FaZe Clan vs NAVI: Defending Mirage B Site (PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024)

# FaZe Clan vs NAVI: Defending Mirage B Site (PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024) ## Match Context * **Map:** Mirage, with an analytical focus on defending the B Site (00:00). Key areas discussed include B Apartments (Apps), Short, Car (Van), Balcony, Market (Kitchen), Backsite, Boost, and Underground. * **Round Phase:** Round 15 of the second half (00:08). * **Score:** FaZe Clan 12 - 2 NAVI (00:08). * **Economy:** Both teams are on a full buy. FaZe Clan (CT) has a massive bankroll ranging from $3,350 to $12,800. NAVI (T) is fully equipped with AK-47s (00:08). * **Stakes:** PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024 Grand Final. FaZe Clan is on Match/Championship Point, looking to secure the map and title, while NAVI is fighting off elimination (00:08). ## Players & Roles * **STYKO (Presenter / Analyst):** Educational commentator using 3D tactical maps and color-coded models to breakdown plays (00:03, 01:04). * **ropz (FaZe Clan - CT B-Site Anchor):** Holding B Site (00:08) with an M4A1-S, Full Armor, Defuse Kit, Smoke, Flash, and Molotov. Swaps to a Fade Butterfly Knife (00:11). Exhibits evasive movement, dropping from Balcony during a chaotic execute. * **w0nderful (NAVI - T Entry):** Showcased in first-person POV (00:10) wielding a Bloodsport AK-47, executing tight crosshair placement while pushing through dissipating smoke. * **Instructional CT B-Anchor (Educational POV):** Relies on jump-spotting from Van. Prioritizes survival for retakes over disadvantaged aim duels. Features various cosmetic loadouts: M4A4 Howl (00:18), AWP Dragon Lore (00:38), USP-S Printstream (00:46), Karambit Doppler/Ruby (01:25), and default M4A1-S (01:50). * **Instructional CT Short Player (Support):** Acts as follow-up to the B-Anchor's info. Throws crucial HE grenades on cue (00:56), establishes crossfires (01:00), and serves as the base for aggressive teammate boosts (01:59). * **Generic T Attackers (Red Models):** Depicted rushing through choke points (Apartments) to overwhelm isolated defenders (00:40). ## Utility & Resources * **Pistol Round Economy & Utility:** The starting $800 is spent entirely on utility (Smoke $300, HE $300, Flash $200) instead of armor or an upgraded pistol. The HE is dropped to the Short teammate to create a synergistic, two-man defense (00:44). * **Grenade Deployments & Trajectories:** * **Defensive Smoke (00:52):** Lobbed high from behind Van to bloom directly in the B Apps doorway. * **Support HE (00:56):** Banked high off the right-side Short archway wall to carry deep into the B Apps choke point. * **Deep Molotov (01:26):** Banked off the interior right wall of B Apps, spreading across the floor to halt progression. * **Retake Utility (01:08):** Smoke dropped directly on the C4, followed immediately by a right-click (underhand) pop-flash thrown straight up to blind pushing Terrorists (01:14). * **Weapon Choices & Threat Assessment:** The CT uses the M4A4 (Howl) for standard jump-spotting (00:18), but the T-side AWP (Dragon Lore) POV (00:38) illustrates the severe lethal threat of sniper rifles punishing sloppy CT movement. * **Resource Impact:** Combining the anchor's smoke with the Short player's HE maximizes area-of-effect damage on clustered, blinded attackers. The deep Molotov (01:26) buys the CT vital seconds to safely cross the site and secure a forward Balcony angle. ## Strategy & Tactics * **B-Rush Denial (Pistol Round - 00:41):** Blunting fast T executions by prioritizing choke-point utility over raw aim duels. * **Deep Space Control (Gun Round - 01:25):** Using incendiary utility to deny the rush, buying time for the anchor to transition to an aggressive Balcony hold against slow contact plays. * **Retake Prioritization (01:37):** A conservative macro-strategy where the anchor holds their primary smoke, avoids doomed isolation duels, and falls back to Backsite for a 3v3 retake with Market rotators. * **Formations:** * *Default Setup:* Hidden behind Van/Car (00:18). * *Default Crossfire:* Interlocking sightlines from Van and Short archway (01:00). * *Backsite Fallback:* Retreating to anchor the rear of the objective to funnel teammates in from Market (01:50). * **Team Coordination & Adaptations:** * *Trigger-Based Execution:* The anchor's deployed defensive smoke serves as the visual/auditory cue for the Short player to throw their banked HE (00:52). * *Short-to-Apps Boost:* Bypassing standard entries by boosting directly into the Apps window for deep map control (01:58). * *Phantom Presence:* Dropping the held primary smoke on the site before rotating away to stall T lurkers (01:45). * *Flank Transition:* After a successful Apps boost, if Ts commit to A, the CT flanks via Underground or T-Spawn (02:08). ## Decisions & Critical Moments * **Jump-Spotting Van (00:18):** *Decision:* Jump-spot for early info. *Mistake:* A sloppy jump exposes the player model, resulting in an easy kill for an AWP holding Apps (00:38). * **Pistol Round Synergy (00:46):** *Decision:* Buying full utility and dropping the HE to the Short teammate. *Outcome:* Traps bottlenecked Terrorists in a coordinated smoke/HE death zone. * **Gun Round Pacing (01:25):** *Decision:* Using a deep banked molotov early. *Rationale:* Buys time to establish an aggressive forward hold on Balcony. * **The Retake Defuse (01:08):** *Decision:* Dropping a smoke on the bomb and throwing an upward pop-flash while sticking the defuse. *Outcome:* Blinds spamming enemies and creates immense pressure, increasing ninja defuse success rates. * **Mid-Round Abandonment (02:44):** *Decision:* Completely abandoning B Site. *Rationale:* Reacting to map-wide comms indicating heavy simultaneous pressure at Mid and A Ramp. *Outcome:* Early rotation allows the CT to set up reactionary boosts on Short or trade-kill for teammates (02:50). ## Practical Takeaways * **Lessons:** * *Utility Synergy:* In pistol rounds, drop your HE to a teammate to create a two-man defensive trigger (00:46). * *Buying Positioning:* Use fire not just for damage, but to buy time to cross the site and secure advanced angles (01:25). * *The Phantom Smoke:* Before rotating off B, drop your smoke on site to create a false footprint (01:45). * **Anti-Patterns:** * *Sloppy Jump-Spotting:* Exposing your head/chest while jumping at Van (00:31). * *Premature Smoking:* Throwing the primary B smoke before spotting enemies or feeling pressure (01:37). * *Dying on an Island:* Holding a forward angle alone against a 5-man execute instead of retreating to Backsite (01:50). * *Hesitant Boosting:* Jumping into the Short-to-Apps boost slowly, giving Ts an easy target (02:04). * **Improvement Areas & Drills:** * *The Van AWPer Drill:* Practice jump-spotting Van with a friend holding an AWP in Apps. Adjust your crouch timing until you survive the peek. * *Apps Molotov Bank:* Master the trajectory off the interior right wall of B Apps to ensure fire spreads across the entire width of the floor. * *Ninja Defuse Combo:* Practice dropping a smoke, starting a defuse, and throwing a right-click upward flash without breaking the defuse progress. ## Conclusion This analysis offers a masterclass in anchoring Mirage's B Site, blending high-stakes professional context (FaZe vs NAVI) with granular mechanical and strategic instruction. It transforms passive defensive concepts into dynamic, team-oriented strategies, emphasizing utility layering, precise timing, spatial control, and intelligent mid-round adaptability.