I've been reviewing potential "aggressive negotiation" techniques for my SRM Season 5 character, and in doing so started looking at the cost effectiveness of grenades. I must admit I'm intrigued by some of the possibilities.
Unless you have no other option, or if you just want to cause as much damage as possible, the High Explosive grenade is a poor alternative for most runs. It could, however, be considered a remarkably effective tool if you intend to cause as much havoc as possible.
For the more discerning runner, a more subtle approach is probably the focus, and there are many, many options to consider.
The most direct and least subtle is likely the flash-bang grenade. Decent amount of stun damage and armor penetration, no falloff with distance from blast (full DV for entire blast range), and a somewhat reasonable price of 100 nuyen per hit (ironically, the HE grenade has the same price). It's an obvious choice if you see an opportunity to take out a group of mooks, much like the ubiquitous Stunball.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Enter the gas grenade.
As this item is reasonably priced and offers a plethora of secondary effects, I thought it was worth a more in-depth study.
Out of chargen, you are limited to toxins or drugs with Avail 10, as the grenade itself adds 2 to the availability rating. This leaves us with the following alternatives (Avail less than or equal to 10, inhalation or contact vectors):
Toxins: CS/Tear Gas, Narcojet, Nausea Gas and Pepper Punch
Drugs: Bliss, Cram, Deepweed, Jazz, Kamikaze, Nitro, Novacoke, and Zen
Of the above, the toxins are all viable, but the only drug really worth considering in my opinion is Deepweed. Allow me to elaborate.
Stun Damage:
CS/Tear Gas, Narcojet, and Pepper Punch all deal Stun Damage.
In this category, Narcojet is most effective due to it's high Power and Speed of Immediate, followed by Pepper Punch and CS/Tear Gas. Narcojet does have "Injection" listed as its only vector, however, so may not be allowed as a gas attack.
That being said, toxins are excellent alternatives to more conventional damage as armor does not factor in unless the target has chemical protection/resistance and/or immunity. Where a flashbang would be resisted with the full Body + Armor of a mook (ranging from 13 to 25+), a Toxin Resistance Test is Body + Willpower (ranging from 7 to 10) plus any armor enhancements that provide resistance.
For the example Professional Rating 2 mook (Corp Security), this would mean that the DV10S flashbang would be resisted with 16 dice (averaging 4 hits for a total of 6 Stun Damage), while a DV15S Narcojet gas grenade (if allowed) would only be resisted by 7 (for a total of 12-13S on average). A DV11S Pepper Punch grenade (definitely allowed) would also be resisted by 7 (for a total of 8-9S on average), Not only do gas grenades do more stun damage, their effects also persists for 4 combat turns (unless wind) and it is also cheaper (at 100 nuyen vs 90 and 45, respectively).
Unfortunately, Professional Rating 5 and 6 mooks are all equipped with Full Body Armor that has the Chemical Seal upgrade, so if you're regularly fighting these guys, you can discount toxins straight away.
Now, Narcojet is fine if you just want to take the enemy out, but there are other, cheaper, alternatives to cause some (relatively subtle) havoc.
CS/Tear Gas, Nausea Gas, and Pepper Punch all cause Nausea if the total power (after Toxin Resistance test) exceeds targets Willpower. In addition, CS/Tear Gas and Nausea Gas inflict Disorientation, unless the power of the toxin is reduced to 0.
In order of cost effectiveness in terms of secondary effects, I would rate toxins as follows:
Pepper Punch is incredibly cheap at only 5 nuyen per dose, inflicts decent stun damage and has the potential to inflict nausea, meaning the target is incapacitated (can take no actions) for 3 combat turns and suffers double wound penalties. Like all toxins discussed here, it has a slower speed than Narcojet, so some planning is required.
CS/Tear Gas is more expensive than Pepper Punch, does less Stun damage, but will always inflict a -2 dice pool penalty (for ten minutes) and has the chance to inflict nausea. Due to it's higher price and lower power, I rank this as less cost efficient.
Nausea Gas does not cause any stun damage, but does both disorientation and nausea, but has a speed of 3 combat turns. It is also the most expensive of the three alternatives, and so I consider this to be least efficient.
Finally, we have Deepweed. If you are facing Awakened characters, this is a good way to give them some negative dice, as the drug forces them to astrally perceive. It's a double edged sword, however, as it also adds willpower and mental limit, so use with care. It's speed of Immediate and vector of Inhalation lends itself well to a gas grenade, and since it does not have a Power it would seem that the effects cannot be resisted. It is a fairly expensive way to deal with your enemy, though, as it costs 400 nuyen per dose.
In my opinion, the flashbang is inferior to the narcojet gas grenade as the latter is less expensive, has a higher chance of doing serious damage, and persists for a period of time which can be used as a tactical advantage (retreat, anyone?). The disadvantage the gas grenade has is that it could obviously blow right back in your face, so keep your gas masks or respirators handy, folks... I would also think that a flashbang could attract a lot more attention (loud bang and bright light vs low hiss and tendrils of smoke around a corner/in plain sight).
Thoughts and comments welcome.