Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, nearly every special or combi weapon slot I regularly use in any list is either melta or plasma. As I always felt they offered more than Flamers in the slot, and Flamers weren't hugely more effective than an equivalent Bolter in RF range. I can pack a couple of dreads with hvy flamers, and I have a Redeemer that I enjoy using as a TAS delivery system from time to time. Otherwise, my Marines are nearly flamer free.

I am beginning to think with the rise of Tau and Eldar (and having recently lost to Tau castling behind an ADL) that Flamers offer more now than possibly ever.

Question is, where do people think they're best deployed? I can build or re-purpose almost any Marine unit, so go crazy!

Thoughts?

A flamer and combi-flamer tac squad or a Dual HF dread in a pod can be great anti-nfantry weapons, able to clear/damage a unit T1, and able to DS agressively thanks to the no-mishap from the pod. You might risk scattering out of range, but most of the time it's worth it.

For the extreme version of this, or if you expect to play an army with transports, a sternguard squad with 5 combi-meltas and 5 combi-flamers, combat squadding out of a pod, can pop the transport and then flame the contents. This pretty much makes first blood a certainty, and can cripple most units.

Funny you should mention the SG plan, I kit bashed 5 combi-melta equipped, with a plan to add 4 cf and one hvy flamer to do exactly that, but never got around to it, perhaps that will be the fate of my SG box when they're released...

Something similar was brought up in a different thread; there's a nice way to fry those pesky units that love that cover save: the ubiquitous assault marine squad!

In the Dark Angel dex you can get: a 5-man assault squad with 2 flamers and a sarge with combi-flamer all in a pod for 125pts. That will decimate some of those cover-hugging units pretty quickly while being a relatively small point-investment option on your part.

I definitely like the combi-flamer option for the sergeants in general due to a simple-fact: there's no way to waist the 10pt shot on a roll of 1-2!

Hope this helps.

 phoenix darkus wrote:
Something similar was brought up in a different thread; there's a nice way to fry those pesky units that love that cover save: the ubiquitous assault marine squad!

In the Dark Angel dex you can get: a 5-man assault squad with 2 flamers and a sarge with combi-flamer all in a pod for 125pts. That will decimate some of those cover-hugging units pretty quickly while being a relatively small point-investment option on your part.

I definitely like the combi-flamer option for the sergeants in general due to a simple-fact: there's no way to waist the 10pt shot on a roll of 1-2!

Hope this helps.

I'm really like this suggestion.

Holy crap DA assault squads get two specials in 5 men? And combi weapons on the sarge?

Martel732 wrote:
Holy crap DA assault squads get two specials in 5 men? And combi weapons on the sarge?

There's so much gold in the DA codex that you never see. People get distracted by the "shiny" that is Deathwing (and are horrible). Their tactical squads can put out 40 bolter shots at 24 inches! They can outshoot anyone with Greenwing!

Anyway, that was totally off topic. Flamers are definitely on the rise. Eldar, Tau, and to a lesser extent Daemons are all vulnerable to them...and those are now 3 of the top Armies.

In the Dark Angel dex you can get: a 5-man assault squad with 2 flamers and a sarge with combi-flamer all in a pod for 125pts. That will decimate some of those cover-hugging units pretty quickly while being a relatively small point-investment option on your part.

Only caveat is getting them in there, 5 man JP unit is fast but will take casualties. You're paying 125 for effectively a one shot unit.
Dont get me wrong the idea is good but a DS LS with dual HF comes to 65 (iirc?). Two of them in a 2nd turn DS drop will do more damage than 5 JPs?
If they arent nuked you flat out 36 away and can strike again. I just feel the JPs are one use only.

And then there are the 65pt Whirlwinds

I'm liking Flamers with an added meltabomb to help against heavy armor.
Seems a fairly balanced approach and still cheaper than dual plasma.

I usually play Ravenwing and give a squad flamers. Even though there is the banner flapping in the background for salvo, I never saw a game where i wish i didn't take them They are really helpful against scarabs too.

As the poster above me, I play RW and usually take 1 squad with flamers just to deal with cover hugging blobs. Sure we have the bolter banner, but ignoring cover can sometimes turn a situation in your favour. The benefit of the bikes is of course the move speed so they can dictate when they gget to the enemy.

On regular squads I wouldn't take flamers due to the range limitations, the fact that most of the time you will be hugging cover means unless there is a CC squad running at you (less likely in 6th) then you will have few chances to use it. If equipping them on your own CC unit, then the casualties might actually make you unable to charge, meaning they must be used with caution.


I'd probably go with a plasma gun for a special weapons slot on most squads. Meltas will go in dedicated anti armour teams and flamers, if I decide I need them, will be in a squad designed for a niche role (Deepstrike belial heavy flamer squad, deep striking dual HF speeders, or the 5 man assault team as said earlier.)


Automatically Appended Next Post:

In the Dark Angel dex you can get: a 5-man assault squad with 2 flamers and a sarge with combi-flamer all in a pod for 125pts. That will decimate some of those cover-hugging units pretty quickly while being a relatively small point-investment option on your part.

How did you get the numbers on that? You must remove the jet packs to get a dedicated pod at no extra cost, so I make it to be 105pts.

As an avid Tyranid (and Eldar) player, I highly recommend you stay away from Flamers. it will only make the Hive Mind (and Avatar) angry. You will not like it when the Hive Mind (or Avatar) gets angry.

 Happyjew wrote:
As an avid Tyranid (and Eldar) player, I highly recommend you stay away from Flamers. it will only make the Hive Mind (and Avatar) angry. You will not like it when the Hive Mind (or Avatar) gets angry.

Lol, I see what you did there, I promise I will (won't) follow your advice (shameful attempt to encourage opponents not to take options that you dislike) to the letter.

 azreal13 wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:
As an avid Tyranid (and Eldar) player, I highly recommend you stay away from Flamers. it will only make the Hive Mind (and Avatar) angry. You will not like it when the Hive Mind (or Avatar) gets angry.

Lol, I see what you did there, I promise I will (won't) follow your advice (shameful attempt to encourage opponents not to take options that you dislike) to the letter.

I honestly don't care. I pretty much run Nidzilla and Wave Serpent Spam. S4 AP5 isn't that big of a deal.

Ah, so you still wouldn't like a Flamestorm cannon or two up you then!

 Ratius wrote:

In the Dark Angel dex you can get: a 5-man assault squad with 2 flamers and a sarge with combi-flamer all in a pod for 125pts. That will decimate some of those cover-hugging units pretty quickly while being a relatively small point-investment option on your part.

Only caveat is getting them in there, 5 man JP unit is fast but will take casualties. You're paying 125 for effectively a one shot unit.
Dont get me wrong the idea is good but a DS LS with dual HF comes to 65 (iirc?). Two of them in a 2nd turn DS drop will do more damage than 5 JPs?
If they arent nuked you flat out 36 away and can strike again. I just feel the JPs are one use only.

I don't think you can get 5 man assault squad with 2 flamers + combiflamer for 125 points. Assault squad is 85pt, a flamer 5pt, a combi-flamer 10pt and drop pod is 35pt, that is a total of 140pt.

If you remove the jump packs from the squad, you get the drop pod for free, which means:
Assault Squad (85) + 2 flamers (10) + combiflamer (10) + drop pod (free) = 105 pt.

Of course you don't have the speed with the jump packs, but since you embark from a drop pod that might not be a big issue.

flodihn wrote:

 Ratius wrote:

In the Dark Angel dex you can get: a 5-man assault squad with 2 flamers and a sarge with combi-flamer all in a pod for 125pts. That will decimate some of those cover-hugging units pretty quickly while being a relatively small point-investment option on your part.

Only caveat is getting them in there, 5 man JP unit is fast but will take casualties. You're paying 125 for effectively a one shot unit.
Dont get me wrong the idea is good but a DS LS with dual HF comes to 65 (iirc?). Two of them in a 2nd turn DS drop will do more damage than 5 JPs?
If they arent nuked you flat out 36 away and can strike again. I just feel the JPs are one use only.

I don't think you can get 5 man assault squad with 2 flamers + combiflamer for 125 points. Assault squad is 85pt, a flamer 5pt, a combi-flamer 10pt and drop pod is 35pt, that is a total of 140pt.

If you remove the jump packs from the squad, you get the drop pod for free, which means:
Assault Squad (85) + 2 flamers (10) + combiflamer (10) + drop pod (free) = 105 pt.

Of course you don't have the speed with the jump packs, but since you embark from a drop pod that might not be a big issue.

Guys with packs cant take drop pod as an option anyway...

Flamer is going be huge here shortly along with the new dexs coming out

Look, if you want to spend a turn shooting at 5 non scoring marines that have already torched their target, by all means. Unless I'm running greenwing I probably have a low model count so I don't mind some heat being taken off the important guys.

Martel732 wrote:
Holy crap DA assault squads get two specials in 5 men? And combi weapons on the sarge?

Don't gettoo excited they can only switch out 2 bolt pistols for Flamers or Plasma Pistols. So no doubble melta/plasma gun special weapons. Still 2 flamers is pretty sweet.

D