M7057 flamethrower

"It takes a real lunatic to use a flamethrower…"

— Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

Summary

The M7057/Defoliant Projector, more commonly known as the M7057 Flamethrower, is a United Nations Space Command ground weapon.

Description

The M7057/DP is a standard chemical flamethrower, which projects and ignites a stream of a volatile, semi-liquid fuel. Flamethrowers are cumbersome and relatively difficult to use (psychologically as well as mechanically). It appeared in the multiplayer of Halo PC and Halo 3.

The Halo 3 version of the M7057/DP varies slightly from its first appearance in Halo PC, being roughly two times heavier (and about twice as much fuel) with a shorter and wider nozzle (which means a wider, deadlier spray). However, both flamethrowers still retain the similar shark decal despite these changes.

It also poses a threat to vehicles, a full three-second burst being able to destroy a Warthog.

The flamethrower is extremely powerful in Halo 3 and can kill its target in less than three seconds as seen at the Omegathon.[1]

The Flamethrower as seen in Halo 3.

It is the second human weapon that overheats with the first being the Spartan Laser. It has a built in system that makes the weapon to stop firing when it reaches a certain temperature. If the weapon fired while overheated, it would melt or explode, and the heat and the flames would harm the user.

However, the Flamethrower's power comes at a cost: it can only sustain fire for about three seconds before it overheats. In Halo PC, the Flamethrower overheats if used nonstop at 40% out of the 100% fuel.

The M7057 is in the Support Weapons category, like the Missile Pod and AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun, meaning wielders use the weapon in a third-person perspective and at a slower movement rate, and must drop the weapon to melee and cannot use Grenades or Equipment.

The Bubble Shield isn't affected by this weapon, with the flames "washing over the shield."

Referring to the M7057/DP as a weapon is a bit of a misnomer as the "DP" in its nomenclature indicate that it is a 'Defoliant Projector'—to be used to rapidly clear away heavy foliage for in-theater construction projects and to destroy new or persistent growth from emplaced and/or hardened military assets.

The Flamethrower was introduced in Halo CE as a smaller arm of death; however, in Halo 3, the Flamethrower has upgraded from the Halo CE version.

Combat

Advantages

In Halo 3, the Flamethrower is far more powerful, laying waste to any opponent in close quarters, and can be used strategically to put flame in front of entry ways as a denial of entry, or to shoot it while running backwards around a corner (giving you the ability to damage them but denying them a direct line of sight to damage you. It also has a large fuel supply unlike its Halo PC counterpart.

It also kills the majority of Flood forms nearly instantly. Combat forms will die but they continue to move for a few seconds and will come after you while on fire, which depletes your shields.This makes it more strategically useful to attack with a more conventional weapon.

Disadvantages

In Halo PC, the Flamethrower's reload rate is very slow, making the player vulnerable to all sorts of damage. Secondly, the Flamethrower is very rare, and respawns at a very slow rate. Third, the Flamethrower's splash damage can also ensure the player to be consumed by flames if they fire at opponents at a very close range. The Flamethrower is also incapable of doing ranged attacks, therefore, while using this weapon in combat, your movement options are limited. It also flouts a powerless range ability, that can clearly be seen from afar, making you a target for snipers or sharpshooters.

In Halo 3, like with all support weapons, you cannot refuel the Flamethrower, and you move slower and cannot melee. You also cannot throw grenades or use equipment without having to drop it first. Also, if any enemies who are on fire walk into you, or you walk over a corpse having just been incinerated, you take damage. The Flamethrower is only a threat in confined space; in open spaces, it's very hard to directly harm your opponent, and your opponent will keep firing until the flames consume its victim into a blazing inferno.

Role in Campaign

With the Flamethrower's campaign introduction in Halo 3, it has become, indisputably, one of the best anti-Flood weapons. The hardest type of Flood to fight, the Flood Pure Forms, will die nearly instantly upon lighting on fire, and destroy any infection form that runs over the flames. Though still highly effective against Flood Combat Forms, they still live for some time while on fire, which can produce some awkward moments of avoiding their charging, flaming bodies.

A good attribute is that it can begin killing multiple combat forms at once, with the ones on fire possibly lighting other ones on fire. Once they die, their bodies are consumed by the fire and will not be able to be resurrected by Flood Infection Forms. In fact, any Infection form that runs towards the body will also be consumed by flame. It can also be used to destroy a pile of combat forms so they won't come back if an infection form finds them.

This also seems to be the only support weapon in Halo 3 that wasn't originally turret-mounted. And also, it is unknown how a couple of Humans in the level Floodgate which wielded it before they were killed by the Flood, used it.

Multiplayer Role

The Flamethrower on Snowbound

The Flamethrower, by Matchmaking default, only appears on the map Construct.

The Flamethrower is best used in close quarters combat. The trail of flame can act as a temporary smokescreen to blind snipers with. It is especially effective if used to retreat by running backwards away from an enemy to leave a trail of flame, deterring would-be pursuers from giving chase to a wall of fire, use caution because the Flamethrowers damage is reduced when running backwards.

It is effective as a denial of area weapon, you can put the flames in doorways or on flags to discourage anyone from crossing that area, and damaging those that do (possibly even catching on fire and killing unshielded opponents).

As a Slayer weapon, it is recommended to use it to surprise people entering enclosed spaces, it is very lethal up close.

You can shoot the flames around a corner as you run backwards around a corner, and any opponent dumb enough to pursue will be roasted by flames but unable to get a line of sight to get you themselves.

Sometimes, players even wait near the some strategic points, with active camouflages, like where opponents alight once fired from the Man Cannon, where they will overfry them by surprise.

Most types of equipment can often be at your advantage at escaping the flames, like deploying a Radar Jammer(although now not available in matchmaking) to confuse the enemy if he/she can't exactly see you due to the continuous flames, and since you'll be moving about, the enemy can't exactly identify you from the "Fake" red dots on his radar. Deploying a Power Drain will cause the wielder of the Flamethrower to cease fire temporary to avoid having their shields to be drained if smart enough, but if the wielder is somewhat dumb enough to carry on firing, the power drainer will ultimately let the wielder be prone to most any type of weaponry fire.

In Halo PC, it is in every map.

Tactics

File:Flame thrower06.png

An Elite using the M7057/Defoliant Projector on High Ground.

• Guarding the bomb carrier in Assault

• Guarding your VIP

• Defending the hill in King of the Hill

• Defending the flag in Capture the Flag

• Saves you from being killed on certain cases in Juggernaut

UNSC Remarks

• "Foxtrots die pretty quick once you put the fire to 'em. We oughta burn 'em all. Low-life bastards. Burn all those low-life alien foxtrots."

• "Gotta get too close for it to be any use offensively—if you're gonna use it as a weapon best to use it in a defensive role—fill up passages and weak-points in your perimeter with fire."

• "Makes short work of weeds and thickets—but I wouldn't carry one into combat. Not on your life."

• "I can see where it would be real effective in ousting dug in troops, but you aren't gonna be making any friends using it that way."

• "I don't see why carrying around a big can of super-flammable stuff right next to my ass is such a good idea."

• "You know those things ship with a cart, right? You aren't expected to carry them anywhere… they are not a weapon that you use on people… not even on alien people."

• "Inferno, baby, inferno!" This quote is very rare, and only occurs with enough marines.

Influences

File:Weapon-flamethrower.jpg

The Flamethrower as seen in Halo PC

The Defoliant Projector Flamethrower was inspired by a similar flamethrower from the Marathon series.

The shark-like decal on it is borrowed from the WWII fighter plane model Curtiss P-40 which had the tiger-shark decal painted on it by the Flying Tigers (American Volunteer Group). It is also featured in Marathon, however, it is featured on the rocket launcher.

The Defoliant Projector's number, 7057, is a alpha-numeric callback to the Weapon from Marathon's name, the TOZT.

Trivia

• The Flamethrower's number designation, 7057, can be translated from "L337speak", and it means the TOST. It may be a reference to the Marathon Flame Thrower, which was named the TOZT-7, or it simply relates to the Flamethrower's function, to toast things.

• Strangely, even though UNSC remarks claim that their comrades wield the flamethrower, you can't give it to them in game. This may be due to game-balance issues. The only time when a Marine is seen wielding one ever is at the Halo 3 level Floodgate, it is seen being used inside the factory (the spot where your surviving marines hold position). Though you need camera mode to see the marine holding it, which he does for a few seconds.

• In Halo PC it has a proper 3rd Person animation for Campaign yet in the Xbox version if you looked at someone holding the Flamethrower they will have their hands down by their sides holding the flamethrower in the right hand pointing downwards.

• In the cut scene of the level Keyes, where the Master Chief retrieves Captain Keyes' neural implants, the Master Chief was meant to burn Keyes' skull out of the Brain Form and retrieve the implants. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the Flamethrower was removed. Lorraine Mclees was the one who actually had to skin the whole "burnt" skull and she added that "the skull was so gruesome no one could look at it."

• It is possible to spawn a flamethrower by devmode in the level Keyes, if Grunts caught fire, they would have a Reaction to being stuck. If you fire at an Elite, they will jump out of the way just like how they dodge a grenade.

• The targeting reticle of the flamethrower was taken from the deleted "gravity rifle" in Halo: Combat Evolved. In Halo CE, the reticle is very similar to the Shotgun's reticle

• In the Videogame 'Shadowrun', the weapon 'Mini-gun' has a shark decal much like the flamethrower from Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 3.

• In Halo 3, the flamethrower is unavailable in any level with Covenant soldiers in it.

• In Halo PC, the flamethrower is used through first person while in Halo 3 its used through third person.

• In Halo:CE, when Master Chief arms the flamethrower, he flips back a cover to expose a button. Next to the button is the character 下 or xia (or "down" in Chinese), you will only get a glimpse of it. To see it properly the animation must somehow be frozen.

• In Halo 3, on both Campaign and Custom Game the Flamethrower can destroy a vehicle and the flames will stay on just like a Firebomb Grenade.

• In Halo 3, if you go underwater in Last Resort, Valhalla or High Ground, the flamethrower will still work underwater and be able to burn people. However the flames must have already clumped to something and spraying into the water will have absolutely no effect on Spartan or Elite players.

• If you are to close to the flames of your flamethrower you can get set on fire.

• In Forge mode, if you spawn a flamethrower in Snowbound and fire at the snow, it will burn as if it was ground.

• A possible glitch is that in multiplayer levels such as High Ground, you can't put flames on the water, but you can catch a player on fire and they can go into the water and still be engulfed in flames.

• The Flamethrower is the best way to eliminate flood spores because the flames remain when its opened and the Infections burn to their death.

• Construct is the only map that carries the flamethrower in matchmaking and default setup, as well as very few maps being able to spawn it in forge.
• On Halo:Custom Edition, there is a weapon that is very similar to the flamethrower. It is basically a flamethrower but the barrel is a chain guns.
• On Halo:Combat Evolved, it is possible for the flames to "bounce" off the wall and burn yourself. It is also possible to burn yourself by touching a dead or alive target that is still on fire.

Sources

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