Smoke Lineups

Smoke Lineups are predetermined positions and techniques for throwing smoke grenades to land precisely in specific locations. Mastering smoke lineups is essential for competitive Counter-Strike 2 play.

Overview

Smoke grenades are arguably the most important utility in CS2. A well-placed smoke can block sightlines, cover plants and defuses, fake executes, and create one-way angles. Professional teams memorize dozens of smoke lineups for each map as part of their strategic playbook.

Throwing Techniques

CS2 offers three throw types that affect grenade distance:

Input	Throw Type	Distance
Left click	Long throw	Maximum distance
Right click	Short throw	Drops at your feet
Left + Right click	Medium throw	Approximately half distance

Additionally:

Running throws increase distance
Jump throws allow grenades to clear obstacles and reach distant spots
Walk throws provide precise short-distance control
Crouch throws lower the release point for specific lineups

Jump Throw Bind

Many lineups require a jump throw (jumping and releasing the grenade simultaneously). Bind it for consistency:

alias "+jumpthrow" "+jump; -attack"
alias "-jumpthrow" "-jump"
bind "n" "+jumpthrow"

This ensures the jump and throw happen on the same tick every time.

Key Smoke Positions by Map

Dust II

Xbox Smoke (from T Spawn) — Blocks Mid Doors sightline for safe Short crossing
CT Cross Smoke (from Long) — Blocks CT spawn cross to B
B Doors Smoke (from Upper Tunnel) — Blocks Window/Door sightline for B take
A Long Corner Smoke — Blocks AWP angle from A site/Pit
Short Stairs Smoke — Blocks defenders from seeing Short approach

Mirage

Window Smoke (from T Spawn) — Blocks Sniper's Nest/Window room
Connector Smoke (from T Spawn) — Blocks CT connector rotation
Jungle Smoke (from T Spawn) — Blocks A site Jungle position
Stairs Smoke (from T Spawn) — Blocks Triple/Stairs defense
B Short Smoke (from B Apartments) — Blocks Short/Catwalk rotation

Inferno

Coffins Smoke (from Banana) — Blocks B site Coffins position
CT Smoke (from Banana) — Blocks CT rotation to B
Arch Smoke (from T apps/Second Mid) — Blocks Arch passage
Library Smoke (from Apartments) — Blocks Library angle on A site
Pit Smoke (from Apartments) — Blocks Pit angle

Nuke

Main Smoke (from T side) — Blocks A Main entrance sightline
Heaven Smoke (from various positions) — Blocks elevated A site view
Ramp Smoke — Blocks Lower site approaches

Learning Lineups

Step-by-Step

Enter Practice Mode with grenade trajectory enabled
Position yourself at the lineup starting spot
Aim at the specified reference point (crack, texture, etc.)
Use the correct throw type
Use sv_rethrow_last_grenade to verify consistency

Resources

Workshop Maps — YPrac map guides include lineup practice
Practice Mode — Set up a private server
Community websites — Dedicated lineup databases with screenshots and videos

Tips

Start with 3-5 essential smokes per map — Don't try to learn everything at once
Lineup reliability matters more than quantity — A smoke you land 100% of the time is better than 10 unreliable ones
Practice against obstacles — Learn which smokes bounce off skyboxes
Time your smokes — Coordinate with teammates for simultaneous deployment
One-way smokes — Some smokes create a gap that lets you see enemies' feet while they can't see you