Molotov

“The Molotov is a powerful and unpredictable area denial weapon that bursts into flames when thrown on the ground, injuring any player in its radius.”
―Official description

A Molotov cocktail is a thrown explosive featured in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, exclusive to the Terrorists. The counterpart for Counter-Terrorists is the incendiary grenade.

Overview

Molotov cocktails are typically composed of a glass alcohol bottle, alcohol or gasoline inside the bottle itself, and a lit rag for the ignition source of flammable liquid. When thrown, the bottle would shatter, spreading the flammable liquid around, and the lit rag would create flames upon contact with the liquid. This not only does constant damage to those in contact, but also slows and even continues to hurt affected players for a few seconds afterwards.

Advantages

Excellent for preventing enemies in advancing to an important area (such as a bombsite, important path or the hostages)
Great to use to ensure that opposing team members cannot eliminate you with close-ranged weaponry (like shotguns and the knife).
Can quickly spread and trap enemy players.
Long-lasting effects
Helpful in allowing users to escape (if the weapon is thrown properly)
$200 cheaper than the Incendiary Grenade

Disadvantages

Very unpredictable (especially in the hands of newcomers)
If thrown incorrectly, it can harm you, your team members, and even the hostages!
Easily seen and will become the center of attention for many players
Players can still shoot through the flames
This weapon has to be thrown at the ground (or at least, bounce off the walls and then hit the ground) to be useful
Timing is very important to consider, otherwise the effects and advantages of the Molotov Cocktail are wasted
Smoke grenades extinguish the fire.
Also has a fuse time, meaning that if you throw it too high in the air, it will explode while mid-air before hitting the ground, rendering it useless.

Damage

The Molotov cocktail will burst into flames on contact with the ground and ignites any player within its radius, their health will drop drastically if they don't escape soon. The duration of the carpet of fire that the Molotov creates is about 7 seconds.

Tactics

Use the Molotov Cocktail to damage and seperate enemy teams. If done properly, you can then eliminate targets easily as the flames can prevent backup from the opposing team.
If being chased by multiple players, you may dump one Molotov Cocktail behind your path (If possible, narrow corridors or one way path), this can help you lose your attackers. This tactic also works on Incendinary Grenade, CT's Molotov counterpart.
This weapon is perfect for ambushing purposes. If possible, try to throw the Molotov at the path where the enemy will use. Due to the fact that the grenade can quickly spread, you will gain an advantage over your targets.
After planting the bomb, if no Counter-terrorists are coming to defuse it in the next 15 seconds, throw a Molotov on the bomb. The fire will prevent any Counter-terrorist from defusing it while the fire is active. But beware of enemy Smoke Grenades can extinguish the fire.

Counter-Tactics

Throw a smoke to extinguish the fire the Molotov cocktail creates.
- This will also allow a Counter-terrorist to extinguish the fire next to a planted bomb and defuse it successfully, if there are no terrorists around, guarding the bomb, same goes for the hostage area.

Achievements

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Weapon Specialist

Flame Expert
Kill 100 enemies with the Molotov or Incendiary grenade.

Trivia

The Molotov Cocktail was invented by Finns in World War II and its name is an insulting reference to former Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov.
The Molotov cocktail or Firebomb is an improvised incendiary grenade that was cut from Counter-Strike and Counter-Strike: Condition Zero but reintroduced in Global Offensive.
The Molotov Cocktail and the Incendiary Grenade, the Counter-Terrorist exclusive grenade, are very similar to the CS grenade (a gas grenade never actually featured).
This weapon is present in Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, both developed by Valve and Turtle Rock Studios.
- Moreover, the sounds for the CS:GO Molotov Cocktail were re-used from Left 4 Dead 2.
When directly standing on the fire of the Incendiary Grenade/Molotov cocktail, your screen becomes slightly darkened by the smoke.
Before the introduction of the Incendiary grenade, the Molotov Cocktail was also purchasable by the Counter-Terrorists in the Global Offensive beta.
Originally, the view model of the Molotov Cocktail featured the lighter being lit at all times. In an update, this has been removed.
Alongside with the Incendiary Grenade, the Molotov Cocktail is often considered to be "unbalanced, overpowered, and perhaps unfair" as it can prevent players from reaching important areas, such as a bombsite. More importantly, these firebombs are often thrown at the location of the C4 thus hindering the Counter-Terrorists' progress in defusing the bomb. However, a smoke grenade can be used to extinguish the fire thus reducing/eliminating the effectiveness of the fire.
In the latest update of Global Offensive, all grenades recieved a secondary fire where the grenade will be bounced for short range throw, as well as a third medium-ranged throw (by holding both primary and secondary fire buttons).