History Main / ConcussionFrags

* The ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series interestingly plays it both ways with its combination shotgun/grenade launcher in the Flak Cannon. The grenades fragment just fine, well enough to completely shred a target or two - so long as you use the primary fire to detonate the grenade right in the weapon and launch the fragments out like a shotgun blast. SecondaryFire, which launches the grenade out as an actual grenade, reveals the grendes' flaw: They fragment into so few pieces that individual shards are unlikely to do more than scratch damage without a direct hit.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series interestingly plays it both ways with its combination shotgun/grenade launcher in the Flak Cannon. The grenades fragment just fine, well enough to completely shred a target or two - so long as you use the primary fire to detonate the grenade right in the weapon and launch the fragments out like a shotgun blast. SecondaryFire, which launches the grenade out as an actual grenade, reveals the grendes' flaw: They fragment into so few pieces that individual shards are unlikely to do more than splash damage without a direct hit.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series interestingly plays it both ways with its combination shotgun/grenade launcher in the Flak Cannon. The grenades fragment just fine, well enough to completely shred a target or two - so long as you use the primary fire to detonate the grenade right in the weapon and launch the fragments out like a shotgun blast. SecondaryFire, which launches the grenade out as an actual grenade, plays this straight and produces nothing more than a concussive explosion.

* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'': Frag grenades deal [=AoE=] damage and cause units to fall.

* Subverted in the 19991 ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' game, where marine characters can use a GrenadeLauncher, which comes with several different ammo types - namely, Concussion, Sticky Mine, and Fragmentation. However, though the latter one throws out actual cloud of small fragments, its threat range is almost nonexistant (either because of engine limitations or game balance), especially when compared with two other SplashDamage grenades. You basically have to shoot one ''precisely'' at the enemy, exploiting the "explode on contact" mechanics; but if you do manage a direct hit, your target is in a world of trouble, since it's gonna take ''a lot'' of fragments at once.

Of course, this isn't how it works in Real Life. Real frag grenades throw shrapnel, with a kill radius of fifteen meters; these fragments, of course, are no more likely to throw you into the air than a normal bullet ([[BlownAcrossTheRoom let us rephrase that...]]). The Hollywood portrayal of grenades are closer to concussion grenades, which rely upon sheer explosive force; this gives them a much shorter range than frags, which is why modern militaries rarely use them.

* Subverted in ''Franchise/AliensVersusPredator 1999'', where marine characters can use a GrenadeLauncher, which comes with several different ammo types - namely, Concussion, Sticky Mine, and Fragmentation. However, though the latter one throws out actual cloud of small fragments, its threat range is almost nonexistant (either because of engine limitations or game balance), especially when compared with two other SplashDamage grenades. You basically have to shoot one ''precisely'' at the enemy, exploiting the "explode on contact" mechanics; but if you do manage a direct hit, your target is in a world of trouble, since it's gonna take ''a lot'' of fragments at once.

* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'': Frag grenades deal AoE damage and cause units to fall.

In most editions of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' frag grenades negates enemy units cover bonus during a charge action. This could be because the enemies are keeping their heads down or taking other evasive actions to not be hit by the grenade or because this trope. Regardless the grenades them selves doesn't do any damage to the enemy units.

* Subverted in ''Franchise/AliensVersusPredator 1999'', where marine characters can use a GrenadeLauncher, which comes with several different ammo types - namely, Concussion, Sticky Mine, and Fragmentation. However, though latter one throws out actual cloud of small fragments, its threat range is almost near-inexistant (either because of engine limitations, or game balance), especially when compared with two other SplashDamage grenades. You basically have to shoot one ''precisely'' at the enemy, exploiting the "explode on contact" mechanics; but if you do manage a direct hit, your target is in a world of trouble, since it's gonna take A LOT of fragments at once.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'' seems unsure about what its grenades do. Sigint outright states that they frag, but actually getting hit by one results in a backflip and a burn. Hit an enemy with one, and he'll spend about two seconds in the air before bouncing around on the ground a bit. Humorously, the descriptions for the frags throughout the series generally states that they have an effective range of two feet. The grenades do, however, have a much larger blast radius when standing. Going prone will minimize their effect.

* The first ''VideoGame/FarCry'' is quite guilty of this. Pineapple-style frags are called such, and yet their explosion is more akin to a stick of dynamite or pyrotechnic charge: lots of sparks and smoke, no shrapnel, and a pretty bad radius. Killing a human enemy with one is damn rare and difficult, as they flush out immediately after seeing the 'nade fying their way.

* Subverted in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', where the UNSC frag grenade has the largest range of any grenade, being capable of draining your shields from a fairly long range; ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' took it up to such an extent that [[TheCoconutEffect players accused it of being unrealistic]], nicknaming them "mini-nukes". Aside from the range and the fairly realistic explosion visuals, though, this trope is played straight: the explosion can launch vehicles airborne, making it a hard counter to the Warthog, and killing someone will launch them through the sky.

* ''VideoGame/KillingFloor2'' differentiates between the Support class' frag grenades and the Commando class' HE grenades. Frag grenades' fragments can bounce off terrain to continue travelling, and will pinball in tight hallways very lethally. They use different damage types (piercing and explosive respectively) that will have varying multipliers against advanced Zeds (for example, Scrakes take have damage from explosive, but full damage from piercing).

* In 'Film/TheRock'', a mook, after about three seconds of "cooking", lobs a frag at Goodspeed, who happens to be in a minecart type container. After staring at it for about five seconds, Goodspeed throws it back, where it lies for another few seconds as the mook and his partner runs away. It detonates in a fiery explosion about three feet away from him, and, needless to say, nobody gets hurt.

->''"There ain’t a [[ArbitraryMaximumRange magical wall at 15 meters]]—had a hole punched in my cheek at about 90 meters over a year ago back on Ballast. Could’a lost an eye or even been killed. Remember when you hear that call or a thump to keep your head down.”''

* Subverted in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', where the UNSC frag grenade has the largest range of any grenade, being capable of draining your shields from a fairly long range; Reach took it up to such an extent that [[TheCoconutEffect players accused it of being unrealistic]], nicknaming them "mini-nukes". Aside from the range and the fairly realistic explosion visuals, though, this trope is played straight: the explosion can launch vehicles airborne, making it a hard counter to the Warthog, and killing someone will launch them through the sky.

* This is usually averted in the [[ShownTheirWork surprisingly well-researched]] spy comedy ''{{Archer}}'', but Sterling Archer does sometimes drunkenly mix up the two.

* In ''Film/ActOfValor'', every time one of the SEALs throws a frag, the explosion sets everything nearby on fire. Later, when two terrorists detonate their bomb vests, shrapnel is seen flying around the area; the two SEALs nearby get thrown through the air, but don't seem to take any shrapnel wounds.

* Subverted in ''Franchise/AliensVersusPredator 1999'', where marine characters can use a GrenadeLauncher, which comes with several different ammo types - namely, Concussion, Sticky Mine, and Fragmentation. However, though latter one throws out actual cloud of small fragments, its threat range is almost near-inexistant (either because of engine limitations, or game balance), especially when compared with two other SpashDamage grenades. You basically have to shoot one ''precisely'' at the enemy, exploiting the "explode on contact" mechanics; but if you do manage a direct hit, your target is in a world of trouble, since it's gonna take A LOT of fragments at once.

* Subverted in ''Videogame/AliensVersusPredator'',where marine characters can use a GrenadeLauncher, which comes with several different ammo types - namely, Concussion, Sticky Mine, and Fragmentation. However, though latter one throws out actual cloud of small fragments, its threat range is almost near-inexistant (either because of engine limitations, or game balance), especially when compared with two other SpashDamage grenades. You basically have to shoot one ''precisely'' at the enemy, exploiting the "explode on contact" mechanics; but if you do manage a direct hit, your target is in a world of trouble, since it's gonna take A LOT of fragments at once.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Stalker}} S.T.A.L.K.E.R.]]'' averts this. There's a fairly explicit distinction between the RGD-5 (concussion) and F1 (frag) grenades available. The F1 has a much larger blast radius and its pieces of shrapnel, much like in the ''7.62 High Caliber'' example above, are actual projectile entities that scatter randomly and even leave pockmarks in the scenery.

-->--{{Halo}}

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'', where the UNSC frag grenade has the largest range of any grenade, being capable of draining your shields from a fairly long range; Reach took it up to such an extent that [[TheCoconutEffect players accused it of being unrealistic]], nicknaming them "mini-nukes". Aside from the range and the fairly realistic explosion visuals, though, this trope is played straight: the explosion can launch vehicles airborne, making it a hard counter to the Warthog, and killing someone will launch them through the sky.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'', where the UNSC frag grenade has the largest range of any grenade, being capable of draining your shields from a fairly long range; Reach took it up to such an extent that [[TheCoconutEffect players accused it of being unrealistic]], nicknaming them "mini-nukes". Aside from the range and the fairly realistic explosion visuals, though, this trope is played straight: the explosion can launch vehicles airborn, making it a hard counter to the Warthog, and killing someone will launch them through the sky.

* Grenades which are clearly frags explode into fireballs, while an invisible wall prevents the shrapnel from traveling more than two feet. Alternatively, the explosion may look realistic and have fairly realistic range, but somehow manages to blow things across rooms.

Remember, this only applies to grenades that look like or are referred to as frags. If things are exploding when they shouldn't, the object is {{Made of Explodium}}. For stun grenades, see {{Blinded by the Light}}. May cause an {{Impairment Shot}} in video games. When frags are presented realistically, expect a bad case of {{The Coconut Effect}}.

* {{System Shock}} almost gets it right. The main advantage of concussion grenades is that they do high damage that is consistent against enemy types (frags, obviously, aren't very effective against armored robots) - but that also have a significantly larger blast radius than frags for some reason. The sequel inverts this, with the "disruption" grenades having a smaller blast radius but, thanks to an oversight in the grenade launcher's upgrade system, do less damage than the standard frags.
* DawnOfWar: Frag grenades deal AoE damage and cause units to fall.
* {{Metal Gear Solid 3}} seems unsure about what its grenades do. Sigint outright states that they frag, but actually getting hit by one results in a backflip and a burn. Hit an enemy with one, and he'll spend about two seconds in the air before bouncing around on the ground a bit.
** Humorously, the descriptions for the frags throughout the series generally states that they have an effective range of two feet.
** The grenades, do however have a much larger blast radius when standing. Going prone will minimize their effect.
* Subverted in {{Halo}}, where the UNSC frag grenade has the largest range of any grenade, being capable of draining your shields from a fairly long range; Reach took it up to such an extent that [[TheCoconutEffect players accused it of being unrealistic]], nicknaming them "mini-nukes". Aside from the range and the fairly realistic explosion visuals, though, this trope is played straight: the explosion can launch vehicles airborn, making it a hard counter to the Warthog, and killing someone will launch them through the sky.
* Played straight in VideoGame/ResidentEvil4, where the pressed-steel, generic fragmentation grenades blow enemies about 15 feet across the map.
** Averted in [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 5]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations Revelations]] where they visually resemble real life concussion grenades.
* Somewhat averted in the Counter-Strike series, particularly the later ones - frag grenades have a reasonably large damage radius (up to several meters), and the "explosion" is mostly visible only through the shockwave kicking up dust and debris. Their lethality, however, is downplayed for gameplay purposes, though having one land right next to you is still pretty bad news, even if you have full body armour.
* Due to some truly remarkable game mechanics in OperationDarkness, sometimes an enemy who is too close for effective use of a sword can be defeated with a grenade without injury to the thrower.

* In the ''MedalOfHonor'' series, both the American frag grenades and the German concussion grenades launch enemies across the room or into a backflip.

* ''VideoGame/{{Stalker}}'' averts this. There's a fairly explicit distinction between the RGD-5 (concussion) and F1 (frag) grenades available. The F1 has a much larger blast radius and its pieces of shrapnel are actual entities that even leave pockmarks in the scenery.

* This is usually averted in the [[ShownTheirWork surprisingly well-researched]] spy comedy {{Archer}}, but Sterling Archer does sometimes drunkenly mix up the two.