Grenadier (Tiberian Dawn)

Grenadiers were specially trained soldiers armed with high explosive grenades first introduced by the USSR to counter Allied infantry and armour. The concept would later be adopted by the GDI with great success.

The first historical deployment of specifically trained Grenadiers took place during the Great World War II. They carried large amounts of highly explosive grenades, which they could throw at long distances to engage infantry and buildings, even hidden behind obstacles. Their units could have been esily distinguished from other infantry, as they wore dark blue belts which held the grenades. However, due to the amount of explosives carried by them, shrapnel could easily detonate them and kill even a whole squad.

Despite these drawbacks, GDI reintroduced grenadiers into battle against the Brotherhood of Nod, with several special service troopers receiving special Kestrel Grenade Launchers.



Grenadiers were frequently present alongside other soldiers. They were armed with standard high explosive hand grenades, while some special service grenadiers of the GDI used a 6-round grenade launcher to launch grenades. The launcher could propel the grenade to great distances, but the weapon had to be fired at an angle to be effective (There was an optimum angle for distance, but it was hard to calculate exactly what angle was required for various distances). It was also harder to get the grenade to bounce when it was fired from a launcher, due to the force with which it was propelled; it generally exploded as soon as it hit the ground.

They were effective at eliminating infantry quickly, as the grenade could sometimes eliminate enemy infantry in a single hit. In groups, they were effective against armored vehicles, though this made them extremely vulnerable to units such as Flame Tanks or other area-of-effect weapons. In groups, they could also be effectively squashed.

During the Second Tiberium War, grenadiers were outfitted with disc-shaped grenades and formed infantry units known as the Disc Throwers. However, the design of the grenade was faulty and didn't allow for precise throwing. Therefore, after the Second Tiberium War, new grenadier squads were introduced.

The new grenadiers wear standard GDI combat armor with specially modified helmets to shield their head from shrapnel and potential trauma caused by the grenades. They carriy grenades in their backpacks, as throwing grenades allow for more precision than using grenade launchers. The grenades themselves have miniature rocket engines embedded within them and minimal AI guidance, allowing them to reach enemies in remote locations with deadly precision. This gives grenadiers the ability to clear garrisoned buildings without destroying the structure itself.

Due to the weight of the packs, the grenadiers usually exercise on the battlefield by performing jumping jacks and practices tossing their grenades around. With the advances in technology, the grenades no longer explode if they aren't primed for detonation.

In all three Tiberium Wars, the grenades can result in friendly fire incidents.