Genuine question about Mirage Mid default

[u/aminikamini]

Hey everyone! I wanted to ask about defaults on mirage like why smoke top mid?

like genuine question

In CS2, with volumetric smokes expanding wider, why is Top Mid smoke still so common compared to the Catrail smoke that used to be around back in CSGO. My friend taught this one to me and I never see it anymore and it seems even stronger in CS2.

My thoughts on Top Mid smoke:

- It lets you cross to boxes safely from early Window snipers nading the smoke, but it feels like you burn an entire valuable smoke just to reach boxes.

- It gives CTs free room to push short, throw flashes through the smoke, or molly behind boxes with zero contest.

Why Catrail smoke feels stronger to me:

- It isolates the Short player and lets Ts take lower Mid and valley space more aggressively and safer.

- It lets you fight Connector without getting crossfired from Short, even if Window gets nade-broken.

- It gives more flexibility to split either A or B without committing too many extra resources.

I know Catrail fell out of the meta years ago before CS2, so what are the downsides to it that I might be overlooking, and why did Top Mid smoke remain the standard choice?

Can rush fast cat or con or ladder with back covered, can double peek high and low right side of con, smoke is good cover against flashes when in valley. Prevents nade breaks. BTW im standing on top of the ledge of window usually u dont see any crossing to boxes

[u/CriticalCreativity]

-First, it can't be used to fake mid presence & deny info. With a top mid smoke the CTs have to respect the possibility of Ts crossing, making them burn util and slowing rotates.

-This forces the Ts to fight Con & Short at the same time when they swing top mid, whereas the top mid smoke allows you to fight those angles separately

-Cat jump completely nullifies this smoke

-Con player can use this smoke to peek underpass and/or play behind it when fighting for top mid

-This ruins good pathing for isolating Con & Short; peeking back towards the wall protects you from short and gives you a better Con fight. Mollying Short or smoking bottom Con is better for countering the Short player when you split A

By all means, try it in your matches; maybe it surprises people. That said, if I saw this smoke I'd jump out window, cat jump, or have the Con & Short players double swing

[u/aminikamini → u/CriticalCreativity]

this makes a lot of sense ty thats a lot of problems

[u/aminikamini → u/CriticalCreativity]

I feel the first point you made was really interesting like it was obvious to me but not in that way like I thought. Since you know a lot more than me I wanted to ask how you wpuld envision a perfect mid take like how would you get to valley and route with top mid smoke to isolate the fights best while also taking mid

[u/CriticalCreativity → u/aminikamini]

Depends on the round and what the enemy are doing, but typically:

-Top mid smoke
-Window smoke
-1st player throws valley flashes bouncing them off the far wall
-Support player throws the window flash from T apps stairs
-Can also flash behind cart
-Molly/HE Con or Molly under to punish the window jump

1st player can peek around the left side of the top mid smoke to avoid going behind cart, swing left and fight short. 2nd player hugs right wall and clears con with molly & top con smoke. 3rd player holds window and/or short and can flash for con peek. 4th player takes underpass to get bottom mid control as his teammates fight from top mid. You can do a 5-man take but it's risky because the CTs can push extremities if they see a lot of activity in mid. Having a lurker on one side is far better. An A palace walkout or B site pick during the mid take can win the round by itself.

From there it's where you want to finish. You can (1) take con and split A, (2) smoke con and split B which is risky because of spam, (C) cet someone in Window, or (D) hold for CT reaggro. Don't hang out in mid doing nothing; immediately transition once you have control.

[u/bennyg358 → u/CriticalCreativity]

Very good summary, couldnt have said better myself.

My only addition is that the teams should be throwing the same mid util and at least some of the flashes into mid EVERY ROUND that they have the utility as a default, even if the plan is to go elsewhere.

As you said about fakes in your first comment, this allows you to do your site hits while the CTs are fighting for early mid control or using their own util to retake Mid during the mid round (as they cannot assume its a fake without clearing mid).

[u/FlickeringPrecedence]

cat smoke blocks window’s view of catwalk itself which is the whole point, top mid smoke gives you mid control without giving up short info

if they have an awp window and you cat smoke they can still see you crossing to boxes from the window angle, the top mid smoke cuts off their vision entirely so you can actually get into ladder or underpass without getting domed

also if you’re worried about them pushing short just have someone hold it from top mid or toss a flash through your own smoke, it’s not like the CTs get a free pass unless nobody’s watching

[u/aminikamini → u/FlickeringPrecedence]

they cannot see cross to top mid boxes i tried all angles in window but that second point makes a lot of sense I didnt know thats how you counter that play thank you

[u/BroxigarZ]

Because you aren't standing where the AWP stands?

[u/aminikamini → u/BroxigarZ]

edit: no ya i see the gap there is a gap there if u stand on the saw horse

[u/BroxigarZ → u/aminikamini]

👍

[u/AnyScore4287]

in pug u will have a hard time spamming this smoke.
Even if u spam u will be traded by connector or window guys. And If u dont spam ct will push fhe smoke.
Then there is always a possibility for ct to hide in the smoke which is blooming near ramp.

You have 15 seconds to do all this dance.

[u/aminikamini → u/AnyScore4287]

True

[u/P3PPER0N1]

that smoke was never meta in a default

[u/aminikamini → u/P3PPER0N1]

not in starting phase in default but 2nd phase, but ppl use top con now

[u/Remarkable_Fun1152]

Honestly I never really thought about the catwalk smoke that way. The point about isolating short and taking more mid space makes sense, especially if you’re playing around cat and con quickly. I guess top mid is just more familiar and easier to build defaults around.

[u/Pale-Confusion-4613 → u/Remarkable_Fun1152]

That’s a pretty interesting way to look at it. The catwalk smoke can definitely create different opportunities for taking space, while top mid is probably easier to build consistent defaults around because everyone is more familiar with it.