ADK has teamed up with the guys at Enola Gaye to finally answer the age-old question. What is best and how do I use it? Before I continue I feel I should tell you for mine & Enola Gaye’s safety. Please wear safe clothing, eye protection & gloves when using pyro & smokes. Please throw once the wire is pulled or the top is struck & DO NOT hold on to lit pyro or pick it back up.
So here is our rundown of the most common pyro used that’s available from the team at Enola Gaye. Keep your powder dry shooters & let’s shed some light on all the different types of Grenade on offer to you along with the problems they can get you out of.
The Problem
Whether you are new to the sport or you’ve got a few games under your belt the correct use of pyro when the crap hits the fan can save your bacon. When to use a small smoke? When to use a BB grenade? How to get max kills with a MK 5 Flash? All here. With my military background and the nine-plus years shooting at people for fun I hope to help you with the what’s, why’s & when’s.
Frags & Flash
Most Sites run a 5 to 10-metre kill radius for these guys. There are many different types of frag & flash grenades on the market but I have still not found any better than the Enola Gaye products. Here are a few for you to think about.
The EG67 Frag
This small ball type frag Grenade is wire pull in nature with an approx 3 to 5-second fuse. It’s perfect for getting that enemy position cleared quick. This one has an effective range of 5 metres plus but a site sees this type of bang as a straight kill with no Medic.
The frag comes with a plastic protective cap & taking that off will expose the wire pull. Pulling the wire straight up will light the fuse. Choose your target before pulling the wire or you will have a game of hot potato on your hands. I really do think the small ball size helps you to be able to launch it a fair distance to take out any enemy in woodland sites or rolling it into a room just before you go in to clear. It’s important to stress here wait for the bang & then get into the room. Sounds simple but you’d be surprised.
This is your use anywhere grenade but it really does the business in room clearing, CQB & taking bunkers or an entrenched area as people have a better understanding of a kill radius in these spaces. The EG67 is available from site shops & Airsoft retailers in the UK and EU.
The MK 5 Thunderflash
When you don’t get given a limit on the Pyro you can carry this is your friend. Light, small, easy to deploy & a great way to clear out an enemy dug in. With Airsoft sites seeing this as a kill grenade as well as a distraction device it’s perfect to get you out of most problems. When door kicking I can carry 15 in a medium utility pouch. If it’s Mil-Sim then the way you can load up a pack with more of these in too makes it the go-to grenade for kills when limited for space.
The MK 5 Thunderflash is a strike fuse. Grab top & bottom twist to break the paper seal & lift the top off. The top has a striker plate on it so it’s as simple as strike & throw. Again this has an approx fuse of 4 to 6 seconds so find your enemy then light the fuse. Remember when using pyro guys & girls the max kill area is 10 metres, site depending. We have all been there, we see the enemy, throw a grenade & it hits an object which puts you in the kill zone. Oh, sh….. bang! Hit! So the first rule of pyro, make sure you have a good line to your target or make sure you have a good exit plan.
The Mk 5 is a must have for any go bag. Perfect for getting you out of almost any problem you find your self in. Best uses, well these bad boys tick most if not all boxes. Being small is a plus too, as we all know the more you carry the longer you can stay in the fight. With the Mk 5, it sure is made for a Mil-Sim weekend.
Again the MK5 Thunderflash can be purchased from most Sit shops & Airsoft retailers in the UK & EU.
How do you solve a problem like cover
Your needing to get into a fortified position. Nothing but dead ground all around you so what do you do? Rush it? You could but risk losing members of your team. Hell no, cover the target in smoke and move in undercover. This being the best option, what do you use? A burst smoke? A big military-style cloud maker? As normal the guys at EG have your back & all smokes come in a number of different colours.
Settle down as we run through the general smoke grenades Enola Gaye has to offer.
Burst Wire pull Smoke – The WP40
The burst wire pull is a small compact concealment smoke grenade perfect for carrying in a medium utility pouch you can fit up to 7. If you run belt kit as well as a rig you can fit a fair few on board to help with the problems you may find yourself in.
Despite the size of the Burst the amount of smoke it packs is amazing. Over a minute of pure non-toxic smoke bursts from its output vents in the top & bottom of the grenade.
Though little this can get you out of some big problems. Just a few weeks ago my team & I found ourselves surrounded while on a patrol route to a target, every one went for their smoke. If you haven’t seen a full team deploy smoke to get out of a sticky situation you should. From fifteen players came thirty burst wire pull smokes forming a 360-degree wall screening us from enemy eyes & allowing us to beat a retreat out of the kill area to re-group.
The best way to deploy smoke is to look at the wind. So, if you have a target building you have to take get the smoke into the area of the building where the wind is coming from. Throwing it into the wind will help you provide a smokescreen enabling you to move over the open dead ground.
Best use of the Burst is as a distraction, movement concealment, using to regroup or for calling in a QRF or fire support.
The burst can be found in Airsoft shops or suppliers for under a tenner & can be found in the UK, EU & US.
The EG18X
Enola Gaye has always been a company that listens to their customers. They are constantly looking for ways to better their products for the uses they are being sold for. Although we focus on Airsoft these guys see sales to film & TV companies (who’s spotted their product in American Horror Story), events, Music & other markets including that one us Airsofters cannot say. Paint…… no sorry, I tried.
This is the answer to one of those ‘we are listening’ moments. A smoke that is just as good, if not better than a Military smoke. When the burst just doesn’t cut it the Airsoft Door Kicker has one trick up their sleeve. Guys & girls, I give you the EG18X.
I’ve had it before this product came onto the market. My team & I was away for the weekend at an AI500 event at Anzio near Leek. On Sunday we needed to get into target building D5. This building was well known to us as just 24 hours earlier we as an 8 man team with enough MK5s to make the US Navy Special Warfare Group happy & two shed alarms denied the green side for over 3 hours. Our job on Sunday was to storm it hard & fast. Get in, get it clear & hold it.
Laying down a wall of smoke that allowed us to get in took us 25 to 30 smokes & 40 minutes of hard fitting to get the ground floor clear. If the EG18X was on sale it would have made life so much easier. Using & seeing how the EG18X performs I feel we could easily have got the same result from 5 to 7 of these.
Why The EG18X is the go-to Smoke Grenade
The EG18X is the go-to smoke for mil-simmers in my eyes. These have a burn time of over two minutes providing enough smoke to get things done. It’s important to use the right tool for the job & Enola Gaye have smacked it out the park. Not only does the EG18X come in all the normal colours EG smoke comes in but they also provide this one in black after listening to Airsofters.
Best use for the EG18X is when you need to get a big enough smoke screen up to move to a target or away denying the enemy of a clear view. Using the old adage ‘go big or go home’. Every Airsofter knows if you have good drills & superior firepower you pretty much got it in the bag. The EG18X will help you get there.
One point to remember is smoke is a double-edged weapon. It will help you but check that wind as it can hinder you too.
The EG18X can be found for sale on the Enola Gaye website & at Airsoft sites in the UK, EU & US.
The Gen- Summing up
So there you have it shooters, the rundown of the commonly used Enola Gaye Pyro offered to Airsoft Operators. The uses of these products are wide as the day is long. You can use them to get you out a whole heap of crap.
Seconds in a real battle or firefight can be the turning point that puts the tide on your side or takes it away. Popping smoke can help you gain those tactical moments to help you take control of the situation & win the fight. Well what are you waiting for? Get out there, get some for yourself & be a game changer. With the help of Enola Gaye win the fight, take the target & walk away with the win for the event.
If you have any questions get in touch & keep your heads on a swivel for the next Enola Gaye write up.