CS 1.6 Knife Strategies – Close Combat Guide & Max Money Reward

CS 1.6 Knife Strategie

While the knife in Counter-Strike 1.6 is often overlooked in favor of automatic weapons, mastering its use is crucial for two reasons: massive monetary reward and humiliating your opponent in a clutch situation. A knife kill grants the highest financial reward in the game ($1500), which can instantly turn the tide of the next round economy.

This guide details the specific knife mechanics, movement strategies, and the two critical knife modes you must master to achieve the coveted knife kill.

The Economics of the Knife

In CS 1.6, the financial reward for a kill varies greatly depending on the weapon used. The knife offers the highest bonus, making it an incredible risk/reward choice if you can secure the kill.

Strategy Tip: In the first pistol round, if you manage to flank an enemy who is reloading or low on health, sacrificing the standard kill for a knife kill can finance a full rifle and armor set for the next round. This is the ultimate CS 1.6 Economy Hack.

Knife Hit Modes: Primary vs. Secondary Attack

The CS 1.6 knife has two distinct attack modes, each serving a different purpose. Understanding the damage, range, and cooldown of these modes is vital for successful knife fights.

A. Primary Attack (Mode 1: The Fast Stab)

• Action: Single left-click (Mouse 1 / M1).
• Damage: Low (approx. 25–45 per hit on an armored target).
• Speed/Cooldown: Very fast. Can be spammed quickly.
• Purpose: Use this mode to “finish” an enemy who is already severely damaged (e.g., less than 40 HP). It’s faster than the secondary attack but requires 3–5 hits to kill an opponent with full HP and armor.
• Strategy: If you see an enemy with red health, spam the Primary Attack as you circle them.

B. Secondary Attack (Mode 2: The Overhead Swing)

• Action: Single right-click (Mouse 2 / M2).
• Damage: High (approx. 55–75 per hit on an armored target).
• Speed/Cooldown: Slow. The swing motion is highly visible and leaves you exposed.
• Purpose: The devastating finishing blow. A Secondary Attack hit to the enemy’s back is an instant kill, regardless of their health or armor. This is the CS 1.6 Backstab Mechanic.
• Strategy: Always aim to deliver the Secondary Attack when the enemy is disoriented, reloading, or when you have successfully flanked them from behind.

Close Combat Movement and Strafe Strategies

Knife combat is 90% footwork and 10% timing. Since you have no range advantage, you must manipulate the enemy’s aim (crosshair placement) and force them to miss.

A. The Circling Strafe (The “Waltz”)

This is the most common and effective knife strategy against a single opponent.

1. Engage and Distract: Run directly at the enemy to initiate the fight.
2. Start Circling: Once you are very close, immediately stop running forward and begin circling the enemy (holding A or D, but NOT W or S).
3. Crosshair Target: While circling, keep your crosshair locked onto the enemy’s neck/chest area.
4. Execute: Continuously spam the Primary Attack (M1) while maintaining the circle. The continuous, close-range circular movement makes it extremely difficult for the enemy to lock onto your head, especially if they are trying to land a perfect rifle burst.

B. The Surprise Backstab

This strategy relies entirely on stealth and positioning, but it guarantees the $1500 reward and an instant kill.

1. Muffle Sound: Always use your knife’s primary attack (M1) sound when moving, or simply walk (hold SHIFT).
2. Flank: Identify isolated enemies (snipers, static rifle players) whose attention is elsewhere.
3. Approach: Approach the enemy directly from behind, staying close to walls or corners.
4. Execute: Once directly behind the target, use the Secondary Attack (M2) (right-click) for the instant kill. The CS 1.6 Backstab mechanic bypasses all armor and health checks.

Internal Link Tip: Perfect Counter-Strafing is also crucial for initiating and exiting knife engagements. For a full breakdown of zero-momentum movement, review our CS 1.6 Aim Training Guide: Counter-Strafing (/cs-1-6-aim-training/).

C. Headshot Targeting (Maximize Damage)

While movement is key, the damage output of the knife in CS 1.6 is location-dependent, just like guns. The highest damage multiplier is applied when hitting the opponent in the head.

• Primary Attack Headshot: If you hit the head with the fast Primary Attack (M1), it often requires only two hits to kill an enemy with full armor, drastically speeding up the engagement. If you hit the chest, you may need three or four hits.
• Secondary Attack (M2) Headshot: While M2 to the back is an instant kill, a headshot from the front with the slow M2 swing can also be fatal in two hits or less, making it a viable, high-risk, high-reward attack when facing the enemy frontally.
• Practice with Bots: To develop the muscle memory to consistently target the head while circling (Section 3.A), practice in a private server with bots (bot_add). Force yourself to focus your crosshair on the head hitbox while dodging their counter-attacks. This is essential for competitive knife only servers.

When to Use the Knife

Knowing when to draw your knife is the mark of a veteran player.

A. Speed (The Run & Gun)

The knife offers the fastest movement speed in the game. Always draw the knife when:

• Rotating to a distant bomb site (e.g., from A Site to B Site on Dust2).
• Running out of the spawn area at the start of the round.
• Retreating from an impossible fight.

B. The Clutch Reload

If you are in a very close 1v1 fight and your enemy begins reloading, this is your small window of opportunity. They are momentarily immobile and unable to shoot. Immediately switch to the knife, close the distance, and attempt a quick Primary Attack spam or a Secondary Attack if you can quickly get behind them.

C. The Melee Duel (Against Other Knives)

If you are forced into a duel where both players are using knives (often at the end of a round with no money left), the best strategy is often to delay and feint. Wait for the opponent to attempt their slow Secondary Attack, dodge it, and then instantly counter with your own Secondary Attack or a Primary Attack spam. Patience wins knife duels.

Start Training Immediately

To start training with bots or try out knife strategies on local servers, you need a stable and fully configured CS 1.6 client with installed bots.

Our offered download is fully prepared:

• It already has bots installed (the bot_add command works without additional files).
• The client is clean, free of unnecessary modifications or advertisements.

Download Counter-Strike 1.6 with bots and stability fixes here: CS 1.6 Download