Flamethrower

Lore & Background

In the irradiated wastelands of the Wasteland series, fuel is as precious as water. The flamethrower turns that scarcity into a weapon: a pressurized tank of scavenged gasoline or kerosene, a spark igniter, and a hand-cranked pump. In the hands of a Desperado or a Rats operative, it is less a precision tool than a statement of intent—there is no aiming down a long corridor, only a wide, roaring cone of flame that turns a room into an oven in seconds.

In Their Own Story

The corridor reeked of scorched plastic and old blood. Marcus racked the pump on his flamethrower, the metallic clank echoing off the collapsed ceiling. Three Raiders were stacked behind the overturned sedan, their rifles up, their eyes wide. He didn't need to be precise. He squeezed the trigger, and the world became a wall of orange. The sedan's tires popped. The Raiders didn't. By the time the fuel hissed to a thin, sputtering thread, the street was a kiln and the only sound left was the tick of cooling metal. Marcus let go, rolled his shoulder, and walked on. The tank was half empty. He'd make it to the next checkpoint.

Reader's Guide

FUNCTION & STATS The Flamethrower is a two-handed weapon dealing fire damage in a short-range cone. It consumes fuel continuously while the trigger is held rather than discrete rounds, making sustained use resource-intensive. It excels at clearing clustered enemies in tight spaces and is weak against single targets at range. OBTAINMENT In Wasteland 2 and Wasteland 3, the flamethrower is typically found in military or armory caches, as a reward from higher-level encounters, or occasionally from vendors stocking heavy weapons. It is not a starting weapon and generally requires mid-to-late progression to locate. Specific spawn locations vary by playthrough and difficulty. BEST SUITED FOR Characters or squad members who already benefit from fire damage bonuses or who are built for close-range engagement. Because it locks both hands, it is less ideal for characters who need a sidearm or a two-hand melee option. A tank or bruiser-type operative who can close distance quickly and hold a chokepoint gets the most value. VERSION NOTES The flamethrower appears in Wasteland 2 and Wasteland 3 with similar core mechanics (two-handed, fuel-based, fire cone). Wasteland 3 refines the visual presentation and integrates it into the broader weapon-mod system. The original 1988 Wasteland featured a broader, less granular weapon list; the flamethrower's specific role and stats in that title are less documented in surviving materials, so treat early-game specifics with caution.

Did You Know?

• The flamethrower consumes fuel per second of use rather than discrete rounds, meaning a single full-tank burst can deplete supplies that would last a gunner dozens of shots.
• In the Wasteland setting, the fuel for these weapons is typically scavenged gasoline or kerosene from pre-war vehicles and infrastructure, tying the weapon's availability to the density of ruined cities.
• Because it is a two-handed weapon, equipping it removes the ability to carry a sidearm or use a two-handed melee weapon simultaneously, a meaningful trade-off in squad-based combat.
• The original Wasteland was designed by Alan Pavlish and Brian Fargo in 1988, with contributions from others, and the series as a whole was created by them that year. It is widely regarded as a foundational text.