Chapter 2 - Weapons

This section provides stats and strategic overviews for the pistols, shotguns, sub-machine guns, rifles, and machine guns offered in Counter Strike: Condition Zero. This section also offers general tips on using weapons effectively. The weapon stats focus primarily on the Counter-Terrorist weapons, which will be used in Tour of Duty and Deleted Scenes game modes. Find the statistics for terrorist only weaponry at the end of this section.

Weapon Tips

• The most important weapon tip for Counter Strike: Condition Zero is how movement and weapon usage affects weapon accuracy. For example, you are much more accurate standing still than moving around. So much so that you should strive to stand still each time you shoot. When in a one-on-one firefight, you could strafe slightly, remain still and shoot, strafe slightly, remain still and shoot, repeat. This will help present a more difficult target without sacrificing accuracy.
• How you fire a weapon also affects accuracy--the rifles (the non-sniper rifles) and the M249 machine gun in particular. When using rifles and the M249, fire in burst mode. This means shooting two to three rounds at a time instead of holding down the trigger and firing wildly. Bursting improves accuracy considerably with the rifles such as the Maverick Carbine and Bullpup. The M249 is fairly inaccurate either way but can gain better long-range accuracy with burst shots. Pistols and sub-machine guns, in general, don’t lose as much accuracy out of bursting. Though it’s better to burst at longer range than not.
• Ducking also improves accuracy. Also, when ducked you’ll present a smaller target for your opponent. Duck whenever possible and apply the above weapon tips for maximum accuracy.
• The Night Hawk .50C is the most powerful available pistol. You could almost call it the "rifle" of the pistols. Its primary weakness is its small clip size. Just seven shots and you’re forced to reload.
• Pistols are primarily back-up weapons. For instance, you’ve just ran out of ammo in your Maverick Carbine clip. Instead of reloading, quick switch to the pistol (using the default "Q" and setting up the pistol as your quick switch weapon beforehand) so you can fire off additional rounds. This is also useful for a sniper. If you’re using the Magnum Sniper Rifle and miss an incoming target, quick switch to the pistol since it will be very difficult to snipe the enemy approaching at close-range.
• Shotguns are only effective at close-range…but they’re extremely deadly at close-range. You’ll likely have most success with the shotgun in trying to ambush the enemy. For instance, hiding behind a crate and waiting for an enemy to walk by. Also, tight hallways, rooms, or vent shafts where it’s unlikely that you’ll miss (though a rifle would still be better since it’s effective in other situations as well).
• The K&M Sub-Machine Gun (otherwise known as the MP5) is the best all-around sub-machine gun. It’s a solid combination of good price, accuracy, fire rate, and damage (compared to other sub-machine guns). The Counter-Terrorist’s machine pistol is comparatively weakly powered (though the silencer is handy in surprising enemies from a distance). The ES C90 excels in clip size and fire rate, though overall not as effective as the MP5. Finally, the UMP45 offers greater shot power but suffers in reload time and rate of fire.
• Rifles are the cream of the crop. They’re the best combination of accuracy and power and should be purchased if you have the money. Both the Maverick Carbine and Bullpup offer similar accuracy and power; the Maverick Carbine includes an optional silencer while the Bullpup features a zoom mode. As stated previously, fire these weapons in controlled burst mode to increase long-range accuracy. In very close-range situations you can go full since the larger (closer) target should ensure more rounds striking successfully.
• The Magnum is the reigning king of sniper rifles. The Schmidt Scout is greatly underpowered in comparison and will require headshots for one-shot kills. When aiming the Magnum at an entrance, try to anticipate if your enemy is going to peek out sheepishly or run out aggressively. If you suspect the enemy will run out, position the Magnum’s crosshair a small distance away from the entrance. If you suspect the enemy will simply peek out, aim the crosshair at the entrance’s edge. When sniping, have your pistol ready to quick switch if an enemy enters within close-range.
• The top Counter-Terrorist weapons are the Night Hawk .50C, K&M Sub-Machine Gun, Maverick Carbine, Bullpup, and Magnum Sniper Rifle. The top Terrorist weapons are the Night Hawk .50C, K&M Sub-Machine Gun, CV-47, Krieg 552, and Magnum Sniper Rifle. These are the best all-around weapons for their class. Other weapons can certainly be effective in situations but these offer the best all-around "bang" for the buck.