The Improvised Explosive Device is the cheapest way to blow something important up in Wardogs. It is a single-use remote charge that comes with its own trigger built in, which means no separate detonator purchase and no second brick in your pack. Plant it, walk away, and set it off from anywhere on the map.
Quick answer: Buy the IED from the Equipment Vendor in any Safe Zone under Items → Tactical, equip it in your quick slot, hold left-click to plant it, then hold right-click to place the phone call that detonates it.
Where to buy the IED in Wardogs
Every Safe Zone has an Equipment Vendor, and the IED sits in the same catalog as the rest of your kit. There is no level gate hiding it behind a grind — the unlock itself is free, so the only thing standing between you and a bomb is the per-life cost.
Note: the per-life price has shown up as both $150 and $300 depending on the build you are playing, so read the cost panel before you commit. The unlock fee is free either way.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Vendor location | Equipment Vendor, any Safe Zone |
| Menu path | Items → Tactical |
| Unlock cost | Free |
| Weight | 1.5 kg |
| Slot | Quick slot |
| Uses | One |
| Detonation | Remote, works from anywhere on the map |
| XP track | Support |
How to plant and detonate the IED
Planting is a two-button job, and both buttons are holds rather than taps. That is deliberate — it stops you from dropping a bomb or blowing yourself up by fumbling a click mid-firefight.
The most common reason an IED goes to waste is the trigger itself. Because detonation is global, a nervous right-click from halfway across the map still burns your only charge. Treat the detonate key as a one-time button, not a reflex.
What the IED pays out
Cash in Wardogs is persistent and every loadout is paid for out of pocket, so a $300 bomb needs to earn its keep. Demolition is one of the largest single payouts available, which is why IED runs on enemy infrastructure are a legitimate money job rather than a stunt.
| Target | IEDs needed | Reported payout |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy FOB | One | ~$2,500 plus 500 Support XP |
| Enemy spawn vehicle | Two, placed and detonated separately | ~$15,000 |
Those figures were recorded during closed beta play and progression has been rebalanced since, so treat them as a ballpark rather than a fixed rate. Earnings also roughly double inside the Hot Zone, which applies to demolition work the same as everything else.
The spawn vehicle job is worth calling out because of the single-use rule. Two charges means two separate plants and two separate detonations, and since each IED is consumed on the first click, you need both of them in your kit before you leave the Safe Zone.
IED vs C4 and the Remote Detonator
The IED and the C4 Charge look like the same tool, but they bill very differently. C4 is dead weight without a Remote Detonator, and that detonator is the expensive half of the pair.
| IED | C4 + Remote Detonator | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per life | $300 | $250 + $550 = $800 |
| Weight | 1.5 kg | 0.57 kg + 0.02 kg |
| Uses | One | As many charges as you pack |
| Quick slot | Yes | Detonator only; C4 takes a 1×2 pack space |
| Placement | Set down on the ground | Sticks to whatever you throw it at |
If you already own the detonator and plan to blow up more than one thing this life, C4 is the better deal. If you have exactly one target in mind and want to get back to shooting afterwards, the IED is the cheaper permission slip. Running both systems at once mostly just gives you two trigger keys to confuse under fire.
On weight, the IED is heavier than a single C4 brick and lighter than an AT Mine. It is not a substitute for either. Dropping one on an open road and hoping a vehicle rolls over it wastes the charge, because nothing sets it off but your own phone call.
Mistakes that waste the charge
- Buying it with no target in mind. A free unlock is not a reason to carry 1.5 kg of explosive you never plant.
- Detonating early. One right-click spends the whole purchase, whether or not anything was standing on it.
- Planting on a route your own team uses. Ammo runs and medic paths should stay clear — team-killing a squadmate carries a $1,500 fine per player.
- Standing too close. Plant, then move out of the blast before you make the call.
- Letting the weight push your loadout into a heavier class you cannot rotate in.
Used properly, the IED is a one-decision purchase. Pick the pinch point, the parked hull, or the enemy FOB before you spend the money, put the charge there, and keep your finger off the trigger until the target is on top of it. Then you are back to being a rifle for the rest of the life.
