Smoke/Flash Grenades & Bombs

[H0RR0Rshow]

Can someone please tell me when and where these are supposed to be used?

I've had them assigned to my characters for most of the game now and I never get the opportunity to select/use them during the breach phase?

They also cant be used during the mission?

Has my game just bugged out or are there very specific breach points that allow the use of them?

Cheers

[TheSuit]

Smoke gives you a Defense Buff - if your people are inside.
Flash causes Disorientation which decreases the enemy accuracy + how much they can move

Flash is a good way to break mind control.
Smoke is a good option if you are sorrunded by guys about to shoot you full of holes.

[[TAG]Alblaka]

Grenades can be used, like any utility item, on the agent's turn, as a Free Action.

Bombs (which is a terrible naming convention, and it doesn't help that they use the same picture & model) can be used during the Breach Phase, but only by the agent on the SECOND position on any given breach location.

This means you'll usually use at most 1 bomb per breach, but technically you can squeeze in two if you have two entry points with 2+ slots each.

Effect-wise, Flash Bombs work exactly like Flashbangs, except that they have an insane range and will usually disorient all enemies in the room... but on larger maps it's possible for enemies to be out of range.

Smoke Bombs provide smoke cover (+40 def) specifically only during the breach, to counter Aggressive enemy stances. Don't really see a point in using them, because the Flash Bomb's disorient applies a -20 to aim, lasts '2 turns' (if you consider the breach '1 turn') AND disables plenty of dangerous abilities for that 2nd turn.

[H0RR0Rshow]

Yeah, regardless of me having these 'breach' grenades equipped, the game doesn't ever offer me the chance to use them...

I can obvioulsy use stuff like, Frag/Plasma etc grenades during a mission, it's just breach items that never appear.

[H0RR0Rshow]

Originally posted by Donnerberg:

Click the little crosshair icon next to the character portraits on the breach menu. It'll give you a drop down list of all their breach items.

That's the list that some times glitches.

Oh my lord.

I've seen those little drop downs popping up before but never really took any notice, because I thought it was just showing me their abilities.

Can't believe i've almost finished the game without all of these breach advantages ahahahah!

Cheers!

[SilverBanshee]

I think that all the "bomb" items are breech specific and can only be use in the breech phase and equip only in the breech item slot. Grenades equip in the utility slot and can be used inside the encounters. also with the breech items breech position is fussy. it seems like breech items like the Flash Bomb can only be used in the second position right after the door opener. This seems a little buggy in my play through, since if you equip them in any other slot but 2 give a message to the effect "can't be used in this spot" . if you them move the character to the 2 spot it will still say that, but if you then click on the item, it will activate just fine. I've had that happen whith the Flash bomb and the Holo ball - but I have never been able to get the "Crit" ball to activate in any position in any breech I've tried it in. As always, YMMV, but stick a character carrying the ordnance in slot 2 of a breech and click on it anyway even if it says it won't work. you might find it working for you.

on a side note I find I get more of the "you can't use that here" notices when I move squaddies around as I try and figure out the best breech order and it seems like those notices don't get cleared when they get to their fial spot. but again, YMMV

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by SilverBanshee:

if you them move the character to the 2 spot it will still say that, but if you then click on the item, it will activate just fine.

If you add a character directly to the 2nd slot it will work fine but if you swap a character in the 2 slot for a different one without removing them first it won't show the menu and claim they can't use it (but as you said they can still use the breach item if you tell them to)