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What’s Your Weapon of Choice?
In Counter-Strike 2, there are two types of armor available for purchase: a vest with a helmet and one without, and there is a noticeable difference in price between the two. However, how often do you think about which armor to buy in a given round? Probably not as often as the game actually requires. In 90% of rounds, players buy a vest with a helmet, not considering that in some rounds they could have saved money by buying only a vest.
For example, after winning a round, if you have a vest with 80% wear, you can still buy a new one, not realizing that it will protect you just as well as the previous one. This article aims to finally clarify this topic.
Armor Types in Counter-Strike 2
A protective kit consisting of a vest is available for $650, while a kit with a helmet costs $1,000. If the vest is intact, the helmet can be purchased separately for $350 at the start of a new round. If the vest is damaged, it must be repurchased at its original price.
The functionality of the Vest plus Helmet set remains unchanged regardless of the armor wear level, which can vary from 30 to 100. The armor’s damage absorption efficiency remains stable throughout its use.
How does armor work in CS2?
The armor mechanism in Counter-Strike 2 is different from most multiplayer shooters: it does not act as an invisible barrier. Instead, armor only reduces a certain amount of damage, the amount of which depends on the type of weapon used by the enemy. With each absorbed hit, the armor’s level of protection decreases, and when it drops to zero, the armor disappears completely.
Armor protects not only from gunshots, but also from various other dangers, including explosives and melee weapons. Interestingly, armor effectively reduces damage even from direct hits from grenades or C4 explosions!
What does armor not protect against?
Armor in Counter-Strike 2 does not provide protection against certain types of threats. For example, it is completely ineffective against damage from shots from the SG 553 rifle and hits from incendiary grenades, which guarantee maximum damage. In addition, wearing armor does not affect movement speed, jump distance, weapon recoil, or the character’s visual appearance.
More about the benefits of armor
One of the key benefits of wearing armor in Counter-Strike 2 is not so much reducing damage taken, but minimizing the recoil effect when taking a hit from an enemy. This effect is greatly reduced by armor, and with a helmet it is almost eliminated, allowing for a more stable aim.
You may have noticed the serious screen shake when taking a hit from an enemy without wearing a vest. This is the effect.
Helmets play a key role in protecting the player’s head from gunfire. Of all the weapons in the game, only twelve models can kill a player with a single headshot while wearing a helmet, and only eight of them can do so from several meters away.
Selecting a reservation and when
Now we get to the fun part of this article. When can you skimp on armor and when should you buy both a helmet and a vest? Start with the principle that you should buy some kind of armor in every round you play. The exceptions are pure economy or semi-economy rounds, where you might want to buy a Desert Eagle but can’t afford armor. You can also skip armor in pistol rounds. Why?
In pistol rounds, you can only buy a vest, but there’s a high chance of being sent to the lobby with a headshot from a Glock-18 or USP-S. So you can save $650 for grenades or a better pistol. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but keep this in mind in your competitive matches.
When to skimp and only buy a vest? This is easy when you’re playing on defense and you’re confident your opponent has a full buy. This means they’re playing with an AK-47, which can kill you with one headshot regardless of whether you have a helmet. So why spend the extra $350?
On the other hand, on the offensive side, it’s generally better to always buy the full armor for $1000. It protects you from being killed by the first bullet from an M4A1S/M4A4 or a random bullet from a USP-S. Especially when you know your opponents have farm guns or something similar.
Of course, when you have a lot of money, don’t skimp on armor and buy both a helmet and a vest. It will never hurt you, and you won’t even feel it on you. It’s not like carrying 10 kilograms of potatoes.
When to buy armor again?
An important question that players may be wondering is whether it is necessary to replenish armor at the beginning of the round. When you have 80% wear on your vest, you can buy a helmet for $350 or restore armor for $650. But is it necessary?
If your regular vest is at least 75% worn out, there is no need to renew your armor. Obviously, if it is lower, upgrade it without a second thought. And of course, always buy a helmet if you can.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the vest provides a reliable barrier against most types of damage, while the helmet reliably protects the head from shots from many types of weapons in Counter-Strike 2. The main advantage of using armor is its ability to effectively perform its functions regardless of the degree of wear. This allows players to save money by avoiding the need to constantly buy new protection.
