The Thunder Bomb contained Coal Dust which increased the force of the blast. The bomb crippled any weak or unarmored victims, but only momentarily stunned stronger and heavily armored enemies. It was highly useful for stunning enemies, opening them up for a follow-up attack. However, it was less effective for direct killing. This did reduce the chance of civilian casualties when they were present. It was one of two types of bombs that could open up sealed wells, the other being the Splinter Bombs.