Pipe Bomb question

[Damnit-Jenkins]

So I made a pipebomb and tried to throw it at a horde of zombies. After several (save scum) deaths, I have succeeded in learning the following:

1. Wield pipe bomb first, then activate it.
2. Throw Pipe Bomb as far as you can.
3. It doesn’t matter how far you throw it, you’re dead.

Is there any way to effectively use a pipebomb beyond a last ditch suicide bomb?

There doesn’t seem to be a way to extend the fuse or throw it far enough where you can escape the blast radius. I was sort of hoping to use it as a way to trap/destroy a horde, but all i’ve succeeded in doing is killing myself.

[crazykiddeath]

You can make a remote detonate version, that should help.

[Wayticus]

What is your ST at that determines max throw distance.

The blast radius for that is rather large try peaking around a corner, out a window, or out a door and throwing it (then close the door)

[Damnit-Jenkins]

You can make a remote detonate version, that should help

Ahhh… That I didn’t know. I’ll have to look up what is required with that.

What is your ST at that determines max throw distance.

The blast radius for that is rather large try peaking around a corner, out a window, or out a door and throwing it (then close the door)

My strength is 10 I think? The character was a normal human and caught out in the open. I’ll try ducking around a corner to see if that will help.

[techincal]

Did you try direction dropping it out of a moving vehicle?

[Damnit-Jenkins]

Did you try direction dropping it out of a moving vehicle?

Have not tried that either. At the time the character was on foot, being mauled. He died, but I decided to turn it into a learning experience to see how I could have handled the scenario better.

[Wayticus]

Well if you need to out in the open, then drink a beer first for the ST boost, activate run, throw it and run, hope to get only the edge of the blast. Not sure if ducking behind a tree would help block the blast they do block LOS sight, never see how they handle explosions.

[Mantar]

One thing that helps now is to wield it first. There’s a move cost now to pull items out to throw them, which eats into your timer duration.

[Invalid_Username]

Throw it around a corner, out a window, anything that can give you cover from the blast. This isn’t difficult to figure out. Think in terms of throwing an explosive device IRL, rather than in Cawadoody.

[Damnit-Jenkins]

Well if you need to out in the open, then drink a beer first for the ST boost, activate run, throw it and run, hope to get only the edge of the blast. Not sure if ducking behind a tree would help block the blast they do block LOS sight, never see how they handle explosions.

Yeah the problem was the dude was in the middle of a street getting mauled. There was nothing to LOS behind.

One thing that helps now is to wield it first. There’s a move cost now to pull items out to throw them, which eats into your timer duration.

Yeah Found this out the hard way, lol.

Throw it around a corner, out a window, anything that can give you cover from the blast. This isn’t difficult to figure out. Think in terms of throwing an explosive device IRL, rather than in Cawadoody.

IRL I don’t usually throw explosive devices as I prefer to keep my fingers and hands.

Pipe bombs are usually set off with a timer according to all the murder shows I’ve watched. I was operating with the assumption I would be able to throw it and run away for about a minute or so (ie ten moves) before it exploded. I was wrong, it didn’t work that way.

I just started playing the game recently and have been experimenting first and asking second. I was getting frustrated because the pipe bomb seemed like it was exploding almost instantly. Then I realized I had to wield it first, then activate it, then throw it. I posted because I was hoping to hear some better ways of utilizing it. So far: throw it from a house then hide, drop it from a vehicle, and stay around a corner are confirming what I thought.

~D

[Invalid_Username]

IRL I don’t usually throw explosive devices as I prefer to keep my fingers and hands.

That’s why you throw them. Am I the only person who grew up making sparkler bombs here? I can’t be.

[Wayticus]

Yeah the problem was the dude was in the middle of a street getting mauled.

Well if they were already getting mauled the explosion may have been a merciful death, rather then bleeding out or dying from bite wounds, better to go quick

[kevin.granade]

There was nothing to LOS behind.

If nothing else, try to get as many enemies as possible between you and the bomb, it only takes 3-4 zombies to absorb all the fragments from a pipe bomb.

[Damnit-Jenkins]

That’s why you throw them. Am I the only person who grew up making sparkler bombs here? I can’t be.

Picture it. July 3, 1983. Stevie Johnson, the most popular kid on the block reveals his dad bought a “whole boatload” of fireworks. Stevie, being the neighborhood superstar (read entitled asshat) stole a couple of firecrackers and the ‘big kids’ snuck off into the woods. They even let a few of us ‘little kids’ tag along. Stevie proceeds to light the firecrackers, throwing them into this little canyon the railroad passed through. Then for whatever stupid reason… he decides he’s going to hold one. It explodes in his fingers and removes a few of them.

So yeah. At 8 years old watching a doofus blow his fingers off left me with a REAL HEALTHY respect for things that explode.

Granted it didn’t stop me or my friends from lighting fires (until the fire department lectured us), going off jumps on our ‘bmx’ bikes (even after Justin broke his collar bone), shooting stuff with BB guns (Chris still has a BB in his thigh), or swinging on ropes over creeks (where Jen got a leech and Brian sprained his ankles).

But explosives? No thanks. Eight year old me can still hear the screaming of his neighborhood hero.

I understand how explosives work and God knows I’ve played enough CS/AA/Battlefield/COD etc etc to know how they operate. Usually pipe bombs are something that has a long fuse or is based on some sort of triggering mechanism–you know, like the Unabomber’s pipebombs. And for some silly reason, yeah thats what i was expecting. Rather than just say “this item is broken and stupid” I decided to reach out and see if there was anyone using them in inventive ways.

Just the way I am, man.

~D

[Damnit-Jenkins]

If nothing else, try to get as many enemies as possible between you and the bomb, it only takes 3-4 zombies to absorb all the fragments from a pipe bomb.

Ahhh… I’ll give that a shot too… I was trying to throw it at the zombies while staying ahead of them…that leaping feral predator thing was nasty.

[Trigon]

My brother was actually the grenade specialist in his squad so he’s noted a few things for me on these matters. IRL even most trained soldiers cannot throw modern fragmentation explosives far enough to be outside the casualty range, hence why they’re used primarily from defensive positions with considerable cover, or to clear out enclosed spaces and take advantage of the shockwave blastback. (IE chunky salsa) So I’m pretty sure this is intended behavior.

For my part in game I usually throw it past the main group of zombies then turn and run. I find that the bodies between me and the bomb absorb all the damage. I don’t really use mine fields to evade things anymore since now you’d be just as liable to be perforated by stray fragments.

[Fungus]

lol at your life dude, but not in a harsh way. I was six or seven when my mum moved out with me and the new place had some asbestos in the alley behind our garden. My mum warned me not to play with it, but I had no idea what asbestos was. So, to be safe, I didn’t even go out back. I’ve some vague memories of fireworks displays and having misgivings about the safety of those, so if I were in your shoes I’d probably have ducked out of there before they even left my street.

Gonna second what others have said here, you’re going to want to use cover. Use ‘X’ to peek out (doesn’t consume a turn or get you noticed) then ‘t’ to blind throw. In case you’re unaware, run is ’ " '. Generally speaking running will save your bacon more often than a pipe bomb; those are more useful for thinning a horde, diverting attention, clearing a room and accidentally killing yourself. I never really bother much with grenades outside, but for labs etc they’re invaluable. Try experimenting with shorter throws, about half of your max, if your throwing skill is low - I find it significantly more accurate but that could just be RNGeesus on my side.

Also, I totally avoid pipe bombs as I have a vague idea that sometimes the fuse is short. Can anyone else confirm this? Though, IMO, the fuse is too short anyway. If I made those bombs I’d give myself a nice long fuse to be safe and then make a snap call when in the field. I’d probably go to great pains to dye the fuse in segments so I would know at a glance where to light it to achieve my desired time

[Damnit-Jenkins]

My brother was actually the grenade specialist in his squad so he’s noted a few things for me on these matters. IRL even most trained soldiers cannot throw modern fragmentation explosives far enough to be outside the casualty range, hence why they’re used primarily from defensive positions with considerable cover, or to clear out enclosed spaces and take advantage of the shockwave blastback. (IE chunky salsa) So I’m pretty sure this is intended behavior.

Oh, I pretty much figured I wasn’t “doing it right” as opposed to there being a bug or that it was unintended behavior. I’ve learned most of the time when something isn’t working the way you expect it to you need to think about what you are doing before calling foul.

For my part in game I usually throw it past the main group of zombies then turn and run. I find that the bodies between me and the bomb absorb all the damage. I don’t really use mine fields to evade things anymore since now you’d be just as liable to be perforated by stray fragments.

Dang, I didn’t know that. I was planning on leading a beagle tank through a minefield… and that also explains when I watched a mee-go fight a grenadier zombie why i went deaf and had a message about shrapnel hitting my armor.

lol at your life dude, but not in a harsh way.

It was the 80s and we lived in this weird rural-suburban area. Nobody really cared about what you did until there was blood or property damage. We were pretty stupid kids. Good times.

Gonna second what others have said here, you’re going to want to use cover. Use ‘X’ to peek out (doesn’t consume a turn or get you noticed) then ‘t’ to blind throw. In case you’re unaware, run is ’ " '. Generally speaking running will save your bacon more often than a pipe bomb; those are more useful for thinning a horde, diverting attention, clearing a room and accidentally killing yourself. I never really bother much with grenades outside, but for labs etc they’re invaluable. Try experimenting with shorter throws, about half of your max, if your throwing skill is low - I find it significantly more accurate but that could just be RNGeesus on my side.

I’ve been leveling my throwing with a practice target. I have about 40 rocks I throw while I’m waiting for my stolen electric car to recharge my Scoutin’ Scooter batteries. My thought is to use the rocks as a distraction. Maybe if I threw a rock through a window, I could sneak into a different house.

Also, I totally avoid pipe bombs as I have a vague idea that sometimes the fuse is short. Can anyone else confirm this? Though, IMO, the fuse is too short anyway. If I made those bombs I’d give myself a nice long fuse to be safe and then make a snap call when in the field. I’d probably go to great pains to dye the fuse in segments so I would know at a glance where to light it to achieve my desired time

Yeah, I thought that the fuse would be longer, but then again I didn’t REALLY pay attention to the description. I just saw I could make one and left it in my inventory for S&Gs. A few RL days later “I’m all… uhhh crap how am I gonna live through this?! On look, pipebomb!”

Half the fun in this game is killing myself in silly “shitshitSHITSHIT RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN” ways. So far I’ve burned a forest down to escape a moose and wolves, burned a mall down thinking that the benches in a concrete courtyard would burn like a giant brazier, almost been eaten by a giant salmon while trying to swim, and a few other silly things. Being chased by a horde is sort of hilarious. It reminds me of this one summer when I made friends with the wrong big-mouthed kid who pissed off an entire playground…

[Mantar]

Seems to me the pipe bomb could use an adjustable fuse, like some of the other explosives in-game do. I mean at the least you could put marks on the fuse and pick a specific one to have a rough estimate of how long before it went off.