By the second round, after losing the pistol round, Aleksib did not choose to force up and take gunfights the way FAZE had in the previous half. Instead, he rationally opted for a full eco.
At the start, all five G2 players threw a line of smokes outside, then pulled out their knives and charged straight down K1, putting on a “fastest bomb plant” tactic. Though they did ultimately get the bomb down, every last one of them was easily wiped out by FAZE’s rotating CTs with rifles.
Wanjiqi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Uh, that’s fine too, I guess! They got the bomb down anyway, added a bit of economy, and set things up for the next round. Then this next round is going to be crucial. It’ll be the first gun round of the second half for both sides! Let’s take a look!”
Accompanied by Wanjiqi’s voice, the first gun round of the second half began. This time, Aleksib called a tactic with three players taking lobby control, himself going up to T second floor, and NiKo lurking alone toward K1.
The advantage of this tactic was that, based on the information NiKo brought back from probing K1, they could flexibly decide whether to hit A with a main split or rotate to K1 and ramp to pinch B.
Wanjiqi also keenly noticed G2’s intention:
“Oh! For this G2 attack, they’re opening with a line of smokes outside and having NiKo push alone through yard to probe K1? But Karrigan is guarding K1 very strictly this round! Broky’s AWP went straight down K1 from the pipes at the start, and he even brought Rain, the bodyguard, with him!”
“It’s over! He seems to have read Aleksib’s tactical intention!”
At this moment, NiKo had already used the cover of the smoke to reach the red box outside.
Because the yard was filled with smoke, in order to prevent the CTs from pushing up into the K1 doorway at the start, he first threw a molotov to clear K1, then switched to his knife and quickly moved forward. The instant he was about to enter the K1 door, he switched back to his AK and silently crept downward.
Wanjiqi couldn’t help but worry. “This is bad! Karrigan has predicted God Aleksi’s call! The key is that Broccoli’s AWP going down K1 this time isn’t holding the standard back position—he’s directly holding the close corner!”
“Then NiKo! NiKo, will you pre-aim this spot?!”
Along with Wanjiqi’s tense voice, the observer also switched the camera to NiKo’s first-person perspective.
As NiKo descended the K1 stairs, the crosshair at the muzzle of his AK was like the most precise robot vacuum cleaner, smoothly and accurately pre-aiming every possible hiding spot!
He pulled all the way down to the lower level of K1 at a steady pace!
The next instant!
With a “bang” from the AK!
Broky, who had been holding the close corner hoping to catch him off guard, was instantly torn apart by NiKo’s textbook pre-aim as soon as he swung out!
The live chat immediately exploded:
【Every time I see him tracing lines against the wall, I know it’s steady!】
【Damn! This is top-tier CS pre-aiming that never gets old!】
【NiKo! God of pre-aim!】
【I’m dying! There are still people who dare hold K1 against NiKo? Don’t they know this is Brother Shrimp’s domain?】
【No matter what team he’s on, NiKo is invincible on the yard-to-K1 route! When you try to hold NiKo, he’ll follow the shrimp line with his pre-aim and one-tap you!】
【This time! We do not agree!】
At this moment, on the G2 stage, NiKo, who had successfully torn apart the AWP, also let out a slight breath of relief.
He was just about to call out to his teammates in voice chat that they could directly hit B through K1 and ramp this round, but unexpectedly, after taking only two steps forward, another figure suddenly flashed out from behind the corner ahead!
Broky’s bodyguard—Rain—had endured and refrained from firing earlier to avoid revealing his position, waiting precisely for this chance to trade. Now, he swung out directly and easily stole away NiKo, who had relaxed slightly!
The chat’s tone instantly changed!
【Brother Shrimp agreed again?】
【NiKo withdrew one “disagree”!】
【He really, I’m crying to death! Still so gentle!】
And with NiKo’s crucial death, G2’s attacking rhythm was instantly thrown into chaos.
Afterward, ropz picked off another player on the flank, and the situation took a sudden turn for the worse, quickly becoming an unfavorable clutch.
After receiving Aleksib’s instruction, Meng Lang had no choice but to save his gun.
This sudden reversal immediately left many G2 fans dumbfounded!
And FAZE successfully chased back another point!
The score reached 7:11!
Wanjiqi summarized helplessly, “Aiya! What a pity for that round! All I can say is Karrigan’s tactical call and on-the-fly setup this round were really too good!”
“And Rain was also very clever. He was actually already about to leave, but just happened to hear the gunshot of Broccoli getting insta-killed, so he secretly crept back. Because NiKo had just completed a brilliant kill, mentally speaking, he absolutely wouldn’t expect there to be a second CT still hiding deep in K1. There’s nothing you can do about that.”
“Now for G2, only Dark has saved a hero AK. FAZE have come into the second half and taken three rounds in a row, already chasing it to 7:11. It looks like Nuke really is easier to play on the CT side. Then what will G2, as the attacking side, do in the next round? They have to take it, otherwise they’re going to get chased down from behind.”
On the G2 stage, the in-game leader Aleksib also fell into a brief silence.
He glanced at the precious hero AK in Meng Lang’s hands, then looked at their economy, and quickly made a bold decision—the next round, force buy!
Go straight at FAZE!
Thus, in Round 19, under the observer camera on the big screen, after G2’s lineup opened with a simple set of utility, there was m0NESY holding a TEC-9, huNter- and Aleksib holding two MAC-10s, and NiKo gripping a Desert Eagle!
The four of them followed closely behind Dark, the “big brother leading the charge” with an AK in hand, directly using the cover of the outside line of smokes to launch a desperate rush toward K1!
Wanjiqi was instantly shocked. “Oh! G2 chose to force buy and speed up toward outside K1 this round? Very decisive! But Broccoli is once again going straight down K1 through pipes at the start. This time, he learned his lesson and is holding the back position! If broky snipes the first player from this back position, G2’s force-buy speed-up is going to collapse instantly, because they won’t be able to trade.”
“Then now we have to see whether Dark’s AK, saved from the previous round, can play its role! Oh!”
“Does Dark have the pre-aim? But I feel like Broccoli broky seems to have absorbed the lesson from getting torn apart by NiKo last round! His back-site position doesn’t really get cleared by conventional pre-aim! This spot is probably hard to pre-aim!”
“Because he’s holding such a tight angle. He’s specifically here to counter your silent contact and sweeping pre-aim!”
“What?! Dark isn’t slowly pre-aiming! He’s swinging out wide directly!!”
Wanjiqi’s voice suddenly rose.
At this moment, the observer happened to switch the perspective to the scope of the AWP in Broky’s hands.
Within the narrow crosshair of the sniper scope, a figure swung out from the K1 entrance at an inconceivable speed! Immediately afterward, that figure in the frame abruptly counter-strafed and crouched!
“Bang!”
A gunshot rang out!
But the one who fell was Broky!
Meng Lang’s AK used a single bullet to tear apart Broky’s AWP!
【G2-Dark killed FAZE-Broky with a headshot using the AK-47!】
“Ah!”
Scoped in and holding the angle, Broky was so startled at the player bench that his body jolted, almost flinging his mouse away!
What the hell kind of terrifying wide swing and counter-strafe speed was that?!
The live chat also began flooding madly:
【Holy shit! Scary!】
【Observer, are you fucking sick?! Switching to Broccoli’s POV scared the shit out of me!】
【You don’t know until you see it! Dark’s wide swing really is like a ghost!】
【I even feel like Broky reacted just now! In the POV, it looked like he even adjusted his crosshair slightly to flick! Then the next second he got one-tapped, I swear!】
【Dark’s AK placement is way too vicious! Seriously absurd!】
【Hahaha, I really like what Broccoli said before the match: “Dark is just accurate and fast, that’s all. He doesn’t have any game IQ.”】
【Dark: You’re right! But isn’t being accurate and fast enough?】
【.】
In Douyu stream room 6657, Wanjiqi also exclaimed:
“My god! Is that wide-swing, counter-strafe insta-kill even human?! It really feels like a completely different style from NiKo’s smooth pre-aiming!”
“Dark really didn’t stop along the way at all. He just ran straight out, I’m telling you!”
“Is he a freak? Feels like it! But what’s even more freakish is that he ran out and still insta-killed you! Where the hell do you go to argue with that?”
“Then there’s only one CT in K1 this round, easily broken through! m0NESY also has an AWP to play with now!”
“Wait! Dark isn’t stopping! He’s running all the way in through vent! He’s killed Karrigan too, who heard the movement and came over from ramp to help defend!”
“My god! That reaction! Now NiKo has a rifle to use too! Aleksib is directly calling for the B plant!”
“What the hell? This is way too absurd, right? FAZE were actually torn apart by Dark alone this round!”
“.”