These Swedes are the number one team in the world for a reason, they execute their strategies like a well oiled machine and they have the raw skill to turn the odds into their favor. Their most frightening map, in this author’s humble opinion, is Train.

They use DSN’s AWP and f0rest’s uncanny rifles to maximum effect on this map where strategy can make or break your team. Instead of breaking fnatic, their strategies usually break their opponents.

In their recent Extreme Masters II match versus PGS (currently MYM), fnatic’s killer 1-2-2 outside split caught the Poles off guard and turned the map’s momentum back to fnatic’s favor (they were at a 5-0 deficit when they pulled this strategy out to finish the half 8-7 and the match 16-14).

The key to this play is fnatic's use of flash bangs and smoke grenades to separate the defenders and forcing them to engage fnatic in a series of two on ones and three on ones. Their usage of the situational numbers game in this strategy is phenomenal.
Here’s how they execute this strategy.

Before any of the strategy starts Archi, on his way to the ladder room, throws a flash bang towards the inner bomb site to stall the inside defenders from rotating or flanking.

The two players in the middle (f0rest, ins) lead off, with f0rest throwing a flash bang off of the six train ladder, banking one off of five train and throwing a smoke grenade in between the five trains. These flashes are to allow f0rest to cross the middle and clear the ladder train and the area by the electrical box. The area to the right of middle is cleared by the people from the ladder.


ins, at the same time, removes the area under the ladder from contention as he smokes, flashes under the six train and down by the alley, and, if he hears someone close, banks a grenade off the side of the six train. This opens up the pathway from the middle to back alley where DSN will soon appear. These flashes and smokes shut down the potential alley awper, and riflers while ins gets in position to help DSN who momentarily will pop out alley.


As f0rest moves across the middle opening Archi and cArn let loose their grenades. Archi throws a smoke deep to the bomb train. and cArn uses a flash and a smoke to cover Archi as he moves to the ladder train hitch to clear the sniper tower.


cArn's flash blinds Z hall and his smoke close to the ladder room covers Archi while he gets into position. As f0rest gets ready to move on top of the five train cArn lobs another flash bang to the same place as before.


As these coordinated flash bangs and smokes go off in the train yard, DSN moves up the alley. DSN did not throw any flashes in the particular round this strategy was culled from, he managed to pick off the alley defender early as he was distracted by the smokes and flashes middle.

The entire team is now in motion, ins gets on top of the six train as DSN appears from the alley. He clears Z hall and then jumps to the five train. After clearing behind five train he joins up with DSN and continues towards the bomb train.


f0rest jumps on five train and moves on to the electrical box to help Archi and cArn cover the front of the bomb train. Archi is on the ground near the electrical box helping f0rest clear five train and the bomb train. cArn pops out and sits in the pitch black area by the ladder train hitch before returning to the ladder flank.


DSN and ins wrap around the dark area to the back of the bomb train while Archi and f0rest converge on it from the front side. (In this particular round Archi died to a hidden defender under the five train.) Below is a video of the strategy from the overhead perspective.

The key to this strategy is the coordination of fnatic and their mastery of the number game. They force 2v1 and 3v1 situations throughout their strategy and unless their opponent has lucky positioning or spraying take the win.