Sir We Have an Orc Problem Flamethrower Turret - Sir, We Have an Orc Problem

What the Flamethrower does

The Flamethrower applies fire damage over time to orcs passing through its cone. Instead of deleting one target like a Gunner, it tags many enemies with burn ticks that stack in value with exposure time. In Sir, We Have an Orc Problem, that makes Flamethrowers the default softening tool: they cut HP and effective wave density before Mortar shells and Cannon bursts finish the clump.

Steam community threads swing between “Flamethrowers are overpowered” and “Cannons out-damage them five to one.” Both can be true. Post-mission damage totals reward cones that touch every orc twice on a choke map. Cannons win raw burst on visible stacks that already lost health to fire. The Turret Tier List ranks Flamethrower S tier for role value on funnel-heavy campaign maps - not because burn always beats explosion math in isolation.

Developer patches have adjusted base fire duration and tick rate so even a lightly upgraded Flamethrower applies at least one meaningful burn pass. Balance changes may shift numbers; the strategic role stays the same.

Strengths and limits

Strengths:

• Hits every orc in cone path, not one target
• Strongest horde-thinning before AOE finish towers fire
• Scales with choke geometry and double-pass layouts
• Synergizes with Bombing Runs fired into thinned, burning stacks
• Often tops total damage when placement covers full streams

Limits:

• Weak on wide open maps without compression
• Requires thoughtful rotation - wrong angle wastes cone
• Can mask bad Mortar or Cannon placement with inflated burn totals
• Community nerfs may reduce tick damage over time

Treat Flamethrower damage charts as feedback on placement quality, not proof you should skip other towers.

Unlock and upgrade path

Unlock Flamethrowers in the meta tree after early Gunner nodes - exact order varies by your Upgrade Priority path. Prioritize:

1. Flamethrower unlock - enables cone placement in build phase.
2. Maximum Flamethrower count - second cone often beats first cone’s damage upgrades.
3. Burn duration and tick rate - more time on target equals more softening.
4. Flat or percentage burn damage - strong once double-pass geometry is set.
5. Partner tower caps - Mortar and Cannon unlocks behind your fire row.

Do not chase burn damage while you still place one Flamethrower on an open field. Geometry first, numbers second.

Placement: the double-pass standard

The community’s strongest Flamethrower advice is simple: make every orc pass through fire at least once, ideally twice, before they reach your base lane.

Single choke funnel: one forward Flamethrower angled across the mouth tags the entire stream. Add a second cone on a bend so survivors reignite after path curvature.

S-curve maps: place cones on both bends. Orcs that shortcut the inner radius still catch fire on the outer pass.

Rear softening: rare, but useful when forward terrain blocks towers - pair with Mortar lobs over walls while a rear cone catches leaks.

Read Choke Points for funnel markers and mirror-map resets. Flamethrowers reward the same geometry Mortars exploit once orcs compress.

Flamethrower plus AOE finish

Softening without finish leaves burned orcs alive long enough to leak. Standard late layout:

1. Forward Flamethrower row (one or two passes)
2. Mid Mortar line on stack points
3. Rear Cannon row for pierce burst
4. Gunner nest for runners

Mortars and Cannons look weak in isolation when burn already shaved most HP - that means softening worked. Move finish towers closer to stack peaks, not forward into open spread.

Ability timing

Fire Bombing Runs when orcs compress in a burn zone, not when the stream is thin. Abilities multiply good choke design; they do not replace missing cones. Orbital lasers and heavier abilities follow the same rule in late campaign.

Debate: OP or overrated?

Overpowered camp: late missions with two Flamethrower passes report millions of burn damage while Mortars sit under one hundred thousand. Exposure inflates totals.

Underwhelming camp: Cannons and Mortars out-damage a single Flamethrower when orcs never clump. Spread maps punish cones.

Wiki take: Flamethrower is S tier on choke maps, A tier on mixed maps, and requires partners everywhere. Nerf discussions target infinite penetration through infinite orcs - if patches add ammo-like limits, double-pass placement matters more, not less.

Common mistakes

• One cone on open ground, then declaring Mortars useless
• Skipping Mortar or Cannon caps because burn charts look fine
• Forgetting to rebuild cones after mirrored layouts
• Comparing Flamethrower to Cannon without measuring stack timing
• Ignoring Upgrade Priority count nodes for burn towers

Map-specific notes

Funnel scripts: max Flamethrower count before incremental burn damage.

Wide spawn fields: use minimal forward burn to slow edge leaks, rush Mortar lobs until chokes form organically from tower kills.

Final mission density: double-pass fire is nearly mandatory; finish rows must sit immediately behind peak compression.

Related pages

• Turrets Hub - overview of all towers
• Turret Tier List - S-tier context for Flamethrower
• Gunner - leak control behind burn
• Mortar - lobbed finish partner
• Cannon - pierce burst partner
• Choke Points - funnel placement
• Upgrade Priority - burn and count upgrades
• Bombing Runs - spike into burning stacks