The Complete SMG Guide

Get an in-depth look at the SMG stats, features and characteristics

In CS:GO, SMGs are great weapons for fast pace plays and close combat situations. This is due to their high fire and relatively easy spray control. The costs range from $1050 to $2500, making them an affordable option when your team doesn’t have enough money for some more powerful rifles. At the same time, they are known for a higher kill reward making them a good choice to build up the economy when you know the enemy has a weak buy.

This guide will give you a complete understanding of each SMG’s most important stats and features. After reading this, you should be able to choose what SMG is best to buy considering the situation you are in and the way you want to play.

MAC 10

The MAC 10 is only available on the Terrorist side. It is known for its cheap price of $1050 which makes it a good choice for farm money in anti-eco rounds. A main advantage is the high moving speed and accuracy while running and shooting. This makes the MAC 10 a strong weapon in situations where you want to surprise the enemy with an aggressive play. One thing that really stands out, is the extreme accuracy when hanging on a ladder. It’s actually so high that you might want to consider holding an angle on one. The enemy will probabl not expect you to hold such an off angle. However, the MAC 10 does have some drawbacks. It has the lowest armor penetration of any SMGs in the game, meaning it is less effective in certain situations.

MP9

The MP9 i the counterpart to the MAC 10 and it’s the cheapest SMG you can buy on the CT side. It costs $1250 and is known for its extremely high fire rate. However, it is one of the hardest SMG sprays to control because of its relatively high recoil. A great thing about the MP9 becomes significantly more accurate when crouching, making it a good choice for taking long-range fights when you know the T’s are on a MAC 10 buy. Additionally, the MP9 has the lowest recovery bullet time, making it possible to do a burst of shots without losing much accuracy. Many do not know that it has excellent accuracy when jumping and shooting. This can be useful in some situations, but be careful, as you are not as accurate as when standing on the ground.

MP7

The MP7 is a powerful SMG but comes at a higher price of $1500. It’s available on both CT and T sides and works as an alternative to the MP5. A great advantage is its high accuracy while running and shooting. However, it comes with the lowest movement speed of all the SMGs which makes it easier for the enemy to track you down. The MP7 is also one of the SMGs that becomes significantly more accurate when crouching. In fact, it becomes more accurate than both the FAMAS and Galil. This means that you can consider taking duels at longer distances.

MP5

The MP5 is a well-known SMG from the world outside of CS:GO. It costs $1500 in-game and can be bought on both teams, where it’s an alternative option to the MP5. Here it has many similarities when looking at factors like damage, accuracy and fire rate. It also has a significant increase in accuracy when crouching. The key feature of the MP5 is the silencer, which prevents any visible tracer from coming when you shoot. The silencer also makes it difficult for the enemy to hear from which direction you are shooting. This is highly effective when you stand behind the enemy or shoot through smoke grenades.

P90

The P90 is the absolute most expensive SMG, coming at a cost of $2350. It can be bought on both teams and many like it for its huge magazine size, high armor penetration and ability to frustrate the enemy when they get rushed down by the weapon. The P90 has the highest damage per second across all distances. This makes it the most powerful SMG if you are able to hit all your shots. The $300 kill reward is a noticeable downside considering that SMGs are often used to collect more money and build up the team economy. Despite the P90 being the most powerful SMG, it is still hard to justify its significantly higher price.

UMP-45

The UMP is the SMG with the highest damage and second-highest armor penetration. It can be purchased on both the T and CT sides and cost $1200. The UMP has the highest damage, but despite that, you should be aware of the extremely high damage dropoff. In fact, it loses 25% damage for every 12,7 meters. This is why it’s definitely best at short ranges. It also has the highest amount of recoil, but a low fire rate and a simple spray pattern make it fairly easy to control. Considering the low price it becomes a great alternative to the MP9 when you play CT.

PP-Bizon

The Bizon costs $1400 and can be purchased on both teams. It is known for its 64 bullet magazine. The large magazine makes it especially strong in hectic situations with many enemies around you. You can stop an entire team rushing towards you without having to worry about reloading. It has one of the lowest recovery times between each bullet, which means that it loses accuracy to a lesser degree when shooting multiple shots in a row. However, if you choose to play with the Bizon, be aware that damage is significantly reduced at longe range compared to almost any other SMG. This makes it more suitable to use at close range. Despite a high moving speed, it’s not the best SMG for running and shooting due to the high running inaccuracy.