Dust2 - Defense

2-1-2 Setup

In their 2-1-2 tactic, Complexity position two players at long, one in CT middle, and two at B – a relatively conventional setup. However, in an effort to make the strategy slightly less predictable, Marcus ‘zet’ Sundstrom will occasionally rush into the lower B tunnels at the start of the round, pushing quickly up to the staircase in order to pick any opponents rushing toward B.




The two players at long have a number of options available to them when it comes to defending the choke point. One option is for both players to stand on the corner, waiting for opponents to peek or rush through, though this can be easily defeated by flashbangs thrown over the wall. Another method is to set up a baiting situation, where Warden drops into the ditch while Storm remains on the corner. This tempts any opponents in the long tunnel to push out in search of the pick, straight into Warden’s fire, assuming of course that Storm doesn’t kill them before they even emerge.

Frod can also AWP middle in a variety of different ways. Throwing a smoke grenade between the double doors creates a screen which can be seen through from the CT side, but is completely dark and concealing when viewed from the T side. This enables Frod to look up towards T spawn without having to worry about being shot at from middle. Another noteworthy position is on top of the rock at the back of CT middle, from which he is able to pick opponents rushing down catwalk with comparative ease. Finally, if Frod is pressured from middle, he often falls back into CT spawn, where he can counter-flash and grenade attackers from behind the safety of the boxes.


2-2-1 Setup

Another variation of Complexity’s standard setup is the 2-2-1, where two players defend catwalk, two play around CT middle and one defends B. Instead of playing at long, Warden and Storm climb up onto short A, while zet and Frod hang back in middle. Again, zet may rush into the lower B tunnels, or play slightly up towards B by the large rock.




The two players on short have a stranglehold over any opposing players in middle, particularly if zet manages to get into lower B tunnels. They can also rotate back on to the A site very easily in order to stop a rush at long, and if the site is taken, they are in a strong position to flash and grenade before sweeping around to defuse.


3-1-1 Setup

Complexity’s 3-1-1 setup involves placing three players at the long crossover, looking down toward the ditch, while the remaining two players defend CT middle and B. One of the three players at long can roll back onto the site to watch short, and if the terrorists actually do push towards the A bombsite from long, all three defenders have the option of falling back into CT spawn, ready to retake the bombsite once they have reorganized themselves.




Alternatively, if pressured at long, Complexity is able to delay the rush by counter-flashing over the wall, as demonstrated by Warden in the first POV screenshot above. Rambo also has a tendency to rush into the upper B tunnels, after bouncing grenades and flashbangs off the wall, rotating quickly behind the opposing players. Zet is able to defend middle from CT spawn, throwing grenades and flashbangs from behind the boxes, as shown in the 4th POV screenshot above.


3-2 Setup

Complexity’s 3-2 setup involves positioning two players at long A, one on the A ramp watching short, and the final two on the B bombsite. In the POV screenshots below, you can see that the two long players have set up the aforementioned baiting situation, while Frod watches short with an AWP.




Rambo and zet defend the B bombsite, although zet occasionally ventures outside to the large rock, from where he can keep a close eye on CT middle. Strafing left and right behind the rock makes it very hard for attackers to land an early shot, and gives him chance to counter-flash if the terrorists come rushing around the corner. Meanwhile, Rambo remains quiet in a corner of the bombsite, hoping to catch a few rushing terrorists off guard.


3-2 Small Variation

A small but notable change in Complexity's 3-2 setup is shown to the left. Instead of playing in the ditch, Warden pushes right up to the long connecter, under the cover of Storm’s AWP. From here, he can either wait on the corner, or actually get into the connecter to wait for terrorists to come through.

On the other side of the map, Rambo has given up his guerrilla tactics of sitting quietly in a corner of the B bombsite, and has started to AWP directly into the upper B tunnel. There are a number of positions which provide a suitable vantage point into the tunnels, including behind the boxes on the platform (as shown in the screenshot), behind the column boxes on the site, and on the wall next to the site. If pressured, Rambo is able to duck behind the nearest box and counter-flash against the wall or directly up into the air to delay his attackers.



Aggressive Variation

Complexity use the same foundation for a number of their tactics, only changing one or two positions from round to round in order to keep the offense on their toes. This more aggressive tactic looks very similar to the tactics already covered, particularly the 2-2-1, but the play style used differentiates it from the rest.




Again, Complexity push up onto short A, but this time Frod actually walks out onto the catwalk in order to peek into middle. At B, zet attempts to rush straight into the tunnel, covering himself with flash bangs bounced against the wall. In addition, Rambo adopts a more assertive approach, crossing the tunnel opening to fire inside.