1. The Gravity Gun: Saw Blades & Explosive Barrels
The Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator (Gravity Gun) is Gordon Freeman’s crowning weapon. In Ravenholm and urban City 17, look for spinning circular saw blades, radiator heaters, and red explosive barrels. Pulling these objects into your tractor beam with right-click and launching them with left-click delivers one-hit kills through multiple Combine soldiers simultaneously.
2. Catching & Deflecting Combine Grenades
When Combine Overwatch soldiers toss fragmentation grenades into your cover, do not run away. Aim the Gravity Gun directly at the rolling grenade and hold right-click to pull it into your tractor beam. You can immediately launch the live grenade back into the squad before the fuse expires.
3. Scout Buggy & Airboat Kinetic Momentum
During Highway 17 and Water Hazard chapters, your vehicles are lethal weapons. Maximize forward turbo to run over Antlions, Combine barricades, and zombie hordes. If your vehicle flips upside down on a beach, use the Gravity Gun to blast the chassis upright in seconds.
4. Antlion Pheropods & Command Swarms
After defeating the Antlion Guard, you acquire Pheropods (Bugbait). Squeezing the pod summons friendly Antlions to fight alongside you. Squeezing the pod calls the swarm to your position, while throwing the pod directs your Antlion army to breach Combine pillboxes and absorb sniper fire on your behalf.
5. Bringing Down Combine Striders & Gunships
Colossal three-legged Striders and hovering Gunships cannot be harmed by conventional firearms. Equip the RPG laser-guided rocket launcher. Fire your rocket into the open sky, then guide the laser red dot onto the Gunship’s rear turbine or the Strider’s head to loop the missile around defensive anti-air pulse lasers.