MK3A2 Grenade

The MK3A2 Grenade is a Combine weapon featured in Half-Life 2. It is a standard grenade that explodes a few seconds after it is thrown.

Overview

 * The MK3A2 comes equipped with a red blinking light and a chirping timer that are played when the grenade is thrown. This is very useful for the player, as it lets them know when an active grenade is in the player's vicinity.


 * Most Overwatch Soldiers carry at least a few of these and use them to flush out and/or kill enemies. Unthrown MK3A2s can also be picked up by the player if dropped by a soldier.


 * When thrown, these hand grenades have a fairly low bounce but due to their cylindrical shape, they will roll a significant distance if they land on a smooth surface, so these attributes should be taken into account when throwing them.


 * The MK3A2 can be thrown in two ways: throw and roll. The throw is activated by hitting the primary fire key, the rolling with the secondary fire one.


 * When Freeman throws a grenade, it is thrown towards to the right of the crosshair, instead of the center.


 * The player can pick up active grenades, either with their hands (by pressing the Use button) or with the Gravity Gun, and throw them away (or back at the enemy).


 * The MK3A2 is first acquired in Half-Life 2's third chapter, Route Kanal. It can be found behind a box where lies a Zombie torso.

Tactics

 * The Gravity Gun is a useful tool in the use of grenades (especially in Half-Life 2: Deathmatch), allowing for increased range and precision. The most widely used techniques are:
 * Grenade throwing - the grenade is dropped, picked up and used as a makeshift airburst grenade (since the grenade can be cooked off easily once deployed). This is very effective against opponents in mid-air or behind obstructions.
 * Grenade punting - The grenade is dropped, then punted (without being picked up), allowing for a very fast, long range grenade.


 * Other Deathmatch tactics:
 * By dropping a grenade behind a wall, or outside a vent, one is able to destroy obstacles such as S.L.A.Ms easily without harm caused to the player.
 * Picking up grenades that have been thrown at the player will reset the timer.


 * The MK3A2 is a very useful tactical tool. Besides simply killing enemies, it is ideal for flushing out entrenched enemies, forcing soldiers out of cover and scattering concentrated groups of enemies.


 * The MK3A2 is also very useful for knocking down Combine Sentry Guns from a distance if no object can be thrown at them.


 * Metrocops, Overwatch Soldiers and Overwatch Elites are the only enemies that will avoid an MK3A2. Other enemies will walk past it.


 * MK3A2s are also very effective against Zombies, as they generally move slowly and make no attempt to avoid the blast.


 * MK3A2s are bouncy enough to be thrown around corners with ease. However, they will lose a good deal of their momentum and will not bounce again.


 * One should remember that the MK3A2's timer will not start until it is thrown. This makes it easy to hold a grenade until enemies are in the right position.


 * The grenade makes a distinct sound when it hits the floor; even if one does not hear the timer, the impact sound should be sufficient to alert the player to the presence of a grenade.

Behind the scenes

 * According to the Conscript model texture files, Conscripts were to use grenades.


 * The MK3A2 has two related Orange Box Achievements: in Half-Life 2, "Hot Potat0wned" requires to kill a Combine soldier with his own grenade; in Episode One and Episode Two, "Grave Robber" requires to steal a Zombine's grenade.

Trivia

 * In a few Episode Two scripted sequences, Combine soldiers throw the grenades back. Likewise, during the journey to the Muscle Car, Gordon comes across a dumpster, with a Fast Zombie digging out boxes inside. If an MK3A2 is thrown in, the zombie will throw it back out. If another MK3A2 is thrown, it will blow, and the zombie will jump out in flames.


 * The cut Vortex Hopwire uses the MK3A2 as viewmodel.


 * "M-83 FRAG" can be seen written on the grenade's pin. However, the M-83 is an unrelated, smoke grenade similar in appearance to the MK3A2.

List of appearances

 * Half-Life 2 
 * Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
 * Half-Life 2: Lost Coast
 * Half-Life 2: Episode One
 * Source Particle Benchmark
 * Half-Life 2: Episode Two