The devices themselves typically come in two categories: Explosive and Incendiary.
I will briefly describe each, common and uncommon devices in each category, and
common uses in each capacity.

Explosives
Explosives are destructive devices designed largely to cause damage to personnel, vehicles, materiel, or structures by producing a damaging shockwave via overpressure caused by gases expanding at supersonic speeds.

Pipe Bomb
Pipe bombs are explosive devices that contain low-explosives in a sealed metal or PVC pipe and attached to a detonation mechanism. Low-explosives deflagrate (burn slower than the speed of sound), and without being contained simply generate a lot of heat without creating a damaging shockwave. Pipe bombs use the vessel to contain the expanding gases. The pressure inside builds until the bomb ruptures, forcing the gas out at supersonic speeds, creating a shockwave that damages anything nearby. Pipe bombs are used as highly adaptable weapons, capable of being used with other fillers for incendiary, blasting, or fragmentation applications.


Firecrackers
Commercially available to civilians, legal (in some areas), and powerful, firecrackers are dangerous explosive devices characterized by a loud noise, and a penchant for removing fingers. Easy to obtain, ignite, and detonate. Firecrackers are more useful as improvised detonators, as their low explosive power makes them only cause bloody and crippling injuries when held in the hand or against a body part.







High-Explosives
High-explosives are explosive devices that detonate (burn faster than the speed of sound). High-explosives are much more difficult to manufacture than low-explosives and are able to produce large amounts of destruction without need for containment. High-explosives may be coupled with incendiary devices, or fragmentation for different roles. The picture depicts PE4, a common plastic explosive in Europe. C4 is a very similar explosive.



Shaped Charges
Shaped charges are charges that have been specially shaped in order to defeat concrete or thick metal armor. The shaping of the charge is done by carving a specially shaped cavity out of the explosive so that all the explosive force is essentially squeezed to a single point. This point is subjected to more pressure than in a standard explosion, allowing it to actually “punch through” the armor more easily. Shaped charges are only effective at extremely close range, and are often designed to detonate while in contact with the target. The majority of shaped charges are used as part of anti-tank rockets or shells, as the ones seen to the left.




Plate Charges
Plate charges are explosive devices consisting of an explosive device attached to metal plate used in a largely anti-vehicular or anti-structural role. The design premise is simple: a square or rectangular metal plate attached to an explosive device. When the device detonates, the plate is pushed by the shockwave away from the blast site in a straight line. Traveling at extremely high speeds, the plate is often aimed at structures or passing vehicles in order to inflict damage to the target and any occupants inside.


Directed Explosive Charges
Directed explosives are very similar to plate charges and are also explosive devices consisting of an
explosive device attached to metal plate. The difference resides in what is being driven towards the target.
The plate is often braced against sandbags or some other support structure. When the device detonates
rather than the plate being propelled towards the target, the plate reflects the blast. This delivers a much
more devastating concussion to the target, resulting in greater damage and/or casualties. Water has also
been used in this capacity to redirect an explosion in a particular direction.

Incendiaries
Incendiaries, also known as conflagrants, are destructive devices often containing fuel, oxidisers, or other flammable materials, designed to attack personnel or flammable targets.
Molotov Cocktail
One of the most iconic of miscreant weaponry, the molotov cocktail has been with the downtrodden since WWII. Sometimes known as the "poor man's grenade", this device is a devastating psychological and incendiary weapon against crowds or other flammable objects. Molotovs are usually made of glass bottles filled wholly or partly with petrol. A lit rag or strip of cloth is inserted in the neck, serving as source for ignition when the bottle breaks and spills its contents. Commonly seen in riots and other asymmetric warfare, it continues to be used the world over, some 60 years after its introduction.
Petroleum Cans
Petroleum, also known as petrol, gas, or gasoline; is a highly flammable and potentially explosive liquid sometimes used in conjunction with explosive devices to produce a more spread-out and damaging effect. Petrol cans alone are dangerous themselves; often being a heavy plastic can filled wholly or partially with petrol, for the purpose of transportation of the petrol. These containers, when used as an incendiary device, are often delivered to and placed near the target, and detonated with another device, often burning large amounts of the immediate area.
Liquid Propane Cylinder
Known to be a fire hazard, the NFPA 704 rates 4 for its fire hazard level meaning “Will rapidly or completely vaporize at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature, or is readily dispersed in air and will burn readily.” Due to its large capacity to vaporise, leaking propane presents a large risk of explosion. Propane cylinders are often seen as extremely dangerous. Most tanks, however, possess safety features that significantly reduce explosion likelihood, so that a working propane tank has no explosion hazard. Unless the safeties are deliberately defeated, a propane tank will not explode. That being said, when it does explode, the resulting devastation is significant, producing large destruction within a wide radius.
Thermite
Well known for its property to melt through metal, Thermite burns to produce heat at an astonishing 2,500
degrees Celsius. Made from aluminum and and metallic oxide (rust being the most common), it is a devastating mixture that can easily destroy anything in its path. The Thermite process is a self oxidizing reaction, making it impossible to stop, even underwater. Originally used for welding railway rails together,
this incendiary compound has since moved on to bigger and more destructive roles.

Applications
One destructive device does not fulfill all roles, nor is the same device employed, or even in the same manner, for identical roles. Because of this, similar devices may appear in different capacities, be used in different ways, and be manufactured differently. The following are examples of different devices being used
in different capacities for different purposes. These are merely to kick-start the imagination, allowing the
reader to use his or her own logic to create a device to meet the purpose.
Example 1: Anti-Engine Shape Thermite Charge
Designed to take out a vehicle by punching a hole through the hood and melting the engine block. The device is a shape charge with the inside of the cavity lined with Thermite. It is attached to the hood of a vehicle via 5cm screws. Time detonated, the charge carves through the hood and propels the Thermite
into the engine, welding the pistons to the combustion chamber walls and effectively destroying any chance the vehicle has of moving under own power.
Example 2: Anti-Vehicle Plate Charge
Landmine-type device, designed to take out a vehicle. A large metal sheet is placed inside a large pothole. On that, the explosive device is placed, and on the device a smaller metal sheet is placed. The entire device is covered in burlap to prevent dirt from entering the cavity. The device has a pressure plate in the device is designed to detonate at 360kg. The device is buried in the road. When triggered the lower sheet directs the blast upwards, and the upper sheet rides the shockwave upward and into the vehicle.
Example 3: Victim Initiated Incendiary Device
Designed to cover anything that enters a doorway in fuel, and ignite said anything. Tripwire device strung across a doorway, attached to a bottle filled with petrol and an ignition device on a ledge above the doorway. When the tripwire is pulled, the bottle dumps its contents over the doorway, and the ignition device burns the petrol and whatever is covered by it.
Example 4: Door-Breaching Directed Charge
Designed to quickly and dynamically remove an obstructed door allowing easy access inside a building. A small cylindrical explosive charge is taped between two 1 liter water bottle, so that the device is triangular in shape. Four of these devices are attached to the door, near each hinge, next to the knob, and in the center. The water directs the blast towards the door, knocking it off its hinges, cutting it in half, and pushing the door inward and out of the doorjamb.

Afterword
This cannot be stressed enough, especially on our explosives pages:
Barring a Zed-pocalypse, neither I, nor this site, its administrators, moderators, or sponsors,
do condone, advocate, suggest, or insinuate the use of the the above materials or tactics,
nor do we accept any blame or responsibility, for any mishaps caused by following the advice
of the above resulting in loss of life, limb, or property.

The above is merely for knowledge and preparedness, and should not be in effect until the events
of anything but Z-Day.