This is only true if you think each flamethrower is the same as a pio or engi flamethrower. In all actuality thats not true. 2 pioneers with flamethrowers have higher damage output than the FHT. Quite a while ago before the heavy t3 requirement nerf. The flamethrowers were nerfed into oblivion. Also crit potential is not much higher as far as I know its the exact same. Feel free to prove me wrong. Its better than 1 flamepio squad, but not by a lot. These units having nothing to due with axis search numbers. The majority of axis players are okw anyway. So I'm not sure what your point is there???
The incendiary rounds for the mg42 are not a viable counter at all vs the m5 which is basically impervious to small arms fire compared to the 251. . Which isn't a big deal really. Just that the fact that 222 and 251 are very squishy when they already don't pose much of a threat in terms of firepower.
Despite the incendiary rounds doing very well vs light vehicles, vs competent players its very unlikely that you'll ever counter these vehicles in this way. Its merely there to punish low level players and for fun. Due to light vehicles having to sit right in front of an mg while it loads the incendiary rounds which is rather obvious if you can read the situation. Most people stay at range anyway.
If it were up to me. I would change the 251 as so:
Armor from 9 to 11-12
Flammenwerfer no longer requires t3.
Damage of flammenwerfer increased by 15%.
Yes, my point was that you mentioned bullet damage. If we are going to use the competent player argument, we can also throw out the idea that a 251 will be killed by bullet fire unless the player is simply overwhelmed. Either way, the 251 is not more likely to die to bullet fire than M5.
What I meant with the finishing potential being higher is that it is a mobile vehicle. It can chase infantry to hell and back. It also has longer range.
Flamethrower is also the only reliable way to vet the halftrack up, and it gets veterancy quite quickly. If we use the Luftwaffe supply conversion rate of 4 MP for 3 munitions, it costs 160 Manpower. That is 8 conscript models, or roughly Unless you spontanenously lose it, which can and does happen at least in my level of play, that is not a lot for it to kill in order to be cost effective.
I agree with Flammenwerfer not requiring T3, but I think the Halftrack is fine otherwise, as someone who uses it every game with no exceptions. Until recently I have been in the same boat as with the Flamethrower being worthless, but I found out that not keeping your expectation too high and letting it move in when it is not actively being threathened is the way to get the most out of it.
You are however ranked far higher than I am and the Flamethrower Halftrack is indeed a rarity, so I may be wrong in thinking that is fine. I just wasn't disappointed by it as much as I thought I would have been.