Throwables Overview
Rust has four main throwables: the Beancan Grenade, the F1 Grenade, the Molotov Cocktail, and the Smoke Grenade. They share one handy control -- LEFT-click throws, RIGHT-click STICKS the item to a nearby surface (a door, wall, or deployable), which makes door and trap work far more precise than blindly lobbing.
One thing they are NOT is a raiding shortcut: grenades primarily hurt PLAYERS and traps and do minimal damage to building structures, so you still need rockets or explosives (see the Gunpowder, Ammo & Explosives guide) to break walls. Where they shine is combat, clearing defences, and -- for the beancan -- cheap improvised damage and crafting.
Beancan Grenade
The Beancan is the improvised, early-game grenade -- cheap, but UNRELIABLE. Each one has a random fuse: most of the time it's a roughly 3.5-4 second throw, but a chunk of the time it goes off almost instantly (lose-your-fingers territory), or it DUDS and doesn't explode at all. A dud can be picked up and re-thrown, with a chance to re-ignite -- but grabbing a lit beancan in a fight is a great way to wound or kill yourself.
It does solid close damage and tends to inflict Bleeding. Right-click to stick it to a door for a slightly more reliable hit. Its biggest long-term value, though, is as a CRAFTING component -- the beancan is the main ingredient in Satchel Charges, so even spare ones aren't wasted.
F1 Grenade
The F1 is the reliable military grenade and the better COMBAT throwable. It has a fixed ~3-second fuse with no dud chance, so it does exactly what you expect every time. Left-click to throw, right-click to stick. A 2019 buff made it genuinely strong in PvP -- it hurts even full-metal players at close range.
Its standout utility is precision work: - Trap-clearing: when raiding a base bristling with shotgun/flame traps or turrets, an F1 breaks them from range in a tight window so you don't eat the damage. - Monument PvE: lob F1s at clustered scientists (Military Tunnels card rooms, Missile Silo, Oil Rig) to do big damage WITHOUT stepping into their line of sight -- and to save rifle ammo.
And it's cheap: about 8 scrap each at Bandit Camp with zero gunpowder cost (you can even recycle them back into gunpowder). Note that since Devblog 145 it barely scratches STRUCTURES -- it's anti-personnel and anti-trap, not a wall-breaker.
Molotov & Smoke
The two utility throwables round out the kit:
- Molotov Cocktail: an incendiary that bursts into spreading FIRE on impact. It's an area-denial and damage-over-time tool -- flush an enemy out of a corner or off a position, deny a doorway or a planted-bomb spot for a few seconds, or burn down flimsy twig/wood. You throw the fire where you want the enemy NOT to be.
- Smoke Grenade: pure tactical cover -- it deploys a thick cloud that blocks vision and deals no damage. Use it to screen a push across open ground, cover a teammate's revive, or break an enemy sniper's sightline. It hides you and your movement rather than hurting anyone.
Neither replaces a gun, but a molotov or smoke at the right moment wins fights a third bullet wouldn't.
When to Throw What
A quick decision guide:
- Cheap raiding + crafting: the Beancan -- accept the unreliable fuse, and remember it's the satchel ingredient, so stockpiling them feeds your boom later.
- Reliable combat & clearing defences: the F1 -- your PvP grenade, trap-breaker, and monument ammo-saver, dirt cheap at Bandit Camp.
- Area denial / flushing: the Molotov -- put fire where the enemy is or wants to go.
- Cover & repositioning: the Smoke -- cross open ground or revive a teammate behind the cloud.
Universal tip: RIGHT-click to stick any of them precisely instead of throwing, and never forget grenades barely dent structures -- they win the FIGHT, not the wall. Pair them with the proper explosives for actual raiding.