What's up guys I'm Colin for theScore esports you know when we talk about eras in Counter-Strike.
They're often defined by the teams that dominated them.
Think Ninjas in Pyjamas at the beginning of CS:GO
SK/Luminosity a few years ago and now FaZe Clan? Maybe?
But which one is the ultimate, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster.
Now before you hit the comment section, cause I know you're dying to.
Hear me out and take a look at our criteria.
We evaluated these teams partly on Major finishes Top 4 consistency and yes how
they help define the era they played in.
So without further ado sit back, hit that subscribe button, and get ready, 'cause this is the
Top 10 Rosters in CS:GO history.
Kicking off our list at number 10 is FaZe’s star studded lineup.
With superstar players in Olofmeister and Niko, a world class AWPer in GuardiaN,
and experienced players in Karrigan and Rain, FaZe is easily one of the most impressive rosters,
at least on paper.
"FaZe Clan is kind of a band of rockstars."
"And we are here to rule the world."
"A lot of people call us the super team, to compare to Golden State Warriors."
"If I am at my peak? No one can beat me."
Despite a shaky start at their first event, this lineup rebounded with ease placing Top 4 in eleven out of
out of thirteen tournaments. Including seven grand finals appearances and three first place finishes.
FaZe Clan might have lost to Cloud9 in a nail-biting Major grand final, but you can't argue against this team's
consistency.
At number nine, we've got a Fnatic lineup that featured the original Swedish powerhouse in
Olofmeister, JW, Flusha, Krimz, and new-found addition dennis from November 2015 - August 2016.
After a dominant run in the early Fnatic era, the sudden departure of pronax,
and addition of dennis left many fans confused and baffled.
But the roster move changed nothing as Fnatic picked up right where they left off,
continuing their reign as CS:GO’s best team.
"What's crazy about the success of the new Fnatic lineup. It feels like it's really made us take greatness for
granted because already, this is clearly one of the best CS:GO teams we've ever seen."
With Dennis on board, they made it to six grand finals.
Winning five back to back titles, and placing outside the Top 4 only once.
in ten tournaments.
At Number 8 on our list is a Na’Vi lineup that featured the likes of Zeus, seized, GuardiaN, Edward, and flamie.
At a time where CS:GO was arguably at its peak with teams like Fnatic, Luminosity, and EnVyUs,
Na’Vi were a model of consistency, routinely placing at the top of the leaderboards.
"The thing with Na'Vi is they're such a solid team. Really structured, and they will always, as Thorin points out
a number of times. They never get blown out of games.
"They've already accomplished so much, making it to the final of the last Major."
"Winning so many small tournaments. So many Top 4s, so many Top 8s finishes."
"This has been a very very consistent team."
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Out of 27 premier events Na'Vi made 13 grand final appearances 19 Top 4
finishes and won five titles.
Hailing from Denmark, this roster of Dupreeh, dev1ce, xyp9x, cajunB, and Karrigan
made their presence known in the scene with some dominant wins early on
against some of CS:GO’s best teams.
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Although they were often known for falling short in the tournaments that mattered most,
it was this team’s incredible consistency throughout their two year tenure
that landed them on this list. During their run as Dignitas, TSM, and Astralis,
the Danes boasted an incredible streak of 21 Top 4 finishes
nine grand finals.  And won five championship titles, in that timespan.
Number 6 on this list is the next iteration Astralis.
That previous Danish roster of dev1ce, dupreeh, cajunb, xyp9x, and karrigan
met with inconsistent placings starting in mid 2016. karrigan was swapped out for new IGL gla1ve
and things turned around around immediately.
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"I said on the broadcast on TBS. That you shocked the world. Cause none of us had you
getting out of the groups. Especially because you had only been in the team for three days."
"A huge test for this new lineup for Astralis, they bring in Gla1ve and they defeat SK.
you haven't seen that out of Astralis for a very long time."
The change proved to have an immediate impact for the Danish squad,
placing inside the Top 4 in thirteen of their first 14 events,
and although Astralis only won 3 titles, one of them was the 2017 ELEAGUE Major. Over Polish legends,
Virtus.Pro
"Here they are ladies and gentlement, your Major champions. Astralis!"
At our number 5 spot we've got LDLC slash EnVyUs,
which featured the likes of shox, NBK, Kioshima, Smithzz, and Happy.
In an era that was dominated by Sweden, this French team was one of the most consistent,
placing in the Top 4 in 12 out of 15 premier tournaments, making 9 grand finals appearances,
and topping it off with a Major win at Dreamhack Winter 2014.
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Up until 2018, it felt like our number four roster had been together since the dawn of time.
Sticking with their core of Snax, Byali, Pashabiceps, Taz, and Neo,
Virtus.pro were the longest standing 5-man roster in CS:GO history.
"So this is a lineup, that has had the same five players for longer than any other team in CS:GO"
"Even when they've hit slumps, even when they've hit lows in the past like they're currently in at the moment."
"They found a way back out of it. There's a famous line that they said in an interview once where they said:
We don't change players. We change roles. And that really has been the dynamic within Virtus.Pro for
the last few years."
With multiple Top 4 finishes over the years,
and several high-profile tournament wins, including a Major championship in 2014,
Virtus.Pro have easily solidified their spot as one of the best teams to ever play the game.
Coming in at number three, we've got the Counter-Strike legends, Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Boasting Swedish superstars f0rest, GeT_RiGhT, friberg, Xizt, and Fifflaren,
this team was a force to be reckoned with.
Having won an unfathomable 87 LAN maps in a row,
NiP crushed the rest of the competition and were uncontested for most of 2012
"It was just very cool and surprising to see that you actually can be so dominant in a game.
And also that you were one of the best players at the same time."
"NiP, Ninjas in Pyjamas were the best team in the world by far."
"They won their first 87 straight maps in offline competitive play."
"In online games, they occasionally lost but offline they were imperious, they were unbeatable."
The Ninjas would go on to post an impressive 17 top 4 finishes,
followed by three consecutive major grand final appearances, including a major win.
In our runner up spot, is none other than the Brazilian super team of Coldzera, FalleN, Fer, TACO, and fnx.
At a time where the CS:GO scene was dominated by European rosters,
no one could have predicted such a meteoric rise from a roster that hailed from Brazil.
But with an up-and-coming superstar in Coldzera and one of the best in-game leaders in FalleN,
this lineup was poised for success.
"Luminosity is a team that essentially is the brainchild of one person."
"It's this guy Fallen."
"Fallen basically is the Godfather of Brazilian CS."
"Luminosity continues to lead the way in terms of strategy so..."
"It's very unique because the best in-game leaders in Counter-Strike have
throughout all of history, been from Europe."
"The idea that a South American guy could actually be the best tactician in the whole world is actually
like revolutionary itself."
After multiple tournament wins and placing outside of the Top 4
only three times throughout 2015 and 2016
this lineup became only the second team ever to win back to back Majors.
"In terms of winning a second consecutive Major. Can you just put that into words what that means
to achieve? It's such an incredible thing."
"This is more than we expected, being honest. We just get outside Brazil, get outside our families.
"We got ourselves a house."
"To try to do something, but I think we are doing more than something."
"We are building a legacy."
Coming in at number one is none other than, Fnatic.
Featuring the likes of Olofmeister, JW, Flusha, Krimz, and Pronax,
this roster absolutely dominated the CS:GO scene.
During their reign from June 2014 - November 2015, Fnatic won 12 championships,
made 17 finals, and reached the Top 4 in 24 of 27 premier tournaments.
Oh yeah, they were also the first team to ever win back to back Majors.
"How does it feel? Just tell me the feelings."
"Of what it's like to know you've set all these records, you're know the first team to win three Majors."
"You've gotten one back to back, how does that feel?
"I have no words, I don't know what to say."
"Listen I'm not gonna keep pushing it, what do you want to say about the rest of your team and how they played?"
"I don't know I don't have any words, the feelings I have right now is undescribable. I don't know what to say."
Well guys that's our list.
And if your favourite roster didn't make it, well there's always next Major right?
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