Boom Beach Grenadier Guide

Boom Beach Grenadier Guide by GARAT

I’ve been playing with the Grenadiers (from now on Gs in the text) since they came out and they have been a wonderful addition to my existing Tank + Medic force . This text will hopefully help players incorporate them into their existing armies and show that Gs really do have a few things going for them.

Most of the text will talk about them specifically in a Tank force. I did try them alone with medics and it works. Works like a charm . There is a new part of the text specifically about that army alone.
First off ( not that is should matter) , I’m currently lvl 45 , very aggressive player by nature . My primary army is Tmed , and as backup I have a good ol’ rifle spam.

1. Grenadier stats

Health as low as the medic. Moves faster then a tank. Shoots further then the tank. Gs are fast, long ranged inaccurate guys that throw grenades all over the place. That last bit is very important – and we’ll get to it later but for now let us first say that Gs need (a lot of )time to destroy their target , and are not very good at taking hits.

2. Range of granades and personal safety

Grenades have range greater then that of a zooka, they also have more health then a zooka. In fact, only a few towers are a threat (when it comes to range ) to Gs and should be dealth with quick:
Boom cannon,Cannon ,Sniper tower

These 3 will makes short work of a grenadier . If a Boom cannon or cannon hits your grenadier – he is dead and you made a bad call. Boom cannons should be rocketed before you land. Cannons also (but there’s a trick to it – later on) .

Sniper towers do not shoot very fast, but high lvl ones will kill your G in 2-3 hits even if you do have a medic or 5 present.

Rocket launcher is not on this list. The reason for this is that your force needs to have 6 medics min. Do not leave home without them.

One exception to this rule are TF Operations. Many maps have loads of high lvl RL which kill Gs dead before you can say “grenadier”

These 3 towers are dangerous to your force. Considering half of your force will consist of tanks – I cannot stress this enough.

Gs outrange everything else and are generally safe from the other stuff. If they do get into range of other towers , make sure you’ve got medics and smoke.

sar231067: “First, canons range is tricky one. 2-3 grenadiers attacking a canon don’t come under canon range but more than 3 they form 2 rows to attack the canon and thus the front row comes under canon range, once the front row is taken out the back row doesn’t get attacked by canon.
Second, Mortars- though they don’t do much harm to gmed as medics will heal the troops, RLs and mortars combined attacking can take out one or two grenadiers.
Third, Sniper towers- LVL13 and below snipers towers are not a threat to grenadiers if you use medics.”

Scorcher Update : Grenadiers have even more range now. Unless they bunch up, they now outrange cannons. To be precise, the first couple of Gs will line up so that the cannon cannot fire at them, but if more the 3-4 are in front of the same cannon, one of them will surely step into range. I haven’t made extensive testing on this yet- so your milage may vary.

3. Damage potential or why Grenadiers instead of tanks

Why indeed would we take Gs over Ts?
Let us compare the 2 , by dmg potential.
First of, we need to consider LC space, as it defines the number of troops we can bring. More troops, more dmg .
A Lvl 12 LC (and this is the most common one for mounting tanks) has 16 spaces , or 2 tanks.
There is little reason to upgrade it beyond that until you can reach Lvl 20 LC to hold 24 spaces, or 3 tanks.
Except Grenadiers take up 6 spaces – so a Lvl 14 LC can hold 3. This is a small price to pay for what we get.

We compare then 2 tanks vs 3 grenadiers .

A lenghtly discussion on exact dmg of troops in a computer game led me to a concluson that I cannot reliably calculate the dmg each grenadier does per shot . The exact scatter , splash dmg and inaccuracy make this a very very difficult task .
These should be taken with a grain of salt . A grenadier might hit 2 buildings, none at all ,or even (unlikely in my experience) your own troops.

Grenadiers are Lvl 1 , Tanks lvl 6
A Tank lvl 6 does 700 hp per shot . 2 tanks do 1400 hp per shot.
A Grenadier lvl 1 does 300 hp per shot . 3 Gs do 900 per shot.
Jeza had corrected my original math, which was off:

Jeza :
“2 tanks, 2 shots each @ 700 hp = 2800dmg
3 grenadiers, 2 lobs each @ 300 hp = 1800dmg.
The only way your comparison works is if you give both troop types the same common time, this would be 21 seconds.
The tanks would get 6 shots each and because the grenadiers are 0.5 secs faster per lob, they get to lob 7 grenades.
When using the same time period the tanks do 8400 damage and the grenadiers do 6300 damage”

TJwTC :” Great point!
I would also like to mention the fact that when Tanks fire they WILL DO damage, however when grenadiers fire, there is the potential that they do 0 damage.
So it should look more like this.
2 tanks, 2 shots each @ 700 hp = 2800dmg
3 grenadiers, 2 lobs each @ 300 hp less than or equal to 1800dmg”

Scorsher Update : The above estimate is outdated. It is before the Scorcher uptade , and the new Grenadier throwing speed is one throw every 2 sec. !!!!
Meaning 3 Grenadiers throw almost 6 grenades by the time 2 tanks fire 2 shots ! Grenadiers do a lot more dmg now.

Again, this is very rough…
Conclusion of this part would be that Tanks STILL do more dmg the longer they fire . Also, if any of the units have to reposition , the timer is reset.

– Grenadiers hit things you’re not aiming at , while your tanks fire at buildings in front of them some of the firepower is wasted as the last shot did 700 dmg just like the first one did- except the target had only 125 (for example ) left.

– Gs destroy things waaay in the back. I once destroyed a damaged Boom cannon by accident (kids don’t try this at home – it will not end well most of the time)
…..one major reason
Scorcher Update: the scatter of the grenades is much longer now. Not much wider tho. So they will probably hit more things in the back ,furhter then before, behind their initial target

4.Splash damage

That’s right. If you ever see a base with everything bunched up together , just smile and press “attack” . Levels of buildings are irrelevant unless the guy is packing like 5 ice statues. Gs will always hit something, and sometimes multiple things at once. Boom mines, mines, all those free energy buildings just got hit by scattering grenades. It is impossible to calculate this – but to put it simply – the more buildings are in one place, the better .

nykril ; about using smoke on grens : The game plots a seperate explosion for each Gs shot, theres a defined area of effect for each G, so if theyre all throwing at once then theres less places for to the shots to go and more chance of hitting something. Its useful when dealing with the hq, drop smoke then flare into it, flare hq and wait for the smoke to clear. I havnt upgraded smoke at all to avoid losing time.

5. Making an army work

My current setup is this: 2 LC of 4 medics , 2 LC of Gs and 3 LC of tanks. This gives me a nice balance between tanks that hit what I want them to hit when I want them to hit it. And Gs that hit what I want them to hit when THEY want to hit it.
And medics to keep the circus going.

Standard Tmed rules apply here- you need plenty of GBE (and since you’re only deploying 6 tanks some is saved ) , good Artt, Barrage and shock.
There are a few ground rules to make note of here.
– Gs move faster then tanks and if you flare some spot they will get there first (which can also be a goo thing)
– Gs can clear away mines and boom mines providing those are behind buildings Gs are “aiming” for
– Tanks have 2 jobs – take hits and clear away buildings right in front of the force. As the army advances beyond the first line of def- tanks will come upon buildings already damaged by Gs granades…it’s a steamroller in fact
– When you want to flank with a flare, first use smoke (if needed) to cover Gs and then flare
– Gs do not like large mine fields of high lvl mines
– Deploy Gs 5 sec after tanks to avoid RL an snipers targeting Gs
– Use the extra GBE to artt and barrage every single cannon on the map as your force is fighting things IN FRONT of it – that way when Gs “aim” for the building in front – they will most likely hit the cannon .
– if cannons are badly placed and you do not need to fight them – target sniper towers instead

jlpubarch :
“NPC bases that require you to drastically change direction midway through your attack are better off with just all tanks and medics.

Why?
The grenadiers will run ahead leaving the tanks behind. The medics will follow the slowest unit (unless those units are 100% health and the granadiers take damage) which leaves your grenadiers alone and vulnerable for a few seconds: plenty enough time for them to be re-targeted by RLs and destroyed.”

TJwTC:
“I will just give you my perspective about grenadiers for high level use.
I have been using them since the update and I have experience with them from lvl 1 all the way to max.
I have tried various combos and I have arrived at the conclusion that there are only three loadouts that are worth using.
All Grenadier, Gmeds, or TGmeds.
Why not T&G u ask, because this combo becomes GBE expensive really quick. The cost of artillery, barrage, deploying tanks, frequent flares, shocks, and frequent medkits reduces your ability to win the battle.

There are many people complaining about his lack of accuracy when this is one of his greatest strengths. It also adds an element of fun to the game that I enjoy for some reason.
You excluded Motars, RLs, and SLs from your list of weapons that are a danger to the Gs. This is not always the case when they are upgraded or have DBD statues.
Keep up the awesome guide.”

6. Paradox in development

Here’s something that makes no sense at first – but makes perfect sense after you try it. Upgrading tanks faster then Gs is counter productive. Don’t get me wrong – I love tanks. but this is a strategy that relies on Gs destroying things that tanks had hard time dealing with. A formation of 3 cannons in close proximity is a major problem for tanks only . You will most likely need to shock all 3 and hope your tnaks aren’t stupid enough to each target theri own cannon – or buildings around them.
Gs make short work of that kind of setup. They hit that formation loong before your tanks even get near. Tanks do cleanup work.

Upgrading Gs before tanks makes perfect sense then.

The higher lvl they are, more HP and dmg they will do. In fact, and here’s the irony – the lower lvl tanks do a better job helping out Gs then higher lvl Tanks do. Why?
Lower lvl tanks are better (in this case) because they take more time to destroy the front defences . To put that into perspective, bases usually have MGs , flamers in the front , and cannons and sniper towers bhind them.
And some free energy buildings in the midst of it all (farms and such).

Let’s take an example here. Two situations – one with with 2 Tanks lvl 8 and another with 2 Tanks Lvl 5-6. Not that lvl 8 is high by any means. And 3 grenadiers lvl 2 in both cases.

Both are facing 2 MGs lvl 11 in a line, then a farm behind and a cannon lvl 10 near it .

First group goes in and 2 tanks make relatively short work of 2 MGs and are soon in range of the cannon. They destroyed the 2 MGs relatively fast and Gs behind didn’t have time to destroy the cannon .
Then what usually happens is one tank starts off being smart and targets the farm – and you have to shock or shock and flare.

Second group is relatively weaker and the tanks need more time to deal with MGs. This is fine, MGs don’t do a whole lot to tanks as we all know. That extra time is actually useful as Gs are lobbing grenades all over the place and will most likely kill off the cannon before it even fires.

It could mean the second group doesn’t need the shock (and flare) – saving up energy.

One thing here,upgrading madics is also health, very healthy indeed.

TJwTC : “The actual fix for folks with highly upgraded tanks is to carry less of them.
I use two boats. That is enough to be the front line for RL and ST fire for your Grenadiers.
Also the more Gs you have the better. “

7. Attack plan and minimizing losses

Aim is not to loose a single troop. That’s right. This is done by making a few observations before you land to attack.
– can my art and barr take out BCs and still have GBE left to dent every cannon i have to fight?
– can I go around some of the defences ?
– do I have space to deploy ? (those bases at the beach are much harder to deal with unless you have great GB )
– if something goes wrong , can I still retreat ? (if you flanked a base boldly and are in over your head it might not be an option )

8. Grenadiers and Medics without tanks

Lately , post Scorcher update , I have been toying around with Grenadiers plus medics (Gmed) . No other troops. They are a wonderfull army that works against most type of defenses except one type of a base.
That army relies heavily on Gun boat. The gun boat needs to do serious work, but before we continue, let’s see some other requirements :
– This army requires good medics.At least lvl 3 and at least 8 of them
– LCs that hold 3 Grenadiers, so an army with 7 LCs will field 15 grenadies and 8 medics
– Massed mines are a serious danger to Gs, with no one to clear them
– max your Artillery and Barrage
– Upgrade Gs to lvl 2 min before trying to raid with them alone. Under that lvl , they are too weak to take splash dmg safely, and do little dmg and are in danger of running out of time
– Grenadiers ,when alone, rely on weak towers to destroy strong towers. Example would be 2 MGs with 3 cannons behind them. You can safely bring Grenadiers to bear and as they try to hit the MGs, they will most likely hit Cannons behind. Same applies to flamers,mortars unless very high lvl and rocket launchers . And all support buildings.
From now on those buildings that are used to get Gs to try to hit them ,and hit things behind them will be called “Lures”.

Plan of attack:

With all the above ready, your standard attack should look like this:

1. Gun boat drops barrage and destroys Boom cannons that will be in the way. BCs need to go ,period. One exception is if they are parked next to the HQ. Grenadiers throwing from the opposite side of it wil be out of range of the BC. Remember that . Just don’t do something …”enthusiastic” like flare to close ot HQ before the scattering grenades destroy the BC. Same , of course applies to all towers except Rocket launcher and shock launcher. With good medics, both can be ignored.

2. Be careful not to destroy Lures with GB. Sure, Boom cannon is next to a lure- fire a barrage and finish them both off with a rocket / another barrage. But for all the other towers , do not hit Lures.

3. Look at the base layout. It doesn’t matter how many defensive buildings a base has , or what lvl they are . What matters is how high the Building Health is and where the longer range stuff is. Snipers are a pain , and sometimes they are bunched up. Barrage them to dent them. If there are Lures in front, Gs will destroy them later np. Cannons are NOT a priority if there are tough Lures in front. Either dent them with a Rocket each , or save rockets for later.

4. Land Gs and flare to the side with most Lures. As the free GBE starts rolling in , use it to finish off cannons and snipers as soon as a G might walk into range.

5. Flare AWAY from a solid place of attack if you can target more Lures that way

6. Never flare a building , not even an HQ. There are exceptions tho, A lone sniper tower that is in the way, S&F (shock and flare)

7. Boom mines lead to dead Scotsman

8. Be patient and don’t rush things, if you might risk loosing a few Gs (and the attack was flawless up to now) just to have a shot at destroying the HQ – don’t risk it. They are clumsy drunken guys that couldn’t hit a barn from a few yards. So relying on them to destroy something while it’s shocked and not having a plan B will most likely go wrong. If you run out of time and have lost no troops – you can try again.

9. Be conservative . If you aren’t sure that raiding that base would bring you an easy win – think it over.

Raids

When doing raiding on a Dr T days, boosting Troops DMG and health is more important them boosting GBE. If you do loose a few Gs when raiding, you can still attack even with a lesser army. To compensate for the troops being re- built , first attack the bases that are not the stronges on your map , but somewhere in the mid range . Leave the lower lvl bases for those minutes that you’re waiting for the Gs to finish rebuilding . Raid those weaker bases then. Gs take a short while to rebuild. Same goes for low lvls of Dr T.

Odac25thka Has made a wonderful ,easy to follow text with pictures about using Grenadiers. I am very grateful for his good will to share his knowledge and would like to thank him for his effort. Great stuff

6 Practical Tips To Win With Grenadiers For Beginners

Here are 6 tips that will make your Grenadier obliterate almost any base, even those bases that TMEDs can’t do.

Tip#1 : How to Hit Towers Without Getting Hit

If you don’t know by now, grenadiers have incredible range. That’s the key to the success of playing it. You want to obliterate the enemy’s base with minimal or no loss.
However, it doesn’t mean that you can hit every tower without getting hit. To avoid getting hit, you need cover. As shown in the picture, you can take cover behind buildings. If you can find a place to throw your grenades, you can easily destroy half the base without taking any damage.

Tip#2 : How To Destroy Headquarters within Time Limit

If you find yourself running out of time, this is a fantastic tip that I discovered by accident. Just place a flare beside the HQ and see that HP level drop like a fat man drinking his slurpee .
If you do it correctly, all the grenadiers will hit the HQ 100% of the time and you are bound to kill it off. Just make sure there are no other towers nearby. Sometimes, in the rare occasion that your grenades damage your own troops, just move them a little back.

Tip#3 : How To Make Grenadiers Hit Exactly Where You Want It To

I call this slingshotting. It’s using one base to aim for the tower you want. Most of the time, you want to kill off the Snipers and Cannons first, since these are the ones that can kill you.
As shown in the picture, to get the Boom Cannon, I positioned my grenadiers to be in the same line of fire and destroyed the Boom Cannon without any loss.

Tip#4: What Towers to Avoid and What Towers Do You Go For?

Here are the towers you don’t want to go head on:
– Sniper Towers (They usually can kill you in 3 shots or less)
– Boom Cannons (One hit K.O.)
– Normal Cannons (Sometimes they hit you when you are not careful. I’ll explain how to avoid getting it in another post)
Here are the Towers you go for(remember to slingshot so it kills off the other towers)
– Machine Guns (These can’t reach you unless you are careless)
– Flamethrowers (These are of no threat to you at all)
– Any other building

Tip #5: What Bases To Go For?

Keep in mind that not all bases are grenadier-friendly. However, the good news is, bases that are not Warrior-friendly, Hooka-friendly, or Tmed-friendly, are Grenadiers-friendly. Most of these bases that defend against other troops happen to be extremely advantageous for Grenadiers.
So you have the advantage when the bases are configured to defend against other troops.
The best kind of bases look like these:

Look at this beauty! Lots of cover from all angles, Boom Cannons are at the back, mines are all in one spot! Of course, it got pwned :P ( I avoided the mines by going to the right.)
Remember, it’s all about cover and angle.

Tip #6: What Bases To Avoid?

This is absolutely terrible for grenadiers.They cannot hit the mines in front of the towers.The Sniper towers are all in front. It means there is no cover.
I didn’t bother attacking this base. It would be a disaster. On a side note, if you are preventing a Grenadier’s attack, this would be the base to go for.

9. Conclusion

Thanks guys for taking your time. I hope this guide will help some of you and I urge you to try out Grenadiers . If I can help in any way, answer a few questions and such – feel free to ask. Also, if someone wants to comment the text, feel free to do so.