CS2 Ancient Lineups: Smokes, Flashes & Molotovs

Ancient punishes teams that try to win it with aim. The paths onto both sites are narrow, the CT rotations are short, and a defender sitting in Temple or Snipers Nest costs nothing to set up. That is why the map comes down to utility: with the right smokes down, a site take becomes a numbers game; without them, it is a series of duels the CTs already picked for you. This guide walks through the Ancient smokes, flashes and molotovs that actually matter on each side — what every grenade is for — with each one linked straight to its lineup.

Taking mid (T side)

Mid control opens both sites on Ancient, and the CTs defend it with free angles rather than numbers. Utility is what takes those angles away.

Start with Snipers Nest. The CT holding it watches mid and the approach to A at no risk, so smoking it is the single most repeated job on the T side — which is why the tool lists several throwing positions instead of one. Some are thrown from around T spawn: position A, B, C, D and E, plus one more T spawn variant. The rest are for later in the round, once you already hold space: from Elbow and a second Elbow position. Learn one early-round version and one from Elbow, and you are covered.

Pair it with the Window smoke from T spawn to close the window sightline while your team moves out, and use flashes for the rest. The mid popflash from T spawn detonates in mid and blinds the CTs watching Snipers Nest, Window and Pit, and there is a second mid flash from T spawn for a different angle of approach.

Lamp Room is the other side of mid. The Lamp Room smoke from T spawn blocks the flank angles out of it, the flash into Lamp Room from Lane blinds whoever holds it, and the Lamp Room self popflash pops overhead so you can swing the connector yourself.

Executing A (T side)

An A execute on Ancient is three problems: Temple, the short approach, and the CT rotation. Each has its own grenade.

Temple first — it is the hardest angle to clear on the map and the reason blind A hits fail. Smoke it from Split, from the second Split position, or from Stairs if your team is already past mid. If you learn one A smoke on Ancient, learn this one.

Then cover the approach. The A short ahead smoke from Split and its second variant block the sightline your entry runs into as he steps out.

Finally, cut the rotation. The CT lane smoke from Tunnels closes the cross-rotation angles between the A site and CT spawn, which buys the seconds an execute needs — and works just as well as the setup for a fake. The CT lane smoke from Split stairs does the same job from a forward position.

Add fire when the CTs play the boost: the boost molotov from A long burns the spot instead of trading with whoever is standing on it, and the Triple Box molotov from Long takes away the A-site boxes the anchor plays behind.

If you are coming onto A through CT spawn, the two Halls-to-Alley connector smokes — first position and second position — cut off the player who supports B from mid.

Executing B (T side)

B is compact, which means coordinated utility beats raw aim there more than anywhere else on the map.

Cut B Long first, so the CTs cannot hold or support the site from it. The B Long smoke from Ruins is the standard version; there is also one from Lane and a longer T spawn lineup for a faster start. Add the B Short smoke, which blocks the rotation through mid and CT spawn and keeps working after the plant.

Now the entry. The B site flash from Ruins is a jumpthrow popflash that blinds the CTs on Pillar and the mid connector while your own team stays clean, and the Pillar flash from Doors detonates behind the pillar to blind Lamp Room, Pit and the pillar angles at once.

Fire finishes the job. The B site molotov lands near Pillar and burns out anyone hiding behind it, the house pillar molotov from Doors clears the same kind of hold on the house side. For the default plant corner, use the B cubby molotov from Doors, from House or from Ruins — whichever matches where you are standing when the execute starts.

Defending with utility (CT side)

On defense, Ancient utility does two things: it delays the T setup early, and it buys a retake late.

Elbow is the early-round priority. Smoking it stalls a mid split or an execute and gives your team time to build crossfires. There is a throwing position for each CT spawn point — A, B, C, D and E — because the throw depends on where you spawn.

Doors works the same way. The tool has a CT spawn lineup for each spawn point — A, B, C, D, E and F — plus an easier Doors smoke from Long when you are already forward.

Two more smokes cover the rest of the map. The A main smoke from CT temple blocks the main T entrance onto A, and the Ramp smoke from Back halls slows a B push while your rotation arrives.

For the fights themselves:

• B lane molotov from Short — the anti-rush answer on B, and the hardest lineup here to hit under pressure.
• Ramp self popflash from B Long — pops near Ramp so you can counter-push instead of waiting in place.
• Donut self-serve flash — a defensive flash: CTs use it holding Donut, and Ts use it holding a planted bomb. It is not an entry tool.
• Donut self popflash to mid — for anchoring Donut alone: blind the players near the mid connector and take the duel on your terms.

Learn the exact lineups in GetReplay

Knowing which grenade to throw is half the job; landing it is the other half. Every link above opens the lineup with its exact stand and aim point, and the Ancient utility tool lets you filter the full set by side and type — smokes, flashes and molotovs. Start with Temple, one Snipers Nest smoke and the B Long smoke, then widen your pool.

Drilling them until they're muscle memory

A lineup you can't hit under pressure isn't worth much. Load a local practice server, turn on sv_cheats 1, and use sv_rethrow_last_grenade to repeat the same throw instantly — see the repeat grenade command and bind for the one-key setup. Ancient leans on jumpthrows harder than most maps — most of the lineups on the site need one, so sort out a jumpthrow bind before anything else. Run each smoke ten times in a row until the motion is automatic.

Then check whether it's paying off: open a recent match in GetReplay and review your utility damage and flash assists to see which grenades are actually helping your team.

Once Ancient is covered, the Mirage lineups, Dust2 lineups and Inferno lineups are the natural next maps.

FAQ

Where can I find Ancient lineups? Use the Ancient utility tool — it shows the stand and land point for every smoke, flash and molotov, sorted by side and type. Every grenade named in this guide links straight to its lineup.

What is the most important smoke on Ancient? The Temple smoke. Temple is the angle that breaks blind A executes, and taking it away changes the site take completely. A Snipers Nest smoke is the next one to learn.

How many lineups do I need to know for Ancient? Four or five carry most rounds: Temple, one Snipers Nest smoke, the CT lane smoke for A, the B Long smoke and one Elbow smoke for defense. Add molotovs once those are automatic.

Do Ancient lineups need a jumpthrow? Most of them do — the majority of lineups in the tool are jumpthrows, so a jumpthrow bind is the first thing to set up before you start practising.