Smoke grenades are officially amazing

[lilyophelia]

I never really bothered with smoke grenades, because flashbangs always seemed stronger.

I used them for the first time today after watching some stealth videos, and I was pleasantly surprised by just how long the smoke clouds remain up (seems like 4 player turns). It is amazing in terms of providing team defense in a big slogfest of bullets flying back and forth.

I really, really like them. Check them out if you've ignored them!

[UrzuS3V3N]

Yup, I myself just discovered this last night after using my firebug technical and his cloud of smoke saving him from death shortly afterwards. Now all my shinobis, specialists and assaults carry smoke...

I always valued flashbangs over every other grenade type simply for instantly freeing my mind controlled team mates as well as the obvious 'you can't hit shit haha' effect. The only class I had carrying offensive grenades were my grenadiers. But smoke is now a viable grenade for SOME of my team.

[JulianSkies]

Wanna know what also works well? A SPARK in dense smoke. Nobody tanks twenty aliens that well with zero cover

[Hazelnut]

Yup, I myself just discovered this last night after using my firebug technical and his cloud of smoke saving him from death shortly afterwards. Now all my shinobis, specialists and assaults carry smoke...

I always valued flashbangs over every other grenade type simply for instantly freeing my mind controlled team mates as well as the obvious 'you can't hit shit haha' effect. The only class I had carrying offensive grenades were my grenadiers. But smoke is now a viable grenade for SOME of my team.

After a few months you will find that disorientation doesn't reliably cause a miss even if you're in cover.

[UraniumOverdose]

Rapid deployment on a support grenadier is pretty much the best.
Rapid deploy a smoke and then flash and it pretty much guarantees you an entire turn free of damage.

Smoke can be dangerous if you are close to the enemies though because they will use AOE abilities instead (poison, grenades, rockets).

That said, a spark in smoke or with specialist aid is pretty much the best thing.

[GavinRuneblade]

My only issue with smoke grenades is the icon looking similar enough to flashbangs that I smoke my enemies and flash my own troops. Thankfully this doesn't disorient my guys, but it is hugely wasteful.

When human error doesn't interfere, they work wonders.

[Devon_v]

The Concussion Rocket is also a huge smoke bomb for some reason. It also levels buildings. It's interesting for creating a no man's land for a SPARK to hang out in.

[Tuhalu]

The Concussion Rocket is also a huge smoke bomb for some reason. It also levels buildings. It's interesting for creating a no man's land for a SPARK to hang out in.

It seems to be an enabler of alternate strategies.

You disorient/stun nearly all the organics in the AOE, then send in Assaults and Shinobi (who are now safer due to the smoke) to kill the rest. Or you just grenade them becuase they can't spread out enough on their scamper. Or you send in your Technical on the next turn with a Flamethrower attack.