AlthoughCounter-Strike 2has delivered a much-anticipated lighting and visual upgrade to the series, the core game still remains untouched. Even when it comes to the weapons, you will not notice any significant changes in recoil, accuracy, or damage rate.
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That being said, if Counter-Strike 2 is the beginning of your adventure in the series, you are indeed highly suggested to learn the basic recoil pattern of each weapon and get to know some of the most effective ones. And worry not, as we have a long list of the best weapons in Counter-Strike 2 with a special focus on budget balance and effectiveness.
XM-1014 (Shotgun)
There are indeed shotguns that are much cheaper than the XM-1014, but if you really want to surprise your opponents, do it with a proper gun! XM-1014 features a pretty quick pump-action than other shotguns like Nova or Sawed-Off and this gives you a sheer advantage to tear the opponent apart before they can do the same to you.
XM-1014 is also among the most effective shotguns from medium-range. Although it will still require more than a few shots to kill the enemy, at least the quick pump-action time makes it much easier to peek and shoot repeatedly.
MAC-10 (SMG)
Terrorists' cheapest SMG is pretty effective if you are about to rush into a sight. The weapon is quite powerful for close-range combats considering its crazy fire rate, but in long-range you will have little chance unless you only shoot small bursts to the opponent’s head.
With 30 bullets per magazine and a reputable accuracy on the move, MAC-10 is the most effective SMG when you are about to run and gun, especially in the early rounds of the game when the Terror team needs a quick entrance to one of the bomb sites.
CT’s equivalent of MAC-10 is MP9, but it does come at a bit expensive price compared to Terrorists' get-go SMG. That being said, MP9 has been proven to be more effective than MAC-10, especially when the shooter is stationary.
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If you are going to camp anywhere on the map where you will have a close-range or mid-range encounter with the opponent, this is your best budget SMG to deal a significant amount of damage. Similar to MAC-10, MP9 is also somewhat worthless in long-range fights.
If you are still thinking of a half-buy round but you have a few hundred dollars more to spend, you can go for MP7. However, you need to keep in mind that this weapon is quite situational. When it comes to mid-range fights, MP7 is the best SMG, but in close-range, it might lack the effectiveness of MP9 due to a lower fire rate.
That being said, the weapon is still better than MP9 in the long-range if you’re able to control the bursts of fire on your target. The fact that MP7 is cheaper than FAMAS makes it a reasonable choice for half-buy rounds unless you are sure you will have a lot of long-range fights.
Galil AR (Rifle)
Cheap, effective, and accurate! Galil is the cheapest assault rifle in Counter-Strike 2, which makes it a much better choice over SMGs on the Terrorists' side when you are about to have a half-buy round. Although Galil deals less damage compared to the AK-47, its recoil pattern is much easier to learn and control.
This assault rifle might not be the best choice for close-range, but it can help you a lot in dealing with mid-range and long-range threats. The lower fire rate compared to SMGs could be troublesome, but at least you don’t need to rush inside the enemies to get a kill.
Desert Eagle (Pistol)
Desert Eagle is a very cheap sniper rifle for those who have truly mastered aiming in Counter-Strike 2. Although there seem to be some problems with Desert Eagles bullet registration in Counter-Strike 2, when that issue gets fixed, this pistol will be back to its glorious days once again.
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No matter if it’s a pistol round or an eco round, the player who buys a Desert Eagle must only go for headshots, as it is the only sheer advantage of this weapon over all other guns in the game. It’s a quick and easy one-shot one-kill weapon for the dedicated.
M4A4 (Rifle)
The loud version of M4 does come at a bit higher price than its silenced counterpart, and while it damages a bit more on headshots, it is much harder to control. M4A4 is of course a choice for full-buy rounds, but the fact that it cannot be controlled as easily as M4A1-S makes it stand behind the silenced version.
If you are a head-hunter, M4A4 is a better option, but we all know the game is always full of surprising situations, and at the end of the day, we feel much more confident with a weapon that is more budget-friendly and easier to control, especially in long-range fights.
M4A1-S (Rifle)
CT’s most reliable assault rifle is one of the best weapons to start learning recoil control in the game. Although it doesn’t have the effectiveness of the AK-47, you will have a much easier time controlling the bullets when using M4A1-S. So it’s always a matter of recoil control against damage rate between these two weapons.
The silencer on M4A1-S not only helps you to have a lower recoil control but also makes the bullets tracer-free, which is quite beneficial if you are planning to camp in a tricky position and surprise your opponents.
AWP (Sniper Rifle)
AWP is the only expensive weapon in Counter-Strike 2 that actually justifies its price with its accuracy. A true one-shot one-kill weapon no matter if you are targeting the head or the body. That being said, it takes a long time to become a real AWPer in Counter-Strike 2, as you need to improve your reaction time significantly.
Working with an AWP is probably the hardest skill to master, as you need to spot the enemy, switch to the scope, and shoot the bullet to hit your target, and this is a skill that requires a lot of practice. But once you do master the skill, you will become an unstoppable killing machine.
AK-47 (Rifle)
The deadliest assault rifle in Counter-Strike 2, and the best choice for a full-buy round if you are not an AWPer! Similar to learning the AWPing skills, it takes a long time to learn the recoil pattern of the AK-47 as it is the hardest assault rifle to control.
That being said, if you learn how to use an AK-47, you will be a force to be reckoned with in any competitive match. The sheer advantage of the AK-47 is the fact that it comes at the same price as the M4A1-S, but it has significantly more effectiveness.
