Nail bomb

The nail bomb, sometimes simply referred to as a bomb, is an explosive weapon that appears in The Last of Us. It can be made through crafting with blades and explosives. It belongs to the explosives group.

Story mode[]

The nail bomb is first obtainable after Bill gifts Joel one to use within St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Once obtained, the player can then craft their own. Nail bombs are land mines which only activate when an enemy is nearby. They resemble a tin can with protruding sharp objects (blades or other shrapnel) as they are made from blades and explosive found throughout the game. They can be tossed or placed. The bombs make a noise when tossed, which can lure infected and human enemies towards them. Once the enemy are within the bomb's radius, it will detonate. The damage done by nail bombs is enough to finish off all enemies in the game (except a bloater) in one explosion.

Manuals found later in the game will increase the nail bomb's area of effect.

Ellie can also craft nail bombs, albeit slower than Joel. Nail bombs are also found as trip-wired traps scattered throughout the various cities the characters venture through, notably in Lincoln (developed by Bill) and Pittsburgh (made by hunters).

Multiplayer[]

In Factions MP, nail bombs require a blade, explosive and sugar. The bombs can be used in two ways; the player can throw the bomb like a grenade, and it will explode regardless if an enemy was near the bomb or not; or alternatively it can be placed like a land mine, exploding if an enemy player stands near it or shoots it. Nail bombs that have been placed can be marked, just like enemy players.

If used like a grenade, when it comes close to an enemy player's screen, there will be the warning that a nail bomb is coming towards them. Upon landing, the nail bomb takes about two seconds to explode. This delay can be shortened by the use of Bomb Expert or by ensuring the bomb hits something before the floor since the timer starts as soon as it makes contact with anything.

Upon being used as a trap, the nail bomb will release a white fog around it to warn of its presence and make it more noticeable. Also, if thrown or dropped on an incline, the nail bomb will rapidly roll downhill. One can mark the foe's 'trap' nail bombs by aiming at it and pressing R3. This will engulf the nail bomb in a red aura that only the player and their teammates can see and the mark will resemble Hawk-Eyed 2; the bomb will glow through walls instead of just having a arrow pointing out its general direction, however, parts will not be gained for marking bombs.

In some ways, nail bombs are more powerful than a Molotov cocktail; whereas a fully armored opponent can survive a direct impact from a Molotov, nail bombs can reliably down even armored enemies. It is possible to be executed by a bomb even when not in the down state. This could happen by having low health, or standing directly in front of a nail bomb. Having two bombs detonate in close proximity next to a target guarantees an instant execution.

Nail bombs benefit from the survival skills Bomb Expert and Explosion Expert, which reduce the time before their detonation and increase their blast radius, respectively.

Nail bombs can be shot out of the air after they are thrown, although this is very difficult to do.

The nail bomb has numerous advantages for the user. Firstly, it can be used either as a "land mine" or "grenade", allowing a player to adapt to different scenarios. Secondly, it has a decent range; even if out of the main radius, the target will be still damaged. Finally, like the Molotov, if the foe is within the central blast radius (very close to the bomb) they will be downed and executed altogether; unless they have armor, those victims will have less chance of being downed but still, will most likely be downed.

However, the nail bomb also has a few weaknesses. One notable weakness is the enemy can set off the player's own team's nail bomb by shooting at it, causing the bomb to explode and kill anyone within its radius, so it can be a potential backfire. However, this can work in the players favor as well, as they can shoot an enemy's nail bombs. Thirdly, when deployed as mines, the nail bombs become detectable because they can be heard and marked; they typically flash when placed on the radar, alerting players to their presence.

Behind the scenes[]

• Naughty Dog first introduced the nail bomb in the story trailer where Joel uses in during combat with enemies.^[1]
• The developers programmed the nail bomb to damage enemies in interactive cutscenes. They also detonate in non-cinematic cutscenes with no effect on anybody.^[2]

Gallery[]

Crafting a nail bomb in Factions MP.

A pair of nail bombs with tripwires found in Bill's town.

A pair of nail bombs with tripwires found in Pittsburgh.

The nail bomb icon.

References[]