IDF Defender

Overview

IDF Defender, commonly referred to as the Galil or IMI Galil, is a rifle featured in every game of the Counter-Strike series except Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where it was replaced by Galil AR.

Overview

The Galil is a moderately powerful assault rifle available exclusively to the Terrorists. The only major disadvantages are its inaccuracy over long ranges and high recoil. It is also unusually heavy for an assault rifle. For those reasons, the Galil is uncommon, usually being replaced with the AK-47 after several rounds. Furthermore, this weapon is one of the hardest to master, the second hardest weapon is the FAMAS, the counterpart of the Galil.

Properties

Hitbox	Primary Attack
Hitbox	Unarmored	Armored
Head	119	92
Chest & Arm	29	23
Abdomen & Pelvis	37	29
Leg	22	22
Red signifies a fatal hit.

The Galil is a moderate weight weapon. While wielded, the player's movement speed is 210 units per second (default speed is 250), meaning they suffer 16% speed reduction. The Galil is one of the few weapons that is unable to shoot underwater.

Advantages

Largest magazine capacity compared to other assault rifles (35 rounds)
Moderate damage
The cheapest assault rifle available for the Terrorists ($2000)
Moderate accuracy
High rate of fire
Good penetration
Lower recoil compared to the AK-47

Disadvantages

Less accurate than the M4 or AK-47
Low damage compared to the AK-47
Loses accuracy when firing this weapon constantly
High recoil
Due to the high reduction to movement speed when using this weapon, users have low movement speed
Unable to shoot underwater

Gameplay

Tactics

Spray at full auto when at close range while strafing to left or right. Aim for the chest as the recoil will increase and hit your enemy's head.
- This weapon can be deadly at close range if the user is well experienced in wielding the IDF Defender. The rifle can kill enemies with a headshot at the first bullet fired but the user may need to wait until the recoil has become less severe otherwise, the inaccuracy will make the user an easy target for counter-attack. Sometimes, the best ways to compensate this is to either retreat and wait or strafe and keep firing.
  - For medium range, stay stationary, aim for head and shoot burst of two shots which makes it more likely to land a headshot
  - For long range, crouch and aim for whatever you think you can hit, normally a torso shot.
Switch to a sidearm when you want to run faster due to the Galil's high movement speed penalty. Also, use a sidearm if you cannot use this rifle at long ranges.
- Alternatively, avoid long range engagement while using the Galil.
Only use full auto when you are very close, its high rate of fire is difficult for most other weapons to match but at longer distances, you will most likely waste your ammo.
The Galil can be useful at the beginning of a match if you don't have sufficient money for the AK-47. It's almost as close to the AK-47's statistics and this weapon can still outclass opponents who using submachine guns.
In Counter-Strike: Source, the weapon is a little more accurate. Because of this, it's easier to be used on medium ranges, by firing in bursts. Close range spray is even more deadly due to its high rate of fire.

Countertactics

Avoid all close contact with its users.
- Use long range weaponry against its users.
- Use low recoil weapons against its users at long range.
Use more powerful weapons, or ones with greater ranged abilities.
If the user is unaware or occupied, a submachine gun can be a good choice due to the high fire rate. The P90 is usually the best option at close.
Remember, the user of this has a high firing rate, so try to make them waste their magazine by dodging/strafing. Also, this weapon is hard to control while firing at full-auto so keep your distance and its user will have a hard time hitting you. Try to make them spray and pray, use a flashbang if you want.
Galil users will also be slowed down somewhat (especially in later games), so they may be easier targets, especially for snipers.

Comparison to the FAMAS

Positive

Cheaper ($2000 vs $2250)
Larger magazine size (35 rounds vs 25 rounds)
Higher damage
Better accuracy than FAMAS in automatic mode
Faster reload time (3 seconds vs 3.8 seconds (1.6 and CZ) and 3.4 Seconds (CSS))

Neutral

Same ammunition type (5.56mm)
Same firing rate when firing automatic (666 rpm)
Both weapons cannot fire underwater

Negative

Does not have a burst-fire alternative fire mode (which is good for long range combat and can decrease bullet spread)
Heavier (210 unit per seconds vs 220 unit per seconds)
Slower rate of fire compared to when a user wielding the FAMAS is burst firing (666 rpm vs 800 rpm)

Achievements

Counter-Strike: Source

Weapon

IDF Defender Expert
Kill 500 enemy players with the IDF Defender.

Appearances

Condition Zero

Unlike the Counter-Terrorists's counterpart, the FAMAS. Terrorists bots in Tour of Duty never purchase the Galil as their main weapon. Instead, they will buy it only when they cannot afford the AK-47, AWP, and/or the Scout. If they cannot afford the Galil, they will purchase the MP5 instead.

Deleted Scenes

The Galil appears very rarely in the missions of Deleted Scenes, mainly because it's a Terrorist-exclusive weapon even though they are never seen using it. It also has a high magazine size which may have contributed to its rarity. The Galil appears only once in the mission Run! at an "unknown" area.

Gallery

Main article: IDF Defender/Gallery

Trivia

The database name for this weapon is galil.
The draw, cocking, and reload animations in the Counter-Strike series for the Galil are always slightly different.
This is one of four weapons that cannot fire underwater, with the others being the GIAT FAMAS F1, Benelli M1014, and the Benelli M3 Super 90.
The Galil was added into Counter-Strike after the release of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. It also came with the FAMAS and the Tactical shield.
The modernized Galil ACE 22 replaces the aging Galil ARM in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
In some buy menus, this weapon's caliber will be shown as .308 NATO ammo. However, it uses 5.56 mm instead. This is fixed in Source.
The Galil is shown using a 20-round box magazine in the GoldSrc games. However, Counter-Strike: Source correctly depicts a 35-round curved magazine.
The Galil is the only weapon that shown in the training level of Deleted Scenes and discovered in the mission Run! (the mission is an extra one), and it is not seen in other missions.
- The player can only obtain the Galil by using the console command: "give weapon_galil". It has different fire and reload sounds but shares the same 5.56mm NATO rounds.
When used by Terrorists, they hold the Galil on the hip. When used by Counter-Terrorists, they will hold the Galil on the shoulder.
- In Counter-Strike and Condition Zero, Terrorist players will hold and fire the IDF on the hip. In Counter-Strike: Source, Terrorist players will aim the rifle like the other weapons. (the stock is on the shoulder)
In Source, CT bots on higher difficulties may pick up Galil. In older games, they seem to pick up the AK-47 only. Terrorist Galil users may prefer the FAMAS as well.

External links

IMI Galil at Wikipedia.