Grenadier
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Overview
When the going gets tough the tough call for anti-armor support, and thats exactly what the Grenadier delivers. In a direct fight, the class shows its teeth with a standard RPG.
The RPG has a dual firing system: Guided and Dumbfire. The missile will track its target if you keep the reticle on the target for as long as the "fire" key is pressed. When you release the "fire" key or move the reticle off the target, the missle is switched to a dumbfire mode and will continue on its last direction. To fire a missile in a dumbfire mode, simply press and quickly release the "fire" key. The missile is then launched in a straight trajectory and the RPG will auto-reload right away.
The RPG launcher converts into a Mortar for those times when a straight rocket just won't cut it. To use the mortar just crouch and let the shells fly. Secondary fire on the Mortar is useful when a Scout has called for artillery. Pressing it will bring up the map and paint diamonds over the scout's artillery target. You can select the target, and it will show up on your screen. Also, if you do not have the Artillery Feedback skill, you will still get feedback on your mortar strike if it hits near the selected target.
Finally, the grenadier can lay mines, up to a maximum of 8, for defense. The Mines are both anti-infantry and anti-vehicle, which means that they will explode when either an enemy vehicle or an enemy player drives or walks over them.
With the Mine Defusal Skill, Grenadiers do not set off mines, neither when walking nor driving over them. They can also defuse mines with this skill by crouching on the mine, aiming, and pressing the USE key (E by default) for a few seconds. This makes the class extremely useful for detecting, crossing and clearing minefields.
Arguably the most useful Skill of the grenadier is Artillery Feedback, granting the class superiority in that area of combat. The skill works by indicating, with a diamond on the minimap, the area in which the player's last shell or missile exploded. The skill applies not only to artillery cannons and the class' mortar weapon, but also to the handheld RPG and any vehicle mounted cannon or missile launcher.
A tactical Skill is Armor Detection, which lets the grenadier see the percentage of armor on the targeted side of a vehicle. This is especially useful when an enemy's armor has been destroyed on one side but has turned so that an undamaged side faces your team.
On the defensive a grenadier is most at home in a vehicle, increasing its resilience with the Skill Increased Armor. This skill increases the amount of armor on a driven vehicle by 10%, letting a skilled grenadier remain on the battlefield long after others have been reduced to scrap.
History
Traditionally, conflicts following the Kolntus-Emin War have relied heavily on Grenadiers for guerrilla warfare, more so than even the stealthy Scout squads. This has to do mainly with the fact that one well trained Grenadier could do immense damage--often more then a tank--without requiring the large quantities of resources and technology necessary for the offensive vehicles. Furthermore, a skilled demolitions expert would often be used to stall enemy assaults or assassinate high-ranking officers who were too heavily fortified for a Scout to damage. The weaponry of the Grenadier has changed little since the fall of the Great Empire. A variety of mortars and land-mines have been fielded, but the only major development has been the invention and widespread proliferation of a Manual Command to Line-Of-Sight (MCLOS) rocket guidance system that is reliable, simple, and cheap enough to be equipped on every Grenadier. Prior to this technology, rockets were either dumbfired or they utilized a MCLOS system that was so complicated that guiding the rocket to a target often left a Grenadier preoccupied and vulnerable.
Early battles following the formation of the New Brenodian Empire have consistently shown that highly experienced Grenadiers renown for their exploits have struck fear into the hearts of enemy commanders. PFC Bob D. Buildre, perhaps the most well known Grenadier in this era, was a famous example of this peculiar ability.
Although the Brenodi Interior Intelligence Services would never admit it, there existed a festering dissatisfaction amongst all but the most dedicated of peoples in the "protectorate" of the former Jekotian Empire. This dissatisfaction grew strongest in those military divisions tasked with maintaining order in the alien land. Often drafted from oppressed Jekotian citizenry, these ill-equipped and poorly paid grunts faced constant guerrilla attacks and equal prejudice from both Brenodi and Jekotian alike.
This societal prejudice came to a head in the weeks before open conflict with the Northern Faction broke out. The Brenodi 123rd Frontline Brothers, formed during the Kolntus-Emin War to protect the capital city but now relegated to northernmost Jekotian lands, abandoned their post in open rebellion. Protesting their status as second class citizens, they were quickly pinned down by other drafted divisions and threatened with a merciless death. Sporadic fire-fights dominated the landscape for a full week until the Frontline Brothers sent PFC Buildre into the fray. Alone but heavily armed, he crossed the front lines under cover of darkness and breached the Brenodi command center. Using his entire backpack full of explosive devices, he created a formidable IED and managed to destroy the Brenodi command. With their Brenodi leaders gone, communication with the chain of command eliminated, and already poor supplies running low, the opposing divisions either scattered or joined the Frontline Brothers in their resistance. When Brenodi reconnaissance finally arrived at the battleground, the Frontline Brothers had all but disappeared--some soldiers made their way home, a few had returned to the Imperial capital of Bren to serve the Imperial Army once more--but a large portion of the Frontline Brothers--including Buildre--had defected, and joined the remnants of the once mighty Jekotion Empire, becoming part of the Jekotian's most feared division, the Jekotian Prime Legion. The unit would prove itself a valuable resource for the Northern Faction, all thanks to one Grenadier.
Tips
- The mortar is an incredibly effective anti-infantry weapon at mid to close range. Hit an opponent with the mortar, then quickly follow up with a few rounds from your pistol. Don't try for another mortar round. Even if the mortar was only a near-miss, the enemy will be damaged enough so that the pistol will make short work of them.
- You cannot reload the RPG when a missile is fired in guided mode. You will only be able to start reloading when it detonates or when you switch to dumbfire mode by letting go of the "fire" key.
- Keep in mind that enemy Grenadiers with Mine Defusal skill do not set off mines; neither on-foot nor when driving vehicles.
- Smart players will watch out for enemy mines, so try not to place them where they can be detected easily. Try to conceal the mines in bushes, around the corners, in terrain, etc. In other words - try to surprise your enemy.
- The mines pack quite a punch and will hurt/kill you if you are caught within their blast radius. Fortunately, the blast will not hurt any other friendlies (at least on the FriendlyFire-off servers).
- When detonated, the mines set off other friendly mines that are caught in their initial blast radius. This is helpful for taking down buildings, vehicles and obstacles quickly with a single explosion resulting from mines placed by more than one Grenadier.
- Since a Grenadier can only have 8 mines on the ground at any given time, upon placing the 9th mine, the very first one will detonate, destroying itself and any other mines in its blast radius. Be careful not to be too close when that happens.
- A clever Grenadier will often try to use the "9th mine" trick to cause a great deal of damage to any structure, (including the Command Vehicle) by dropping 8 mines next to his target and very close to one another. He will then drop the 9th mine, detonating all the previous ones in a chain reaction. The ensuing explosion can bring down even the toughest of structures, so do not let a rogue Grenadier hang around the buildings you'd like to keep.
- Grenadiers must load their RPG and Mortar after spawning. Don't forget to do this before going into combat, it could save your life.
Upgrade Guide
| See Also: Grenadier Skills |
Useful Skills: The sheer versatility of the grenadier means that it is difficult to prescribe four universal skills to use. However, some skills can become incredibly useful when the correct situation arises.
Ammo Upgrade: Whether you're a lone grenadier attempting to demolish some buildings or you don't have enough time to refill on rockets before the next tank approaches, more ammo is always useful. This is especially true when employing mines. This skill is particularly useful in assassinating the command vehicle, which makes the grenadier the teams most powerful ninja.
Melee Upgrade: This skill is never that useful because the maps are often huge. However, the grenadier is the only class that doesn't have a decent firearm and as such benefits from this skill almost as much as the Scout. Melee attacks with this upgrade do huge damage, and if the opponent is damaged at all before hitting him, it will probably drop him. A shot or two with the pistol followed by sprinting in for the kill will be effective. It's not the most useful skill, and a talented grenadier can use the mortar to kill his opponent much easier. But if forced into tight quarters where close range combat is inevitable and a mortar round risks blowing yourself up, this skill becomes fairly useful. Not to mention the fact that melee kills are both humiliating and hilarious. Not the first or second upgrade one should get, but if you reach high enough rank and the map has many close-quarters areas, consider this skill.
All the Grenadier skills are useful depending on mode of transportation: When using a vehicle, Defusal is essential. Nothing upsets enemy plans more then a vehicle blowing past that mine barrier to rain destruction upon them. Artillery Feedback is also essential for the artillery tank. Without it, indirect fire is extremely difficult and this is the main offense of the artillery tank.
These skills are not quite as useful if you don't intend to use a vehicle, though Indirect Fire still applies to the Mortar. Obviously, the same applies to Increased Armor. One should also note, however, that on certain maps in certain cases, such as in flag cap maps, (such as BE on escort, or cdr_canyon, or Glycen city) you should NOT waste a skill slot on defusal. When you have limitless tickets, it's much faster and easier to just have someone blow themselves up on the enemy mines and have an engineer revive that person. A dedicated team like this can clear an area faster then a grenadier by an entire order of magnitude. Just make sure the reviver stays away from the blast radius!