The problem with grenades for cover destruction is that it isn't AOE. At least not effectively. The environmental damage falls off (even with perks), so you're much better centering the aoe on the cover you want to blow up, rather than try for multiple.Zork wrote:The much better AOE of plasma grenades in my opinion totally counter balance other grenades special effects. For now only fire is challenging because you get a chance to disable an enemy with fire. But AOE dammages, AOE shredding, AOE cover destruction can be huge, so really I don't get all those comments about plasma grenades. For me they look fine.hamds28 wrote:My Needle Grenadiers lose a bit of steam before plasma. The Biggest Booms buff should help, and I think maybe if Boosted Cores gave 2points of damage to plasma but only 1 to special grenades, that might even up the playing field. I wouldn't bring my couple of needle grenadiers to a long HQ battle, but they're solid enough soldiers. I also don't do the SMG thing.
Moreover with Red fog option I heavily doubt any other grenades can compare to Plasma. But it doesn't matter, if you prefer another type of grenade then use them.
For long battle like HQ, I will admit that when enemies are closing 40 there's more chance I play last pod or even last two pods without any grenade. But HQ allows a team of 10 and then offers much more flexibilities like to include 2 Grenadiers and even have one or two Grenadier dedicated to grenades with Full Kit perks, 16 grenades for an HQ, fine in my opinion. With less grenades don't waste all of them on first pods, keep them more to use them like jokers than like routine tools.
EDIT:
I'm not sure if it's just a fluke, but well leveled grenadiers made two intel miniretels and one Haven Defense rather easy. The first one was a Flashbang grenadier, didn't yet have Sting. The second one was a damage Grenadier, almost full left tree with Tandem Warheads. Haven Defense came and because ADVENT kept running out of cover coming all from one direction, they clumped like crazy and got blown to bits along with the crates they were trying to hide behind, that gave her a level and Volatile Mix, into blowing up even more ADVENT in the intel miniretel that followed immediately after. Wish I had taken Salvo, but ah well.
I haven't tried them in Rendevous, but the frontloaded missions seem rather good for damage grenadiers. By the time you're out of explody things, the main squad should have managed to make it into a position to assist.