Peeking and angles

When you step out of cover there is a small advantage on your side: because of how the game transmits movement, the player moving sees their opponent a moment before being seen. It is small but real, especially with a fast peek.

On the other side, the player holding has their crosshair already set and does not have to move. So the question is not "is it better to peek or to hold?" but who has the advantage in this situation: holding a predictable angle often loses to a fast peek; a slow peek into an angle the enemy knows almost always loses.

Each kind of peek has a different purpose.

• Wide swing: step out with a wide, fast motion. It is for surprising someone holding the edge of cover: you appear far from their crosshair and they have to move to find you.
• Tight peek: step out just past the edge. You show less of yourself, but you appear exactly where the enemy is looking. It works when they are looking elsewhere or do not know you are there.
• Jiggle peek: in and out quickly. It is for gathering information without giving them time to shoot.
• Shoulder peek: show only your shoulder for a moment. It is for baiting a shot, especially from an Operator, and finding out where they are.
• Swing: a committed peek to fight right away, usually after utility or when you know the enemy is in trouble.
• Double peek: two teammates at once, so the enemy cannot take both.

To choose, ask two things: what do I want and where is the enemy waiting.

And remember you do not have to peek at all: sometimes the best choice is to wait, use an ability or go somewhere else.

The same reasoning applies in reverse when you are the one waiting. If you hold an angle from a predictable spot (where everyone plays), whoever enters checks it first with a pre-aim. If you hold it from an off-angle, an unusual spot, the entering player is not looking for you there and loses the half second that decides the duel.

Two rules for angles:

• further from the edge your crosshair has more time to react to a wide swing; close to the edge you are more exposed to a tight peek;
• an off-angle works once: if you get killed or spotted there, change position next round.

The best peek is the one made with extra information. If a teammate tells you "one behind the box, low", your peek changes: you know where to put your crosshair and that one shot is enough. If the minimap shows an enemy just spotted near a corner, you can pre-aim precisely instead of checking everything.

On the other hand, if nobody knows anything, the peek is a gamble: then prefer the ones that expose you least (jiggle, shoulder) or use an ability to find out first. Every extra piece of information turns a blind peek into a chosen duel.

Peeks are best practiced in two ways.

Alone, in the range or a custom game: pick a wall, wide swing out, stop with a counter-strafe, fire one shot, go back. Then the same with a tight peek. The goal is a precise stop and a first shot that goes where you want.

With a friend in a custom game: one holds an angle, the other peeks. Try every type and swap roles. You will quickly see what the holder sees, and why some peeks work and others do not.