The heavy flamer is a bigger, bulkier version of the standard flamer, built to throw a much wider sheet of burning promethium. It trades portability for raw coverage, so most armies mount it on vehicles or hand it to heavily armoured troops who can carry the weight.
What makes it different
A regular flamer is a one-handed special weapon. The heavy flamer is the same idea scaled up: a larger fuel reservoir and a wider nozzle, so it envelopes more targets in a single burst. That extra size is the whole point, and also the drawback.
Because it’s so bulky, few forces issue it as a standard infantry weapon. It shows up either as a shoulder-mounted or two-handed weapon for elite troops, or hard-mounted on vehicles and walkers.
- Wider flame than a standard flamer, covering more models at once
- Heavier and bulkier, so it’s rarely a rank-and-file weapon
- Common on vehicles, Sentinels and similar walkers
- A signature special weapon for Terminators
Who actually carries one
Space Marines, Sisters of Battle and Chaos Space Marines are the main hand-carried users, usually on Terminators or other heavy infantry. It’s a standard special weapon in Terminator squads, which makes sense: power armour and Terminator plate can handle the bulk.
The Catachan Jungle Fighters are the notable exception among ordinary humans. Jungle combat makes flame weapons unusually valuable, so Catachan regiments carry heavy flamers by hand where most Guard units wouldn’t bother.
Death Korps Grenadiers, Battle Sisters and vehicle crews round out the list. If you’ve seen a Sentinel or a tank with a flame weapon mounted on it, that’s usually a heavy flamer or something built along the same lines.
Known patterns
Like most Imperial weapons, the heavy flamer comes in a long list of patterns, often tied to a specific era or faction. The Anvilus pattern is common among Terminators, while the Phaestos and Proteus patterns date back to the Horus Heresy.
Newer marks keep appearing. The Pyrecannon is the modern pattern used by Primaris Space Marines, the Infernus Infinitas-pattern serves the Sisters of Battle, and the Infernus Firepike is the Adeptus Custodes version.
| Pattern | Notable user |
|---|---|
| Mk.III | General Imperial use |
| Anvilus | Terminators |
| Phaestos | Horus Heresy era |
| Proteus | Horus Heresy era |
| Pyrecannon | Primaris Space Marines |
| Infernus Infinitas | Sisters of Battle |
| Infernus Firepike | Adeptus Custodes |
Where it fits in the flame weapon family
The heavy flamer sits in the middle of a broad family of flame weapons. Below it are portable options like the standard flamer, hand flamer and pyreblaster. Above it are the really big guns: the flamestorm cannon, inferno cannon and inferno gun, which are vehicle-mounted and even less portable.
That middle position is what defines it. It’s the heaviest flame weapon a person can realistically lug around, and the lightest one you’d normally bolt to a chassis.
Key facts
- The heavy flamer is a scaled-up flamer with a wider flame and larger fuel supply
- It’s too bulky for most infantry, so it’s usually carried by elites or mounted on vehicles
- Space Marines, Sisters of Battle and Chaos Space Marines use it by hand, often on Terminators
- Catachan Jungle Fighters carry it by hand because jungle fighting favours flame weapons
- Known patterns include Anvilus, Phaestos, Proteus, Pyrecannon, Infernus Infinitas and Infernus Firepike
FAQ
Is a heavy flamer just a bigger flamer?
Basically, yes. It has a larger body and fuel supply and throws a wider flame that covers more targets, at the cost of being far too bulky for most infantry to carry.
Who can take a heavy flamer in Warhammer 40k?
Space Marines, Sisters of Battle and Chaos Space Marines carry it by hand, usually on Terminators or similar heavy infantry. Catachan Jungle Fighters are a notable exception among the Imperial Guard. It’s also common on vehicles like Sentinels.
What’s the difference between a heavy flamer and a flamestorm cannon?
The flamestorm cannon is a larger vehicle-mounted flame weapon. The heavy flamer is the heaviest flame weapon normally carried by infantry, while the cannon is a step up in size and is fixed to a vehicle.