EMP Grenade

The EMP Grenade is a grenade available to the Infiltrator and Engineer. It is unlocked using Certification Points.

When thrown, EMP grenades travel forward until they hit any surface upon which they will detonate, releasing an electro-magnetic pulse that penetrates through walls, affecting all infantry and deployables within 10 meters.

EMP grenades affect all eligible targets within range regardless of allegiance, and will affect targets even through hard cover, although at reduced effect against infantry.

To throw a grenade, press the Use Grenade hotkey ( by default). You will throw it using your right arm after a short animation.

Effects
Upon detonating, EMP grenades release a large blue-white electromagnetic pulse within a 10 meter radius, penetrating all cover and affecting all targets in range. The exact effect is dependent on the target.

Infantry
Infantry hit by the pulse will have their shielding immediately set to zero. This effect will always occur at full strength on any targets within range, regardless of the presence of cover, and affects targets regardless of the strength of their shielding, even if modifiers such as the Bionics implant or Auxiliary Shield utility slot item are in use.

If the victim is directly hit by the blast, with no cover between them and the detonation, the pulse deals exactly 1 damage to the player thus forcing them to incur their full shield recharge delay before their shields begin to recharge. If cover is present, this damage is not applied and thus players who have not recently received damage from other sources will immediately begin to recharge their shielding.



Those hit directly by the blast will also have their screen scrambled, blurring their entire screen and obfuscating information provided on the HUD, although the effect does not remove or otherwise affect the target's Head-Up Display as a Flash Grenade would. This effect stacks if the target is directly stricken by multiple pulses.

The scrambling effect can be purged early by the use of a Cleanse grenade.

Deployables
Deployables do not received reduced effects from pulses that travel through cover.

The exact effect an electromagnetic pulse has on a deployable depends on the specific deployable.

The Engineer's turrets—the Anti-Infantry MANA Turret, Anti-Vehicle MANA Turret, and Spitfire Auto-Turret—will be disabled temporarily. Spitfire Auto-Turrets will simply not function for the duration of the effect, whereas the mounted turrets will have their heat immediately maximized, preventing the weapon from firing, although the turret's shield remains and it can still be mounted.

Ammunition Packages, Motion Spotters, Shield Recharging Field, and Spawn Beacons are immediately destroyed if an EMP grenade detonates within range.

Deployable explosives, such as C-4 and any Anti-Personnel Explosives, will immediately detonate if affected by an electromagnetic pulse. Any kills scored by an explosive detonated via this method will be awarded to the player that threw the EMP grenade. Unlike other deployables, explosives deployed by friendlies will not be affected by the pulse.

Ocular Shield
Ocular Shield is an uncommon implant that reduces the duration and effectiveness of Concussion, Flash, and EMP Grenades by the listed percentage.

At rank 5, the implant additionally causes the use of a Medical Kit or Restoration Kit to immunize the player against the effect of the aforementioned grenades for 5 seconds, although they do not clear pre-existing effects.

History

 * Patch February 13, 2014
 * EMP grenades will now destroy the below enemy explosives and deployables. This destroy effect will even work through cover.
 * Tank Mines
 * Personal Mines
 * C4
 * Placed Motion Spot tools
 * Detect Tool sensors (this includes crossbow bolts)
 * Spawn Beacons
 * October 2, 2014 Update
 * EMP, Flash, and Concussion grenades now award assist experience if the target is killed by another player while under the effect of your grenade.
 * Ribbons and Medals for EMP, Flash, and Concussion grenades have been added or reworked to be based on these assists instead of kills.
 * February 25, 2015 Hotfix
 * Will no longer disable friendly Spitfire Turrets
 * Will now overheat enemy AI/AV Mana Turrets
 * Will now destroy enemy ammunition packs
 * Will now drain heavy assault over shields
 * Will now drain Medic ability energy
 * Will now drain Light Assault jumpjet fuel
 * October 24, 2016 Update
 * Cost from 25 to 75 nanites
 * June 8, 2017 Update
 * Cost from 75 to 50
 * No longer drains ability energy
 * No longer disables Sunderer Deployment Shield
 * (Still drains Minor Cloak implant, Sunderer cloak, and infantry affected by a Sunderer cloak.)
 * No longer clears HUD indicators (but still shows HUD static)
 * Fixed an issue where players within line of sight, and greater than 12 meters, but less than 15 meters would only have their shields reset, instead of take them offline.
 * March 30, 2022 Update
 * Effective radius from 15m to 10m. (Dev Note: You should still have no problem hitting spawn beacons.)