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.

Roles and operations
"Bringin’ the fire."

- A Hellbringer aboard Spirit of Fire

Inspired by the use of flamethrowers in the trenches during World War I, the Hellbringers are specialized infantry of the UNSC Marine Corps outfitted with flamethrowers. Organized into squads of two, Hellbringers serve as anti-infantry. Hellbringers are effective against infantry, even those garrisoned within structures. However, these Marines are of limited use against armored vehicles. Regardless, Hellbringers have proven effective at neutralizing dug-in Covenant forces and sterilizing Flood infestations. Hellbringers are occasionally deployed to the battlefield via Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicles.

Flamethrower-armed personnel are not particularly common within the United Nations Space Command. As Hellbringers are deployed to engage only the most heavily entrenched enemies, these Marines 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 generally regarded as brave, and "crazier" than most.

History
Hellbringers served aboard the under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Kinsano by the end of the Harvest Campaign. The Hellbringers aboard the Spirit of Fire participated in the Battle of Arcadia and Battle of Shield World 0459. While the Spirit of Fire attempted to return to human space Serina planned for the Hellbringers to eventually test cryo-based weapons. During the Banished occupation of Installation 00 Hellbringers were used against Banished infantry and structures.

Equipment
"Flamethrower comin’ in hot."

- A Hellbringer aboard Spirit of Fire

Hellbringers are qualified to maintain, operate, and deploy a number of specialist weapon systems in the UNSC arsenal. This includes a range of incendiary, thermobaric, energetic, chemical, and biological weapons that most UNSC personnel are not even aware of. Although the United Nations Space Command has adopted thermobaric munitions for deploying most incendiary weaponry, Hellbringers most often operate with flamethrowers. These flamethrowers are capable of doing damage to close-range targets in a wide area. During the first years of the Human-Covenant War, Hellbringers were 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. By 2559, Hellbringers aboard utilized M7057 flamethrowers, a successor and variant to the NA4 flamethrower. These flamethrowers can be upgraded with dispersion nozzles that increase damage and size of the flame sheets.

Hellbringers wear a flame-retardant suit with an enclosed helmet that offers a wide field of view. Flamethrower fuel is stored in a cylindrical tank attached to the Hellbringers' backs. In addition to traditional flamethrowers, Hellbringers under Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Kinsano operate with Warthogs with a flamethrower installed in place of the typical machine gun. They also use an adapted Cyclops exoskeleton armed with two M7057 flamethrowers.

Halo Wars
Hellbringers, identified simply as "Flamethrowers", are a playable unit in Halo Wars that can be built from a Barracks for 100 resources and one population slot. 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. Hellbringers have the following 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.

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.

Hellbringers
Hellbringer upgrade: Dispersion Nozzles Hellbringers can be built by all UNSC leaders besides Serina at the Barracks. While they are effective against infantry and structures they do poorly against vehicles and cannot attack aircraft. In Blitz, Hellbringers cost 10 energy, while Wild Hellbringers cost 60 energy.
 * Info: Anti-Infantry, Effective against infantry, Strong rush unit, Good against buildings, Cannot attack air
 * Tier: 0
 * Cost: Population 3, Supplies 80, Power 40
 * Info: Weapon upgrade, Sets ground on fire
 * Tier: 2
 * Cost: Supplies 0, Power 600

Cryo Troopers
Cryo Trooper upgrade: Heavy Cryosprayer Cryo Troopers are infantry units exclusive to Serina that can be built at the Barracks. Like the normal Hellbringers they are effective against infantry and structures, but do poorly against vehicles and cannot attack aircraft. Unlike Hellbringers they will come equipped with energy shielding after the player has unlocked the Cryotech Advances leader ability. While they are able to chill and freeze enemies they do not do as much damage as normal Hellbringers. In Blitz Cryo Troopers cost 40 energy and come equipped with energy shielding.
 * Info: Anti-Infantry, Good against infantry, Cryo Troopers chill enemies, slowing them down
 * Tier: 0
 * Cost: Population 3, Supplies 80, Power 40
 * Info: Weapon upgrade, Increases the range, damage, and area-of-effect of the Cryo Troopers' weapons
 * Tier: 2
 * Cost: Supplies 0, Power 400

Trivia

 * The Hellbringers are very similar to the Black Hand infantry from Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. 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.
 * The Cryotroopers role and area attack was similar to the Cryo Legionnaire infantry from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising that froze any ground enemies except air units.

List of appearances

 * Halo Wars
 * Halo Wars 2