Analysis: Unusual Weapons of war - Fire
Fire is a weapon that we already use to some extent via the use of incendiaries, however there are more ways of using it than our current arsenal.
1. Flaming arrows
Flaming arrows can be made quite easily - just wrap a rag behind the tip of the arrow (so that the arrow can still kill people by itself) and light it on fire. The ease of construction and cheapness of this weapon means that it could be used on a very large scale, one of the rare occurrences in this series of analysis where this is the case. This weapon is best used against enemy fortifications, particularly those made of wood, as with a volley of fire arrows it is more than likely that such fortifications would burn down. The same goes for siege engines, which are primarily made of wood. Another effective use is as a psychological weapon; after all being set on fire is a rather nasty way to go. Against enemies who are less brave or suicidal, fire arrows can be extremely terrifying. Furthermore, flaming arrows can be used to adjust the aiming of arrows, sort of like how we use tracer rounds in modern times.
However, flaming arrows also have some disadvantages. Visibility may be less desirable if one is going for stealth attacks, and on rainy days the tactic won't work either. Furthermore, fire may actually cauterise a wound if put out, preventing infection.
2. Molotov cocktails (incendiary grenade)
Since we currently do not have petrol, we would fill our Molotov Cocktails with other forms of naptha (incendiaries), which could be as easily made as heating coal to form coal tar. We definitely have these as we already have incendiaries, but for the Cocktails we could use far safer mixtures compared to our incendiary globes, as they could only be ignited with a fire. Even alcohol itself could work if at high enough concentrations. A rag soaked with alcohol is then placed at at the bottleneck, and to set the mixture on fire just set fire to the rag, which would in turn ignite the entire mixture.
The advantage of this weapon is that it is very simple to produce and very simple to use - just fill some glass bottles with oil/alcohol/flammable liquid and place rag on top, then set it on fire and throw it at enemy. This means that it could be used by our regular infantry if they have reliable matches, they could carry 1-2 with them during battles without the risk of them spontaneously igniting. While they are far weaker than grenades, they are also far safer. The cocktail could also be dropped from the air or loaded onto catapults.
The downside compared to incendiary globes is that it has a slightly smaller area of effect, but due to its ease of manufacture and comparative safety, it is a far more wieldy weapon to use.
3. Flamethrower
Flamethrowers already existed in ancient times, and were mainly mounted on ships. They are a terrifying weapon as anyone unlucky enough to be in front of them would be consumed in flames before you can blink, and it is in most cases unsurvivable due to the area of body burnt. Flamethrowers are also very good at reducing wooden fortifications or enemy ships, as the fortifications or vessels would burn reliably when faced with such a weapon.
However, it also has many disadvantages. The weapon is very unwieldy compared to the other two described above and cannot be easily used on the move. Furthermore, it also does not have a very long range and is extremely costly in terms of fuel used, something to consider when we do not have a large fuel supply. The wind is also a huge factor, after all there have been historical cases where flamethrowers literally backfired on their owners. These factors mean that while flamethrowers are still widely used, they are less commonly seen than the other incendiary weapons.
4. Smoke
This is more of a tactic than a weapon, but it could be used against an enemy who is uphill. As hot air is lighter than cold air, smoke particles tend to drift upwards as a result of convection cycles. If we find ourselves on the lower ground, we could light huge bonfires and perhaps smoke the enemy. This could be used as a delaying tactic when being pursued, or to conceal one's forces. In the best scenarios, it could cause the enemy discomfort or even choke them depending on how intense the smoke is.
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@DragonParadox
3rd and final analysis of 'unusual weapons' series
