Golden broke down the fundamentals of defending the A site on Mirage specifically for pugs and matchmaking rather than advanced pro setups. Starting from pistol rounds, he explained how to use simple headshot angles effectively, when to fall back, and how to always keep a backup plan if opponents break through with smokes.
A key focus was coordination with the connector player: using their molotovs and flashes to control space, while saving your own utility for later retakes or mid-round pressure. Golden emphasized the importance of variety — switching between different grenades, positions, and timings to stay unpredictable in the chaos of pug play.
He also noted that sometimes it’s better to leave A and support mid fights, since retaking A is much easier than B. And when opponents play fast and messy, the best answer is to match their chaos with aggression — surprise pushes, quick flashes, or bait setups can instantly shift the round in your favor.
To wrap up, Golden recommended simple micro-plans such as early setups with a teammate or baiting from sandwich to create round-winning moments. His advice remains clear: watch how pros handle ranked games, since those scenarios are closest to what most players will actually face.
