Flamer



"By bolter shell, flamer burst and melta blast, the mutant, the heretic and the traitor alike are cleansed of their sin of existence. So has it been for five millennia, so shall it be unto the end of time."

- Sister Immaculata, Words of Devotion, Verses IV-V, Chapter X, Volume LII

Flamers or "Flame Guns", comes in a wide variety of designs and patterns, but all are ideal for flushing out enemies in cover and putting groups of foes to the torch. The two most common variants of flamers either have a detachable fuel canister under the barrel or a hose connecting to a backpack canister. A flamer can have a backpack fuel canister instead of a detachable clip. Hand Flamers (also called "Burners") are more compact pistol version belonging to the family of Flamer Weapons. They require only one hand to wield. Along with possessing a lower-capacity fuel tank, a Hand Flamer has a much reduced range, which makes it suited for assault and close-combat purposes only, incinerating foes at short range. The weapon is used by Imperial assault forces such as Space Marine Assault Squads and Adepta Sororitas Seraphim units which employ them in pairs. Xenos races such as the Eldar, Orks and the Tau are also known to make use of such weapons.

Operation
Flame weapons project fire upon their foes and generally use a fuel referred to as Promethium, though it can also be a home-made concoction or other chemical brew depending on the local technology level. Most are a mono-propellant fuel that ignites via a smaller pilot flame at the tip of the barrel, though some flamers use binary hypergolic fuels. Once produced, the intense jet that spurts from the barrel creates a torrent of liquid fire, which spreads out in an inferno that burns even underwater, leaving enemies hard pressed to put out the fire.

Known Flamer Patterns

 * Anoxis Burst Pattern - A commonly used flamer within the Calixis Sector, it is also known (very informally) as "Hax's Breath", this flamer variant weapon shoots a quick pulse of fire designed more to frighten and repel than seriously injure. Unlike regular flame weapons, they do not spray a promethium stream so the targets are not smothered with flammable liquid. Unless hit at point-blank range, targets instead receive a burst of heat that may singe eyebrows or ignite loose clothing, but do not suffer any significant burns.
 * Astartes Flamer - The Flamer is an ideal weapon for flushing out enemies in cover and cleansing areas with purifying flame. The typical pattern employed by the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes accepts fuel through a pressure seal that can attach to a backpack feed for longer uninterrupted usage or a smaller canister for quick refuelling in bursts.
 * Astartes Hand Flamer - The Astartes Hand Flamer is a smaller and more compact version of the standard pattern Astartes Flamer that is still capable of unleashing large blasts of flame, but is good for only a few shots before the fuel canister must be swapped out.
 * Balefire Gun - Brutally effective against Orks and other xenos with natural regeneration, this flamer uses highly refined promethium fuel mixed with a number of radioactive compounds to both burn and irradiate foes. Only rarely deployed due to the collateral environmental damage it causes, balefire guns are used solely by the Deathwatch to cleanse particularly resilient xenos. They are particularly effective in controlling and eradicating Ork infestations.
 * Cadence Promethium "Destroyer" Incineration Device - A weapon produced only to order by special commission by the artisan-masters of Cadence, a commercial enterprise based in the rarefied halls of Nova Castillia on Fenksworld in the Calixis Sector. The "Destroyer" is a highly advanced pattern of hand flamer that uses force-compression technology similar to that of a plasma weapon to create a superheated thermal-incandescent blast that burns far hotter and with greater fuel efficiency than that of a usual flamer. If the stories are to be believed, the first commissioner of this weapon was none other than the legendary Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Ark-Ashten, although this is likely to be apocryphal.
 * Exterminator - Utilised exclusively by the fanatics of the Redemptionists upon the Hive World of Necromunda, "Exterminators" are particularly used by their Novice Brethren whose shooting skills are more enthusiastic than accurate. An Exterminator isn't really a weapon as such, it's more like a flamer nozzle attached to a small canister of fuel. This is strapped under a real basic weapon like an Autogun or a Shotgun to give the fighter carrying it a single-shot flamer to use at close quafters.
 * Flameburst - Created by heretek munitionsmiths in the Breaking Yards, a notorious location in the rimward reaches of the Koronus Expanse that consists of a series of massive asteroids and the remains of planets tethered together. It is owned and operated by a cartel of pirates. This pattern of flamer has become widespread amongst those who cannot or will not deal with legitimate sources of technology. The fuel is run through a crude but effective compressor before reaching the nozzle, generating brief gouts of flaming promethium that reach further than those projected from conventional flamers. However, the compressor pump does not work quickly, causing a seconds-long delay between shots. Even so, it's popular amongst the constant fighting that takes place in the Breaking Yards.
 * Gas Torch Flamer - The "torch" or "gas-lighter", as most call it, is not strictly a weapon but an industrial tool that uses incandescent vapour to burn debris and clear the fungal growths that plague many hive duct-systems. The "gas-lighter" also serves well enough as a flamer for many low-rent hive gangs who can't afford the real thing and is frequently found in the hands of insurrectionists. The "torch" is nowhere near as effective (or stable) as a true flamer, but it is easy to procure and the wash of burning gas can still crisp flesh to cinders. Gas torches use bulky, ill-protected canisters to carry their fuel.
 * Hades-Pattern Mk III Assault Flamer - A commonly utilised pattern flamer by the troopers of the Imperial Guard, 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 reliability and efficiency, and it is a favourite of many light infantry regiments that prefer the speed it allows to raw killing power.
 * Hellfire Pattern - A rare weapon only utilised by the Astartes of the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach, the Hellfire Flamer is a modification of the tech that created Hellfire Bolt Rounds. It was recovered from the Omega Vault shortly after the first reports of Hive Fleet Dagon reached Watch Fortress Erioch. Mixing potent mutagenic acids into the refined promethium mix, the fire from a Hellfire Flamer eats away at chitin and bone with alarming speed, making it an ideal weapon for facing Tyranids.
 * Incinerator - Utilised by the mysterious Grey Knights Chapter, the Chamber Militant of the Inquisition's Ordo Malleus, Incinerators are actually Heavy Flamers that use a psychically impregnated form of Promethium that burns hotter and more fiercely and is particularly damaging to daemons. These weapons are fueled by the purest consecrated Prometheum, and, like Psycannons, are useful against Warp entities. These weapons are among the most effective in the imperial arsenal, forgoing the enemy's heretical armour, their cowardly cover, and their Warp-spawned magics.
 * Mezoa-Pattern - Flame pistols or hand flamers are small and good for only several shots, being designed for personal combat at close ranges. Each uses a canister mounted under the small barrel, making it a somewhat difficult to aim due to the heavy propellant case. Luckily the short ranged spray of flame it produces is enough to deal with most enemies.
 * Mk VII "Salamander" Assault Flamer - A somewhat common flamer variant made popular in the Calixis Sector's Tranch War, it uses a lighter fuel mixture at higher pressures, with inert propellant gas mixed in. The firing barrel has a large, thin nozzle, resulting in a wider but less powerful spray of promethium. Against lightly armoured foes like insurrectionists or Gretchin mobz, the weapon worked wonders, cutting down the creatures before they could overrun the defenders. Assault Flamers use backpack-mounted fuel canisters to lessen the weight of the gun itself and provide a more extensive fuel reserve. They also fire in a 45-degree arc as opposed to the normal 30-degree arc for Flame weapons. This weapon can be equipped with any flamer ammo.
 * Phaestos Pattern - These ancient, but reliable flamers units have served the Adeptus Astartes well since the Great Crusade era when they first departed from the Sol system to launch the Emperor's great campaign to reunite the disparate tribes of Humanity.
 * Seraphim Hand Flamer - Primarily used by the warriors of the Adepta Sororitas, these weapons are designed for use in pairs. Seraphim Hand Flamers can spew forth gouts of flame from both pistols at once. In addition the hand flamers are designed to be used in melee combat and 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.
 * Voss Pattern Nightfire - Purely a terror weapon, the "Nightfire" uses refined promethium blended with toxic chemicals. Used only by specialist assault troops in full protective gear, it not only burns but also poisons the surrounding air with noxious smoke. Foes who manage to survive the initial flames find themselves gasping for air once the toxins reach their lungs.

Notable Flamers

 * Surtur's Breath - Just as the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter know well how to protect themselves from flame, so too are they adept at its use. Many Salamanders alter their flamer with unique modifications and upgrades they have learned over a long career. One such modified flamer has a reputation with the members of the Deathwatch operating in the Jericho Reach. Legend says it once belonged to a particularly vicious Salamander by the name of Surtur who used a unique propellant that made the Flamer shoot at an extended range with terrifying ultraviolet fire.

Eldar

 * Dragon's Breath Flamer - Utilised exclusively by the Fire Dragons Aspect Warriors of the Eldar, the Dragon's Breath Flamer can unleash a ranging inferno upon a nearby foe. They are similar to the Heavy Flamers employed by the military forces of the Imperium of Man.
 * Firepike - A Firepike is a variant of the Fusion Gun used only by Fire Dragons Exarchs. These potent weapons pre-date the existence of the Imperium of Man, having been created by Eldar artisans long millennia ago. Operating similarly to most Melta Weapons, Firepikes project a lance of intense heat and radiation over a considerable distance that is capable of melting flesh and steel and carving through the toughest armour with deadly precision. Rare even amongst the arsenals of the Eldar, they are most often borne by the mightiest champions of their kind, relic weapons beyond contemporary means to reproduce even for the Eldar Craftworlds.
 * Fusion Gun - The Fire Dragons possess an unsurpassed mastery of heat-based weapons, and take savage delight in the devastation they create. They utilise a deadly Melta Weapon known as a Fusion Gun, a weapon that is unique to the Fire Dragons amongst the Eldar. Though it can only be used at short range, it possesses a sophisticated targetting system, as befits high status troops like Aspect Warriors. Like most Eldar technology, the weapon is psychically activated, its resonant Wraithbone construction being sensitive to the Eldar's innately psychic mind. A Fire Dragons' Fusion Gun is linked to its targetter via its handle.

Orks

 * Burnas - Flame has an undeniable appeal to the greenskin race. The fascination with fire and the ignoble art of setting light to things sometimes gets so profound that an Ork will join the ranks of the Burna Boyz. Burna Boyz utilise long, stripped-down flamethrowers from which they take their name. These "burnas" are able to spray great gouts of oily flame, and are linked to a sloshing tank of volatile promethium slung over their shoulder. Boyz can modify their burnas with special nozzles and valves that force out a fierce blue tongue of ire instead of a cloud of orange flame. This "cuttin' flame" is powerful enough to slice through anything up to a metal bulkhead. In battle, burnas prove extremely useful, as they are utilised to flush out enemy hiding in ruined buildings and woods. When facing heavily armoured opponents such as Space Marines, the Burna Boyz switch to their cuttin' flames and use their burnas to slice apart the foe.
 * Skorcha - These Ork weapons are custom built flamethrowers designed to hurl large gouts of flaming fuel. The fuel in question is a volatile mixture of gases and liquids and compressed into a cylinder. When a valve is opened the mixture is forced through the weapon's nozzle with a staccato gurgle, and directed over the target where it ignites with a loud audible noise that causes much hilarity for the Burna Boyz. Scorchas are dangerous, unreliable, spectacular and, as a consequence, highly popular.

Tau

 * Tau Flamers - The Tau Empire's Earth Caste has developed Flamers designed for use as a weapon system for Tau XV8 Crisis Battlesuits. XV8 Crisis Battlesuits can also choose to use twin-linked 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-armoured opponents, Tau Flamers are lethal weapons when used against foes in dense terrain.