Dismay vs. Torqued: Nuke A-Site "Upper Take" Strategy Breakdown

# Dismay vs. Torqued: Nuke A-Site "Upper Take" Strategy Breakdown ## Match Context This breakdown analyzes a highly coordinated 5-man Terrorist execute onto the A bombsite ("Upper Take") on **Nuke**. The strategy was utilized by **Dismay** in a match against **Torqued** during Map 3 of a competitive series. The video is presented by analyst/content creator "voo" on a private practice server (0-0 scoreline, 60:00 round timer, $10,000 starting money to demonstrate a full-buy gun round). Dismay repeatedly used this exact execution to secure a massive upset against Torqued, exploiting the defense's inability to counter their precise, layered utility. Key callouts utilized in this strategy include Roof, Lobby, Squeaky, Mini, Hut, Rafters, Mustang, and Heaven. ## Players & Roles The demonstrator ("voo") utilizes developer commands (`noclip`) to fly through the map, showcasing the strategy from a solo practice environment while playing as a standard Terrorist Phoenix Connexion model. His loadout features default/vanilla skins (AK-47, Glock-18, Knife) and a static, green, medium-gap crosshair with no center dot. The strategy requires five distinct roles: * **Player 1 (Roof Support)**: Responsible for vertical utility. Clears roof skylights with an HE grenade (00:26), lines up a precise smoke for Heaven (00:48), and delivers a key flashbang through the skylight (01:02). * **Player 2 (Lobby/Mini Support)**: The execution catalyst. Destroys the Squeaky door with an HE grenade (01:29), follows up instantly with a Mini smoke (01:31), and can throw a deep Mini flash to deny rotation vision (01:46). * **Player 3 (Hut Support / Spammer)**: Throws two sequential flashbangs out of Hut (01:57, 02:11) to blind site defenders, then spams a specific wallbang spot with an AK-47 to punish Counter-Terrorists (CTs) hiding behind the site silos (03:42). * **Player 4 (Squeaky Entry)**: Holds inside the Squeaky back room, throws a self-pop-flash off the Squeaky doorframe (02:56), and bursts out onto the A site. * **Player 5 (Squeaky Follow-up)**: The dedicated trade fragger. Follows immediately behind Player 4 with their rifle drawn, intentionally throwing zero utility to ensure quick trading (03:09). ## Utility & Resources This is a heavy-investment full-buy strategy requiring strict resource allocation: at least two HE grenades, two specific smokes, and five to six flashbangs. **Grenade Timestamps & Trajectories:** * **00:26 - HE Grenade (Skylight)**: Thrown directly upward from the roof to shatter the skylight, opening vertical trajectories. * **00:48 - Smoke Grenade (Heaven)**: Thrown from the roof. The player crouches, aligns with a specific wall texture dot, aims slightly above a horizontal line, stands, and throws. It drops through the skylight, bounces off rafters, and blooms directly in front of the Heaven window. * **01:02 - Flashbang (Skylight/Mustang)**: Thrown from the roof by double-priming, crouching on a ventilation unit, and throwing over the adjacent vent. It falls through the skylight and bursts on the rafter beams to blind Mustang and above-Squeaky angles. * **01:30 - HE Grenade (Squeaky Door)**: Thrown from the Lobby entrance down the hallway to blow the Squeaky door off its hinges instantly. * **01:33 - Smoke Grenade (Mini)**: Thrown immediately after the door explodes, bouncing deep inside Mini to cut off rotation vision. * **01:46 - Flashbang (Mini - Optional)**: Thrown deep through Squeaky to blind rotating CTs without flashing entering teammates. * **02:00 - Flashbang 1 (Hut Entry)**: Thrown low from inside Hut, bouncing off the left wall just before the exit. * **02:11 - Flashbang 2 (Hut High Pop)**: Thrown slightly later, aimed higher off the outer Hut doorframe to land behind the radioactive silos, catching defenders who try to re-peek after dodging the first flash. * **02:56 - Flashbang (Squeaky Pop)**: Thrown by the entry player, bounced hard off the exterior Squeaky wall to blind Mini, the site floor, and rafters. ## Strategy & Tactics The overarching strategy is a pre-planned, 5-man A-Site execute that bypasses slow default map control in favor of overwhelming, synchronized utility. * **Geometry Destruction**: HE grenades are specifically used to remove physical barriers (Skylight at 00:26, Squeaky Door at 01:29) to instantly open sightlines and entry paths without giving away early-warning interaction sounds (like manually opening a door). * **Line-of-Sight Isolation**: The combination of the Heaven smoke (00:48) and Mini smoke (01:31) completely isolates the site defenders from secondary CT crossfires and rotations. * **Omnidirectional Flashing**: The timing ensures flashbangs detonate simultaneously from three entirely different angles (Roof, Hut, and Squeaky). This neutralizes standard crossfires, as dodging the Squeaky flash exposes defenders to the Hut or Roof flashes. * **Predictive Wallbanging**: At 03:42, the Hut player anticipates that CTs will tuck behind the radioactive silos to dodge the overwhelming flashbangs and spams that exact spot through a penetrable wall with an AK-47. ## Decisions & Critical Moments * **00:15 - Match-Level Decision (Strategic Exploitation)**: Dismay ran this exact execute five or six times during the match. Because Torqued failed to adapt their defensive setup (e.g., pushing Outside, stacking incendiaries, flanking), Dismay correctly decided to ruthlessly exploit this weakness rather than varying their strategy needlessly. * **01:29 - The Execution Trigger**: Using an HE grenade to destroy the Squeaky door acts as the unmistakable, synchronized "GO" signal for the Roof, Hut, and Lobby players to deploy their final utility at the exact same moment. * **02:11 - The "Double-Blind" Choice**: Throwing sequential flashes out of Hut. The first flash forces the CT to turn away; the delayed second flash is timed perfectly to detonate exactly as the CT's crosshair snaps back to re-peek the entry. * **03:09 - The "Dry" Trade Decision**: The 5th player pushes through Squeaky with their rifle fully drawn. Choosing *not* to throw support utility prevents the player from being caught in a grenade-to-rifle equip animation, maximizing the efficiency of trading the entry fragger. ## Practical Takeaways **Lessons & Rules:** * **Omnidirectional Flashing** (03:57): Coordinate entry flashes to pop from geometrically opposed angles simultaneously to make it impossible for defenders to look away safely. * **Instant Geometry Removal**: Use HE grenades on doors and vents to remove early-warning sound cues and serve as an instant trigger for team executes. * **Vertical Utility**: Exploit vertical maps (Nuke, Vertigo). Flashes dropped from above (01:02) are incredibly difficult for floor-level defenders to track and dodge. **Anti-Patterns (What to Avoid):** * **Defensive Stubbornness**: Allowing an execute to win 5-6 rounds (00:15). If overwhelmed, defenders must aggressively alter the dynamic by pushing for early information or dumping counter-utility at choke points. * **Premature Utility Usage**: Do not throw setup utility (like the skylight HE) immediately out of spawn. It gives the defense massive early warning. Wait until the entire team is in position. * **Trade Fraggers Throwing Utility**: The 2nd or 3rd player in an entry pack must push "dry." Let dedicated support players handle the flashbangs from behind. **Drills & Improvement Ideas:** * **Dry-Run Synchronization**: In a private server, practice the exact timing sequence (Lobby HE -> Hut sequential flashes -> Roof flash -> Entry) until all utility lands on site in the exact same second. * **Penetration Spam Routine**: Enable `sv_cheats 1` and `sv_showimpacts 1` offline. Practice the Hut-to-Silo AK-47 wallbang (03:42) to memorize exactly where bullets penetrate to hit a tucked player model. * **Double-Blind Timings**: Drill sequential pop-flashes to catch enemies re-peeking standard angles. ## Conclusion This video breakdown serves as a masterclass in orchestrated utility layering and team synchronization. By highlighting how Dismay isolated defenders using geometry destruction, vertical smokes, and omnidirectional flashbangs, it perfectly illustrates how a highly disciplined, utility-heavy execution can systematically dismantle a stagnant defense and secure match-winning upsets.