Unit Guide: FLAME THROWERS
FLAME THROWERS (Siphonarioi) — UNIT GUIDE
- OVERVIEW
- Tier / Era: 5‑Star (Legacy of Fire season)
- Unit size: 7 soldiers
- Leadership cost: roughly 300
- Battlefield role: short‑range “fire artillery” for area denial and burst damage
The Siphonarioi wield handheld cheirosiphon flamethrowers that spew burning liquid. They can incinerate tightly packed troops or heroes in seconds, but their range is extremely short and every casualty sharply reduces their output.
- CORE ABILITIES & TRAITS
• Hellfire (basic attack) – Continuous cone of flame that sets enemies ablaze with heavy damage‑over‑time, ignoring much of their armour.
• Firestorm – Ordered skill that releases a longer, hotter jet and leaves a persistent wall of fire. Cool‑down about 18 seconds.
• Scorched Earth – Ordered skill that fires several rapid bursts, creating burning ground which slows and damages anyone who walks through.
• Resist Flame – Innate trait that reduces fire damage taken, useful when duelling other flamethrower units or friendly artillery is close by.
- STRENGTHS
- Devastating area denial at breaches, gates and capture points.
- Damage‑over‑time bypasses heavy armour (Reapers, Fortebraccio, heroes).
- Exceptionally strong on siege maps where enemies must funnel through narrow approaches.
- WEAKNESSES
- Very short effective range (about 12 metres).
- Only seven men; loss of even two cripples damage.
- Wind‑up and reload animations are long; being forced to move cancels attacks.
- High leadership cost; a wipe is costly for the team.
- RECOMMENDED DOCTRINES
- TACTICS & MICRO
ATTACK
- Follow the ram or shield wall; when friendly shields lock an enemy line, trigger Firestorm to melt them.
- Punish walls: Scorched Earth on ladder tops forces defenders to climb down through fire.
DEFENCE
- Stand a few metres behind the rubble of a breach. Alternate Firestorm and Scorched Earth to keep the gap ablaze.
- On castle walls, angle the cone downward at clustered bow or musket units.
GENERAL MICRO
- Chain Scorched Earth followed by Firestorm to maintain constant flames when holding a capture circle.
- After each burst, walk the unit a few steps backward to stay out of melee reach.
- FORMATIONS & POSITIONING
- Line formation: best for wide streets or wall tops.
- Cross (tight) formation: ideal for very narrow ladders and gates where all cones overlap.
- Take slight high ground when possible; a downward angle increases hit chance.
- SYNERGY CHECKLIST
• Shield infantry (Imperial Spear Guard, Fortebraccio) to block arrows and cavalry.
• Heroes or units with knock‑downs and stuns to keep enemies inside the flames.
• Mortars and other AoE artillery: fire forces clumping, mortars finish them.
• Shock cavalry to run down fleeing survivors after the flames scatter them.
- COUNTER‑PLAY (KNOW THE THREATS)
- Long‑range gunpowder (Culverin, Shenji Grenadiers) can kill them before they close.
- Fast dive cavalry (Cataphracts, Winged Hussars) punish poor screening.
- Although braced pikes don’t stop the flames, you still need friendly shields to block their advance.
- PRACTICAL TIPS
• Resupply frequently—ammo is limited and a fresh magazine wins sieges.
• If one lane collapses, pull back; the unit is too valuable to sacrifice in a rout.
• The squad’s breaks quickly when down to four or five men—withdraw and heal before that point.
- CONCLUSION
Flame Throwers are the quintessential close‑quarters control unit: costly, fragile, but capable of erasing entire pushes when properly protected. Treat them like mobile siege engines—guard them on approach, set up the perfect firing lane, and turn chokepoints into flaming kill‑zones. Master positioning and timing, and your Siphonarioi will win battles long before the enemy realises the ground is already burning.