Flamer
"Build a man a fire, you keep him warm for a day. Set a man on fire, you keep him warm for the rest of his life..."
- – Terry Pratchett
"Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purge the unclean. And remember, your trusty Flamer can do all three."
- – Sergeant Tobe Kisubo
"We didn't start the fire. It's been always burning, since the world's been turning."
- – Archdeacon Billy Joel of the Cult of the Emperor's Righteousness
The Flamer is a short-ranged support weapon employed in many different variations by nearly all of the races of the WH40K universe.
For their more alchemical offspring, see here:
For their real world equivelents, see here:
Overview[edit]
The Flamer is any type of incendiary weapon that sprays an area with an extremely flammable liquid/gas known collectively as Prometheum, burning everything it sticks on. Note that the name is not a relation to the actual element Promethium, but likely a reference to the Greek Titan Prometheus. Of course, the Salamanders might have played a part to why the Imperium calls Flamer fuel "Promethium." Remember, the Salamanders erected their fortress-monastery over a moon called Prometheus. They might have been really good at making the fuel for Flamers. Now, apart from the varying degrees of burns you will receive when you are on the business end of one, your squad will not really be motivated when they see a giant wave of painful and slow death made of fire, which will then proceed to painfully and slowly kill them. In fact, it is a rather terrifying experience, and anyone short of a Space Marine or a particularly stubborn Commissar will probably bolt when they see a lot of 'em coming. Though, slow is relative and people generally die instantly when hit by one of these, or pass out from shock.
Armies field Flamers in different sizes (and possibly, shapes) ranging from pistol-sized flame units, regular rifle-sized units, to a big-ass Flamer capable of bathing entire platoons in fire with a single burst. Table-top wise, Flamers are special weapons that ignore cover bonuses and are extremely effective against infantry. They are very good against Tyranids due to their total lack of vehicles, so you can always have a chance at hurting most Tyranid units you shoot your fire at. Plus, it is great for killing all those pesky rippers. Flamers are also fairly effective against Orks as well, as they are awfully good at killing large blobs of infantry. In 8th edition, they can now damage vehicles with weight of fire and are one of the better tools for taking on fliers, funnily (stupidly) enough.
Imperial Variations[edit]
A cruel and painful weapon in its own right, this would not be 40k if there weren't several variations of the flamer, each deadlier than the last.
Incendiary Charge[edit]
For more information, see here: Incendiary Charge
Infernus Firebomb Cluster[edit]
For more information, see here: Infernus Firebomb Cluster
Exterminator[edit]
By definition, an Exterminator is a very small Flamer which is, in essence, a nozzle attached to a small canister holding enough fuel for a single decent shot before it has to be refilled.
The Exterminator is commonly fitted as an attachment to put a dash of extra heat complementing other proper weapons such as Lasguns, Boltguns, Shotguns, Autoguns, and even Eviscerator Chainswords found predominantly within Redemption Cults. There is a significant difference between this and Combi-weapons. While the size of the Exterminator makes it a Hand Flamer, its power is no less to that of a regular-sized Flamer. The Combi-Flamer, as well, is a Bolter with a regular-sized Flamer welded on.
Combi-weapons are properly built or modified arms, permanently attached and robust like most Imperium tech, while Exterminators are assembled by Necromunda Gangs whose work do not exactly leave a good impression compared to the military-grade equipment we usually see. This vast gap in quality means an Exterminator on any weapon can and will eventually break down over a relatively short period of time, and needs to be disposed and replaced by another one of likely similar quality. In a nutshell, making an Exterminator can be compared to putting gasoline into a water gun and somehow attaching what can be considered a pilot light on it to light that gasoline up. Indeed, the Exterminator is not that much different in concept from this.
The Exterminator is a weapon that just works if you somehow managed to make it so, but definitely not something anyone would rely on in prolonged combat – making a campfire, maybe.
Fun fact: Back in late 1944 when it became more and more apparent that Nazi Germany was losing the war, many new weapons, which were designed to be extremely cheap and mass-producible, were put into production in order to arm as many hastily-trained conscripts as possible. One of these weapons was the Einstossflammenwerfer 46 (Single-Shot Flamethrower). And judging by descriptions seems almost identical to the Exterminator.
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Hand Flamer[edit]
Also referred to as a Burner, the Hand Flamer is a more compact, pistol version of a regular Flamer, requiring only one hand to fire in an efficient manner.
Primarily fired by the Adepta Sororitas, Hive Gangers, and the Inquisition, this weapon is a pint-sized flamethrower that can be wielded in the manner of a pistol; we have to point it out just in case the piece you have recently acquired does not look like one. Along with a fuel tank of lower volumetric capacity, it has a much reduced effective range, which makes the Flamer of this size well-suited for close combat purposes where the lack of distance is not a problem, or at least you already have your solution to acquire intimate range such as a decent Jump Pack.
Space Marines, particularly Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters, use the Ignis Pattern, which in the hands of regular Humans may possibly be considered a Flamer carbine of sort. Some extremely unhinged individuals go as far as dual-wielding them for extra burny power and to look awesome. In fact, the Hand Flamers use by the Seraphims can release small controlled bursts of flame that use negligible amounts of Promethium. The weapon can be used both as a ranged weapon and a melee weapon by those who are properly trained. Another notorious formation that equips itself with Hand Flamers is the Ashen Circle of the Word Bearers Legion. The Akkadic Pattern notably has a chainsaw grip, which makes it stand out in the Hand Flamer family where its other members we have seen so far all possess a pistol grip.
A notable solution to the low shot-per-canister ratio of the Hand Flamer may be found within the Solar Auxilia Flamer Section, where the sergeant uses the same size of tank his squadmates use for their Flamers.
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Sulphur Breath[edit]
There is a new Flamer good boy in town and it is coming in with style.
The Sulphur Breath is a type of Flame Weapon mounted on everyone's favourite flame doggy and cybernetic mounts; the Serberys Sulphurhounds. The mounts are fed an unknown type of food in order to breathe fire, which, judging by its name, include an unhealthy amount of sulphur, the galaxy's hottest chilies, and prometheum.
The range of a Sulphur Breath is around that of a Hand Flamer. Do note that despite the size of the dog or the length of the dog's head, the weapon itself is not that long. So while it could gout out a torrent of fire, it ain't shooting far. The doggo can fire its weapon as long as it wants due to the heatshield surrounding its entire snout. It is currently unknown just how much fuel the Sulphurhound could carry in its stomach, moreover, it is unknown whether the Sulphurhound fires it on its own will or is controlled - whether manually or through wireless command - via the Skitarii riding it.
On tabletop, the Sulphurhound's flamerbreath is a cover ignoring, AP -1 D6 pistol flamer which ignores cover and obviously autohits. Combine with the Skitarii's arsenal of Phosphor Weaponry and a Power Maul and the Sulphur Breath is going to make for some uncomfortable close combat.
Flamer[edit]
Normally with our flamethrowers, it might as well be a boring tube attached to a fuel tank. Here in 40K, like pretty much everything else, it looks way cooler.
The Flamer is a regular-sized flamethrower as described above, used by nearly everyone in the 41st millennium. In the case of the Imperium, there are loads and loads of different patterns of Flamers, all of which are suitable for your occasional pyromaniacs.
More fanatical adherents of the Imperial Creed employ Flamers against mutants and heretics as the weapon's flames are seen to cleanse sin and impurity from body and soul alike – Red Redemptionists and Cawdor Fanatics of Necromunda in particular prefer this weapon. As a purifying weapon, the Flamer has a prominent function among the Adepta Sororitas (as expected), and for a Sister to be entrusted with one is a great honor. The Salamanders (again, as expected) make wide use of Flamers as well as Melta weapons due to their preference for close-range combat along with their Promethean beliefs. The Catachan regiments of the Imperial Guard are often deployed to areas of heavy jungle, where enemies can make as much use of the ever present cover as the Catachans themselves, which is where Flamers come in to even the terrain a bit. Troops of the Adeptus Mechanicus use a more advanced version of the flamer known as the Pembroke Welsh Cognis Flamer. This weapon is equipped with a Machine Spirit that continues to fire the fire even when its wielder is distracted.
While most modern Flamers deployed by the Imperium possess the distinctive grille, older Heresy-era Flamers as well as those of Gangers and Genestealer Cults have the classic conical head.
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Assault Flamer[edit]
Although the weapon here is likely a local pattern within Calixis Sector, we can probably derive the Assault Flamer in general as another type of Flamer.
The Mark VII "Salamander" in particular is a somewhat common Flamer variant made popular in the Calixis Sector’s Tranch War by possibly burning a lot of mutants. It uses a lighter fuel mixture at higher pressures, with inert propellant gas mixed in. This means it functions something like a real life gasoline-nitrogen flamethrower, using a higher viscosity fuel and pumping non-flammable gases into the fuel tanks as said fuel is discharged, this results in fuel being shot out at consistent high pressure, and that fuel burning up much faster, it also has the added benefit of making the fuel tanks less likely to explode. The firing barrel has a large, thin nozzle, resulting in a wider but less powerful spray of Promethium, which also translates to less range as you trade length for width with this Flamer here. Against lightly armoured foes like insurrectionists or Gretchin mobz, the weapon worked wonders, cutting (burning) down the creatures before they could overrun the defenders, or attackers. Assault Flamers use backpack-mounted fuel canisters instead of the usual magazine-mounted canister to lessen the weight of the gun itself and provide a more extensive fuel reserve – because you'll probably be burning a lot of things if you're gonna take it with you, and the last thing you'd want to happen is either run out of fuel, or your arms getting sleepy before finishing the grilling of xenos and heretics. They also fire in a 45-degree arc as opposed to the normal 30-degree arc for the usual Flamer weapons.
Another notable pattern is the Hades MkIII. The Hades-pattern features a long, narrow barrel and nozzle connected by a sturdy cable to a fuel canister worn on the user’s back. This design grants an increased fuel reserve, while keeping the weapon itself light. This makes the Hades a perfect choice for squads requiring high mobility. The Hades’ simple construction has earned it a reputation for both reliability and efficiency, and it is a favorite of many light infantry regiments that prefer the speed given by its construction rather than the universally-beneficial raw killing power.
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Immolation Rifle[edit]
Though probably neither a rifle and definitely nor a Flamer in the flame part, the Immolation Rifle is a Melta-like flamethrower, but technically isn't a Melta because there is no fusion reaction going on inside the weapon itself. Instead, it probably uses Promethium like every other Flamer out there, making this thing one as well. Confused yet?
Not a Flamer weapon in the strictest sense, the Immolation Rifle is an ancient, exceedingly rare, and barely understood weapon possessed by Watch Fortress Erioch in limited numbers – that is, the Deathwatch. It is a brutal anti-personnel weapon that fires a seething, short-range beam of intense heat. When used on lightly armoured or un-armoured targets, the beam sears and blisters exposed flesh. This causes a target intense pain and, with enough damage, these weapons can cook enemies alive. While they are incredibly lethal when used against organic foes, the beams for some reason cause no damage whatsoever to inorganic objects like machinery, bulkheads, and weapons; and that quality is the more blatant feature which differentiates this weapon from your common Melta. You may say that the Immolation Rifle is just hot enough to burn people and organic matter, and not enough to sear through heavy plating such as those of tanks and the like. This makes them extremely useful in boarding actions when you want the ship intact but not necessarily the hostile crew, as well as in any situation where collateral damage needs to be minimized. Accidents can happen in combat at any time, and accidentally burning off the floor right below you with your Meltagun is one of them.
While these weapons are technically Flamers, they are unable to set things on fire.
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Balefire Gun[edit]
The Deathwatch probably raided some Pre-Heresy Death Guard weapons cache at some point and found these hot ladies here.
Brutally effective against Orks and other annoying xenos that just won't die like the rest because of uncanny natural regeneration that Promethium fire cannot keep up with, the Balefire Gun uses highly refined Promethium fuel mixed with a number of radioactive compounds. This solves the conundrum by not just burning like most Flamers do, but irradiating the buggers as well so they can keep dying as they should be from being burned alive. It is rarely issued due to the obvious collateral damage involving radioactive decay it causes.
Imperial environmentalists and the local citizens in general will find that to be horribly inconvenient for the next thousands of years, though they usually understand that some introduced radiation is the lesser of the two evils when compared to mass-murdering aliens that you can't normally kill with Lasguns. As stated, Balefire Guns are used solely by the Deathwatch to cleanse particularly resilient xenos, and they're particularly effective in controlling and eradicating Ork infestations. On the other hand, that shouldn't stop the Deathwatch from using the Flamer on other enemies that are just as tough, though you probably should take something else with you if those enemies are Chaos worshipers who love Papa Nurgle, or xenos who are more machine than alien such as the Necrons.
Note, this weapon likely has nothing to do with another Flamer that comes out of the long throat of a certain Daemon Engine.
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Incinerator[edit]
"Red or yellow flames may be the sign of incomplete combustion. When you adjust a burner to increase the air supply, you get a more complete combustion, a higher temperature, and a blue flame. I tell you what."
- – Brother Hank
This Flamer is the Grey Knights' own personal variant on psychic steroids, dial up over 9000.
Essentially and generally wielded by their Purgation Squads (but can also be taken by their Terminators and Dreadnoughts as well), these fuckers have their fuel mixed in with blessed oils which when fired, it basically creates a stream of flaming blue or white Sanctic power. Unlike those you'd find in the Ministorum and Mechanicus – the latter likely just has better fuel mix – the Grey Knight mix has a generous dash of propane daemonic pesticides on top of the God-Emperor's Chaos-Be-Gone blessing you'd find in the Ecclesiastical Flamer mix. This weapon causes most infantries to piss themselves red and scatter in droves, not to mention making most regular Chaos forces shit-launching themselves into near orbit by sheer fear on the amount of collateral rape they will be forced to endure.
As mentioned, the Incinerator is essentially the Grey Knights version of pesticide for wiping out those hard to kill critters. A noteworthy feature of this Flamer is how it has a couple of distinctively different canisters on top of having two barrels. This makes the Incinerator more in line with a Heavy Flamer, albeit a rather compact one. Presumably, the smaller canister has the regular mix for setting things on fire, and the longer one with the Inquisitorial Seal is the pesticide part to be mixed with the regular one before firing out as fire fitting for burning stuff that came out straight from hell.
Although very rare, the Incinerator is also used by members of the Inquisition, especially their Pyroclasts. As such, it's possible that an Incinerator is a more general name for any purpose built flamer with a sanctified intermix.
Indeed, you could say that the Incinerator is one *Hell* of a gun to use as in the Dawn of War 2 Elite Mod. Over there, Incinerators are absolute rape machines capable of lolnoping almost all types of infantry save those donning the most protective armor. Not even vehicles are safe from this monstrosity of a Flamer, so light one up and watch the chaos rein in everywhere.
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Pyreblaster[edit]
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Like everything else before them, Primaris Space Marine are too good for the flamers that came before them and need new ones, and the Black Templar are the first ones to get the non gauntlet ones.
Like most Primaris used special weapons, it works exactly like the original versions, but better. What makes it different is the longer barrel which propels the promethium out with a surprising amount of force, enough to actually give it an AP value, which usually takes a heavy flamer or bigger to get enough force/heat to get through armor. Think of it like that of a hydraulic water jet, but with a flamethrower. True enough, it also has a longer range than average at 15", making it more tolerable than your typical firestarters.
It first was announced for a new Primaris Initiate squad but whether or not other chapters will get access to it is still up in the air (though if the Salamanders don't get it there will be something set on fire). By 10th Edition, it is confirmed that these weapons were so badass, that an entire Primaris Squad was created to just hog these things around. These more general Primaris Marines are called the Infernus Squad.
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Flamestorm Gauntlet[edit]
Like its more Dakka version, the Boltstorm Gauntlet, the Flamestorm Gauntlet is a type of Flamer weapon used by Primaris Space Marine Aggressor Squads.
The Flamestorm Gauntlet, as mentioned, is similar to the Boltstorm Gauntlet, replacing the Bolter with a Flamer. As such, it also bears a strong resemblance and function to Roboute Guilliman's famed weapon Hand of Dominion as well as Marneus Calgar's Gauntlets of Ultramar. Unsurprisingly, the Flamestorm specializes in bathing large mobs of infantry in fire whereas the Boltstorm is more for crowd control. The Flamestorm Gauntlet is used if other Primaris troops such as Hellblasters are caught too hot in CQC and a much needed punch is needed to soften the blow.
They are so hot, the shoulder pads of the Aggressors who use them have to be made even bigger with additional blast shields to protect them from the heat. Should one wonder why a heavy Power Armour needs further protection for a Flamer weapon when normal Space Marines in normal Power Armour can use Flamers just fine – perhaps the Flamestorm is that dangerously hot for even a Primaris Marine in Gravis Armour, or it just fogs up the visor and Cawl thinks a windshield wiper will look stupid. The first assumption is likely when one considers that its name corresponds to a much, much bigger Flamer weapon on this page. Cawl probably managed to make the Flamestorm relatively hot enough to deserve the moniker.
Furthermore, despite the pitiful range on a unit that relies on overwhelming firepower at a distance, the Aggressors are still Terminator-esque infantry; so trying to charge at one knowing full well that these guys carry a 2D6 Flamer on both hands is bound to spell a terrible end to whatever mook not enclosed in centimeters-thick ceramite.
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Triflame Vambrace[edit]
If you think that putting flamethrowers by a Power Fist is a revolutionary idea on Cawl's part, then we are sad to inform you that you are a bit mistaken.
At the very least, a Techmarine did it before him, though it is an artifact, rather than a mass-produced model. The possibility remains, however, that Cawl or one of his subordinates based the design of the Flamer part of the Flamestorm Gauntlet on this artifact. Though it doesn't come with a Power Fist and mandatory Gravis Armour, this Deathwatch relic called Triflame Vambrace here is a forearm-mounted Flamer forged and first worn by said Deathwatch Techmarine serving in a region of Jericho Reach known as Orpheus Salient. Because aliens and/or their weapons come in a lot of flavors we certainly do not want to taste, the Deathwatch has been utilizing shot selectors for versatility. Of course, the Triflame Vambrace has this feature. Also, a variable feed of dihydropromethium to a trifurcated ignition chamber allows versatility in how the rare fuel is expended. Now, "Dihydro-" means there are two hydrogen atoms in a molecule, which probably translates to the expensive Promethium being more flammable. "Trifurcated" means divided into three branches: because this thing has three modes of firing
Whether that means it actually has three barrels is uncertain since the only image we have here shows only two, though perhaps the bottom two barrels are placed side-by-side while the third is placed on top in the usual triangular manner. The first mode of firing the Triflame is capable of is Concentrated, which shoots out an incandescent blast that ignites nearly anything with an inextinguishable flame as well as probably being the default mode. Next in line is the Wide mode, which doubles the arc of the weapon to more or less 60 degrees, doing additional damage to hordes of enemies by merit of setting more things on fire at a time. The third mode is Burst, which makes the weapon lose the flames, but inflicts massive damage and sets the target on fire in the blast of a Dragonfire Bolt. This probably means it shoots out fire that has similar effects to the Dragonfire, not that it shoots the actual bolt out.
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Heavy Flamer[edit]
The big brother of the regular flamer, able to do far more damage by merit of being a size bigger.
Due to the longer barrel and more powerful gas propellant, the Heavy Flamer has a much longer reach then the regular Flamer, but it is offset by its higher maintenance and bulkiness due to its large and ungainly size, not to mention how most of them come Twin-Linked. Mainly used by Terminators and vehicles – such as Sentinels as a main weapon, or Chimeras as a side weapon – they are also carried to battle by the Sisters of Battle as specialist weapons, by everyone in the Salamanders, occasionally by the Imperial Guard in teams of two, and hauled by the Catachans in teams of one simply because they can and don't give a fuck (and that the variant they use, though still obviously heavy, is only a little bigger than a regular Flamer).
Also sees frequent usage by the Blood Angels, Deathwatch, and generally Sternguard Veterans of various other Chapters beyond Terminator Squads. Strictly better than a regular flamer, which is why GW usually manually prevents you from just taking gobs of them, unless you play a Crusade Legion list where you can field squads of 10. Now, despite the profile we have here, most handheld Heavy Flamers actually have you use them with a chainsaw grip to emphasize its heaviness, with people up to the Space Marine size using two hands to carry them, while Terminators requiring only one arm to bear the weight.
All in all, the Heavy Flamer produces a larger swathe of flame capable of setting more things on fire in one push of the button, provided that you have what it takes to carry it.
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Atalan Incinerator[edit]
For the Genestealer Cults during their revolution, having an industrialized flamethrower to burn their enemies in the same manner as the rocks it is originally meant to melt is a norm.
The Atalan Incinerator is a relatively compact mining tool designed for melting debris that happens to be in the way of a small vehicle. The vehicle in question is the Atalan Wolfquad ATV. Why will a quad bike ever need a flamethrower, you ask? Atalan-branded vehicles – the dirt bikes and quads – are used by mining companies to scout out for ore veins on the planet, and a good pair of eyes from a professional surveyor is often all you need to strike gold. And when that surveyor is driving his quad through the wasteland, he'll eventually find the need to set things on fire; and by that, we mean using fire hot enough to turn stone into sludge. It is so hot that the driver needs to wear a heat-resistant suit while handling the Wolfquad with one. Something like that sounds incredibly useful if you're planning to overthrow a planetary government, don't you think?
Despite being at about the same size, the Atalan Incinerator is, for some reason, more powerful than a Heavy Flamer, being at about the same level as the Incendine Combustor of the Mechanicus. Either the Imperium puts more emphasis on equipment over the industry rather than military, or the Genestealer Cults somehow made the Atalan Incinerator better; perhaps by tinkering designs, or perhaps by making a special Promethium mix involving some their own exclusive substances.
The bigger rendition of the Atalan Incinerator is the Clearance Incinerator used by Goliath Rockgrinders (and not Clearance Rockgrinders).
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Incendine Combustor[edit]
The Incendine Combustor is a type of Flamer Weapon used by Adeptus Mechanicus Kastelan Robots.
Similar to the Grey Knights' Incinerators and in contrast with the Custodians' Infernus Firepike, this rather short Heavy Flamer hurls out great gouts of burning, thrice-blessed Promethium. Laced with Magos-blessed unguents and ignited by a flame lit from the Perpetual Forge, each of these holy fire-throwers can turn a techno-heretic into foul tallow in a matter of seconds. While the Incinerator focuses on particularly setting Daemons on fire, the fuel of the Incendine Combustor is specially made for burning Hereteks, which might translate as it is somehow better at setting machines on fire.
Because of its the size and weight being on the bigger end of the weight spectrum, the Incendine Combustor is reserved for the robots of the AdMech since not even the augmented muscles of the Space Marines can use this weapon in an efficient and practical manner; or maybe it's too hot to handle without proper insulation that can be easily installed on a robot and not as much on an Astartes and/or his Power Armour. Tabletop-wise, the Incendine Combustor is a Heavy Flamer with a longer 12" range (so it can be used right out of infiltration/deepstrike), this thing is great for clearing out hordes, like all Flamers do, but at a longer range; works well on those close and dirty as well as punchy Kastelans.
Appearance-wise, it is pretty stubby for a Heavy Flamer, which probably explains the manner it is mounted on a vehicle, or in this case, a robot.
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Pyroclast Flame Projector[edit]
In order to properly display their love of Flamers, the Salamanders have their own variant to deploy at least during the Horus Heresy.
Pyroclast Flame Projectors were the Salamanders' unique and complex Flamer Weapon created by Vulkan himself some time during the Great Crusade. Wielded by a unit with the same name, this weapon is not your average everyday Flamer. They were used to incinerate pretty much everything in the same manner as a standard Flamer, and also capable of focusing that same Promethium (with possibly a mix of something from the smaller tanks) into a searing jet of really damn hot arc that is rather difficult to aim considering the grip, but able to slice through durable armor like a hot knife cutting something video.
Although it is comparable to the Ork Burna due to having two modes of firing fire, there is a slight difference between the Pyroclast projection and the "cuttin flame." While the former shoots out Promethium pretty far in a straight line that should inevitably curve down after quite a distance because it is not a laser, the latter is simply a switch from flamethrower mode into huge blowtorch mode with a change of a nozzle. It is not known whether the present Salamanders still crack these bad boys out for a field trip once in a while, but judging from how good they are at maintaining equipment, they might still have a couple of boxes out in the back of their armoury. It's not like Vulkan had all of them out at Isstvan, right?
In a nutshell, a souped up Heavy Flamer that has a Lightsaber mode.
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Infernus Firepike[edit]
The big golden marshmallow melter, the Phoenix Gun, the golden incinerator; there are many names for the Infernus Firepike and it is understandable considering – it looks absolutely beast!
The Infernus Firepike is one of the primary weapons available for the golden pain trains known as the Aquilon Terminators. Able to burn a huge swaths of either filthy Xenos or Heretics, or both in a single gout of holy Promethium. As with all Custodes equipment, the Promethium is of high quality possibly blessed with sacred oils and wards for extra burny power. It is likewise known as one of the most powerful Heavy Flamers available. The Firepike is also very long-barrelled for a carried Heavy Flamer, making it safe to assume that the length somehow plays the role of making the fire go a little further and a little burni-er. Another notable design feature of this Infernus-class Flamer is how its fuel comes in a box for a tank, which is not something you see every day in the hands of Terminators that usually take a few shorter Heavy Flamers with them for the occasion of Space Hulk exploration. And since it is so bloody long, the Infernus Firepike is not something you'd take with you in a Space Hulk expedition where there are plenty of narrow corridors to explore and be ambushed in by the local Orks and Genestealers, and whatever-that-is. On the tabletop, the Infernus Firepike is a powerful S6 AP6 Heavy 1, Torrent gun that can assrape most infantry in one sitting.
Older depictions of what seems to the Aquilon Terminators depict them carrying spear-length flamethrowers which we may presume to also be Infernus Firepikes. This rendition is noticeably less bulky, and might as well be another Guardian Spear variant for Terminators. Unlike what we have here, the eagle head is more than for decoration. It is where the fires come out as well.
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Incendium Cannon[edit]
What happens when you want to play as Sly Marbo in a mech suit.
The Incendium Cannon is a weapon used by the mini-baby carriers known as the Invictor Tactical Warsuits. This Flame Weapon allows the Invictor to fire pyrotechnic blasts that reduce swathes of enemies to blazing corpses.
Due to the fact that the Invictor is a 'stealth' walker (stealth being used in the loosest sense of the word), the Incendium Cannon may not be the best weapon suited for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. It could be used instead, as a weapon to clear out entrenched enemies from the back line when shit hits the fan.
Crunchwise, on 8th Edition, the Incendium is basically a souped-up Heavy Flamer. It boasts a 12” range and is a Heavy 2d6, AP-1, D1 weapon that auto-hits on a S5. GEQs ain't gonna last too long when facing this bad boy.
Inferno Cannon[edit]
"It occurred to me, watching his Zippo hose down enemy strongpoints with napalm, that fighting in an RPG-rich environment while perched on a 300-gallon tank of napalm might qualify as dangerous duty."
- – Captain Dale A. Dye, U.S.M.C (Ret.)
The Inferno Cannon is yet another huge, vehicle mounted Flamer Weapon.
The primary weapon of the Hellhound, this Inferno Cannon focuses on the "thrower" aspect of "flamethrower." Similar in strength to the Heavy Flamer, the Inferno Cannon has an extra perk of being capable of projecting its fiery payload over a considerable distance, and if correctly utilized, can fuck up even vehicles if they happen to have poor armor. It is used by the Imperial Guard and can also be equipped on Astartes Dreadnoughts, where it had an interesting special rule (basically it gave it proto-torrent). The amount of damage it does is magnified by the explosive force it was fired with. The particular Promethium from the Inferno Cannon causes fear amongst those enemies that unluckily has to face it, and rightly so – the sheer amount of flame that leaves the vehicle is immense, enough to melt through aforementioned armor and even some defensive structures. The vehicle carrying it also has to carry a large barrel or two of Promethium as fuel, making it extremely volatile, especially under explosive fire. And when it fires, the vehicle must not be moving, as a disastrous back wash of flame would fry everyone inside the vehicle. The crew themselves are often seen as pyromaniacs. Speaking of maniacs, the Immolator tank of the Sisters of Battle can be installed with a Twin-linked Heavy Flamer which produces a similar effect.
Inferno Cannons on most Hellhounds are simply bulkier Heavy Flamers at the size for cannons, other Hellhounds such as the Artemia pattern as well as Siege Dreadnoughts are typically the long tubular kind of flamethrowers. Now, despite the similar appearance, these two are quite different in practice. While the Dreadnought kind has half the range, the Artemia variant is slightly superior as an Inferno Cannon. Initially, the Artemia debut along with the tank it is mounted on in The Anphelion Project, and absent from then on in the Second Edition.
The Dreadnought version was made distinct thanks to the ridiculous range, having the same range as a bolter, and the following special rule: Inferno Cannon: When firing the Inferno Cannon, designate a target unit and place the normal Flamer template so that it is at least partially over as many enemy members as possible. The whole template must be in range and line of sight. Roll to hit once, using the Dreadnought's BS. If you hit, then all models partially or wholly under the template are hit. If you miss, they are each hit on a roll of 4+. The Dreadnought can only carry a limited amount of fuel for the Inferno Cannon. After each shot roll a D6, on a 1 the Dreadnought is out of fuel and cannot fire its Inferno Cannon again.
Once fifth edition rolled around, Dreadnoughts could no longer get Inferno Cannons, they got Flamestorm Cannons, even though the image used for the Dreadnought was still an Inferno Cannon and described as such. This is probably a Forge World fuck up, and they likely forgot to update the text to reflect the new wargear.
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Flamestorm Cannon[edit]
The Flamestorm Cannon is a large Flamer weapon of the Imperium, more powerful than even the standard Heavy Flamer installed on several vehicles it deploys.
As an even bigger variation of the Flamer, the Flamestorm Cannon is found on the Land Raider Redeemer as a sponson weapon, and as the primary weapon for the Baal and Infernus Pattern Predators. Each spouts a billowing tide of burning Promethium into the thick of the foe, incinerating any biological matter and melting any inorganic matter in the way. These massive fire-spewing cannons make the Redeemers highly effective against infantry in grueling and dangerous urban combat.
A Land Raider Redeemer can use its Flamestorm Cannons to burn said infantry out of their hiding spots in shattered buildings, mazes of debris, and Rockcrete rubble. The Grey Knights' Vortimer Pattern of the Redeemer features their own signature Holy Promethium mix through a variant they call the Flamestorm Incinerator. There are reports that the flames being spitted out is hot enough to melt Plasteel and even the Ceramite of Space Marine Power Armour, which would have made it more of a Plasma weapon if larger Flamer weapons didn't exist that can also do it like that, and probably better too by merit of size. A cool trivia is that these weapons are so good at killing hordes of infantry that the Yiffers nickname them Firewyrms after an ancient beast of Fenrisian legend that is said to have harbored the fires of the sun (probably their sun, not ours) in its gullet.
This is the weapon you wanna use to flashfry and BBQ a whole swarm of Tyranids before getting into superheavy category, although the Inferno Cannon might be a bit better in terms of assault and price.
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Clearance Incinerator[edit]
This here is essentially a quad-barrelled civilian/utility Heavy Flamer.
The Clearance Incinerator is a type of Flame Weapon used on Goliath Rockgrinders, originally as a construction equipment to weaken and liquefy rock, it is also utilized by Genestealer Cults. This is a massive, quadruply-chambered Heavy Flamer more than capable of turning a rocky landslide into a molten slurry; very useful in the part of land reclamation where you need get rid of a big obstacle, but blowing them up and hauling them out is a costly option that you are not paid and/or well-equipped enough to deal with it like that, especially since the Imperium probably produces more than enough rock to toss around itself for another 40,000 years anyway.
The Clearance Incinerator seems to be controlled by a couple of joysticks, presumably one for left-right and the other for up-down. The button on a joystick likely activates the pilot light, while the button on the other one likely fires out the fuel. In the Genestealer Codex and paramilitary application, the Clearance Incinerator is an upgrade for the regular Goliath Truck depending on whether you want to go all out on blob-cleansing or not. The alternative choice of weaponry is the Heavy Seismic Cannon that has the ability to switch between two modes at the expense of being a better overall troop killer like this civilian Incinerator here.
On tabletop, the Incinerator is an Assault Heavy Flamer with a 12" range and is considered the best compliment to the Drilldozer.
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Infernus Incinerator[edit]
For when you want to be Choppy yet have a toasty after-crisp.
The Infernus Incinerator is a type Flamer Weapon used by the Adeptus Custodes. Basically the Flamer version of the Bolt Caster; this time, welded on to a giant sword to further maximize its close combat lethality with a hint of Promethium smoke. In a way, it is the Sentinel Warblade for Dreadnoughts. But since Custodian Dreadnoughts are already pretty large on their own, there are better things to mount on it that can take advantage of the heavy chassis; and this is why they strap flamethrowers on it instead of rocket launchers. The sword in question is wielded by the Contemptor-Galatus Dreadnought as a nasty surprise for a mob trying the usual tactics on it. The Infernus also gives the Galatus a wavy pattern like fire like the Flamberge. Different from our flame-bladed sword, this here we're talking about is literally a sword coated in fire just like our Emprah's now swung by Guilliman. Of course, since the Emperor Himself is not a Dreadnought, that sword of his doesn't have to have flamethrowers strapped on its hilt to get a flaming sword that is somehow bad mojo for Daemons. Should the Warblade seek to further emulate that sword, however, then it only makes sense for this Incinerator to use the same kind of Promethium the Grey Knights fill their Incinerators with.
By the way, the entire name of the sword itself is the Galatus Warblade, which is a massive Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon used by the aforementioned Custodes Dreadnoughts, and it is where these Heavy Flamers are installed on, specifically the guard, all four barrels facing the tip of the blade and not the other way around. And also, this is not exclusively a special Flamer for a giant sword. The Contemptor-Achillus variant may also mount this on his wrist instead of the usual Lastrum Storm Bolters.
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Heavy Incinerator[edit]
If you thought the regular Incinerator is just not enough to scare those pesky critters from this universe's equivalent of Hell, then fear not – for the Grey Knights can just upscale the whole thing! And now you can bathe entire daemonic armies in an even bigger swathe of purifyingly white hot flames. The Heavy Incinerator is a much larger, and therefore much more powerful version of the Incinerator that comes in a whopping quadruple barrels arranged in a square instead of the usual horizontal line. It also comes along with a couple-couple fuel tanks by the sides of its back end. The Heavy Incinerator is only known to be mounted on the infamous Nemesis Dreadknights.
A notable point from its overall design is how it looks so similar to the Clearance Incinerator of the civilian/construction sector. Perhaps there is an original design where both Incinerators share as a common ancestor which might be a mount on a Rhino for clearing out alien weed or something. Or perhaps while clearing ground for the Citadel of Titan on Saturn's eponymous moon, a Grey Knights Techmarine saw a Clearance Incinerator incinerating yet another Titanian rubble and thought to himself, "By Emprah, I need that on my Dreadknight." He then proceeded to tinker with it for Daemon-burning efficiency, and before long the Heavy Incinerator was born.
On 7th ed, it was essentially the heavy version for the Dreadknight. It gained Soulblaze just like the standard Incinerator. It was one of the best horde cleanser in the Grey Knights armoury. And it was notorious for making swift and hopefully sweet barbecue out of entire Termagaunt hordes.
On 8th ed, the Heavy Incinerator dishes out d6 auto hits at an extended range of 12" at 2 damage each. However, it is now a requirement to just arm you Dreadnight with either a Gatling Psilencer or a Heavy Psycannon (or both for each) since these two are simply just better then the Heavy Incinerator. The only part the Heavy Incinerator shines is stopping horde rushes during Overwatch.
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Acheron Flame Cannon[edit]
Complementing the slim Acheron is the slender Acheron Flame Cannon.
Should neither be confused with the Tzeentchian Flame Cannon which some has taken into calling it as the "Warpfire Flame Cannon" to avoid confusion, and the Flamestorm Cannon since it clearly lacks the latter word, this Flamer weapon is sported by the Cerastus Knight-Acheron. As a step up from your regular Inferno Cannon, the Acheron Flame Cannon is another class of Flamer Weapon with a rather long barrel mounted on Imperial Knights, specifically the aforementioned Knight-Acheron of the slim Cerastus chassis. Fire basically rains when this thing comes into play, with the height of these Knights contributing significantly to the effect. The power of the Acheron Flame Cannon can even be equally compared with the Titan-class variants of Flamers. The striking feature of this weapon is its feeding line, exposed but well-armoured, connecting the double-barrelled cannon to the double barrels of Promethium on the back. Even the fuel tank shared by the torches is exposed by the bottom of the cannon behind the blast shield. The blast shield itself might also contribute to melee action as a sort of buckler. Overall, the Acheron Flame Cannon is pretty slimmed-down and exposed, perhaps to cut down on the weight factor to complement the Knight's already slim body that gives it a little more mobility.
It is simply overshadowed by its larger cousin, the even bigger Inferno Gun, which may be the reason why this weapon is not heard off that much at all beyond Questoris circles.
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Conflagration Cannon[edit]
There is a new Flamer in town, and this one is so big that it just stops shy of being qualified as an Inferno Gun. Don't confuse this for the similar Conflagration Gun, which is basically a Hotshot Inferno Pistol.
The Conflagration Cannon is the primary weapon of the Knight Valiants which are, basically, baby Warlord Titans in both design and weapon loadout. This bad motherfucker with a fancy name here is essentially, in a triangularly-arranged triple barrel configuration, three Flamers each the size you would probably see on a proper Questoris Knight if there is a loadout for it. Yes, you heard us right – it is not one, not two, but three of these horde-gluttons combined, and even supercharged to boot! Of course, there are some argumentative debates on the design choices of this weapon.
While detractors state that the top barrel lacks a pilot light to actually light its 1⁄3 share of Promethium up, the supporters propose that the other two bottom barrels, which DO have pilot lights of their own, would end up setting the fuel projected from the top barrel on fire anyway. Both sides, however, can agree that it might have been a design oversight on GW's part that they have just given up after realizing that it had already passed the drawing boards and into production. Though arranged in a triangular form reminiscent to the Gatling style, the construction of the Conflagration Cannon does not seem to able to provide a spinning mechanism for such a cool feature like the Phased Plasma-Flamer.
Crunch wise, this thing is a monster. The Conflagration Cannon is essentially an 18″ flamer that auto hits with 3D6 shots that each are Str 7, AP -2, and 2 Damage. The Flame Cannon – the one on a Cerastus Knight, not those on Tzeentchian birds – wishes it could be this cool... or awesome... or perhaps just recognized....
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Traitor's Pyre[edit]
This is a tale of how a deadly flamethrower went on a trip to some holy world and somehow came back as an even more deadly giant flamethrower.
This ornate Conflagration Cannon was borne upon a three-hundred-and-fifty year pilgrimage to the Cardinal World of Basphoria, so that it might be blessed by Saint Gauschwyn the Wrathful. The pilgrimage in question is likely made by an Imperial-aligned Dominus Knight Valiant, not his/her Sacristans. This is because Sacristans are full-fledged members of the Cult Mechanicus, so they shouldn't have a need for some spiritual journey to a religiously-important world controlled by the Ecclesiarchy which is a different faith in the first place.
After three and a half centuries of traveling, the Conflagration Cannon on the Knight Valiant finally reached its destination, and it was finally blessed by that angry Saint. How he blesses a triple-barreled giant flamethrower is open to speculation, but likely involves a lot of shouting and a lot of incense. Judging from its name, the Traitor's Pyre might have burned a few scores of heretics in the process. Gauschwyn’s spiritual influence fortified the weapon’s Machine Spirit and greatly enhanced its ferocity, imparting a portion of his infamous and eponymous wrath upon it, and making sure that the enormous shower of fire does its share of damage as the God-Emperor and the Eighteenth Son would have liked it.
No difference whatsoever from the regular Conflagration Cannon above apart from that extra re-roll.
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Inferno Gun[edit]
There is a saying: "Some men just want to watch the world burn, while others provide the matches."
This Inferno Gun here falls under the second category as the match and hopefully not the other. Well-known to be mounted on the Warhound Scout Titan and the Infernus variant of the Malcador Heavy Tank, it will do horrifying damage on any number of things caught in its fiery path. The gun is composed of several linked barrels – at least two, as seen on the Malcador Infernus – firing highly flammable chemicals in massive waves of flame. For the task, the highly flammable chemical in question is usually the classic Promethium we all know and love, which is stored in multiple parts and pumped independently into a mixing chamber just behind the barrel to create a chemical "jelly." The compound is then compressed and released as a jet of burning mass which sticks to any surface. This massive gout of sun-fire can melt stone and concrete, causing buildings to collapse in on themselves, and even liquidate Power-Armoured infantry. It can also effectively clear minefields as the sudden heat detonates their main charges on contact, not to mention that the gun can probably shoot far enough for whatever it is mounted on, along with the people operating it, to not be caught in the blast unless that minefield in particular includes something largely destructive like a nuclear bomb.
The Inferno Gun can be fitted to the limb mounts on Warhound Scout Titans, as well as the carapace mounts found on Reaver and Warlord Battle Titans. They can also be found on the carapace mounts of some Imperator Titans. The Imperial Guard Malcador Infernus super-heavy tank also mounts an Inferno Gun as its main armament, though it must tow its Promethium fuel tank in a separate trailer. The Malcador Infernus notably has a couple of fuel options. It can either stick with the usual burn, or it may choose to spray chemicals as an alternative kind of burn instead.
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Chaos Variations[edit]
Chaos Space Marines and Daemons both use flame weapons with fire generating from more warp-derived sources. Results of this are positively deadly as fuck! Additionally, CSM use a lot of the imperial flamer variants including the flamer, heavy flamer and combi-flamer.
The most famous Chaos Flamer is of course the one employed by Kharn himself to burn out his allies for being faggots and shying away from cold weather on Skalathrax, although there's a bit of a debate over which flamer he used as the one in the Chaos Space Marine armoury says it was just rumoured to have been the one (although the Skalathrax scenario gives it to Kharn, so it's probably the one). Called the Burning Brand of Skalathrax has a colourful history of burning shit to death - most notably power armoured Mary-Sues. This is a unique weapon that projects a gout of Khorne's (or Tzeentch? Nobody knows exactly) best fire at a long distance, to chase out and scorch anyone who might be hiding in cover.
Incendiary Bomb[edit]
For more information, see here: Incendiary Bomb
Warpflame Pistol[edit]
As of the introduction of Warzone Fenris: Wrath of Magnus, the Thousand Sons got some sweet new looking toys, the latest of which are the Warpflame weapons which are pretty much what happens when you trap a Flamer of Tzeentch inside a gas canister.
The Warpflame Pistol is the baby of the bunch, essentially the Chaos equivalent of the Imperium's Hand Flamer. They are a ranged option for three Thousand Sons units. Exalted Sorcerers can take them if they fancy some fire. Regular Sorcerers can take them too under the same logic. Rubric Marines in general sadly seems to be stuck with using two-handed weapons. Nevertheless, their Aspiring Sorcerers sergeants can take one like the other Sorcerers. Frankly, the only lot of Sorcerers who do not get these infernal blowtorches are the ones wearing Terminator Armour. The Warpflame Pistol has the shortest range so far out from the Warpflame family of three. The lack of punch is offset by its ease of use and smaller profile, a common trait for Hand Flamers and valuable when you want the most of your concentration on casting spells instead of how heavy your sidearm is. Appearance-wise, it looks exactly like the present Hand Flamers of the Imperium with a Tzeentchian decorative touch – specifically the ones used by the Deathwatch – hinting that the Thousand Sons might have been recently raiding Watch Fortresses.
As a daemonic weapon, Warpflamers do not really need to worry about fuel as the very nature of the Warp makes it more likely to carry more fuel than the canister might have originally had in store. In the hands of the Thousand Sons, Flamer weapons of this caliber hurl gouts of transmorphic fire that mutates those touched by them, turning them either into an immobile tumor or a They-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.
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Warpflamer[edit]
As of the introduction of Warzone Fenris: Wrath of Magnus, the Thousand Sons got some sweet new looking toys, the latest of which are the Warpflame weapons which are pretty much what happens when you trap a Flamer of Tzeentch inside a gas canister.
The Warpflamer is the middle child of the bunch, essentially the Chaos equivalent of the Imperium's regular Flamer. The Warpflamer has a decent range and is able to hit targets that could not be reached with a Warpflame Pistol. Warpflamers can be a great alternative to your Rubric Marines as its effects render it quite good at dealing with those chumps that like to get up close and personal. It is also great at clearing out entrenched positions as its unworldly flames will roll over those pesky covers. Appearance-wise, it has a similar case to the Warpflame Pistol in that it is basically a present Imperial Flamer chaotically-claimed in Tzeentch's name. Great Crusade-era Flamers have their canisters attached straight, whilst the Flamers that are used ten thousand years later tend to feature them tilted. Perhaps the Thousand Sons screwed up most of their old Flamers after a disastrous attempt to shove Brimstone Horrors into the canisters or something, and they had to restock their Rubric Marines with recent ones freshly imported (Ork speech – looted) from the Imperium.
As a daemonic weapon, Warpflamers do not really need to worry about fuel as the very nature of the Warp makes it more likely to carry more fuel than the canister might have originally had in store. In the hands of the Thousand Sons, Flamer weapons of this caliber hurl gouts of transmorphic fire that mutates those touched by them, turning them either into an immobile tumor or a They-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.
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Heavy Warpflamer[edit]
As of the introduction of Warzone Fenris: Wrath of Magnus, the Thousand Sons got some sweet new looking toys, the latest of which are the Warpflame weapons which are pretty much what happens when you trap a Flamer of Tzeentch inside a gas canister.
The Heavy Warpflamer is the adult of the bunch, essentially the Chaos equivalent of the Imperium's Heavy Flamer. The Heavy Warpflamer has a long range compared to its smaller cousins, and it can provide excellent covering (Warp) fire for allied Thousand Sons detachments. Appearance-wise, unlike the two smaller cousins, the Heavy Warpflamer looks more like a mutated Heavy Flamer from ten thousand years ago, which may suggest that the Sorcerers who tend to the Scarab Occult are really good at maintaining their equipment. Due to the size, only the aforementioned Rubric Terminators have the strength to wield one of these with ease – since regular Rubric Marines can carry the similarly sizable Soulreaper Cannons just fine, the weight might have come from the fuel tanks that may have decided themselves that they want to be absurdly heavy, or that the Scarab Occults are the only "worthy" ones to carry them or something. Their opinions aside, they provide a good anti-infantry bonus to an army quite vulnerable to tarpit swarms like those of the Tyranids or the Orks.
As a daemonic weapon, Warpflamers do not really need to worry about fuel as the very nature of the Warp makes it more likely to carry more fuel than the canister might have originally had in store. In the hands of the Thousand Sons, Flamer weapons of this caliber hurl gouts of transmorphic fire that mutates those touched by them, turning them either into an immobile tumor or a They-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.
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Hellmaw Cannon[edit]
The Hellmaw Cannon is a big Flamer weapon installed on the Khornate Daemon Engines we identify as Brass Scorpions.
These Brass Scorpions here are armed with a set of two Hellmaw Cannons mounted on the underside of the beast, located just beneath its Demolisher Cannon. These Khornate weapons are one of the most METAL things available in a Khornate army – and we mean it LITERALLY. This shit does not spray normal fire (unsurprisingly, since it's Chaos we're talking about); instead, it sprays infernal, Warp-fed fire and molten brass.
The Hellmaw Cannons are used as assault weapons during sieges, where these large flame- lava-throwers are usually fired into buildings that have been damaged by the Daemon Engine's even larger claws. The Hellmaw Cannons of the Brass Scorpions can be likened to that of a scorpion's fangs, to be exposed to an enemy foolish enough to charge at it up close. The weapons are perfectly suited to the Brass Scorpion's role as an assault vehicle, allowing it to saturate enemy trench lines and tunnels with a wide range of fire and fire that random fire into damaged structures in order to force the garrisoned and fortified enemy out into the open by sheer heat.
Back then, the Hellmaw Cannons were much more visible, but nowadays, they are pretty hidden – only found on the undersides of a Brass Scorpion.
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Baleflamer[edit]
A larger, more common and much deadlier Flamer that takes the Flamestorm Cannon one step further in that it shoots even further!
Baleflamers are (as of now) exclusively seen on the Heldrake Daemon Engines AND the Arch Lord Discordant, and they are super effective against almost anything NOT wearing Terminator Armour, hiding in METAL BAWKSES, or any equivalent of the two. The weapon takes the shape of a large projector muzzle that is usually located within the Daemon Engine's mouth.
The Baleflamer is fueled by dark Warp fires that burn from within the metallic chest of the beast, and when unleashed, the burning ichor that flows forth and rains down upon the creature's unfortunate target sets flesh and soul alike on fire. Since the Heldrake is more of a general flyer and not a dedicated ground attack craft, the fact that it can use a Flamer weapon, this one in particular, to engage airborne targets suggest that the Baleflamer is viable for installation on other aerial units such as the Hell Blade, though that might be a bad example since the whole set that makes this Flamer work is likely very heavy and impractical for an aircraft that primarily relies on speed as an interceptor. A Harbinger, on the other hand...
It used to be a potent weapon of unrelenting rape as it can ignore cover and fire in a 360 degree radius on a flyer. Now, it has been nerfed to be more balance – still powerful, however, just not as game-breaking as before.
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Warpfire Flame Cannon[edit]
Note: should not be confused with the Imperium's Flame Cannon.
This lazily-named "Flame Cannon" is a weapon that betrays its generic nominal nature – as such, some people have taken into calling it the "Warpfire Flame Cannon" in order to avoid confusion and make it sound more awesome. So, the Warpfire Flame Cannon is a type of Flamer weapon that is installed on the Tzeentchian airborne Daemon Engines called Doom Wings and the Fire Lords.
These daemonically-possessed vehicles are assault aircraft that take the forms of gigantic birds of prey and are completely dedicated to the service of Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Change and Deceit. The Doom Wing is armed with a single Warpfire Flame Cannon located under its avian skull-shaped nose/beak. The Fire Lord, by merit of being larger in size, is armed with two, one on each of its wings. The Warpfire Flame Cannon is special because it fires the eponymous and deadly Warpfire which is capable of being used to strafe ground targets as well as to attack other aircraft in a dogfight. This Warpfire can mutate and turn its victims into the nameless ones or reduce them into multi-colored gases.
It's a real shame that GW couldn't come up with a more badass name than Flame Cannon; seriously...
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Eldar Variations[edit]
Though the Imperium has by far the most flame weapons, certain aliens also employ them. The Eldar is just one of them.
Eldar Flamer[edit]
The lazily named Eldar Flamer is the diet-lite version of the Dragon's Breath Flamer by merit of having lower reach and range than the Aspect-exclusive weapon.
As all things Eldar, they are much more advanced than the Imperium's version (Although how advanced is up to debate). They are used by Storm Guardians to support their encounters in close-quarters combat, and by Wraithlord constructs as a choice of secondary weapons mounted on their shoulders for assault orientation. As Flamers, they need to have a fuel source. Since conventional Promethium mining is dirty and does not fit to the whole Eldar aesthetics, it is likely that the Craftworld Eldar "cultivate" the fuel for their Flamers.
Unlike Warpflamer which probably has Warp-snuff and/or a fiery Tzeentchian Daemon for fuel, the Eldar's choice for their fuel is likely half and half consisting of legitimate (possibly psycho-organic) base of sublime quality mixed with a little dash of psychic mumbo jumbo, either as the other half of the ingredients or a refining process. It might even smell either like soap or pain depending on what kind of Eldar we're talking about. The Dark Eldar does not seem to employ Flamers in their arsenal, likely because being burned alive has such a high mortality rate – and that is a red flag for one of a few factions in this grimdark universe that actually prefers to take prisoners. (It may also be because of possible nerve damage from fire as various IRL burn victims can attest, thus less torture methods work.) Although they do have a Heat Lance, Melta has more of a control compared to the widespread cleansing Flamer.
Despite the fluff saying otherwise, these Flamers share very little if no difference at all compared to the Imperial Guardsmen/Space Marine/Sisters of Battle standard-issue Flamers. This is obviously an attempt by GW to streamline the Flamer rule and make a blatantly unbalanced game, well, balanced.
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Dragon's Breath Flamer[edit]
This flamethrower here is an upgrade to the regular Eldar Flamer used by Exarchs of the Fire Dragons.
This weapon is loyal to its name and can sear anything that gets within range of their wielders. By function, they are similar to the Heavy Flamers employed by the military forces of the Imperium of Man, although in terms of appearance, there is very little difference between that and the regular Eldar Flamer other than the way its fuel canister is attached and a longer nozzle to project the ignited fuel at an increased range – that is to say, it is basically a little larger than the regular Eldar Flamer. As elegant and deceptively fragile-looking as all Eldar devices, the Dragon’s Breath is more sophisticated and efficient than the bulkier Imperial Flamers. It utilizes a trio of rare, highly-compressed chemicals designed to ignite when mixed, forming liquid gouts of flame that arc outward in a deadly spray. The chemicals do not need air for combustion, and the heavy spray adheres to most surfaces, making extinguishing the flames difficult – Eldar napalm, basically. The Dragon’s Breath Flamer must be used in an atmosphere, though that atmosphere does not have to be the standard oxygen-nitrogen mix. The fire can probably burn anything in the air as long as there is something in the air.
An interesting feature to note is that this Flamer, along with the Fire Lance, doesn't have a tube attached to the Aspect Warrior's arm, specifically the elbow. This tube might just be another essential component for Eldar infantry-sized Flamer and Fusion weapons in general to work. Both the Fire Lance and this Dragon's Breath Flamer are depicted on tabletop with the Exarch "holding" it and not in a ready-to-fire kind. Fuegan, however, holds his Firepike by the grip, and there is a tube attached to his arm. To top it off, a Fire Dragon model carries his Fusion Gun by the handguard without a tube attached as he is about to throw a grenade. All in all, this suggests that in order to fire these weapons, it must somehow interact with the user's armour. The ingredient here might be of psychic quality because Eldar. Anywho, it practically exists as a piece of fluff; as while there is an option to give one to a model on the tabletop, so far no one has been dumb enough to actually take that option over the basic Fusion Gun or Fire Lance.
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Ork Variations[edit]
Orks love their flamers just as much as they like their Dakka. So they have made a few to spare.
Burna Bottle[edit]
For more information, see here: Burna Bottle
Burna Bomb[edit]
For more information, see here: Burna Bomb
Burnas[edit]
Not so much a gun as a furious campfire, the Burna is the Orky answer to a need for a Flamer.
Given to pyromani-orks, these weapons are devastating, especially if wielded en-masse. Orks being Orks, they always are. They are also explosive due to the huge backpack full of propane and propane accessories that the wielder, likely an Ork, needs to fuel the weapon. The Orks employ Burnas for their flamer-duties. These weapons are unique because they can also be used as cutting torches to deal serious damage in close combat (AP3 marineopeners ftw! Unfortunately, they can only fire as a flamer or take on a better melee profile, but not both.).
Because Ork technology emphasizes versatility as seen with the Choppa, the Burna is often used as a construction tool in creating war machines fitting for the Orks. For fuel, Burnas use a rather toxic liquid which is usually a mix of pressured squig-oil and Promethium, home-brewed by the Mekboys, each of whom has his own recipe of the burnin' brew. Like most examples of Ork technology when used by a proper Ork, Burnas are designed to be very robust and can sustain the worst sort of battering. They have to be, given that they are often used in close combat as improvised bludgeons after the burnin' brew runs out. Orks obsessed with fire in particular often equip themselves with Burnas, forming up mobs of Burna Boyz.
They are also essentially a burning gas-can, strapped on a stick, to give you a hint on what they usually look like.
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Splash Burna[edit]
The Splash Burna is what happens when you ask a Mek Boy to take parts from a Space Marine plasma weapon and combine them into what we can consider to be a standard Ork Burna.
Not considered to be a kombi weapon, this hybrid functions (essentially) like a Plasma Gun, but the fuel source is Promethium home-brewed by the local Meks, rather than the usual hydrogen fuel and/or whatever the Meks use to power their Kustom guns. The coils on it still perform a vital function, however, super heating that same fuel to temperatures extreme even to an average Burna Boy. On the effects themselves, that liquid discharged from the Splash Burna somehow clings better to the unlucky targets, causing greater sustained damage compared to the common burnin' brew. The fuel pack, on the other hand, is extremely precarious and often explodes if shot on. As we all know with most Ork weapons that are at least remotely near on the advanced side of the spectrum, the Splash Burna is prone to mechanical failure and self-destruction. Due to its Plasmic nature, the risks of things going wrong is absolutely high. You may expect a lot of Orks being blown up by their own weapons because of the lack of any cooling ports located/installed on the Splash Burna.
Think of it as a "Plasmathrower" of sort, or a Melta that fires a continuous stream of atomizing radiological masers. Or in any other case, it is the Orkified (quasi-looted) version of the Tau's Phased Plasma Flamer in terms of nature, but an Orky Melta in terms of function.
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Burna Exhaust[edit]
The Burna Exhaust is less of a weapon and more of a pyrotechnic display used by the Kustom Boosta-Blasta; doesn't stop the Orks from using it like a weapon anyway. These rows of pimped-out V8 exhaust pipes are located on the side of the engine and on the side of the buggy for a total of 12 exhausts on either side of the vehicle.
When a Boosta-Blasta charges pass by the target, the trigger-happy Grot in the passenger seat pulls his fire-lever, causing rows of exhausts lining the vehicle to project tongues of flames that engulf everything nearby. So do Kustom Boosta-blasta leave twin paths of flame in their wake as they hurtle across the battlefield. When an entire mob of these vehicles thunders through enemy lines, they create a fiery trail known as 'da burnin highway'. It is a scenario when one can appropriately play High Way to Hell when this thing kicks into gear.
Crunchwise, these are the Kustom Boosta-Blasta's burnas. Range 8" Assault d3 S4 AP0 D1, autohits. You are gonna light up enemy infantry as you do a drive-by barbeque. This is a vehicle you DO. NOT. want to be around during its movement phase.
Skorcha[edit]
This mechanism here is an Orky version of either the Heavy Flamer or the Inferno Cannon.
The Skorcha, unlike the Burna, is literally a tried and true flame-thrower, a device designed to hurl burning fuel, with a volatile mixture of gases and liquids compressed into a cylinder. When a valve is opened, the mixture is forced through the Skorcha's nozzle and sprayed over a target area, reducing it to burning shambles in seconds. As mentioned, it is basically the Ork's equivalent of a Heavy Flamer, usually mounted on vehicles such as Killa Kans, Grot Tanks or Wartrakk Skorchas; or as a secondary weapon on bigger Ork war machines that seem to be in need of a little dash of pyrotechnics. Skorchas are dangerous, unreliable and spectacular weapons, and so are very popular among Orks who lean towards the hotter side of their usual hobbies. As of the 8th edition, there is now a Kombi-Weapon with its very own mini Skorcha. Yes, you read that right – not a mini Burna, but a mini Skorcha, though it has only enough fuel to fire out the burnin' brew in only a single shot just like the humie's Exterminator attachment.
Like most flamers in 8th edition, Skorchas are now able to auto-hit targets on the charging phase, make that of what you will as you ain't gonna need it since you will be the ones charging. The Skorcha/Killa Kan combo can be one of the most devastating assault units available if you play it right, so have fun and cause some chaos.
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Supa-Skorcha[edit]
The Skorcha's bigger brother on steroids, for this instance usually mounted on Mekboy Junkas, Mega Dreads and Big Trakks by merit of being too big to carry by typical Orky hands.
These badass mofos are for those Orks who really like to turn the ground into a lake of fire. The Supa-Skorcha is so big that it can only be effectively mounted on the largest of vehicles the Orks manufacture. Despite not having models, there are rules for it in 8th edition. Yes, you read that right. Unfortunately, there aren't any official models for the Supa-Skorcha due to GW incompetence.
Fortunately, the beauty of Orks is that you can just kitbash anything and it will still be considered cannon/kanon to an extent depending the material in question; hence, a lot of modelers have made their own flavors of Supa-Skorchas, more often than not duct-taping various Ork Skorchas or Imperial Flamers together to make a pyromaniac piss himself in glee. On the tabletop, Supa-Skorchas are ridiculous, especially on the Big Trakk for example. On the Big Trakk, this hot thing is a 4D3 weapon that obviously autohits with 24" range S6 and AP-2... God damn. Equip that Trakk with two additional Skorchas and load it with 6 Nobz with Kombi-Skorchas, and you now have a vehicle that can fucking rival an Angel Infernus Land Raider in sheer literal fire-power.
The only downside of the Supa-Skorcha is that it is quite pricey, and your enemy will most likely target it for immediate destruction.
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Flamebelcha[edit]
The big cheddar cheese of the Ork Flamer family, the equivalent and answer to the Imperium's Inferno Gun, the Flamebelcha is one of the largest known Ork Flamer so far known to the Imperium of Man.
Like the Gaze of Mork, the Flamebelcha is usually mounted on a Stompa's head – whether it is situated in an eye or the mouth of the effigial head of Gork (or is it Mork?), it doesn't matter so long as it can bathe and incinerate an entire battalion on fire. Only the Goff Klawstompa variant of the Stompa family is known to utilize this. And given the rarity of Goffs using superheavies in general, it makes the Flamebelcha one of the rarest and least used Ork weapons to date. It is certainly curious that the "Gaze of Mork" does not have its Gorky opposite. Though we can attribute it to the fact that it is the Meks who build the damn Stompas, and so they take priority in which part of the GM they want to revere on them, the fact that pairings such as Gorkanauts and Morkanauts exist derails that sense of exclusiveness.
Since the Goffs – the most Gorky klan out there – do deploy these on their Stompas, it is likely that the Flamebelcha may also be known as the "Gaze of Gork." A valid reason to why they don't just call it like that just like Mork's might just be that the Orks haven't reached a solid conclusion in their race-wide theological debate on whether the Flamebelcha or a really Dakka-friendly Kannon should represent Gork's eye – not every Ork is a pyromani-ork.
Currently, there are neither rules nor official models for the Flamebelcha in 8th edition, although there were rules back in 7th edition and Christ ol'mighty was this thing powerful. Essentially, this weapon was a S6 AP3 Hellstorm-template weapon. Oh yes, automatic S6 hits, you could say goodbye to most infantry at that point.
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Splasha Attack Gun[edit]
The Splasha Attack Gun or the Slasha Attack Gun is possibly the largest Ork incendiary weapon in the game. If the Flame Belcha is considered the big cheddar cheese of the family, then the Splasha Attack Gun is the entire fucking cheese wheel.
As the Splasha Attack Gun is a type of Ork Titan-class Flame Weapon mounted only on the Slasher Gargants, it boasts increased range and enough fuel to make an Inferno Gun look impotent. You wanna bathe an entire Hive City on fire, this is the weapon for you. It is double-barrelled for twice the burny power. Moreover, it shares the same name as the Splash Burna, but whether it means that the Splasha Attack Gun is a Plasmathrower hybrid is unknown, but one can imagine the results...
Unfortunately, due to GW incompetence, the Splasha Attack Gun is only seen in Epic.
Tau Variations[edit]
The space Weeaboos also dishes out a few flame weapons. Though not as metal as the Imperium/Chaos counterparts.
Tau Flamer[edit]
Used by Crisis Battlesuits, Ghostkeel, and Stormsurge platforms; the Tau's usual function for their Flamers is to deter close-ranged attackers, not particularly wiping out hordes.
In order to not be left out on this category since other races seem to have their own Promethium projectors, the Tau Empire's Earth Caste has developed Flamers designed for use as a weapon system for the XV8 Crisis Battlesuits, possibly right after they discovered actual Promethium and figured out the ways to mine and refine it. These same XV8 Crisis Battlesuits can also choose to use a twin-linked version of these Flamers, in which case it will take up two of their three available system hardpoints.
Most often equipped when Battlesuit teams are expected to be fighting massed, lightly-armored opponents, Tau Flamers are lethal weapons when used against foes in dense terrain. Due to the nature of said Battlesuits and Tau tactics in general, they are not intended to be used as a primary weapon (Farsight's pyromaniac buddy/possible fangirl Torchstar gives zero shits about this and dual-wields them anyway). It curiously looks like a toy piece ripped straight out of Lego, which doesn't really make it look 40k. But like all things 40k, this is still a proper, military-grade Flamer that should not be underestimated.
Suffice to say, the designs of the Tau Flamer is one of repetitive facepalms.
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Thermoneutronic Projector[edit]
The Tau have found their own way of making a flamethrower fit with the over-the-top nature of this universe.
The Sept responsible for this Flamer's development is Vior'la, home to the most aggressive Fire Warriors and also Commander Farsight as well – no wonder why they're interested with Flamers enough to make a Signature System out of it. Vior’la weapons developers have focused their efforts heavily on Flamer technology, responding to their Commanders’ desire for maximum-impact close-range ordnance. In the context of the Tau, close range is usually synonymous to suicidal. That is how hot-blooded they are, and also the background behind coming up with the Thermoneutronic Projector.
Though the name may suggest that this Flamer uses some kind of elaborate system which somehow turns neutrons into fire, the truth is a bit less elaborate. The Thermoneutronic Projector uses volatile gases siphoned from the corona of a neutron star to expel a flame capable of searing through the armor plating of a battle tank. The volatile gases themselves are not specifically mentioned, but we can probably say it's better than your average Promethium, which is weird because Neutron stars are already dead, being the core of a star gone supernova, don't have Coronas anymore, and are slowly cooling down (being cold for a star); you wouldn't have to go far to harvest these "volatile gases," because most matter in the universe comes from the spent starsplooge. So re-- *Fhwoosh*, NO ONE CARES, gue'la, for Earth Caste Tech operates far beyond your comprehension.
Since this is the proof of concept that the Tau is capable of making flamethrowers that can melt armor, it's only a matter of time before the Tau figures out how to mass produce it.
Despite how hot this Flamer is, it sure didn't save Vior'la when rabid Khornate Berzerkers slaughtered it whole – so that might count as a major setback for this Flamer here.
On the tabletop, the Thermoneutronic Projector is an upgrade to a single flamer, making it S4 AP-2 D2, making it very useful for killing Marines. It also has a dual-function of being usable in melee, giving the bearer D6+2 additional attacks in melee with the same profile. As a prototype non-Relic, a Tau Commander can equip both the Projector and an Onager Gauntlet (which no longer limits you to a single donkey punch), meaning you now have at least one T'au unit (besides Farsight) that is actually dangerous in melee. The only drawback is that even though it is a flamer, you must roll to hit with the Projector, shooting or not.
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Phased Plasma-Flamer[edit]
Trust the people at Games Workshop to make a Gatling version of any weapon, however inappropriate it is...
The Phased Plasma Flamer is a triple-barreled Gatling Flamer mounted on Y'Vahra Battlesuits. Loyal to its name, this Flamer shoots out fire so hot it can be mistaken as Plasma and burns through Terminator Armour – a suit that is designed to work inside their equivalent of a nuclear reactor – and turns a marine inside it to crisp in a split second. Much like Imperial Flame Cannons and the Chaos Baleflamers, it spurts out fire at a considerable distance. By appearance, it is similar to the triple-barreled Flamer used by the Knight Valiants. Unlike the Conflagration Cannon, this Flamer actually has individual pilot lights for each of the barrels.
A thing to note about its name is the very fact that it is a "Phased Plasma" weapon. The Tau is not the only one with that kind of technology. The Imperium also has a Phased Plasma Fusil which is basically a more reliable Plasma weapon simply because it is "Phased," which is fitting to the Tau's technological aesthetics which consists of experimentality AND reliability, and so they use it in their arsenal; and it seems that only they have the eccentricity to combine the latter part with Flamer and turn it into a "Plasma-Flamer", out of all things, like the Orks. It is comparable and more efficient than the Splash Burna of the Orks; that is, without the chances of it blowing up at your face if you accidentally nudge a loose screw or something.
Have we mentioned that the Plasma-Flamer fires in bursts? Because it does. Your army is now officially fucked.
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Necron Variations[edit]
The Necrons only have one kind of Flamer, but one is all they fucking need.
Gauntlet of Fire[edit]
A Gauntlet of Fire is a Necron weapon that takes the form of an armored glove and vambrace, that is to say a gauntlet, that crackles and flows with viridian flame.
The Gauntlet’s mechanisms are controlled by a series of sub-mechadermal filaments, giving the wielder a level of control over the Gauntlet-Flamer as fine as that over his own hand. A Gauntlet of Fire is capable of firing a great column of green flame, with similar effects compared to an Imperial Flamer. It can also be used in close combat in the form fiery fist that is more likely to hit and harm the foe, as well as set them alight for a time. Gauntlets of Fire are weapons found exclusively as part of the armouries of Necron royals which have a "Lord" in their names such as Necron Overlords, Necron Lords, and Necron Destroyer Lords.
Since it only fires in a Flamer-ish template, do not expect your Lord to be shooting fireballs and the like. He is only going to spill out fire like a normal Flamer. Since it is kind of one-of-a-kind in terms of appearance – without a blatantly obvious barrel to speak of like the Flamestorm Gauntlet – this Gauntlet does raise a question on where the flame part of the Flamer actually comes from. If you look closely at the palm, there is a small nozzle which presumably projects out the fire in question. The spherical crest-thingy on the back of the hand is likely the mindbogglingly advanced fuel source which may last until the end of time before it needs to be swapped.
As far as the tabletop's concerned, it is a Flamer that also allows its user to reroll to hit and to wound in melee. So, why don't you remember it? Because any decent melee-fighting Necron is not going to leave his Warscythe at home, duh. You may see some more in 7th now that they can bring BOTH. As of 8th Edition's Index Xenos 1, nobody else can take one except our Imotekh here.
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Gauntlet of the Conflagrator[edit]
Fortunately for the Necrons of this edition who don't get to wear a Gauntlet of Fire anymore, there is still one another Gauntlet that shoots out fire.
Unfortunately, the fire in question is only worth a single shot for the rest of your Necron army's deployment. Crafted by the Cryptek with the eponymous title, Harri’apt the Conflagrator, this gauntlet uses interdimensional energy-exchangers to open a microscopic conduit to the raging heart of a star. The superheated plasmic flame that erupts through this hole is forced down a cone of hyperdense gravitons that spew the energy forth in a blazing split-second cloud of unstoppable fury. The Gauntlet of the Conflagrator here probably has a significant levels of insulation. Even if it's just for a split-second, this is still many millions worth in Kelvin we're dealing with here at the very least. For comparison, our bodies (assuming that the reader is human) are merely 300-ish Kelvin, and lava is at only about 1500-ish Kelvin.
This is just the first part, the next thing you want to do with a portal that spews out extremely hot stuff is making sure it's spewing out at the correct direction. This is where fairly potent gravity waves come in to dictate where exactly that hot stuff that managed to make it through the portal has to go. Opening a portal as well as maintaining super gravity for a moment? Yeah, that sounds like something that will empty a super advanced battery in that same moment.
The Gauntlet of the Conflagrator is a testament to the fact that the Necrons have long figured out the way to use portal guns; imagine mobility gels, but instead of moving you, they melt you through and through.
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Tyranid Variations[edit]
The Nids also only have one variation. Although seeing how fire spoils some important genetic materials, it is understandable why they only need one variation. Too bad that one variation has a notoriety for being terribad until 8th ed.
Flamespurt Cannon[edit]
Used by the Pyrovores, these Biomorphs are notable for being smarter than the creatures that carry them.
The Pyrovore is a little more than an ambulatory digestive system installed within a squat and vicious body, containing nothing that does not serve it in sating the Great Devourer’s hunger. Its role within the Tyranid swarms is to find the choicest morsels on the world the Hive Fleet happens to be in the middle of consuming, from living flesh to exotic minerals required by the strange leviathans in orbit above it.
Basically, the beast om nom noms the delicious biomass and makes it ready for easy digestion. Now, this is where the Flamespurt comes in. As a form of self-defense and/or offensive measure, it presumably uses that same digested matter as fuel to ejaculate out hot, sticky liquid at the opposing foe. Although similar, it is unlikely for these flames to be considered a proper Bio-plasma the Tyranids are so fond of – most of their organic platforms that do use that kind of Biomorph are dedicated to fighting whatever that is going to be digested soon enough, while a Pyrovore is more of a platform for gathering resources that is both tough and capable of contributing to the battle if the need arises. Since the Tyranid fleets back in Battlefleet Gothic has a "Pyro-acid Battery" among their arsenal, this Pyro-acid here might just be the refined fuel used by the Flamespurt.
Thanks to 8th edition, they are now basically Heavy Flamer equivalents that are Assault; meaning, you can run and shoot with them on a fairly durable and cheap platform which also packs a decent punch in melee. Nice.
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