Burn baby! Burn! A look at Flamethrower Vehicles for the Germans

Flammvehicles have an appeal in the game that is better than a Flamethrower unit:

• Flamethrower teams are only 6” range, a vehicle flamethrower is 18”
• 2d6 hits vs. 1d6 hits for a flamethrower team.
• Only run out of fuel on a 1 instead of a 1 or 2.
• Vehicle is not removed if you roll a 1, just that weapon is dry. Yes, you would roll for both flamethrowers on some vehicles if both are fired.

 The Germans right now have 5 vehicles that I can class as Flamethrower vehicles and they are:

SDKZ 251/16 Flammpanzerwagen (7+ Armored Carrier)

Weapons: Two Flamethrowers (forward) & Pintle MMG (forward also), opt Rear MMG

Merits: Two Flamethrowers and MMG

Flaws: Lightest Armored of the 5, Open topped, forward only flamethrowers, Volatile

Flammpanzer II “Flamingo” (8+ Light Tank)

Weapons: 2 Flamethrowers (both front, 1 each left/right arc. 1 turret MMG

Merits: Two Flamethrowers (better arc than 251/16)

Flaws: Volatile, 2^nd lightest armor, no Veteran option,

Flammpanzer III (9+ Medium Tank)

Weapons: Turret Flamethrower, hull MMG (forward), Co-axial MMG

Merits: 360 radius Flamethrower

Flaws: Volatile, no veteran option

Flammpanzer 38(T) Hetzer (9+ Medium Tank)

Weapons: Hull Mounted Flamethrower, MMG with 360 radius

Merits: Cheapest of the 5

Flaws: Volatile, Weak Sides (+2 modifer top/side/rear hits), fixed forward flamethrower

Flammpanzer B2(F) (9+ Medium Tank)

Weapons: Turret Med. ATG, Coaxial MMG, Forward Hull Flamethrower

Merits: Armored All Round (no penalty to side/top/rear shots), mixed weapon options

Flaws: Volatile, Most Expensive of the 5 choices, Slow, One Man Turret rule.

Cheapest FlammVehicle by Category:

Inexperienced:

1) 38(T) Hetzer

2) 251/16

3) Flammpanzer III

4) Flammpanzer II “Flamingo”

5) Flammpanzer B2(F)

Regular:

1) 38(T) Hetzer

2) 251/16

3) Flammpanzer III

4) Flammpanzer II “Flamingo”

5) Flammpanzer B2(F)

Veteran:

1) 38(T) Hetzer

2) 251/16

3) Flammpanzer B2(F)

Best Weapon Packages (who can produce the most firepower):

1) Flammpanzer B2(F) (highest output, Med ATG and Flamethrower)

2) Flammpanzer II “Flamingo” (two flamethrowers, turret MMG, best arc)

3) 251/16 (two flamethrowers, MMG, could take extra MMG)

4) Flammpanzer III (360 arc flamethrower, MMG)

5) 38(T) Hetzer (flamethrower and 360 MMG)

What is the best choice? You call it!

It is hard to say hands down that any particular vehicle is worth more than another to me there are several factors:

• Point Level, lower point games would require a lower point tank or less experienced tank.
• It will be a target, so can it kill what it is worth at least? This to me is a huge factor as the points you invest in the model should return as much or if anything draw fire from other units keeping them alive.

What do I think I may buy?

·        B2(F) is out, just due to the high point cost unless you go cheap Germans like Heer, elite formations like SS and FJ would just take this a kick in points.

·        While I like the Flammpanzer II due to the dual flamethrowers, it lacks a Veteran option, so reserves and flanking means you roll an 8 or less to bring in, that breaks down to 1 in 3 chance to fail an Orders test. Also, so far only Gas-O-Line makes this vehicle and from a review it was hard to assemble and seemed fragile, not practical for gaming. Maybe later.

·        38(T) Hetzer: A top pick perhaps, cheap in points, one of the best armor and can have Veteran option.

·        Panzer III: I love the look of the tank, but the no Veteran again makes me pause. A 360 turret is appealing and the medium armor is nice as well as points tend to be the median of the 5 options.

·        251/16: Another top choice, cheap in points, two flamethrowers but the light armor makes me a bit nervous, but then again I don’t expect it to live long often. Still if it downs enough with the two flamethrowers this guy can become a superstar in my list. You also get the second flamethrower for 15 points or less depending on what you pick for rating.