Each weapon also has a kevlar penetration index that will further reduce the power of a bullet BEFORE the 1/4 absorbency is calculated. Kevlar covers the front torso, the back torso, and the arms. The CS weapon model treats these three parts exactly the same, apparently. It's interesting to note that, while the legs do not receive kevlar protection, they already have a natural 1/4 damage modifier, just like kevlar. There's no reason to buy kevlar by itself; always go with the kevlar+helmet combo.

Night Vision Goggles

Cost: $1250
Function: Enhances the available light to make the view seem lighter.

Detail : Turns night into day, well kind of :). These are useful in very dark maps where shining your torch is defiantly not a good idea. You can increase the brightness by typing +nvgadjust at the console (press ` key), or decrease it by entering -nvgadjust.

Concussion Grenades (Flash Bangs)

Cost: $200
Function: Blind other players.

Detail : Blinds anyone (even your own team mates!) within the blast radius (players are faced with a blanked out white screen that is impossible to see through). The effect wears off depending on how close you were to the blast. Closer you are the longer the blindness. 

Grenade about to go off	Blindness	Sight returning

*Concussion grenades - By Jeffrey Lau
Cost: $200
Max capacity: 2
Comments: blinds players inside the blast radius for varying amounts of 
time (usually 6 seconds or less). Flashbang yourself if the map seems 
unusually dark; it's a graphical glitch. 1.50 second fuse.

By Geist 
Used to briefly blind opponents, the Flashbangs can make or break an attack, if your team is coordinated, and the Flashbang is used well, you can move in and wipe out an enemy team, but on the other hand, if the grenade bounces off an object and back towards you, your team might become blinded and be open to assault. When used wisely, the Flashbangs give you a good tactical advantage.

HE Grenades

Cost: $300
Function: Small explosive charge, which explodes after 5 seconds.

Detail : These are useful for lobbing at the enemy when in tight areas like air vents. The blast can kill players who maybe already down on health or it will at least knock off a chunk of there health making you and your team's job of killing them easier.

*HE Grenades - By Jeffrey Lau
Cost: $300
Max capacity: 1
Comments: These things go through walls; the blast radius is huge. HE 
grenades deal out 73 damage at point blank (down from 94), but damage drops 
off sharply. Kevlar will absorb 50% of the blast. Like the conc grens, the 
HE grens have a 1.50 second fuse. In general, always buy one. Don't throw 
HE's unless you're sure an enemy is around.

By Geist 
The high explosive grenades are mainly used to soften up an enemy, often around corners, as they are very hard to get directly on target. You also have to be careful not to hurt your own team in the blast, people will soon get angry if you keep wounding them inadvertently. The HE grenades are especially effective in confined spaces such as vents, so if you suspect that you have some vermin in the air-ducts, lob one in and listen for the sound of shrapnel hitting bodies.

Smoke Grenades

Cost: $300
Function: Release a wall of smoke

Detail : These CS grenades are perfect for providing cover or shorting the line of sight of the enemy.

*HE Grenades - By Jeffrey Lau
Cost: $300
Max capacity: 1
Comments: Releases a large, opaque cloud of smoke.

By Geist 
These grenades spin around on the floor and puff out thick grey smoke, which is great for cover. If you are being pinned down by a sniper or two, lob a grenade to provide some cover and scuttle past while they cant see you. The more grenades you throw, the thicker the smoke so visibility is reduced further, this is better in open areas where one might not provide enough of a screen, so pool your teams grenades. They are also handy for breaching areas, if a few smokers are lobbed in, then your team can charge into the fray, hopefully without being picked off as soon as they enter. Bear in mind that everyone's vision gets obscured by the smoke, so don't throw one in front one of your own snipers, who was coping quite well until you arrived :).

Defuse Kit (CT Only)

Cost: $200
Function: Gives a CT the tools he needs to defuse the bomb

Detail : With the defuse kit a CT can defuse the bomb in 5 seconds. Without it takes 10. Although 5 seconds may not seem a lot of difference you'll soon release it is when the bomb blows up in your face because you ran out of time to defuse it :). 

The defuse kit is the only piece of equipment that is left behind if a player dies that can be picked up by another CT.

By Geist 
Again only available on defusing maps, and only to the Counter Terrorists. The kit will allow you to defuse a C-4 bomb in half the time it takes normally, and is painfully under-used by most players, it can make the difference between victory and loss on a Defusing map. Once you've bought one, you don't have to select it, just look towards the bomb and hold the Action button as you would normally, the progress bar will appear and fills up much quicker, the bomb will defuse in 5 seconds instead of the 10 it takes without the kit. This small piece of equipment is cheap but very valuable.

C-4 High Explosive Charge

Cost: N/A
Function: Available to one terrorist player on the bomb/defuse missions.

By Geist 
Only available on Defusing maps, one randomly selected Terrorist will start with a C-4 charge, the aim is to plant the charge on a specific target. To plant it, you must select the C-4 like you do any weapon, then when you are in the target area, hold the fire button down, a progress bar will appear. After 5 seconds, the bomb will be planted and you will have a short time to get out of the blast area. You can drop the bomb like other weapons too, if you want to play a support game, pass the bomb to a willing team mate, but don't leave it at the Terrorist start point, just because you want to snipe.