Grenades, also called “nades” for short, are an incredibly important aspect in how Counter-Strike is played. If you’ve played MOBA games before, grenades in CSGO are the equivalent of abilities and spells.
In this article, we’ll delve into why grenades are useful, all available grenades in the game and how to use them properly.
What Are Grenades In CSGO, And Why Are They Important?
Grenades in CSGO are additional weapons that can be purchased before a round begins. These grenades do not take up weapon slots, but will have a limit of how many you can have.
Grenades are essential to finding success in Counter-Strike, as proper usage of the correct type can completely change the outcome of a round. The different nades can be used for gaining map control or forcing enemies into unfavorable situations. Proper utility usage will give you a massive advantage in rounds.
List Of All CSGO Nades
In Counter-Strike, there are six grenades:
Flashbang
- Cost: $200
- Available for: Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists
- Main purpose: Blinds enemies
Smoke Grenade
- Cost: $300
- Available for: Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists
- Main purpose: Blocks enemy vision
HE Grenade
- Cost: $300
- Available for: Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists
- Main purpose: Deal damage in an area
Molotov
- Cost: $400
- Available for: Terrorists only
- Main purpose: Creates fire to burn enemies
Incendiary Grenade
- Cost: $600
- Available for: Counter-Terrorists only
- Main purpose: Creates fire to burn enemies
Decoy Grenade
- Cost: $50
- Available for: Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists
- Main purpose: Creating distractions
Players have the inventory capacity to only carry four grenades at the same time. You can only carry one of each grenade type except for flashbangs, where you can carry two. Molotovs and incendiary grenades are considered the same type.
How To Use CSGO Nades Explained
Now that we’ve gotten a basic grasp of each grenade and what it does, let’s dive deeper and discuss how to effectively use them.
Flashbang
The flashbang, also known as “flash,” is one of the cheapest grenades, making it an attractive purchase even if your team is on a low buy. This grenade has the highest potential of being a round-changer than the other five.
When a flashbang is thrown, it pops, and all players looking at it will be fully blinded and won’t be able to hear, essentially getting stunned for a few seconds. The duration depends on the distance and angle from the flash.
Flashbangs give players “play-making” abilities. You can set your teammate up to swing by throwing a flashbang for them. Make sure to throw the grenade behind them or before they peek.
You can also throw flashes for yourself to make an individual play. Normally, players throw an underhand flash to set themselves up for a peek. An underhand flash can be done by right-clicking the flash. Flashbangs have extreme versatility and are the perfect grenade to improve as an individual and team player.
Keep in mind that you can blind yourself and teammates, too! This mechanic makes it important for flashbangs to be carefully utilized so you don’t accidentally grief yourself or a teammate. It is highly recommended to communicate your flashes every time you throw them!
Note that flashbangs will always make a sound when they pop. They are the thinnest grenade in size. If you see a skinny nade flying past your screen, make sure to look away so you don’t get blinded! You can go back to where you were facing after you’ve heard the popping sound.
Smoke Grenade
Like flashbangs, smokes are a critical factor of Counter-Strike and how the game is played. Smokes are used to block enemy vision which is essential for taking control of the map. Controlling the map means you have more area, making it harder for enemies to figure out where you are and your next move.
Smoke grenades can be used by Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists. On the Terrorist side, smokes are often used to cover key chokepoints so the vision of enemy players is obstructed. Smoke grenades can help Terrorists enter a site and split up enemy players.
On the Counter-Terrorist side, smokes are usually used to delay incoming Terrorists. Pushing through a smoke is very risky, since you will never know if an enemy player is behind it. As a result, Terrorists will think twice before walking through.
Community members have come up with “smoke lineups” that allow players to throw well-placed smoke grenades. If you are looking to up your Counter-Strike game, memorizing a few lineups is one way to start.
HE Grenade
The “HE” in HE grenade stands for high explosive. The HE grenade is probably what you thought of the first time you heard the word “grenade” in Counter-Strike.
Its purpose is relatively straightforward. You throw the grenade and it deals damage to the area it lands on. The closer an enemy is to the detonation spot, the more damage they take. Additionally, players with no kevlar vest will take significantly more damage than equipped players.
HE grenades are most effective when thrown at common hiding spots, or when enemies are visibly clumped up. It is impossible to take down an enemy player from 100 to 0 with a grenade, even if they stood directly on top of the landing spot and have no armor. So, grenades are mainly used to soften enemies up or finish off players with low health.
However, the act of “nade stacking” increases the potential of killing enemy players with HE grenades. “Nade stacking” is when multiple players throw HE grenades at the same place together. If done properly, a “nade stack” can kill an enemy player without even seeing them on your screen.
Molotov/Incendiary Grenade
Molotovs and incendiary grenades pretty much serve the same purpose, but there are a few details distinguishing the two.
In CSGO, molotovs:
- Cost $400
- Are only available on the Terrorist side
- Cause higher armor penetration than the incendiary, dealing more damage
- Can only be bounced once before detonation
Meanwhile, incendiary grenades:
- Cost $600
- Are only available on the Counter-Terrorist side
- Cause lower harmer penetration than the molotov, dealing less damage
- Can be bounced up to two times before detonation
The primary purpose of the molotov and incendiary is to start a fire that spreads on the ground, lasting approximately 7 seconds. Following the science of real life, players standing on the fire will take damage over time.
These two grenades are best used to delay rushes or force enemy players out of hiding. If you are confident that a player is hiding behind a box, throwing a molotov or incendiary will force them to leave the position. This essentially forces the enemy player to commit to an unfavorable fight.
It can also be a good idea to use molotovs or incendiary grenades to clear common angles. If you’re in a rush to go to a bomb site and do not have time to check every corner, throwing fire can speed up the process and give you a massive advantage if a player is actually there.
Keep in mind that the fire caused by these grenades can be extinguished by a smoke grenade!
Decoy Grenade
Every Counter-Strike player can agree that the decoy grenade is pretty much the most useless grenade in the game. They only cost you $50 and take up a much-needed grenade slot.
When a decoy grenade lands, it will begin making shooting noises of the user’s primary weapon to cause a distraction. This already reveals what gun you are using to the enemy players. However, cheeky players are using this feature as reverse psychology.
The only viable strategy for decoy grenades is to throw them while you are only wielding a pistol. That way, enemy players will hear the decoy grenades emitting sounds of a pistol and think you are on a low buy. That’s when you pick up your primary rifle and surprise them with a full buy.
However, this strategy is already well-known in the Counter-Strike community. It is not really recommended to buy decoy grenades.