CS2 grenades basics: smokes, flashes, molotovs, HE and sub-tick

Utility is the Counter-Strike word for grenades, and good utility wins rounds. A single smoke can block a long hallway, and a flash can win a duel before it starts. This guide explains each CS2 grenade, what it costs, how to throw it, and how the sub-tick system changes lineups. Numbers come from CSDB's grenade guide, checked on October 10, 2026, and they may change with patches.

Key takeaways

• You can carry four grenades in total, with at most two flashbangs.
• In CS2, bullets and HE grenades can open temporary gaps in smokes, and fire can be put out by a smoke.
• Buy priority: smoke first, then one flash, then a molotov or incendiary, a second flash, and HE last.
• A full set of utility costs about $1,100 for Terrorists and $1,200 for Counter-Terrorists.
• Old CS:GO lineups may not land in the same place, so test them in practice.

The grenades and what they cost

CSDB notes that the incendiary price dropped from $600 to $500 in a May 2024 update. Prices can change again, so look at the buy menu if a number seems off.

These screenshots may contain violence. Show screenshots

Images are provided by Steam and belong to their publishers.

What to buy first

New players often spend money on HE grenades and skip smokes. That is backwards. CSDB suggests this order: smoke, one flash, molotov or incendiary, a second flash, then HE. A smoke can split a map into smaller fights, and a flash lets your team peek a corner with an advantage. HE grenades are fun, but they rarely change a round on their own. For help with the money side, read our economy guide for beginners.

How to throw

1. Left-click throws far. Right-click makes a short underhand lob. Both buttons together make a medium throw.
2. Standing still gives the most repeatable result.
3. Running forward adds distance, running backward reduces it, and jumping extends the range.
4. Pick a spot on the screen, such as a corner of a building or a pixel on a wall, and aim at it every time.
5. Release at the same moment each time. A lineup is only repeatable if your timing is repeatable.

How grenades interact

CS2 made utility more physical than it was in CS:GO. A smoke is no longer a simple sphere that stays fixed. Bullets and HE grenades can open short gaps in it, which means a smoke is not a perfect wall. A smoke also puts out fire where it lands, so a team can walk through a molotov after a well-timed smoke. Fire slows players who stand in it and forces them to leave, which is why a molotov is great for clearing a corner or delaying a push.

Flash habits

• Pop flashes: throw so the flash explodes just as it clears a wall, so enemies cannot turn away.
• Warn your team before you throw, so nobody is blinded by your own flash.
• Look away from a flash that you see coming. Even turning your head partly reduces the effect.

Molotov and smoke habits

• Use a molotov to clear a hard corner where an enemy likes to hold.
• Use a smoke to cover a retake, not only an attack.
• Do not throw three smokes at once on the same spot. Spread them to cut off different angles.

What sub-tick means for grenades

Older Counter-Strike games treated your actions as happening on a server tick. CS2 uses sub-tick: Valve describes it as tracking when you press or release a button instead of only when a tick happens. GGRecon explains that low tick rates could lose actions between ticks, such as a throw, and sub-tick tries to fix that. Valve's video "Moving Beyond Tick Rate" is below.

Two practical points follow. First, a lineup from CS:GO may not land in the same spot, so check old videos against the current game. Second, the same release time should give the same throw more reliably. Valve's video "Responsive Smokes" shows the new smoke system.

Jump throws

CSDB says a one-key jump-throw bind stopped working on official servers after an update on August 19, 2024, and that players using one can be kicked. We could not confirm that on a Valve page, so treat it with care. The safe method is to throw by hand: hold the throw button, jump, and release while rising. CSDB says a mouse-wheel jump bind is still allowed.

How to practice

CSDB lists offline console commands for training, such as sv_cheats 1, sv_infinite_ammo 1, cl_grenadepreview 1 and sv_rethrow_last_grenade. Use them only on your own practice server, never on a public one. It also says the old sv_grenade_trajectory command was removed in CS2. Our practice commands guide shows how to set up a safe private map.

Common mistakes

• Throwing a smoke that lands one step off and blocks your own team.
• Buying only HE grenades and no smoke.
• Learning 40 lineups and forgetting them. Master five per map first.
• Flashing your own teammate because you did not warn them.

Live nu: Counter-Strike 2

Se alle →

LIVE Twitch 63 🔴Slopper-Strike 2 med slop-gutterne!🔴 !subgoal !rank !elo !discord !navn OliverHenriksennda LIVE Twitch 28 Aurora Gaming vs Vitality | ESL Pro League – Season 24 2026 | !pluto !medlem Retakeda LIVE Twitch 53.413 LIVE: Team Vitality vs. Aurora Gaming - ESL Pro League Season 24 - Semifinals ESLCSen LIVE Twitch 53.148 🔴 Vitality 1:1 Aurora | ESL Pro League Season 24 | @m3wsu StRoGoru

Next steps

Practice on a private map, then pick your two main maps from our map overview. See the CS2 hub for community servers.