Dust II Smokes That Actually Matter
Dust II has more smoke lineups floating around than any other map, and most of them are situational at best. Here's the short list worth learning first, and why each one earns its spot — for exact crosshair placement and screenshots, use the Dust II lineup page.
CT spawn / cross smoke
This is the highest-value smoke on the map for T side because it denies the single angle that punishes every default cross onto long doors and mid. Without it, any T crossing mid or pushing long has to play around a CT that can see the entire cross unopposed. It's usually the first smoke a new player should drill, because it's thrown nearly every round regardless of strat.
Xbox smoke
Xbox is the elevated box position CTs use to hold long A with minimal exposure. Smoking it blind before a long push (or as part of an A execute) removes a pick angle that otherwise sees the entire length of long doors. It matters less on default T rounds and more on structured executes, so it's worth learning second, after cross.
Upper tunnels smoke (B)
On a B execute, the CT holding upper tunnels can see the tunnel exit before attackers even reach the plant site. A tunnels smoke blinds that angle for the first few seconds of the push, which is often the difference between a clean entry and losing the first player before the site fight even starts.
A ramp / goose smoke
Used to block the sightline from goose (the elevated CT position near A site) down onto ramp, so a T pushing up doesn't get picked off before reaching the plant zone. It's most valuable on structured A executes rather than every round, which is why it belongs after the first three on a learning list.
Why the order matters
Learning eight smokes at once means retaining none of them well. Cross, Xbox, tunnels and ramp cover the overwhelming majority of standard T-side executes on Dust II — learn those four cold before adding situational ones like a CT-side retake smoke or a specific anti-flash smoke you'll only need against certain lineups.
Open Dust II lineupsRelated
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