Frag and krak grenades are the two most common types of hand-thrown and launched explosive used across the armies of the Imperium, each designed for a different battlefield task. The frag grenade is an anti-personnel weapon, packing a charge that bursts into a lethal spray of shrapnel to cut down infantry in the open, clear trenches, and scatter massed foes. The krak grenade, by contrast, delivers a concentrated shaped charge meant to punch through armour, disable vehicles, and crack open bunkers and hardened targets.
Because the two serve such complementary roles, soldiers commonly carry both, choosing frag to shred living enemies and krak to breach steel and stone. Both can be hurled by hand or fired from grenade launchers and the under-slung launchers built into many weapons, extending their reach across the battlefield.
The regiments of the Astra Militarum issue these grenades by the millions, and the Space Marines carry them as standard equipment for close assaults and the storming of fortifications. Krak grenades in particular allow even a lone warrior to threaten a battle tank, provided they can reach it. Simple, rugged, and endlessly manufactured, frag and krak grenades are humble tools compared to the galaxy's grander weapons, yet they remain indispensable to the foot soldier's grim trade.