Fuel up the Flamethrower to incinerate enemies at close range in Helldivers 2. Here’s the loadout you need for well-cooked bugs.
The FLAM-40 Flamethrower has always been a powerful weapon that relied on skill, teamwork, and a bit of luck in Helldivers 2. However, it could never find its place in tier lists because of how other weapons were easier to handle in comparison. Following the release of Patch 01.000.200, though, the Flamethrower received a massive buff that makes it hard to ignore any longer. It now does 50% more damage per second, which lets you burn armored enemies like Chargers within seconds.
The Flamethrower is excellent against Terminids, but not a good pick against Automatons. This is because bots have ranged attacks. You will have a hard time trying to get in close to burn them.
Note that the following Flamethrower build focuses on damage and survivability in Helldivers 2. It is not aimed at making you a pyromaniac. There are fire-based weapons and stratagems that you can pick if you want to be decked out with arson attacks. Such a build, however, only looks good on paper. The Eagle Napalm Strike, for example, creates scorched earth for miles, but is useless against large enemies. That being said, there is always room to tweak a build according to your preferred playstyle. Use the following recommendations as a starting point for a FLAM-40 Flamethrower build.
Best Weapons
Finding the right primary weapon to complement your Flamethrower is essential. The SG-225 Breaker is an excellent choice to soften enemies without the need for precision. The SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary version does the same thing, while also burning targets when you are not using the Flamethrower. If you want something with more range, consider picking up the LAS-16 Sickle. It gives unlimited ammunition as long as you manage its heat sinks. It is also highly accurate for targeting weak spots.
The SG-225IE Breaker Incendiary can be purchased from the Steeled Veterans Warbond. The LAS-16 Sickle must be purchased from the Cutting Edge Warbond.
Lastly, the secondary weapon slot goes to the P-19 Redeemer. Helldivers 2 is yet to add a secondary that is as helpful as the fully-automatic pistol, so it's just as useful with this build as any other.
Best Grenade
Purchase the Cutting Edge Premium Warbond to improve your Flamethrower build furthe. It contains the G-23 Stun Grenade, which stuns all enemies in its blast radius. While it does no damage, its ability to immobilize priority enemies such as Chargers helps you to stand your ground with a Flamethrower.
There is little need for G-10 Incendiary and G-123 Thermite Grenades. The Flamethrower already does more than enough damage, so you do not need the extra burning ticks. Focus on improving your build's sustainability instead.
When playing higher-difficulty missions, it is normal to face groups of armored enemies that are tough to take down with a Flamethrower. G-23 Stun Grenades become vital in such situations. Make sure to group enemies before stunning them, and then burn them to a crisp before they can start moving again.
The G-23 Stun Grenade is not the only great item from Cutting Edge . Hence, don't be afraid of spending 1,000 Super Credits on the Premium Warbond.
Best Armor for Flamethrower
The Flamethrower is a double-edged sword. While it does tremendous damage per second, it's inevitable that you will eventually take damage by accidentally igniting yourself. Since the Flamethrower is a close-range weapon, the chances of enemies chipping away at your health are also high. Hence, the best armor passive for a Flamethrower build has to be the Med Kit. It allows you to carry two additional Stims, and extends your Stim effects for another 2 seconds.
You can unlock the CM-09 Bonesnapper (medium) and the CM-14 Physician (medium) armor sets from the default Warbond for free. You can also wait for the Helldivers 2 Superstore rotation to sell one of two armor with Med Kit passives: the CM-17 Butcher (heavy) or the CM-21 Trench Paramedic (light).
Medium armor is always the sweet spot. While light armor gives more mobility, it also makes you fragile. Heavy armor takes away your mobility to give you a few extra hit points.
Best Booster
Stamina Enhancement is the best booster you can unlock for the Flamethrower build in Helldivers 2. The increased stamina capacity and recovery allow you to kite enemies for longer durations. This is important, because you cannot sprint while using the Flamethrower. While you can still strafe, the weapon forces you to be more or less stationary while using it.
Use Stamina Enhancement to retreat a fair distance before turning around to douse enemy groups in liquid fire. You do not want them to get close. Burning enemies spread their flames to set you on fire if you are within range.
Best Stratagems for the Flamethrower Build
The FLAM-40 Flamethrower is (obviously) the main support weapon you need to complete this build in Helldivers 2. It unlocks at level 10 for 6,000 Requisition Slips, and gives you an incredible amount of crowd control. The weapon shoots a jet of liquid fire that incinerates anything it touches. That includes enemies, terrain, and your teammates. You need to be careful where you aim the Flamethrower, and even more careful where you step, because the weapon creates burning patches on the ground.
Despite igniting enemies, you still need to focus the Flamethrower on the weak spots of armored enemies. To quickly kill Bile Spewers , for example, it is far more efficient to focus fire from behind. In the case of Chargers, focus on their legs.
The next stratagem you need is the SH-20 Shield Generator Pack. It creates a spherical shield around you that absorbs incoming damage, including fire damage from burning enemies. You need the extra defense to stand your ground for as long as possible. However, if you are playing solo, the B-1 Supply Pack will be a better stratagem for the build, because the Flamethrower uses a lot of ammo. Since you will be holding the fire button to burn everything in sight, a single breach at high difficulty can use up two to three canisters. Having a Supply Pack ensures you are always stocked.
You can only use one backpack at a time, so choose either the Shield Generator Pack or the Supply Pack.
For the remaining stratagems, pick the Orbital Railcannon Strike or the Orbital Laser to deal with large enemies like the Bile Titan. They also help with closing bug holes and destroying bot fabricators. Eagle Airstrike and Eagle Cluster Bomb are also a lethal combination if you are leaving it up to your teammates to deal with large enemies.
Best Ship Modules
Enhanced Combustion (Bridge) is one of the new level 4 ship upgrades in Helldivers 2 that were added alongside the release of Democratic Detonation. It increases the fire damage from stratagems by 25%, which covers the Flamethrower, the Eagle Napalm Airstrike, and Incendiary Mines. Enhanced Combustion is a necessary upgrade for the Flamethrower build, since its increased fire damage vastly reduces your time to kill.
Upgrading the entire Patriotic Administration Center is recommended as well. Its modules reduce the cooldowns on support weapons and help with ammunition. Since the Flamethrower eats ammo like anything, you can call another one faster with the maximum ammo that you can carry. This is also helpful when you die and cannot recover your weapon.
Franchise Helldivers Released February 8, 2024 Developer(s) Arrowhead Game Studios Publisher(s) Sony Genre(s) Shooter
