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First things first, by Line-Up I do NOT mean organisations. For example: "Astralis" is an Organisation. Device, Dupreeh, Xyp9x, Glaive and Magisk, the 5 men playing for the team is their Line-Up. The Organisation coupled with their Line-Up makes a CS: GO Team.
Over the years we have seen some explosive CS: GO teams who dominated the global scene for a modest period of time while sometimes we have seen cores which have amazing durability.
Lasting for years and years outlasting several top teams while maintaining their spot on the top. Sometimes it takes several roster changes and a very shaky beginning to elevate a roster into stardom.
Let's take a look at the Top 10 CS: GO cores of all time ever since the game's inception in 2012.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Cloud 9 (August 2017 - January 2018): After signing Tarik and RUSH to add to their line up of Autimatic, Stewie2k and Skadoodle Cloud 9 found their winning combo. Managing 8 Top 8 finishes out of 14 tournaments including a victory at the E-League Atlanta Major 2018 which has garnered legendary status, Cloud 9 brought NA CS into the center stage of the CSGO world. However, their line-up soon broke up with Stewie2k and Tarik leaving to join MiBr and they haven't been able to recover ever since.
2. LDLC.com (July 2014 - December 2014): Created during the peak of the "French Shuffles", LDLC managed to create a team of French superstars with Smithzz, Shox, NBK, Happy and Kioshima. With this very highly experienced and talented line-up, the team set the Pro scene on fire. Finishing out of the Top 2 in only 2 of 8 tournaments and managing top 4 finishes in every single one, LDLC were the only competitors that provided a challenge to the Swedish powerhouses during that era. They cemented their legacy with a victory at the Dreamhack Winter 2014 Major.
3. Astralis (December 2016 to July 2017): The only reason Astralis' major winning team isn't on this list is that the team already has two entries. But from late 2016 to Mid 2017, Astralis seemed like they were reborn. Signing Kjaerbye and Glaive to their core of Device, Dupreeh and Xyp9x, Astralis won the E-League Major 2017 and also a couple Premier Tournaments. They had several top 4 finished, but that was common for the Danish powerhouses at that time.
#10 Faze (October 2017 - Present)
Faze clan started in CSGO by signing the former roster of G2 Esports. They remained one of the mid-tier teams until they started the trend of creating 'Super Teams'. Currently with five players from as many countries, the team of Karrigan, Niko, Rain, Guardian and Olofmeister is perhaps the most star-studded team in CSGO today. The team gained momentum during Brazilian super team SK Gaming's downfall. They were naturally earmarked as the next big thing, and rightfully so.
With their new line-up, Olofmeister's first appearance came at ESL One New York which Faze convincingly won. it was followed by another victory at E-League Premier 2017. Their form dipped a little bit as the team got a string of second place finishes. But then they won the ECS Season 4 just before the Major. At the E-League Boston Major,
They have participated in 15 premier/major tournaments thus far, without missing a single premier or major tournament in almost a whole year. They have won five tournaments. They finished second in four including the E-League Boston Major and managed top four in four more, failing to do so in only two tournaments.
#9 Team SoloMid (February 2015 - October 2015)
When North American organisation Team SoloMid signed up 5 Danish players for their team, very little was expected from them. But Device, Dupreeh, Xyp9x, Karrigan and CajunB proved everyone wrong. The team formerly playing for Dignitas were making waves in the European scene but after joining TSM, they broke through internationally.
The team's first big challenge was the ESL Katowice 2015 Major where they failed to make their mark and finished 5th-8th. The team will continue their consistency and keep finishing on the top half of every tournament. But they also made a reputation for themselves as being chokers. One of the only entries in the team that hasn't won a Major, their consistency spoke for themselves. Throughout their 2015 run, the Danish team proved that they deserve a place atop the CSGO scene.
They participated in 15 Premier and Major tournaments throughout their run. They managed 7 victories in the tournaments. But their biggest achievement was finishing in the top 4 in six more tournaments. Finishing out of the top 4 twice, those were unfortunately in the Major tournaments although finishing in the top 8 meant they kept their legend status.
#8 Navi (Mid-2015 to Mid 2016)
If any person who doesn't follow E-Sports was asked to name an E-Sport team, they would probably say Na'Vi. The legendary Ukrainian organisation had been present in the Counter-Strike scene ever since the game started gaining popularity. Arguably the best team ever in CS 1.6, but they never quite reciprocated their success in CS: GO.
Na'Vi has always been one of the top teams in CSGO. But they have never managed a Major title. Their two most successful periods came once back in late 2015 to early 2016 and the second one is at present.
I have chosen their 2015-16 run as they posted their best Major results during that period. The team of Zeus, Guardian, Edward, Flamie and Seized had risen to the top of the scene during that time. They finished 2nd in consecutive Majors. They lost to EnvyUs at the Dreamhack Cluj-Napoca Major and then to Luminosity Gaming at the MLG Columbus Major.
Between these two major results, Na'Vi had finished in the finals of every Premier tournament they played in. They won three Premier events and finished second in 3 more. Na'Vi's domination, although forgettable, would still stand out when mentioned.
#7 Fnatic(November 2015 to March 2016)
Fnatic were on top of the world in 2015. Something that I cover further down the list. But their run of dominance came to a screeching halt at the Dreamhack Cluj-Napoca 2015 Major where they finished out of the top 4 for the first time in a Valve Major.
To remedy their problems, Dennis was signed into the team and Pronax was kicked. The new line up of Dennis, Olofmeister, JW, Flusha and Krimz went on another roll after the change.
The team's first tournament was ESL Pro League Finals which they won convincingly. But what propelled this team on to this list is the fact that they won the next 5 tournaments back to back as well. Within six tournaments, Fnatic less than 10 maps and provided us with one of the most dominant runs in CSGO history. Their run would end at the MLG Columbus Major where they again crashed out with a top eight finish.
Fnatic played in six tournaments during the period. They won six tournaments. Luminosity Gaming and Na'Vi were their biggest competitors and although LG finally won the Major putting an end to their run, Fnatic kept beating them left and right between those 5 months.
#6 EnvyUs (March 2015 - November 2015)
When longtime Call of Duty clan Team EnvyUs decided to venture into CSGO, we knew they were looking to sign a top team.
So it came as no surprise when LDLC's team was signed by EnvyUs. Going into a dream run straight of the bat, the team started finishing top 4 in almost every tournament they played in. But they never seemed to be able to win.
All that changed when during the French Shuffle, EnvyUs signed KennyS and Apex from Titan. With a team of Kioshima, NBK, Happy and the aforementioned KennyS and Apex, EnvyUs finally climbed to the top of the CSGO world.
Their 2015 run began with the ESL One Katowice Major. They were eliminated in the semifinals by Ninjas in Pyjamas.
A short run in which they displayed poor form, the roster change was made. With the addition of the best AWPer in the world in KennyS and a star player in Apex, the team became unstoppable.
They finished second in ESL One Cologne 2015 Major losing to Fnatic in the finals and finally got their hands on a Major title when they won the Dreamhack Cluj-Napoca Major.
But that major win would eventually be their downfall as cracks began to form within the team as soon as they got to the top. The team was heavily criticized for their performances and the team would eventually crumble.
In their nine-month run, they played 10 Premier and Major tournaments. They won six of those tournaments, finished in the top four thrice and failed to finish in the top 4 only once.
#5 Virtus.Pro (February 2014 - February 2018)
It seems like Taz, Neo, Pasha, Byali and Snax have been playing Counter-Strike together since forever. As far as memory goes, these five have stayed together and had become one of the most popular teams in the world due to their passion for the game and their entertaining nature.
Always a top team before falling off of their top form late into 2017, Virtus Pro defines consistency. Their peak came early in 2014 when they won the EMS One Katowice 2014 Major at their homeland of Poland.
The five Polish guys joined Virtus Pro in February of 2014 after leaving their former organisation, AGAiN.
Their first big tournament was the Major victory at Katowice 2014, CSGO's second ever Major. They dominated throughout the year and easily was the best team of the year. Going into 2015, they maintained their top tier status and finished in top 4 of several premier tournaments and winning quite a few as well.
2016 was the same although they displayed a slight drop in form. But starting in 2017, they bounced straight back with a second place in the E-League Atlanta Major 2017. Managing another top 4 in the PGL Krakow Major, disaster struck.
Soon after the PGL Major they started posting poor results and finished 13th-16th in the E-League Boston Major, their first ever finish outside the top 8. After the poor result in Boston, their team disbanded.
Over the four years of their illustrious careers, Virtus Pro played in well over a 100 tournaments managing 47 Top 4 Finishes, 16 Championship Victories and a record appearance in every single CSGO Major for the same line-up. Virtus.Pro has created a dynasty no team will ever match. Their long-lasting tenure in the CSGO Pro scene is one of a kind.
4. Astralis (March 2018 - Present)
Astralis had several runs where they dominated the CS:GO pro scene. By dominated, I mean absolutely own the entire scene. But after removing Kjaerbye from the team and replacing him with Magisk, Astralis reached a new level. With Glaive, Device, Dupreeh and Xyp9x completing the line-up, Astralis started winning. Everything. Gathering over $1 Million in prize money within the short space of 5 months, Astralis absolutely dominated every event they played at.
After a poor run in the year's first Major where they crashed out after managing only 1 victory and losing 3 crucial games, the team sought redemption. As soon as Magisk joined the team, the results turned in their favor. They started dominating and looked favorites to win every premier tournament but fell short, mainly to Faze clan. But once they conquered Faze once, nothing could stop them as they won tournament after tournament. After winning 3 tournaments in a row Astralis look favorites to take the next Major title home.
In the span of five months from March through July Astralis participated in seven Premier Tournaments. They won four, ended second in one and finished 3rd-4th in the remaining two. Their consistency and form is a thing of beauty as they are playing Counter-Strike on a different level than all other contenders.
#3 Ninjas in Pyjamas (August 2012 to August 2014)
Some CSGO teams have bursts of good form, some have eras, NiP had a dynasty. From the dawn of CSGO to the latter part of 2014, the CSGO scene had one top team, Ninjas in Pyjamas. The legendary team of Flifflaren, Get Right, Xizt, Forest and Friberg started strong on CSGO and didn't stop. They continued to win and win and win. This team has the most number of trophies to their name among all teams in CSGO history.
When CSGO was launched, NiP immediately took to the game's pro scene. From the get go NiP began an undefeated streak which hasn't been matched in maybe all of E-Sports. They went 87-0 in the course of several months. Winning 87 maps consecutively is something that won't ever be matched. The streak began at SteelSeries GO and continued on till they were beaten by Virtus.Pro's then roster at StarLadder's StarSeries V. The streak is a thing of legend and probably will never be matched ever again in CSGO.
Within their two-year run of terror, NiP had played so many tournaments that it is literally impossible to keep track of them. They won around 20 Premier/Major tournaments throughout the run. But since most tournaments at that time were labelled as Minors, their actual total might be well over 40.
They rarely finished out of the top 4 and only six records exist where NiP's line-up finished out of the top 4 within those two years.
#2 Fnatic (June 2014 - November 2015)
Fnatic's 2014-15 squad was something we will never see ever again. Already one of the top teams in the world, Fnatic kicked longtime team member Schneider and Devilwalk. Although Devilwalk would become the coach, their replacements Olofmeister and Krimz turned Fnatic into legends. JW, Pronax, Flusha, Olofmeister and Krimz would go on to become one of the most successful teams of all time winning two back to back Majors becoming the first team to do so.
After forming Fnatic's first Major was ESL One Cologne 2014 which they finished second. Not to be deterred, they kept improving but were faced with a very controversial exit from the Dreamhack Winter 2014 Major finishing in 5th-8th place.
But their fortunes would change just after that. They dominated the beginning of 2015 and won the first Major of the year at ESL One Katowice 2015 and followed up with another major victory at ESL One Cologne 2015.
After becoming back to back major champions, Fnatic looked to make it three but only managed a 5th-8th position at the Dreamhack Winter 2015. This loss at the major would soon prompt them to kick their In-Game Leader Pronax for young talent, Dennis.
During the 17 month reign of terror, Fnatic played 27 Major/Premier Tournaments. They won a total of 12 tournaments, finished second in five tournaments and got placed in the top 4 in five tournaments finishing out of the top 4 for a total of five times as well. It is this domination that earned Fnatic's already powerful roster the second spot on this list.
1. Luminosity Gaming/SK Gaming (Entire 2016)
In a game that has always been dominated by European teams, Luminosity Gaming's unprecedented rise through the ranks of professional CS:GO was a thing of legends. Consisting of Fallen, Fer, Coldzera, Taco and FNX, the team exceeded all expectations when they started to take down several top teams with ease. With upset after upset over every top European team, Luminosity was considered one of the favorites for the MLG Columbus 2016 Major, the biggest CS:GO tournament ever at that time.
They proved that they deserve their rightful position atop the CSGO scene by winning the tournament bagging the first-ever $500,000 prize in CS history. But they were far from done. As the next Major neared, the players got into a contract dispute and would move on to a new organization, SK Gaming. Once in SK, their first tournament was the year's second major, ESL One Cologne 2016. SK would go on to win it all again becoming the second ever team to win back to back CSGO Majors.
Overall, in 2016's year-long run before FNX was kicked from the team, Luminosity/SK played in 18 Premier/Major tournaments, won seven of them, finished second in five and achieved a top 4 finish in the remaining six tournaments. In their 2016 run, the team never finished outside the top 4 in any big tournament they play. Moreover, four of the players (except Taco) were placed in the Top 20 players of the year with Coldzera bagging No. 1 and Fallen at No. 2. Such was the domination of the Brazillian powerhouse in 2016.
