Knifing is the ultimate insult in CS:GO. But you don't want to blow your opportunity by
using the wrong knife combination. To test this I've spawned a load of zombie bots who
will stand still, regardless of what I do to them!
Hmm, this could make it more difficult. First up is the front attack. Not a position
you'd like to be in in a fight, but we've all been there. Using the stronger, secondary
attack it takes two hits. Primary takes 5 hits. You could also do two primary and one
secondary, which- OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE. Ahaa!
Hmm... I have a plan... Yeah! Try escaping from THAT! So once again,
two primary and one secondary. But which of these methods is best? If I play
them at the same time and in slow-motion, you can see. The shortest way to defeat people
from the front is with the two primary and one secondary, closely followed by two secondary
attacks. I don't recommend the 5 primary knife attack option, though it does look hilarious.
Another difference between primary and secondary attack is the range. The weaker knife attack
has a range of 64 units instead of 48 for the secondary. Working this out was the most
boring 10 minutes of my life. In real terms, the 16 unit difference is the equivalent of
one quarter the length of a head-height crate in CS:GO.
That's one fifteenth of a second head-start versus a stationary opponent who's trying
to knife you with the secondary attack, or one 30th of a second if you're both running
towards each other. Actually, that doesn't sound as impressive as I thought it would.
Still, I suppose that every little helps and if you're circling each other Flash-Gordon
style then the advantage will become greater. With that in mind, in a knife fight you'll
likely have the advantage if you RUSH AT THEM using primary attack, then after the second
hit, switch to secondary fire for the killing blow. You can almost use those two primary
attacks as an opportunity to line yourself up for the killing third secondary blow. If
that makes sense. In knife duels if you miss with the secondary
fire it takes a while to 'recharge', and you'll find that enemies will take advantage and
run straight towards you before your knife 'reloads'. You can fool them by pressing the
primary fire instead. You should be ready to attack again by the time they get into
range. There are all kinds of tactics for knife fights,
though they're rarer than they were in CSS where they were often used to decide which
team you'd like to play first. If you're fighting using only secondary attack and you land the
first hit, keep running at the enemy to get that second, fatal blow. If they hit you first...
run, and consider shooting them in the face. If Indiana Jones can do it, so can you.
From the front, secondary attack always deals 55 damage. Primary attack does 34 on the first
blow, then drops to 21 for every attack afterwards. Armour makes no difference in CS:GO, nor does
where you hit them with the knife. They deal the same amount of damage regardless... with
one exception. If you attack an enemy from behind, it does
far more damage. Secondary attack is an instant kill, while primary does 76. It's obviously
best to go for the instant kill though if you're feeling particularly evil you can try
a repeated primary attack, though be warned that it will take 3 hits rather than 2 if
they spin around to face you after the first hit.
And there you have it- my guide to knives. Knifing somebody in a competitive game nets
you $1500 so there is an incentive to do so if you can. Have fun!
