In the campaign, for exactly one Kadaku mission, we are given the use of a flamer (Technically a pyreblaster, but come on, that name is too cool to be a generic weapon type and deserves to be a relic flamer wielded by Black Templars or Sisters of Battle, and besides, it's a flamer. Everyone calls it a flamer because that's exactly what it is.), which we use to navigate Nozick's ripper-infested research facility. And then we never see the flamer again. Flamethrowers are a staple of shooter games, and the flamer itself has a very thematic and even spiritual role in 40k's gothic atmosphere, and interfaces perfectly with the Imperium's theocratic nature. Together with the Bolter and Plasma, it creates the iconic trifecta of space marine weapons, with meltas being a more niche weapon type. In fact, both the Salamanders and the Black Templars--two very popular chapters--use flamers extensively, though admittedly it has a stronger association with the Salamanders.


When it comes to implementing them into the PvE gameplay loop, the Flamer weapons could be used for four functions:


  1.  Lingering damage. In addition to direct use against enemies with its high-pressure jet of burning promethium, once you stop shooting, it can cause lingering damage to anything it sets alight for a few seconds more.
  2. Carpeting the floor with fire. One thing I tried doing in this game with the flamer when I first got it (as well as the flamer in Darktide) was to cover the ground with flames, hoping that enemies that pass through it will catch on fire. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened in either case. Even if this is something unique to a Heavy Flamer variant, I would indeed love to see it be implemented.
  3. No summons. A Majoris enemy who's on fire may not be able to call for reinforcements.
  4. Ignores cover. It's often super annoying when I shoot at an enemy and there's railing in the way. You're telling me that an explosive armour-piercing rocket-propelled bolt that can punch through power armour and destroy light vehicles can't pass through a super thin piece of railing that I could probably destroy with my bare hands? As a result, only a portion of my rounds actually meet the enemy because of this and for no good reason. The great thing about weapons like the Meltas for instance is that they ignore cover, making the problem of railing disappear, and so would a flamer (even the Tabletop's flamer has the Ignores Cover keyword on it). This also means that your allies wouldn't block the damage of your flamer either. Of course this problem would be resolved if the game had some form of shooting through cover mechanic, but I'd still  be glad to see the flamer added. It'd just be a lower-damage higher-range melta, essentially.

The way I envision it is that the standard flamer would be the medium-power but also most versatile variant of the flamers, perhaps having a little more punch in its direct jet of fire along with a tighter cone of flames. The Heavy Flamer can be used for large groups of enemies, again, carpeting the ground with burning promethium, and having a wider cone of flames, essentially acting like a reusable shock grenade paint brush. The Hand Flamer would have the lowest gunstrike damage, but also sets enemies on fire for longer, and can also be useful for coating enemies with flames from above as Assault.


I'm not well-versed with the PvP side of things--I've only really played it for the achievements associated with it--but it could be an effective area-denial weapon with the carpeting effect, or can force enemies to get out of the area due to its lingering damage.


Do this so we might purge the xeno and the heretic more thoroughly, cleansing the soils of Kadaku, Avarax, and Demerium in holy fire.