In Valve’s tactical first-person shooter (FPS) Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), few roles are more exciting than that of an Entry Fragger. Running head-first into danger and possibly an early death, Entry Fraggers in the upper echelons of CS2 esports need nerves of steel and immense reflexes to survive.
Join us in “rushing B” as we explain how to become a respectable Entry Fragger with essential tips, an overview of the role, and which brilliant players you should emulate!
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Table of Contents
What Is An Entry Fragger In Counter-Strike?
The Entry Fragger is much more ambiguous today compared to when Swedish legend Adam “friberg” Friberg was busting bombsites wide open or running up Banana on Inferno, dodging bullets and grenades aplenty. Some may even argue that the Entry Fragger role is from the early CS:GO esports era, and that it doesn’t exist in the same way.
Previously, the Entry Fragger was a designated role for one player who consistently enters the bombsite first or goes for an opening kill in most rounds of a match. In recent years, the role has been less confined to one player. Now, multiple players on a team can act as an Entry Fragger or “space creator” depending on the map or the coach/IGL switching up tactics.
Entry Fraggers are never AWPers, and some of the best in the business also tend to be in-game leaders (IGLs). These players are those most adept at peeking around corners—and making the first move. While Entry Fragging is primarily done on the Terrorist (T) side while entering bombsites, the role is also possible on the Counter-Terrorist (CT) side. Entry Fraggers work well when retake attempts occur, or when CTs want to become more aggressive and push Ts from a strong position on a competitive CS2 map.
In CS2, it becomes more challenging to pinpoint a player and say, “That’s an Entry Fragger” instead of “That’s a Rifler or Lurker.” This is because situations on the server change from round to round and map to map. Most rounds revert to a default period (before a bombsite gets attacked), and often, a random player gets that first opening kill, prompting their team to become more aggressive.
The role may not be as unmistakable as it was in the past, but if it sounds like the right fit for you, we’ve still got prospective Entry Fraggers covered in this guide.
CS2 Entry Fragger Tips & Tricks: Making Contact
The five essential tips we share below will set you on a path to becoming a successful Entry Fragger in CS2, so let’s honor the role by jumping right into the action!
No Pain, No Gain
As you start your journey to becoming known as a formidable Entry Fraggler, you must make peace with one fact: Your kill/death ratio stats will drop as you accumulate more deaths while attempting to get those first picks and as you peek around corners. Once you come to terms with the role’s caveats, just follow our other tips in this guide and emulate the best players. After some time, your stats will start to pick up again.
Practice Those Reflexes
One of the significant skills of successful Entry Fraggers in CS2 is their lightning reflexes. We suggest practicing your flick shots, peeking, and general accuracy against bots on aim maps. Feeling confident against bots? It’s time to play casual deathmatches against real players to hone your skills. Once you feel comfortable clicking heads in close-to-medium range combat, you can start pushing bombsites on the official competitive servers.
Communicate Positions
As the Entry Fragger, one of your most important jobs is communicating the enemy positions on a bombsite accurately. The more you see, the better your team’s chances of success when executing a plant or retake strategy. Even if you don’t get an opening kill when entering a bombsite, the information you gather from spotting an enemy position could lead to your team’s success.
For example, you could spot a player at the Coffins position on Inferno just before you die. Communicate the positioning with your team, and they could throw a double HE Grenade into Coffins, killing the enemy bombsite defender.
Utility on Site
Entry Fraggers should study each bombsite on every competitive CS2 map and become comfortable with every corner and possible player position. Using this knowledge of bombsites, you can effectively use utilities such as Flash, HE, Molotov, or Smoke Grenades to push an enemy player out of position and into the crosshairs for a quick opening kill.
Strategic Aggression
Taking on the mantle of Entry Fragger doesn’t necessarily mean you have the license to go in guns blazing each round. A predictable Entry Fragger is as good as dead, especially in competitive play, so mix up your strategies for getting that opening kill.
We recommend strategic aggression and wisely picking your time for that first kill or entering a bombsite. For example, wait until the enemy has dispensed with some of their utility. Otherwise, the chances of running into a Molotov are high.
The 5 Best CS2 Entry Fraggers
If you want to succeed as an Entry Fragger in CS2, watch as much gameplay from the best in the business! Here are five of the greatest players to take on this role.
friberg
Swedish legend Adam “friberg” Friberg is arguably the best entry fragger in CS history, with an aggressive playstyle later emulated by other notable players. As a Major winner and Entry Fragger for Ninjas in Pyjamas during their golden era, friberg earned the nickname “King of Banana” for his incredible plays on Inferno’s most iconic section.
YEKINDAR
Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis is one of the most frightening riflers of the modern age of CS. The Latvian star for Team Liquid continues to impress with his aggressive playstyle and finding opening kills aplenty. Some consider YEKINDAR in more of a broader “space creator” meta role, but his B-site plays on Inferno would disagree.
HooXi
Danish IGL Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen is somewhat of an unsung hero. As the Entry Fragger for G2 Esports, HooXi bites the bullet and jumps into bombsites or goes for those opening frags during the default period in a round, giving stars Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov and Nikola “NiKo” Kovač the space to shine.
apEX
If there’s one player who wears his heart on his sleeve as he rushes into a bombsite, it’s Vitality‘s IGL, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire. While apEX’s plays have become a bit less aggressive over the years, he is still considered one of the best Entry Fraggers in the business. He creates ample space and opportunity for Vitality’s star, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut!
karrigan
The great Dane, Finn “karrigan” Andersen, is considered one of the top IGLs in the series’ history. In part, his Entry Fragger role is there to allow his star players the freedom to move around the map. Calling the shots for FaZe Clan, karrigan finds opening frags and enters the bombsite first more than most, playing the role of space creator to perfection.
Please note: The best Entry Fraggers in Counter-Strike’s history are up for debate, partly due to the nature of the role and if a player is actually playing as “Lurker” or an “Entry Fragger.” For example, we consider the legendary Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer and young star Sergey “Ax1Le” Rykhtorov more Lurkers than Entry Fraggers. Therefore, our list above reflects historical data alongside a healthy dose of the author’s opinion.
Jumping Into CS2 As An Entry Fragger
The Entry Fragger in CS2 may not be as defined as it once was in previous installments in the series, but it remains an important part of the overall game. And if it sounds like the right role for you, we hope you’ve learned a thing or two about its evolution and the essential skills you need. Plus, be sure to check out gameplay of the top players we called out, like Adam “friberg” Friberg and Dan “apEX” Madesclaire. With sharpened reflexes and effective communication, we’re confident that you can help your team succeed in competitive play.
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