CS2 Ancient smokes in the csnades base set are 13 smokes plus 14 other grenades (eight flashes, five molotovs and one HE), checked on October 11, 2026. 13 of the 27 lineups are for CT side. We added two smokes from csnades outside the base set, cave from ruins for T and elbow from CT spawn for CT. Every lineup below is a table row: where to stand, what to aim at, how to throw, the flight time and the date csnades last updated it. Spots are described in words, with no game screenshots; the link in each row opens the csnades page with a short video. If lineups are new to you, read how to throw smokes in CS2 first.

On this page
CS2 Ancient smokes: a smoke grenade canister on a mossy carved stone block with a green leaf in humid jungle haze

Short answer

  • First five T smokes: top mid, donut, CT and temple from the outside A railing, B alley from ruins.
  • First three CT smokes: elbow from top mid, A main from big box, B ramp from CT spawn.
  • Two lineups are marked "Very Precise" on csnades: A stairs (CT) and donut tunnel (T). Leave them for week two.
  • No jump-throw bind. It has been ignored by default since August 19, 2024.
  • Every base lineup here was last dated before Valve's August 2025 Ancient refresh. Watch the video before trusting an old row.

Video: the essential smokes thrown in-game (NartOutHere, 2026). Each card below links to a clip of that exact throw with the crosshair position.

Which smokes to learn first on Ancient?

On T side, start where you get the most from one spot. The railing outside A gives three smokes without moving your feet: CT, temple and donut tunnel, each with its own aim point. Learn CT and temple there first, the tunnel smoke later. Add top mid from T spawn for the middle of the map and B alley from ruins for B.

On CT side, elbow from top mid is the easy one: a plain left click, 3.4 seconds in the air. A main from big box is the same kind of throw. B ramp from CT spawn is a jump throw that flies 8.1 seconds, so throw it as soon as the round starts.

A Steam Community guide from January 2026 splits Ancient smokes into A (CT, donut), middle (red room, donut, elevator) and B (short, long, cave). CT, donut and cave from that list are also in our tables.

If you are not sure which side you prefer to support, the CS2 role quiz is a quick check.

T-side smokes

Eight smokes. The first seven are csnades' base set; the row marked "extra" is from csnades too, outside that set. "Jump" means jump and release left click right after.

Seven of eight are standing jump throws, so the work is all in the aim point. csnades lists back alley, B alley and cave from ruins as one combination, so one corner of ruins can cover three spots.

Instant top mid. csnades also keeps a guide with instant top mid smokes from T spawn, some of them thrown on the run. Learn the base top mid smoke first, then the variant for your usual spawn.

CT-side smokes

Elbow from CT spawn (extra) CT

Stand: CT spawn, in the corner

Aim: Tip of the leaf lined up with the edge of the bricks

Throw: Jump, stand · Air: 7.1 s

Watch the throw (csnades, Apr 2024)

A long is marked "Loose", so it survives a rough aim. A stairs is the opposite: "Very Precise", 8.3 seconds of flight, and an aim point between two small tips. The extra elbow smoke comes from csnades' guide to CT instant mid smokes. csnades has more instant smokes from CT spawn, including several bottom mid variants thrown with a walking jump.

Molotovs, flashes and HE that matter

Fourteen lineups from the same base set. Flashes fly 1.6 s, the HE 1.7 s, molotovs 2 s.

Molotov: lower catwalk CT

Stand: B entry, corner edge, dark line and dark spot between bricks

Throw: Run, jump

Watch the throw (csnades)

The catwalk flash from Jaguar needs a second look. csnades dates it November 2023, and on September 22, 2026 Valve adjusted door geometry and grenade clipping inside Jaguar. It may still work; throw it in practice first.

How to practise these lineups

Open a practice match on Ancient and paste the command block from how to throw smokes in CS2. Then go one row at a time:

  1. Match the spot. Compare where you stand with the csnades video.
  2. Aim and stop. Put the crosshair on the point and leave the mouse alone.
  3. Throw five times. Rethrow and noclip to check the landing.
  4. Use it in a bot match. Only the new smoke, nothing else.

Valve's own starter map guide for Ancient is another way to check a spot; the throwing guide shows how to load map guides in Practice. Sensitivity does not change where a grenade lands; if your aim feels off after another game, use the sensitivity converter. A thick crosshair hides small aim points, and CS2 crosshair codes covers that.

What usually goes wrong

The aim point does not look like the video. Most csnades Ancient videos were recorded before Valve refreshed the map's materials and added a nighttime version on August 14, 2025. A "dark spot" or a "bright brick" can look different now. Use the shape and position in the video, not the colour alone.

A smoke clips something it did not clip before. Valve fixed grenade and player clipping on Ancient on September 3, 2025, and the newest base lineup on csnades is from May 2025. If a smoke stops short, the map changed; look for a newer variant on csnades.

Two smokes from the railing get mixed up. CT, temple and donut tunnel are all thrown from the middle of the outside A railing. The only difference is the aim point. Say it out loud before you throw: "buildings", "leaf" or "black square".

A stairs falls short. It is "Very Precise", and you aim between two small corner tips. A pixel off is a wasted smoke. Stand still, aim, wait a moment, then jump.

A jump throw lands in the wrong place. Old jump-throw binds do nothing since August 2024. Release right after the jump and listen for the confirmation sound.

Learning order and binds

Week one: the five T smokes from the short answer. Week two: elbow, A main and B ramp for CT, then A stairs. Week three: donut tunnel, the ruins combination with cave, and the molotovs for the site you defend most.

No throw binds. Practice binds only: rethrow, noclip, the grenade camera and the flight trail, all in the throwing guide.

Next maps: Nuke smokes, Anubis smokes, Cache smokes and Mirage smokes. The random CS2 map picker decides what you practise today. More on the game is in the CS2 hub and on the guides page.

FAQ

Which Ancient smokes should I learn first?

On T side: top mid from T spawn, donut from T mid, CT and temple from the outside A railing, and B alley from ruins. On CT side: elbow from top mid, A main from big box and B ramp from CT spawn. Add the A stairs smoke once those feel easy, it is marked Very Precise.

Do Ancient lineups need a jump throw bind?

No. Since August 19, 2024 binds that mix jump and attack are ignored, and Valve made a plain jump followed by a quick throw land the same way every time.

Are these Ancient lineups still valid in 2026?

All 27 are in csnades' base Ancient guide as of October 11, 2026, but the newest of them is dated May 2025. Valve refreshed Ancient's materials in August 2025 and fixed grenade clipping in September 2025, so check each row's video before a match.

My aim point does not look like the video. What changed?

Ancient has a nighttime version since August 14, 2025, and landmarks like a dark spot or a bright brick look different in other lighting. Valve also restored some grenade lineup visuals on August 26, 2025, which suggests the refresh had changed a few of them.

Where can I watch each throw?

Every row links to its csnades page, which has a short video of the lineup. We describe positions in words only and do not use game screenshots.

How do I practise these lineups?

Open a practice match on Ancient, paste the command block from our guide on how to throw smokes in CS2 and bind sv_rethrow_last_grenade to repeat your last throw.

Sources