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Flashbang Grenade is a power in Mass Effect 2.

Neuralshock

A disorienting concussive charge is thrown that inflicts minor damage and incapacitates all nearby targets.

Power Ranks[]

  • Rank 1 - A disorienting, concussive charge that inflicts minor damage and incapacitates all nearby targets. Both delicate electronics and enemy nervous systems are temporarily disabled, causing weapon overheats, omni-tool jams, and difficulties in using biotic powers.
    • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard) 9.00 seconds (Kasumi)
    • Impact Radius: 6.00 meters
    • Damage: 45.00 points
    • Incapacitate Duration: 3.00 seconds
  • Rank 2 - A disorienting, concussive charge that inflicts minor damage and incapacitates all nearby targets. Both delicate electronics and enemy nervous systems are temporarily disabled, causing weapon overheats, omni-tool jams, and difficulties in using biotic powers.
    • Impact Radius: 6.50 meters
    • Damage: 60.00 points
    • Incapacitate Duration: 3.50 seconds
  • Rank 3 - A disorienting, concussive charge that inflicts minor damage and incapacitates all nearby targets. Both delicate electronics and enemy nervous systems are temporarily disabled, causing weapon overheats, omni-tool jams, and difficulties in using biotic powers.
    • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard) 9.00 seconds (Kasumi)
    • Impact Radius: 7.00 meters
    • Damage: 75.00 points
    • Incapacitate Duration: 4.00 seconds


Rank 4

Evolves Flashbang Grenade into one of the following options:

Frag Grenade[]

  • The grenade is packed with metal fragments that cause extra damage when it explodes.
    • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard) 9.00 seconds (Kasumi)
    • Impact Radius: 7.00 meters
    • Damage: 120.00 points
    • Incapacitate Duration: 4.00 seconds

Improved Flashbang Grenade[]

  • Improves the grenade's concussive force, incapacitating targets farther away and keeping them down longer.
    • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard) 9.00 seconds (Kasumi)
    • Impact Radius: 9.00 meters
    • Damage: 75.00 points
    • Incapacitate Duration: 6.00 seconds

Player Notes[]

Mechanics
  • This is Kasumi's fourth power and is unlocked after completing her loyalty mission. When used by Kasumi, Flashbang Grenade must be aimed at an enemy and it impacts instantly, very much like the squadmate version of Concussive Shot.
  • Improved Flashbang grenade has the largest area of effect of any power with the exception of Tech Armor's detonation.
  • When used by Shepard (as a bonus power) Flashbang Grenade has some unique properties:
    • It tosses very much like a real grenade, arcing toward the targeted area (Inferno Grenade is the only other power thrown in this fashion). The grenade will go farther if Shepard is above the target, and it can be thrown high for increased range, low for shorter range. The grenade will only detonate shortly after coming to a rest on a horizontal surface, it will not detonate after striking vertical surfaces such as walls, nor will it detonate in air even if thrown a long way. It will also not detonate upon striking enemies directly but merely bounce off.
    • Shepard's version of Flashbang Grenade can be fairly inconsistent in its effects, sometimes not affecting some targets clearly within the blast radius while working properly against others. Generally, it behaves more consistently when the grenade lands on perfectly flat, level ground; uneven terrain greatly interferes with its performance. Kasumi's version of the power is much more reliable and detonates instantly at any targeted enemy or location, even a vertical surface.
    • Shepard throws with the right hand. To minimize exposure to enemy fire, stand behind (not attached to) tall cover and edge just enough to the right to have a clear throw path.
    • Caution: Shepard's version of Flashbang Grenade can affect Shepard and also squadmates at very close range. This causes no damage, but it will momentarily stagger squadmates and Shepard and can also blind Shepard. Fortunately, the grenade must go off almost right at the feet of Shepard for the blinding effect to occur. Kasumi's version of the power does not cause adverse effects to allies.
  • Overheat Effect: At all Ranks, Flashbang Grenade can overheat the standard weapons of most enemies, protected or not, making them unable to fire for a several seconds.
    • Affected enemies can be seen repeatedly performing reload animations and their weapons will be visibly smoking.
    • The disable effect isn't absolute: sometimes a stray shot or two can still be fired.
    • Many tougher enemy types are immune or highly resistant to the overheat effects such as shotgun-wielding krogan/Vanguards, or YMIR Mechs.
    • Heavy weapons wielded by enemies are likewise not affected, such as missile launchers, flamethrowers, or the particle beams used by Collector Assassins.
    • Overload and Disruptor Ammo are also capable of producing overheat effects in enemies.
  • Flashbang Grenade can stagger most light enemies still with protection while knocking down and stunning unprotected ones.
    • With the appropriate passive powers or armor components, the duration of the incapacitation effect on Improved Flashbang Grenade is actually longer than the cooldown of the power.
    • Flashbang Grenade has a force component, and much like other similar powers such as Concussive Shot or biotics, this causes instant kills against unprotected Husks within a wide radius; it is also the only bonus power available to Shepard that can disable multiple enemies without needing maximum rank.
    • A unique feature of Flashbang Grenade is that it is capable of causing knockdowns even on protected enemies from the force component of the power provided that the damage component of the power penetrates any remaining protection the target had. E.g. a Husk that has only a small amount of armor left will still be instantly killed by a grenade; by contrast powers such as Shockwave or Concussive Shot used in that situation would break the armor of the Husk and even damage the health bar slightly but would not cause a knockdown insta-kill on the Husk, only stagger it.
      • Kasumi's Shadow Strike power and also Inferno Grenade are the only other powers capable of striking through protection to knockdown/force-kill targets in one blow (Grunt's melee charge can as well).
      • The Frag Grenade evolution does more damage and is therefore more capable of causing knockdowns against enemies still with some protection.
      • This property is shared by the shots of the M-100 Grenade Launcher and the ML-77 Missile Launcher.
  • Ability Suppression: Flashbang Grenade disables enemy biotic and tech powers, even those of enemies still with armor or other protection, preventing them from using any such powers for quite some time.
    • The duration of this ability suppression is NOT the same as the "incapacitate duration" listed on the power in the Squad screen's in-game text, which is referring only to the duration of the "knockdown" stun. The suppression effect lasts upwards of 40 seconds on all varieties of targets, and the duration is fixed and does not increase with additional power ranks.
    • This suppresses Harbinger as all of his attacks are biotic.
    • This also prevents Collector Guardians from deploying their "hex shields" and can hit them through the shields and cause a currently active shield to drop.
    • The suppression effect also works on vorcha enemies able to regenerate their armor on higher difficulties, denying them the benefit of that ability.
  • Flashbang grenades are used by several enemies in DLC missions. Grenades used by enemies produce a blinding effect, knock Shepard or squad members out of cover and deal heavy damage to shields. Fortunately they take a little longer to detonate and produce a telltale high pitched sound just prior to detonation. Additionally, enemy radio chatter can tip you off to the fact that they've thrown a grenade.
  • Flashbang Grenade has no effect at all against certain powerful enemies in Mass Effect 2 beyond dealing damage: Gunships, the Thresher Maw, Scions, Praetorians, the Geth Colossus on Haestrom, YMIR Mechs, Geth Primes, the final boss, and other final boss-type enemies will suffer none of the secondary effects of the power, not even a brief stagger in most cases.
Strategies
  • Its large area of effect and suppressive properties makes Flashbang Grenade an excellent power to create an opening for the player to pop out from cover to attack. Order Kasumi to use it (or carefully toss the grenade while standing behind tall cover) and all enemies in a large area will be staggered, knocked down, and have their weapons overheat for a few seconds. Use this gap in enemy firing to attack. This is especially useful in fights where you are facing a large horde of enemies all firing at you, common in missions involving the geth or the opening ambush of Jacob's loyalty mission.
  • Flashbang Grenade's ability to cause knockdowns even on lightly protected targets combined with the very large impact area makes it a very good Husk-killer.
  • Flashbang's ability suppression effect is useful against enemies that can restore depleted shields such as any enemy with Tech Armor or Geth Troopers with their shield boost.

Availability[]

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