M7057 flamethrower

"It takes a certain kind'a lunatic to use a flamethrower…"

- Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

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, especially when the fuel is located on the weapon itself). It appeared in the multiplayer of Halo PC and Halo 3. The Halo 3 version of the M7057 varies slightly from its first appearance in Halo PC, with a shorter and wider nozzle (which may mean a wider, deadlier spray). It also poses a threat to vehicles, a full three-second burst being able to destroy a Warthog.



However, the flamethrower's power comes at a cost: it can only sustain fire for about three seconds, so you'll need to pump the trigger once a burst dries out. The M7057 is in the Support Weapons category, like the Missile Pod, meaning wielders use the weapon in a third-person perspective and at a slower movement rate. The weapon is resisted by the bubble shield, "wash[ing] over the shield."

Observations
Referring to the M7057/DP as a weapon is a bit of a misnomer as the dee pea 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. That having been said; despite being all but obsolete militarily, its effectiveness as a psychological weapon is undeniable—unfortunately the psychological effect is a double-edged sword.

Disadvantages
Several things counterbalance the Halo 1 PC Flamethrower's high damage rate. First, it reloads slowly and is subject to overheating. Second, ammunition is often unavailable. And third, the Flamethrower can damage its own user if one walks into the trail of flame left behind by the weapon. This lets the enemy run away while stopping the user from giving chase.

If used at a distance, the Flamethrower takes longer to kill an enemy and might not even damage them. Finally, the Flamethrower is very rare. There are only one or two of them per map. Moving also affects the damage put out by the flamethrower. If you move forward while firing, the flame will be more damaging, but when moving backwards, the flame does about the same as an assault rifle. Therefore, while using this weapon in combat, your movement options are limited.

The Halo 3 Flamethrower can only be used in three-second bursts, and must be pumped between shots to increase the pressure of its flammable material. Further, it has much less ammunition than its original counterpart, only carrying nine three-second bursts instead of a 100% charge. As a support weapon, it reduces the wielder's speed. It retains the threat of collateral damage.

Influences
The Defoliant Projector Flamethrower was inspired by a similar flamethrower from the Marathon series. The shark-like decal on it is borrowed from the game as well. 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. There is also a high chance it was influenced by the flamethrower from the Aliens movies, as was the assault rifle.

Defoliating usage
Due to the weapon's name, it may be used as a way of clearing vegetation. A defoliant is a chemical sprayed or dusted onto plants to make their leaves fall off, and effectively kills them. The M7057 would distribute the defoliant (although it would be burning) over shrubs, bushes, and small trees that would impede a force's way, clearing a thick jungle path or burning an area where they could then set up camp, unimpeded by overgrowth. "Defoliant" may also simply refer to the fuel's effect on vegetation, but not actually describe the chemical properties of said fuel.

Role in Campaign
The flamethrower has actually proven to be a pretty useful weapon against the Flood in the Halo Custom Edition CMT Campaign for PC.

Now that the Flamethrower has been confirmed for Halo 3, this may spawn new strategies and tactics for its use in campaign mode, as Halo 3 is the first time a flame weapon can be used in the campaign mode of a Halo game (unless modded in the other games). It may be very effective against Brutes, as their fur may be set more a flame, and especially on the exposed tanks of the Ghost and possibly the Brute Chopper. It may replace the Shotgun and the Energy Sword as the main anti-Flood weapon, as the player can spread the flames around himself to repel the flood while simultaneously damaging them. The player can also use it to kill an entire swarm of Flood as they rush him. It has also been speculated that the Flamethrower may be a significant plot device, as it was originarily planned to be in the Halo:CE level, Keyes.

Multiplayer Role
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.

Tactics

 * Guarding the bomb carrier in Assault
 * Guarding your VIP
 * Defending the hill in King of the Hill
 * Defending the flag in Capture the Flag

UNSC Remarks

 * First actual positive comment)"Foxtrots die pretty quick once you put the fire to 'em. We ought 'a 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 where carrying around a big can of super-flammable stuff right next to my **** 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."

Trivia

 * The Flamethrower's number designation,7057, can be translated from "leetspeak", 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.


 * The Halo 3 flamethrower bears a resemblance to the original flamethrower from Halo PC. However the main differenece is it's fuel tank.


 * In the cutscene 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. However the burnt skull was said to be too gruesome to put into the game, so the flamethrower was removed.


 * Those who played Halo 2's campaign should recall the comment made by an Elite ally during the mission to a Forerunner facility around Threshold: "We should have brought weapons to burn these bodies. Every one is a vessel for Flood."