Semtex

Semtex is a type of grenade that sticks to the first surface it touches, including other players, before exploding. It is featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
While the Semtex is not usable in the Campaign, it is featured in both Multiplayer and Special Ops. A Semtex is briefly seen in Contingency, if the player does not shoot down the helicopter before Price enters the submarine, Ghost will knock it out of the air with a Semtex. The same applies for the BTR.

Multiplayer
Semtex takes up the equipment slot. It is comparable to the standard grenade but with some differences. It has a set timer and cannot be cooked, though the timer is shorter than a frag grenade's fuse. At close range, the delayed explosion gives opponents time to escape. However, the timer counts down while the Semtex is in flight and will explode almost immediately after landing if thrown over long distances. It has a blinking red light and beeps softly, making it easier to spot and avoid. This makes it useful for flushing enemies that have hunkered down, as they may run from cover if a Semtex charge is tossed in proximity, and if they do not run fast enough, they will be killed or severely injured. Because the grenade sticks to the first surface it touches (except glass, which shatters while the Semtex trajectory remains unaffected), it will not bounce and roll past the desired target. This is very useful for accurately sticking the grenade to the Headquarters, narrow platforms, or hillsides. Additionally, it can be stuck to the window sill in front of an enemy rather than actually requiring the grenade go through the window (a throw which, if missed, often means a cooked grenade comes bouncing back at the thrower.) Additionally, Semtex grenades cannot be thrown back at the original sender.

Semtex is more powerful than a Frag Grenade: it has a larger explosive radius and the highest explosive damage of any equipment in the game. It is the only grenade that, without Danger Close, can destroy the large gas tanks found in Highrise, Underpass, Overgrown, and Terminal. Unlike the fragmentation grenade, Semtex cannot be overcooked though sticking a Semtex too close will still cause a suicide.

Due to its stickiness, it is very useful for taking down Riot Shields, which it attaches itself to. However, if the shield user has Blast Shield they may survive even a direct stick to the shield.

Less frequently some people will stick Semtex to a team-mate and have them run into a group of enemies - mainly for the "The Resourceful" challenge, in an attempt to kill at least one or two enemies. This works best in Domination or Headquarters, where larger groups of enemies will likely be trying to capture an objective. It is not recommended to try this in Hardcore modes, where friendly fire may kill teammates in the process.

The explosive power and blast radius of Semtex also make it useful for rushing classes because it can clear larger areas than a fragmentation grenade and does not ever require cooking.

Since Semtex cannot be cooked to detonate sooner, it is advised to arc the throw upward if possible. This will allow the explosive to still reach its target, but detonate sooner relative to the enemies noticing. Consequently, the enemies will have less time to react and are more likely to be killed if the throw was accurate.

Semtex is also more favored by players than its World at War counterpart, the Sticky grenade.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
The Semtex returns to Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Campaign
In WMD, Hudson plants what appears to be a Semtex charge on the power boxes of a Soviet installation, destroying them.

Multiplayer
The Semtex takes 0.6 seconds to prepare with a two second fuse. 15 direct damage on stick with 200 damage, and a 4.4 meter lethal blast radius. It seems to be similar to its Modern Warfare 2 counterpart. Now friendly semtex has a green blinking light instead of all semtex blinking red like in Modern Warfare 2. It retains the ability to stick to enemies, teammates, and various objects. It cannot be "cooked". The Semtex has a lower kill radius than its Frag grenade counterpart.

Many players use this grenade instead of the frag grenade because it always kills an enemy it sticks to, unlike a frag which will bounce off. However, Semtex does not work as well in attacking a second floor of a building (such as the building the Tropaz spawn looking at in Villa), where an experienced frag user could cook and throw a grenade from in front of the entrance of the building and it could enter room from the window and kill any enemies by the window instantly, whereas they would have some time to run from a semtex and could get out of the range in time. The semtex has the advantage that if an enemy is stuck, they will retreat and kill some teammates nearby, which a frag would not kill.

Trivia

 * It's not possible to 'cook' a Semtex.
 * If a player knifes an enemy who is in the Semtex throwing animation, it is possible for their Semtex to stick to the knifing player, giving no warning and likely killing them.
 * If using a Riot Shield, a player stuck by Semtex can survive by swapping their Riot Shield with a weapon on the ground. Alternatively they can use the Blast Shield.
 * If a player is stuck by Semtex on their upper torso/head region, they are able to survive the blast by moving face-down into a surface. This makes the player's head appear to go through the surface and making the grenade disappear. It is also possible to go prone to survive if the Semtex is stuck on the stomach.
 * It is possible to stick Semtex to any kind of aircraft, except for the high-altitude AC-130 and UAVs.
 * If a player is stuck with a Semtex and they kill the player who stuck them it will count as a "payback" kill.
 * Sticking Semtex to an enemy with Painkiller active will not kill them, except in Hardcore game modes.
 * Semtex replaces flashbangs in some Special Ops missions.
 * In Hardcore modes, sticking with the Semtex will kill an enemy player.
 * The throwing animation for the Semtex in Call of Duty: Black Ops is nearly identical to the one in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
 * In Call of Duty: Black Ops, when a Semtex is thrown from a long distance, all that can be heard is a "charging" sound, similar to that of a charging defibrillator. The beeping sound is absent unless close-up.
 * The Semtex is not cook-able for when the player pulls the pin the fuse does not start until the grenade is thrown.
 * Note how in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it can be seen that on the Semtex, the word C4 is written even though Semtex is a completely different type of explosive.
 * Before the player throws the Semtex, there is an animation where the character takes out the pin, just like a Fragmentation Grenade. However, unlike the Fragmentation grenade, the player can put the Semtex away after taking out the pin by pressing the Weapon Switch button. The next time the player starts to throw it, they will pull out the pin again. This can be done infinitely.
 * When the player is seen throwing the Semtex, they are only using their index finger and thumb to grip the black strip, probably to prevent it from sticking to their hand.
 * In Call of Duty: Black Ops, a friendly throw Semtex has a green light on it and an enemy one has a red light on it, which is the same as the RC-XD and equipment.
 * The only time the Semtex can become a secondary grenade is in Wreckage, which is a Special Ops mission found in Modern Warfare 2. It is a secondary grenade to aid the player(s) in destroying the cars on the bridge, along with the primary grenade, which is the Frag.
 * The Semtex grenade is curiously labelled "C4" in Black Ops as well.
 * In Black Ops, if an American based faction is stuck by a semtex, they will yell certain things. They are as follows: Black Ops,"Get the hell away from me!" Op 40,"Shit! Sticky!" SOG,"Get it off of me!" Other factions will also panic and swear, but oddly, the Tropas will never panic when stuck. The same applies for the crossbow.

Gallery
Semtex