ArmA III

Explosives Basics
[ACE]

By Basipek Bus

1
 Introduction and Disclaimer

This guidelet bookletlet is crude documentation of my knowledge

and experience on explosives of ArmA 3 with ACE modification. The
main goal of this is to practice writing and educate if possible. I do not
claim that I’m an expert on this topic, but credible enough to be writing
and teaching certain subtopics. Thanks.

Content

Page 3: Introduction to ArmA 3, ACE and Explosives

Page 4-5: Explosive Types

Page 5-6: Placement, Common Usage, Tips and Tricks

Page 7: Sources

2
 Introduction to ArmA 3, ACE and Explosives

ARMA 3 is an open-world, realism-based, military tactical shooter

video game developed and published by Bohemia Interactive. 1

ACE3 is a joint effort by the teams behind ACE2, AGM and CSE to
improve the realism and authenticity of Arma 3. It provides many features
which enhance realism gameplay, and provides frameworks which mission
makers, modders and scripters can use to enhance their own missions and
mods.2

Explosives in ArmA 3, mines and charges, are used for demolition

and destruction of constructions, vehicles and objectives. They can be
triggered with a built-in timer or remote triggers. With ACE modification,
anyone can plant them; but only assigned units with defusal kits, if
configured for so, can disarm them. They can be placed on the ground or
attached onto a vehicle.

1
Via: en.wikipedia.org
2
Via: ace3mod.com

3
 Explosive Types
(Placeable and firing device compatible selves)

Explosive Satchel (M183 Demolition Charge): The Explosive Satchel,

M183 Demolition Charge with ACE, is a placeable
charge. It can be triggered with a firing device or timer.
Good against buildings and other statics or medium
armour. With a single one; light vehicles explode
directly, medium vehicles might get immobilized, or
Figure 1: Demolition explode after a delay depending on the damage, and tanks
Charge
are immobilized at point blank. The safest range is 20
meters (65.62 feet).

Explosive Charge (M112 Demolition Block): The Explosive Charge,

M112 Demolition Block with ACE, is a placeable charge.
It can be triggered with a firing device or timer. Good
against objects, light vehicles, wheels and tracks. Light
vehicles explode directly and medium or higher vehicles
suffer immobilization, wheel/track damage and/or fuel
Figure 2: Demolition tank damage. The safest range is 30 meters (98.43 feet).
Block

Claymore Charge (M18A1 Claymore): The Claymore Charge, M18A1

Claymore with ACE, is a placeable and directional
fragmentation charge. It can be triggered with a
firing device or timer. Best as Anti-Personnel, does
very little damage to light vehicles and little to no
Figure 3: Claymore damage to higher. 50 meters (164.04 feet) directly
forward of the charge is still not safe and it has a directional range of 180º
with a decreasing amount of damage and forward range when going from
directly forward to the sides.

M6 Slam Mine (M4A1 SLAM): The M6 Slam Mine, M4A1 SLAM with
ACE, is an anti-vehicle shaped charge. It can be
detonated with a firing device, timer or the IR
sensor (which only detects vehicles). The side
attack has a detection range of 10 meters (32.81
Figure 4: SLAM

4
feet) while the bottom attack has a detection range of 1-2 meters (3.28-6.56
feet), both with a damage range further than 50 meters (164.04 feet)
forward and near 1 meter (3.28 feet) radial. It is great against light vehicles
and wheels, but struggles to damage armoured vehicles; Fast-moving
vehicles are likely to escape the blast as well, but they can be countered by
“reinforcing” the mine (we’ll get to that soon).

Placement, Common Usage, Tips and Tricks

Without ACE, charges and mines are planted on the character’s

position using the action menu in ArmA 3. With ACE, they are planted at
any desired spot or attached onto a vehicle using the Interface that comes
up when chosen Explosives -> Place -> Desired Explosive in the self
interaction menu; these explosives will not explode until armed and can be
armed through the ACE interaction menu.

The demolition block and the satchel are commonly used against
buildings, objects or static vehicles; placed in precise and well-hidden
spots. They are also used for suicide vehicles, mine clearing and mine
reinforcement; which are uncommon and “silly”.

Figure 5: Demolition charges planted on a Figure 6: Suicide vehicle

coms tower foot

Figure 7: coms tower going down Figure 8: Destroyed coms tower

5
 The Claymore would mainly be used in plain fields or corridors for
ambushes and defence. It will require the trigger person to watch it or a
good timing because it can only be triggered by firing devices and the
timer. It wouldn’t be used often because of this. It could still be used for
suicide vehicles and mine reinforcement.

Figure 9: Claymore placement Figure 10: SLAM placement

The SLAM is placed on the sides or the top of the road with the side
attack or the bottom attack mode, respectively. It can also be used against
personnel yet it would require precise aiming (in wide areas), timing and/or
the trigger person’s watch like the claymore. It’s mainly for immobilizing
vehicles. Because it’s ineffective against armoured targets and fast moving
vehicles, it is often “reinforced” with demolition blocks and charges to
increase the range and damage. To “reinforce” the SLAM, the other
explosives are often placed really close (less than 1 meter (3.28 feet)) to
the mine so they activate with the SLAM’s radial damage.

Figure 11: Reinforced SLAM

Figure
placement
12: CSAT APC driving onto a
reinforced SLAM placement

Figure 13
 Figure 14: CSAT APC losing its wheels for
driving over a reinforced SLAM placement
Sources

Figure 1: (https://armedassault.fandom.com)

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/armedassault/images/3/3d/Arma3-icon-
satchelcharge.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/128?
cb=20191006135952

Figure 2: (https://armedassault.fandom.com)

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/armedassault/images/b/bd/Arma3-icon-
demolitioncharge.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/128?
cb=20191006135952

Figure 3: (https://armedassault.fandom.com)
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/armedassault/images/0/02/Arma3-icon-
claymore.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?
cb=20181126152706

Figure 4: (https://armedassault.fandom.com)
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/armedassault/images/2/25/Arma3-icon-
slam.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20181126130619

Figure 5-14: ArmA 3 screenshots