“The smoke grenade creates a medium-area smoke screen. It can effectively hide your team from snipers, or even just create a useful distraction.”―Official description
The Smoke Grenade is a tactical item in the Counter-Strike game series, designed to release a cloud of smoke upon activation.
Overview
Smoke grenades contain chemicals like potassium chlorate and lactose, which create dense smoke when deployed. In Counter-Strike, these grenades are used to obscure vision, provide cover, and disorient enemies. Introduced in BETA 6.5, players in Global Offensive are limited to purchasing one smoke grenade per round to avoid overuse.
Once thrown, the smoke grenade quickly releases smoke upon landing. The smoke does not cause damage. In Global Offensive, the grenade produces a thick smoke screen with a 288-unit diameter, lasting 18 seconds. This screen blocks visibility almost entirely, making it hard for players to see through it. Entering the smoke obscures a player’s vision entirely, even at close range.
Additionally, the smoke grenade in Global Offensive prevents players from appearing on the radar for 15 seconds and hides their names when aimed at. In Source, this concealment lasts for 13 seconds. In the original Counter-Strike, the smoke lasts for 25 seconds. Bots are unable to attack through the smoke and cannot detect enemies within it, although they will react if they physically bump into an enemy.
In Global Offensive, smoke grenades can extinguish fires from Molotov cocktails and Incendiary Grenades upon contact. Conversely, firebombs thrown into the smoke will not ignite.
Deleted Scenes
In the Deleted Scenes mode, smoke grenades are used to create cover and disorient enemy vehicles. Enemies within the smoke will cough and be unable to attack, which is particularly effective against snipers and certain heavy gunners. Friendly NPCs are also affected by the smoke, but the player is immune.
Tactics
- Visibility Obstruction: Use smoke grenades to block enemy sightlines and create cover for your team.
- Pathway Blocking: Deploy smoke in high-traffic areas to slow down enemy movement and force them to approach cautiously.
- Bomb Planting: Cover the bomb site with smoke after planting to protect the bomb from being defused.
- Sniper Distraction: Throw smoke at sniper positions to obscure their view and force them to relocate.
- Concealed Movement: Use smoke to mask your team’s movement or to approach key areas undetected.
- Grenade Combos: Throw other grenades through the smoke to surprise enemies who may be hiding within it.
Counter-tactics
- Spray and Pray: Fire into the smoke cloud to hit enemies hiding within it.
- Grenade Spamming: Use HE grenades or flashbangs to flush out enemies from the smoke.
- Avoidance: Stay away from smoke-filled areas or find alternative routes.
- Team Coordination: Work with teammates to cover multiple angles and prevent ambushes from smoke.
Trivia
- In earlier GoldSrc games, the smoke grenade model is a retextured CS Grenade model with different color stripes.
- The Counter-Strike smoke grenade is modeled after the M7A3 CS gas grenade, with the label "M7A3 RIOT CS."
- In Source and Global Offensive, the smoke grenade model is based on the M18 Smoke Grenade and Model 5210 Smoke Grenade, respectively.
- Some specific in-game quirks include the smoke grenade creating bubbles when thrown into water in Source and Global Offensive, and AI units coughing in the smoke in Deleted Scenes.
Using smoke grenades effectively requires strategic placement and timing to maximize their disruptive potential while minimizing their impact on your own team.
Smoke in numbers
- Alternate name(s) SG, Smoke
- Price $300
- Used by Counter-Terrorist/Terrorist
- Entity weapon_smokegrenade
