M7057 flamethrower

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

- Anonymous E2-BAG/1/7 serviceman

The M7057/Defoliant Projector 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, 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, being rougly two times larger (and a twice as much fuel) with a shorter and wider nozzle (which means a wider, deadlier spray). 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 it's target in less than two seconds as seen at the Omegathon.



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, and must drop the weapon to melee and cannot use grenades or equipment. The weapon is resisted by the bubble shield, "washing over the shield."

Observations
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. That having been said; 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.

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 you a direct line of sight to damage you). It also has a large fuel supply unlike it's Halo PC counterpart.

To counterbalance this, you cannot refuel the flamethrower, and you move slower and cannot melee or 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 incinerated that person, you take damage.

Influences
The Defoliant Projector Flamethrower was inspired by a similar flamethrower from the Marathon series. The shark-like decal the chemical properties of said fuel.