Saving

Saving, sometimes called saving your gun, is the decision to stay alive and preserve your weapon and shields rather than take a fight the round is already lost on. By surviving a lost round, you carry your rifle into the next one, easing your economy and avoiding a forced eco.

Players typically save when they are the last one alive against multiple enemies, when defusing is impossible, or when the spike will detonate regardless. Good saving is about reading the situation early and repositioning quietly. It is a long-term economy tool: trading one likely-lost round for a stronger buy and a better chance to win the next two.