Hellbringers

''"Flamethrowers" redirects here. You may be looking for the NA4 or M7057 flamethrowers.''

The "Hellbringers" are an infantry specialization in the UNSC Marine Corps. Equipped with flamethrowers and deployed in two-person teams, Hellbringers are tasked with engaging entrenched infantry while suffering a high attrition rate.

Overview
Flamethrower-armed personnel are uncommon within the UNSC. They are deployed in pairs to engage only the most heavily entrenched enemies. Due to the strong opposition they face Hellbringers tend to suffer heavy casualties. As with all UNSC personnel who utilize flamethrowers in combat, Hellbringers are subjected to a battery of psychological analyses to determine their mental fitness for the role.

Hellbringers are armed with the NA4 flamethrower, a weapon that supports a wide variety of fuel mixtures for use in various atmospheric and gravitic conditions. The NA4 may be outfitted with an underslung M301 40mm grenade launcher which is often used to fire flashbang grenades; these grenades are used to incapacitate hostiles while the Marines move closer to engage. Hellbringers wear a flame-retardant suit with an enclosed helmet that offers a wide field of view. Flamethrower fuel is stored in a cylindrical backpack.

Gameplay
Hellbringers, identified simply as "Flamethrowers", are a playable unit in Halo Wars. Trained cheaply and quickly, Hellbringers are the UNSC's best anti-infantry unit. However, they perform poorly against armored vehicles and have no defense against air units. They need to get close to targets to engage them and thus can be easily dispatched by long-ranged units like Jackals equipped with beam rifles.

Upgrades

 * Flash Bang: Unlocks the Hellbringers' special ability to stun enemy infantry with flashbang grenades. Costs 200 resources.
 * Napalm Adherent: Allows the flame to stick to targets and continue to burn after the initial attack, causing continuous damage. Costs 400 resources.
 * Oxide Tank: Raises the temperature of the flame, increasing damage against organic targets. Costs 700 resources.
 * Adrenaline: Shared with regular Marines. Improves base movement speed, allowing Hellbringers to close with enemies faster. Costs 250 resources.

Strategies
A good strategy is to make Hellbringers en masse and then transport them into combat via Pelicans. This helps cut their casualties when traveling, as they cannot defend themselves from long range. As a defensive strategy, many players lock their bases and train a large number of Hellbringers. If the enemy attacks with vehicles or aerial units, the Hellbringers cannot be harmed until released from the base. A good offensive strategy is to train the Hellbringers, as well as some RPG-upgraded Marines or ODSTs to protect them at range. Hellbringers are very useful against the Flood, though doing so is a major liability: They become infected more quickly than ordinary Marines and, when infected, become Infected Flamethrowers. These units can be exceedingly dangerous to infantry and can kill Spartans in seconds. The Arbiter and the Brute Chieftain are highly vulnerable to swarms of Hellbringers.

Trivia
The Hellbringers are very similar to the Black Hand infantry from Command and Conquer 3. Both units are heavily armored soldiers equipped with flamethrowers who can easily kill large groups of infantry in spite of heavy attrition. During combat, Hellbringers occasionally yell "Need a light?", a line also spoken by the Terran Firebat, a similar flamethrower-wielding Marine infantry unit from StarCraft.

List of appearances

 * Halo Wars