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Best Uses / Practices: Flamethrowers
What's the most feared close assault weapon? The Flamethrower of course.. who wants to get roasted alive? Certainly not your pixelated patriots and you should not let them!
The Flamethrower can be an event changing weapon when used in close proximity of large numbers of enemy units, as it will incite a panic stricken riot out of the vicinity quite effectively. Watching the flames like a moth, the slow thinkers become charred remains, one must ID the threat quickly and get moving away from the flamer's range.
There is no defense, you must kill the flamethrower or burn.
The most powerful flamethrower is of course the armored one, he's a bit easier to move around and has the range to stay back a wee bit and keep pumping fuel on the victims. Use some care as igniting the entire area around a VP will keep your own men from claiming it as well :)
Some good tactics are to suppress the enemy and pin them in position with MG & rifle fire, while moving the Flamer up out of LOS to his effective range, (easier said than done) then covering the areas of retreat, once the flamer begins the torching, to pick off retreating units, will remove all resistance from the pocket in question.
The AI seems to target these units as a top priority target over any other, so you must ensure they can arrive at the point of attack safely.
Use care however with the human FTs and the Halftrack units as they are extremely weak against enemy MG fire and the Infantry AT weapons. Both are very good pocket resistance removers tho and should only be used against those isolated threats.
Trying to use them for scouting or advancing is a waste of a very potent weapon in close quarters combat.
Trying to use them to force a fight in a contested area is dangerous unless you are certain that it can survive contact.
You should try to reserve them for the punch you need to finish off an isolated threat.
I like to use the infantry flamers in defensive roles, hiding them with a covered arc and protecting them with some other units, usually around some wire or mines that forces the enemy into your path. Setting up a flaming ambush knocks the stuffing out of any unit caught in the trap.
A quick back to hide order will sometimes keep the FT hidden while your protecting units distract the enemy and make him lose contact again, allowing you to reposition and set up another ambush.
Flamethrowing tanks are awesome support weapons, if they survive the enemy AT efforts. Again, using them as front line assets is a waste of their potentials, unless they have a separate main gun capable of engaging the enemy at range. Using them in packs is a very effective tactic as 2 can cover 1 and by leapfrogging them you ensure they all have fuel remaining for more combat.
Flamethrowers are also very effective tank killers in close quarters such as city and heavy wooded areas. They can also force the enemy to relocate if their position is caught on fire, allowing you a chance at a shot you would not have not gotten otherwise.
Let's hear some others' tips and tactics on flamers!
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Best Uses / Practices: Flamethrowers
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