Welcome to CS:GO 101, covering the basic aspects of CS:GO so you can become a professional player in no time. In this article all sorts of different buys you can do will be covered, that way you will always know when and how to buy.
The economy is quite a fierce beast in CS:GO. A significant part of that economy is also spending your money, which might not always be as easy at it seems. That is why you always need to be wary about how you are going to spend it and how much of it. You have a couple of options; time to take a look at them.
The eco
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="576" width="1024" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
The classic buy for when the team is completely out of money. This is the one people are usually most afraid of calling, because nobody likes to run around with just pistols when the enemy is probably rocking some killer assault rifles, perhaps even an AWP. The idea behind this buy is to preserve funds for the next round. You need to do some quick mental maths to figure out how much leeway you have.
The amount of money you need to preserve will be somewhere around the $2000 mark. You have to keep enough money aside so that in the next round you can comfortably buy armor, a weapon, and some utility. For a terrorist you can always think of an AK and armor costing $3700.
Important sidenote is that you cannot really skimp on head armor whilst playing against CTs, because their M4s become so much deadlier without it. As a counter-terrorist a good amount to keep in mind is $3750 if you can get away with not buying a Kevlar helmet (AKs will always be a one-tap kill, so if the T-side has full AKs you have no need for it); otherwise the amount to aim for is $4100.
The pistol armor
You and your team might find yourself in a position where you have around $3000. Not enough to go for a decent full buy, but you do not want to go for a complete eco either. Enter the pistol armor. A buy that has at times achieved great things with some really crazy pistol shots (Hello Deagle) to still win a round against a team that is running rifles, armor, and utility.
In this situation you might buy a Kevlar for $650 and a simple pistol such as a P250 for $300. On the CT-side that tends to be one of the go-to buys. The P250 packs a decent punch and feels like an upgraded USP. On the T-side however, it is more worthwhile to go for the Tec-9. It has the same $300 price tag but exceptional accuracy, proving an excellent pistol for longer range battles.
The force buy
Okay, so you are playing a critical round. You have to win this one to prevent map point, or perhaps even the match win. Enter the force buy. One could even say the most challenging and unpredictable of buys, as it always feels like a toss-up in how it can end up. If you can run a successful force buy, you might just be able to completely destroy enemy momentum and nail them down, compelling them to go for an eco or pistol armour and significantly lowering their chances.
The idea behind this buy is very simple. You buy whatever you can. A lucky player here or there might get a rifle, but expect to play with an SMG or even see a player with a Deagle in hands but more utility. It is all hands on deck and time to break out your best plays with mediocre means.
The half buy
If you find funds to be unequally divided on the team but still have plenty of financials to buy some rifles and such, a half buy might just be what you need. In this situation you will not go all out and might save on utility, not buy a helmet if you can get away with it, perhaps save on a defuse kit. It will be enough to put up a good fight, but just lacking the extras.
The full buy
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="516" width="912" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
The best buy of them all. The one where you can get everything your heart might desire; Kevlar, rifles, utility, an AWP for the player that feels bold enough to handle it. This is the buy you make when you are on a winning streak, or after losing two or three rounds in a row. It gives you the best possibilities to continue winning or perhaps make a beautiful comeback.
Also read:
What should we cover next? Join the discussion on social media or our Discord!
You can also help improve our website by submitting direct feedback!