Flamethrowers and Buildings

[Mark Prichard]

The rules state that when a unit in a wooden building is shot at by a flamethrower, on a follow up roll of 4,5 or 6 the building is on fire. Does the flamethrower have to hit the unit in order to light the building on fire or can it light the building on fire even if it misses?

[Peter]

Rule states shot at by flamethrower not hit by flamethrower. Just because troops may not be hit ,buildings and contents are still flammable.

[SteveT]

We sure about this? I assumed the wording actually meant “Shot at” as “successfully shot at” as in “hit”.

 

[Stuart Harrison]

It’s not even ‘shot at’, it’s “If a flamethrower is used against troops in a building then the building catches fire or D6 roll of a 4, 5, or 6…”.

As I read it, flamethowers are rightly lethal against the building, even if it does nothing to the troops inside directly by scoring a hit.

[SteveT]

Same thing though, right? “used” could imply “Used successfully”. Otherwise future games are going to be a bonfire :p

 

[Stuart Harrison]

Used doesn’t imply anything but ‘used’ to me.  There is no suggestion of needing to score a hit/cause any damage to the target unit.

Reading more into things than is written is one of the biggest problems, not the rules themselves.  It keeps tripping people up.

[Kar98k]

If a flamethrower is used against troops in a building then the building catches fire on a roll of 4+ (D6). Even if the flamethrower misses the target, there is a chance the building can catch fire.

It is also important to note that a flamethrower can only be used against troops inside a building where there is a window, open door, or some other gap to shoot the flamethrower through.

[SteveT]

I have asked Warlord. Will post their reply when it arrives.

[SteveT]

At the risky of being inflammatory (pun intended) ….

Reply from Warlord:

 

HI Steve.

Thanks for getting in touch.

​As far as I am aware the fire check would only be on a hit, but I am going to pass this onto Alessio for confirmation.

I hope this helps and have a nice day.

​

Kind regards,

Max

 

[SteveT]

Hi Steve.

Alessio says this is a hold over from 1st edition back when flame throwers hit automatically.

“I will errata it, stating that it just needs to be in range, regardless of whether it hits the squad or not.”

​Guess this means Flamethrowers just got a bit more lethal ​when clearing buildings.

 I hope this helps and have a nice day.

Kind regards,

Max

[Dr Dave]

Shoot at them before they get in range?

Also, one obvious point – if it was only alight if they cause a hit on the occupants – what if no one is in the house?

[SteveT]

Well, the wording of the rules does say you roll for burning when firing at units in the building. But, aside from that, maybe it could be argued troops wouldn’t risk the thrower running out of fuel on a “Maybe”?

Then how about this: Why can’t forests burn, or fields of wheat?

 

[invisible officer]

Fire is difficult in writing  gaming rules.

In hot sommers woods can burn from the smallest spark, in winter or wet weather they will not burn at all. Even if a plane crashes there. And jungle……

 

Or take the pics of Russian villages burning. Often with captions like Burned by Soviets on retreat or by German attackers. (That wanted to sleep there next night)  In fact more often ignited by MG tracer amo. No rule for that?   Western style stone buildings are harder to ignite.

And some materials react strange, a single sheet of paper burns esily. But not a book. In 44 the Berlin Dahlem Geheimes Staatsarchiv was hit by Ignition bombs. The roof burned down but the concrete floors stopped the fire from reaching the archive. The open  steel armings going through  let the heat go in but the closely packed paper was fire resistent.  You can still see the black traces on some bundles.

But most Berlin pre 45 houses had wooden floors. Polished for years with flammable oils. Fire bombs that hit intact roofs often did no damage, so they got combined with a first wave of explosive ones, opening the roofs.

 

Many armies had one shot flamethrowers in large numbers. Not just used by pioneers. They worked as simple as a modern extinguisher. Effective rage some 25 meter, long some 40.   Ever running out of fuel.  😉

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by invisible officer.

[Dr Dave]

Crops and trees often contain too much inherent moisture to burn. Crop fires are far rarer than house fires… I think.

Give it a long hot summer – dead or dry undergrowth then it all burns.

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