Nothing is more essential for a true CS:GO enjoyer than the cherished four numbers in the ELO column on their FACEIT profile. Surely, the higher, the better. Basically, this is how any player’s skill level is displayed, except the FACEIT level itself, which generally goes hand in hand with ELO indicators.
Today, CS.MONEY Blog gives a couple of small but fundamental tips on how to increase ELO in CS:GO playing on FACEIT. And we even quote some pro players! By the way, there are only five esports athletes among the best platform users. For example, in the top 10 FACEIT players of the world, only m0NESY, Fame, and dycha are somewhat famous, but there are also young Banjo and jcobbb.
Anyways, let’s dive deep into the guide!
Basics: Self-improvement, Communication, Preparation
Important! FACEIT games can be divided into three types: ez wins, ez loses, and close matches. Weak players will always be there; sometimes, they will ruin matches for you, sometimes for the enemy, so don’t get too mad at them and save your energy for something else. Namely, win those close matches. You know one when you play one: the teams are pretty close in terms of skill, the tension is sky-high, and all the players are doing their best to win. And precisely these matches, regularly having 13:13 or 12:14 on the scoresheet, will determine your rank numbers and reflect your skill. Although these are quite rare, less than ten per cent of the total number played. But here, you need to shine the most, try and win, step by step, rising.
And in order to successfully realize these chances, you need to be prepared in all respects. Is your PC set produce enough FPS? Are you sure your gf isn’t watching TV shows in 8K, or maybe your dad isn’t talking to relatives via Skype, bottlenecking the traffic? Are you tired after work or school? Be honest with yourself before you sit down to grind ELO: is today a good day or is it better to rest a bit first? Preparation is one of the key points.
Main success FACEIT requirement: a paid Premium subscription. Without it, nothing will work. First of all, it calculates your ELO, but it also reflects statistics, significantly improves matches quality in terms of teammates and opponents, and makes it possible to choose maps. It doesn’t cost that much, fortunately.
Then, you’ll need to know CS:GO 101: maps, positions, grenades, tricks & gimmicks, aim training, and so on.
The last basic tip is to simply not tilt. If you lose for CT-side on Anubis or T-tide on Ancient, these are just unbalanced maps: first, one side leads, then the other grabs the initiative. The outcomes are decided either due to a long concentration or at the very end of the match. Chat and cheer your teammates, or at least don’t tilt yourself. And even though s1mple plays on FACEIT as emotionally as in the official games, he is an exceptional example to be considered.
Training Maps & Aiming
Never start playing as soon as you launch CS:GO. First, you need to warm up. Surely, it’s better to grind some Deathmatch mode games, but you can also practice on simple aim training maps: there are plenty of them in the Steam Workshop, but we have selected five excellent options here.
Also, a decent FACEIT enhancer is simply setting up micro-goals during training: get 100 kills in a certain time, or vice versa, try to make as many headshots as possible in 20 seconds. Increase the bar every time. It’s almost like working out in the gym!
Of course, the advice is quite apparent and petty, but you can’t take risks: after all, in a close game, your miss because of non-warmed-up accuracy can throw you a whole match. By the way, here is what blameF from Astralis said about aim maps and DMs:
“I would rather listen to music and play a couple of hours of DM or aim_botz than play FACEIT. Playing FACEIT takes much longer. Usually, I play DM for about an hour. Before big tournaments, this figure rises to 2-3 hours. It’s not difficult for me.”
Maps, Positions, Nades
FACEIT Premium’s important criteria are that you can reduce the number of maps when looking for a match. Thus, choose your favourites, the minimum possible.
And grind them to death. Choose several positions and work only with them. Open YouTube, watch tips and learn a couple of grenade throws. And play, play, play until this position becomes a reflex. Learn a couple of pop flashes, some smokes and tricky entrances. Go to this position repeatedly for different sides and learn how to play it. Then change position and repeat until you have two or three for each plant on your maps. Here is an example from the analyst and commentator Pimp.
But wait, have you plugged CS:GO binds? For example, a jump-throw bind? This is handy stuff! You can read about them here.
Solo vs Party
FACEIT provides players with three queue options: solo, party, and 5v5. Of course, it’s a good idea to always play with friends who are good at CS and trustworthy. So, you can close several map positions, establish communication and reach ELO heights faster.
Is it better to play FACEIT solo or in a party? It’s hard to say, and rather depends on your style. If you are an entry fragger or a lurker, you will have to communicate with the team one way or another constantly, so there is no difference. Those who copy s1mple’s playstyle are more likely to want to play in a team so that someone can help out on requests or cover backs. In addition, solo queue means solo queue, so no teams vs individuals: it’s quite balanced. Moreover, queues do not affect ELO. Although, most high-ranked players try to find teams and play 5v5.
By the way, speaking of rivals. OG’s player flameZ almost quit CS:GO once after a bad game against NiKo on FACEIT:
“I remember, before turning pro, I played a random game on FACEIT against NiKo, where he just destroyed me. After that match, I took a week off from CS:GO because it made me not want to play at all. I always dreamed of reaching the same level as NiKo and also thought I was playing well, but it was crazy to realise how far away I was from him.”
You can use analytical services like SCOPE to avoid being destroyed like that on FACEIT.GG, which studies the opponent’s playing style and CS:GO stats to make games much easier.
Also, remember how important it is to feel comfortable with your guns: people say that your favourite skins increase your skill level by about 15%! So jump to our Market, where you can buy skins cheaper than on Steam (or sell your own and withdraw cash!).
