Throwables

General#

Throwables are the only human weapons that deal with more than one zombie at a time. Both are craftable, neither is sold in the Item Shop, and both can be thrown roughly every second and a half.

The Two#

Grenade Molotov
Burst damage Up to 40 in 7 blocks None
Area control Seconds About 20 seconds
Breaks barricades Heavily, 30 damage No
Detonation 3 second fuse On impact
Materials 5 Scrap Metal, 2 Gunpowder 1 Alcohol, 1 Cloth

Which to Carry#

Scrap Metal is the most contested material in the game, competing with armor, ammunition and gun crafting. Alcohol and Cloth compete with almost nothing. That makes Molotovs meaningfully cheaper in practice, and a survivor who wants to hold a doorway is usually better served by two Molotovs than one Grenade.

The Grenade earns its cost when you need something opened rather than blocked. Nothing else a human can carry damages barricades as fast.

Availability#

Both are rare in ordinary chests and reasonably common in Legendary ones, at identical rates. Most throwables you use will be crafted rather than found.