Two Man Matchmaking - Cache

If you're new to Two Man Matchmaking, you can read the introduction to the series here.
Link to other parts of the series here.


Cache lends itself particularly well to the goals of this series as both bomb sites can be reasonably well covered with just two smokes. Usually, two smokes cannot cover an entire site, so the idea is to limit the positions of the CTs, so you can focus on the common default spots that were not smoked.

This is not supposed to be a guide on how to actually perform these smokes, but instead how to combine them into the most advantageous execution possible. See link at end of article for a guide to all the smokes I use.

(Some readers have left excellent feedback on improving these strategies. I'll be heavily revising B take and potentially making some small changes for A as well. Check back later for the updates.)


B Site (revised)


The narrow entrances to B Site make it a tough site to push. However, the CT's default positioning is quite predictable, so we're going to use our smokes to block any rotates, creating a much fairer fight for you, your buddy and any other teammates.

This will be a timing-heavy execute, as everything should be done within the burn time of a molotov. As such, I'll break this site take down chronologically:

To start things off, Player A throws mollies Headshot from Sun Room, hopefully pushing the CT's farther back into Generator or onto Site. With any molotov, the goal is really to make them change position at a vulnerable time. After this molotov is throw, Player A needs to hurry out of Sun Room.

As Player A leaves Sun Room, Player B first throw the CT/Tree smoke. Then he throws his molotov into deep Checkers.

Just throw from B Main - try and cover as much of back Checkers as possible.

This molotov should cover all of the back of Checkers if throw correctly. Player A will throw a flashbang off the door-frame onto site to cover Player B flashing and entering into Checkers.

Headshot Molotov - note: this is not in Jamiew's video.

Heaven smoke (run throw) - throw it when crosshair clears the door frame. Throw lower to smoke CT.

Player A will throw his Heaven Smoke, wait a second for it to pop, then enter onto site as Player B peeks out of Checkers. Player B should be preaiming generator while Player A covers the rest of Site.

This requires some of the more advanced timing you will see in this guide. Hopefully though, you're smokes will make it a 2+x vs. 2 fight as all the rotates besides vents and B Main are covered.

Player A can also use his flashbang to protect him crossing into Sun Room or instead save it to help enter Site.

Final product (ground level)

Final Product (birds eye)

A Site

A two man execute on A Site grants a few more options than over at B. There are two key areas we want to focus on: (1) between Red Box and Highway - essentially cutting off vision to A Site from Mid and Truck and (2) quad. As you will see, the highway smoke can be easily be adapted in a Forlift smoke if you're having trouble clearing that area.

Final Product (bird's eye)

Smoking highway is an easy and intuitive smoke. It doesn't require precise aiming as long as you have a decent sense of the smoke's objective. Importantly, this smoke also blocks off view into A Main from truck, meaning that you can devote most of your focus to the Red Box/Quad area after a quick flash and peek at Forklift. You can also throw it at a narrower angle if you (or a third player) wants to smoke off Fork, though ideally Forklift can be flashed out and that smoke saved to defend against the retake.

Highway Smoke (run throw) - doesn't need to be very precise

You can elect to HE or molotov quad, as molotovs are not as effective for defending a plant as they are at B. 

Quad Smoke (jump throw)

This smoke is much more difficult, and you'll find a variety of different methods and angles to throw it. Any of them will work so long as your not exposed to A Site. The one I have featured here is thrown from Boost. If you don't have smokes, HE grenades and molotovs do a great job of flushing CTs out of Quad.

With Highway and Quad smoked off, this leaves Forklift, Cat, and A Site as the remaining vulnerabilities. Forklift is the easiest to deal with, as you can easily flash it by just short throwing a flash out of A Main. Hopefully, a player at Cat will also be blinded by this same flash. Also be aware that you can often hear a CT walking on the metal on Catwalk.

If you manage to take Site while your Highway smoke is still up, I highly recommend to plant for lockers in A Main. It's a common and incredibly strong position to protect against the retake.

Final Product (site entrance)

Prefire Spots:

• Hugging Red Box (Quad side) - Quad smoke leaves a gap
• Forklift - can be flashed
• Catwalk
• Hidden in corner outside squeaky near quad
• Default plant spot on site

Mid

Final Product (bird's eye)

Mid is simple, and honestly, you only need one player's utilities to peek out or potentially push. I'll cover a scenario where your buddy with an AWP wants to peek out mid to pick a CT at either White Box/Spools or Z/Connector.  Often, the CT in mid will develop habits, and you can predict exactly where he will be. You can either smoke him out, or smoke off the position he is not in (i.e. smoke Z if he's playing White Box, then pop flash out while your buddy peeks. It usually doesn't make sense to smoke both Z and White Box unless you're going for some gimmick rush up mid, which usually would require more than two players to be effective.

White Box Smoke (run jump throw)

Z/Connector Smoke (run jump throw)

Flashing mid is similar to the highway smoke on A Site, it's intuitive and doesn't require much precision. I recommend the third one in Jamiew_'s video, where you bounce it off the right side of garage.

Mid Flash (run throw) - doesn't need to be very precise

Timing: You're smoke grenade will usually be thrown off spawn. However if you're not going to use a flash, I recommend that you the smoke until your AWPer is in position. The flash timing is much more precise. You want the time between the flash popping and the AWPer peeking to be almost instantaneous.

Prefire Spots:

• Spool at White Box - depends on smoke choice
• next to Spools - depends on smoke choice
• Z - depends on smoke choice

Final Product (mid entrance)

B Site   
This has been revised. See top of article.

Make sure you break the windows before you smoke!

Many new and intermediate players are aware of the Sun Room windows, but only use them to flash. While this is effective, there are two key smokes that can be thrown through these windows that cut off Headshot and B Site. I recommend you save a molotov to throw deep into Heaven to prevent CTs from head-glitching you on the retake.

Headshot Smoke (run throw)

B Site Smoke - run throw - throw smoke when roof disappears behind box (see video)

These smokes can be difficult to master, especially when crunched for time with an impatient team. Also, be careful when crossing B Main into Sun Room as their is often a CT peeking down the hallway. These two smokes limit your vulnerabilities to Heaven, under-Heaven, Checkers, and Boxes (the boxes in B Main next to the entrance into Checkers). This list is not as troublesome as it may seem, as it means you essentially do not have to look left as you enter site. If you can get the pick in Checkers, I've found the next rotating CT tend to go Heaven, especially if vents are not broken. So as you and your team clears the site and plants bomb, be focused on Heaven while listening for vents and a B Main flank.

After the smokes pop, one teammate should flash through doors, while the other flashes through windows. Ideally, the flash through doors will be thrown a little earlier, so that when the CTs turn away, they are blinded by the window flash. A molotov can also be useful to throw into the Checker entrance onto B Site, to pin a potential CT into the back corner.

Final Product (bird's eye)

Final Product (site entrance)

Alternatives/3rd Man:

Smoking Heaven while entering site leaves the Terrorist very vulnerable. I find that I use it most when at the back of a rush onto site, when my team has already gotten a few entry frags. Nevertheless, it's an easy, effective anti-rotation smoke that should be in anyone's skill bank.

Heaven Smoke (run throw) - throw when cross hair clears door frame

Prefire Spots: (common spots that the CT will play that are not covered by smokes)

• Back of Checkers peeking into B Main
• Heaven
• Under Heaven - can be flashed
• Tree - can be flashed 
• Behind Box in B Main entrance - can be sprayed

Some final notes:
Click here for a simplified guide to setting up an autoexec to auto bind smoke jump throws.

You can find all the smokes here:  CS:GO Nade Spots Ep #4 - Cache
Jamiew_ does an excellent job explaining and demonstrating all the smokes and non-obvious flashes. Look in the description for a particular smoke. You can subscribe to his channel here; he puts out a lot of great content.