Note: This article isn't finished and will be updated

Post: 04/04/2014: Armour and Shields of the Imperium

Armour

Mesh Armour​

Mesh armour is a bodysuit usually made from carbon-ceramic polyfibres. Phased out of use by the Imperial Guard in the 31st Millennium, its use is — and always was — far more common among the hive gangs on the major hive worlds. The gangs preferred to use Mesh Armour for personal protection as all a ganger needed to make a suit was a powered nanoloom, water, and some powdered bone.​

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Mesh armour has made a comeback among back world planets and regiments heralding from smaller economies that lack the resources and/or labor to produce other types of armour. Mesh armour has one primary attribute in that it can be bonded with other types of armour as reinforcement and can also take underlays which are upgrades such as different armour platings, reactive countermeasures, or electrode sensitive underlays for personal shielding.​

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Flak Armour​

Cheap and easy to produce, flak armour comprises several layers of ablative thermoplast materials and impact absorbent carbon fibers. Flak armour is usually designed as a vest or a sleeveless jacket which covers the upper torso. Useful for protection against shrapnel and low caliber weaponry, the flak jacket is the standard issue personal armour of most Imperial Guard regiments.​

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In addition to being used for body armour, flak armour can be printed out in large sheets known as "Flak Board" which is used as a generic reinforcement for entrenchments, dug outs, and temporary fortifications within the field.​

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Another useful thing about flak armour is that it can be modified within the field for additional or fewer layers making it useful for scout regiments and light infantry who do not have access to carapace armour.​

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Carapace Armour​

Comprised of rigid plates made of armaplas or ceramite, carapace armour is made up of plates that are moulded to fit the wearer. Usually a carapace suit will cover the torso and major joints with separate plates for the limbs along with a helmet, although it is also available in full body-suit form. Most wearers are in a relatively fit condition compared to other flak-wearing troopers, due to the armour being so heavy. It can realistically be expected to stop a large variety of mid-range weaponry. During periods of relative peace, and during training exercises, some Space Marines will don carapace suits -- such garb befits a Space Marine during times of wait. Space Marines Scouts are allowed access to carapace armour as they are not yet worthy enough to wear power armour and their Black Carapace has yet to have grown in so they are unable to properly interface with the armour. Carapace armour is also used by Imperial Guard Stormtroopers, Kasrkin squads and some regiments of high-tech Imperial Guard.​

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Carapace Armour is also sometimes called Power Armour if it is modified for full hostile environment or has a limited amount of power servos within its build. This is seen mostly in the ranks of the Inquisition and private mercenary groups.​

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Power Armour​

Possibly the most prominent feature of the Space Marines is their Power Armour, a suit of ceramite plates with artificial myo-fibre bundles and mechanical servos that replicate the wearer's movements and enhances a Space Marine's already superhuman strength, as well as allows them to easily withstand environmental conditions and enemy fire that would kill a normal human. The suit is directly linked to the nervous system of the Space Marines via the Astartes' Black Carapace implant. There are eight known versions of Power Armour to have been used by the Space Marines throughout Imperial history.​

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The Sisters of Battle and several high-ranking members of the Inquisition also use power armour, but they are not directly linked to their suits in the way Space Marines are, which decreases the armour's effectiveness.​

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Artificer Armour​

Space Marine Techmarines may choose to craft a suit of power armour of extraordinary quality, such suits are referred to as Artificer Armour. Artificer Armour is crafted from the finest materials and with the utmost care. Due to this attention to detail Artificer Armour provides more protection than normal power armor but does not suffer the compromise of lessened mobility, like Terminator Armour. It is often highly decorated and embellished with ornamentation and devotional scripts. Most Techmarines wear Artificer Armour of their own crafting; its construction a final test of their acquired skills following their tutelage under the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars. Artificer Armour is kept in the Chapter Armoury as a reward for devoted service by a veteran marine, or as standard equipment for specialized position in the chapter.​

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Artificer armour is a rare relic of each Chapter and is therefore relished with great care and is typically passed down through generations of users as each former wearer dies or receives an even rarer version. Artificer armour is also seen within the ranks of the Imperial Guard high ranking officers, particularly those who have fought along side Mechanicus forces and have been rewarded for their duty. Another group are those of the Inquisition and Commissariat who have as well, been blessed or rewarded for their duties. ​

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Terminator Armour​

Tactical Dreadnought ('Terminator') Armour was developed for close-quarters fighting, where defensive power was more important than maneuverability. The technology was originally developed to enable maintenance crews of space ships to operate in hard vacuum or in other adverse conditions. It was combined with power armour technology and brought about the invention of Terminator armour during the Great Crusade. It was hoped that it would replace power armour, but was relegated to its current role due to a lack of maneuverability.​

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It is manufactured from a ceramite plasteel alloy as an exoskeleton with servo assisted interfaces with the users own neurological and muscular systems to enhance movement. It is the heaviest armour in any Imperial arsenal, is able to withstand tremendous punishment, and serves as a solid heavy-weapons platform in open-field combat. The First Company of most Space Marine Chapters uses Terminator Armour extensively, and only those Marines who earn the Crux Terminatus are permitted to wear it. It is also said that a piece of the Emperor's own armour that he wore during the final battle with Horus is built into the "Crux Terminatus" but if this is true, in order to put a piece of the relic into each suit of Terminator Armour ever made, only the tiniest slivers of the sacred artefact is put within. Less frequently, high ranking members of the Inquisition have been known to wear Terminator armour. Notably, members of the Ordo Malleus can be seen wearing such suits.​

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A primary downside of Terminator armour is that the servos of each suit are suspectable to damage and sabotage if targeted from above the wearers shoulders where the overlapping armour plating doesn't offer protection. The first parts to be damaged will be hydraulics, coolant, fibre bundles followed by neural bundles and then the wearer him/herself.​

Cameleoline​

One of the most common materials used in stealth and camouflage, this material made from synthetic material masks the wearer by changing to match the current environment surrounding the user. Notable regiments who use this material are the Tanith First and Only and Harakoni Warhawks.​

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Shields.

Refractor Field​

The refractor field is a common sight amongst Imperial Guard regimental officers and other less elite Imperial organisations. The refractor field confers reasonable protection against most attacks, though less than styles of conversion fields. When issued to Imperial Guard officers the circuitry for a refractor field is often enclosed in a gorget mounted below the officer's neckline.​

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Each refractor field uses a conversion field made up of a moderately powerful gravitic energy shield that surrounds the user who wears the emitter as a form of personal protection. The field's effect is to convert the kinetic energy of an impact into harmless light. When the field stops a shot, a blinding flash of light is produced as the energetic conversion occurs, the same effect is also produced when power fields meet within melee weapons.​

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Rosarius​

The Rosarius is a powerful conversion field generator issued to Space Marine Chaplains and members of the Eccleisiarchy and Inquisition. A conversion field by its very nature provides much greater protection than a refractor field, and is thus a much rarer sight. The most common users of a Rosiarus are Space Marine Chaplains, who are gifted one on a pendant (usually a skull-cross or Imperial Aquila) by the Eccleisiarchy to show the bond between the latter organisation and the Adeptus Astartes. Senior priests and Inquisitors can also sometimes be seen wearing one of these pendants.​

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As an aside, it is notable that the Iron Fathers of the Iron Hands Space Marines - who embody a combined function of Chaplains and Techmarines - are gifted a Rosiarus not by the Eccleisiarchy but by the Adeptus Mechanicus, showing a stronger bond between the technologically-minded Marines with the latter organisation over the former.​

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A Rosarius creates a field of absorbing energy which dissipates all but the most powerful attacks away from the user and uses the energy to power itself. However, this leads to one of its greatest flaws in that the increased heat produced by the conversion process will typically overheat the conduits within the device leading to it having to shut down after repeated use or a large conversion. This is solved when placed into weapons as the circuitry has more room and conductive metals within its construction.​

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Iron Halo​

The Iron Halo is a Space Marine relic of which only one generally exists in a Chapter at any one time. It will usually be given to one of the senior Captains or other officers as a reward for exceptional service. Some chapters, like the Dark Angels, issue one to each of their captains. The Iron Halo incorporates a powerful conversion field similar to that used in a Rosiarus (it provides the same level of protection) and is often seen mounted on top of a Marine's backpack.​

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An Iron Halo only operates as long as the nodes powering the field remain intact, these fields are fashioned into the design by the spikes protruding from the stars half halo, destruction or warping of these nodes will cause the field to fail or in an extreme case, detonate with catastrophic energies.​

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Storm Shield​

The Storm Shield is a hand-held shield used by both Space Marines and members of the Inquisition and their Chambers Militant, most commonly seen carried by Terminator Assault Squads in conjunction with the Thunder Hammer. It contains a conversion field of lower strength and smaller size than those used in a Rosiarus or Iron Halo, only providing sufficient area and energy to absorb close-range attacks in melee. A Storm Shield is carried like a normal medium or heavy shield, tying up the bearer's hand and forgoing the use of a second hand weapon.​

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In addition, another variant of the Storm Shield used by boarding parties of the Imperial Navy and Imperial Arbites made of thick sheets of plasteel and admantine reinforcements typically with a vision block and one slot on either the left or right side for an assault weapon to be placed. These items are extremely heavy and typically require the assistance of power armour or augmetics to be wielded effectively. There are of course slimmed down versions which would remove that requirement at the offset of decreased protection from ranged.​

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Combat Shield​

The combat shield is a cut-down, buckler-style version of the Storm Shield, but it is unclear whether it uses a conversion or refractor field. It is used exclusively by the Space Marines, and like the Storm Shield is only useful in melee situations. Unlike the Storm Shield however, it does not tie up the user's hand (being strapped to the forearm) and allows the use of a second hand weapon or firearm. ​

Imperial Guard Armaments

Infantry (I)​

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Boltgun and Bolt Pistol (Bolter): A .75 caliber weapon, the Boltgun fires a self-propelled explosive 'bolt' which explodes with devastating effect once it has penetrated its target, effectively blowing it apart from the inside. Finely hand-crafted by Space Marine Forges or the Adeptus Mechanicus, Boltguns are heavy, sturdy weapons with a powerful recoil normal humans would find difficult to handle.​

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Boltguns usable by mere "mortals" come in various patterns, though they still follow the same basic design philosophy. Despite the fact that they pale in comparison to their larger cousins, their power is still such that they can easily cut a man in two. Boltguns meant for the Imperial Guard are supplied by the Departmento Munitorum. These weapons come in a few varieties that are used amongst different factions of the Imperial Guard such as the Perinetus Pattern "Solo" Mark II is considered to be heretical by some members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Its workings are much less sophisticated compared to other boltguns and it can only be operated in single-shot mode. Its lack of an automatic fire mode is made up for by its somewhat longer range, better accuracy and higher reliability of its mechanism. These features make it popular with PDF and rebels alike. Each Bolter can support twelve different ammunition varieties listed here:​

Bolter Ammunition​

Standard bolts Standard bolts comprise the following components: outer casing, propellant base, main charge, mass reactive detonator cap, depleted deuterium core, diamantine tip. The calibre of the standard round .75 and it possesses a super-dense metallic core.​

Banestrike Rounds These mysterious shells are believed to have been developed in secret by the Alpha Legion during the Great Crusade. Their sole purpose seems to have been to breach the ceramite Power Armour of Space Marines. It was used openly for the first time at the Drop Site Massacre where they proved devastating.​

Bloodshard Shells Ammunition used by the Blood Angels for their Angelus boltguns. Its payload of razor-filament is very effective against most armours.​

Dragonfire Bolts Used by Sternguard Veterans and release a gout of superheated gas that makes a mockery of cover; the gas discharge ensuring that struck targets receive full damage, even if partially protected.​

Hellfire Rounds Replaces the core and tip of the standard bolt round with a vial of mutagenic acid, and thousands of needles that fire into the target's flesh on impact, pumping the acid into the target. Developed specially to combat Tyranids, Hellfire Rounds have equally devastating results on other organic targets.​

Inferno Bolts Designed to immolate their targets and destroy them with superheated chemical fire. The deuterium core is replaced with an oxy-phosphorus gel, known as Promethium. It should be noted that the Chaos Space Marine Thousand Sons have their own similarly-named but unrelated type of inferno bolts, which are actually psychically-bound slugs that release arcane energies; these slugs explode with sorcerous energies upon impact.​

Kraken Pattern Penetrator Rounds: Powerful armour-piercing rounds. The deuterium core is replaced by a solid adamantine core and uses a heavier main charge. Upon impact, the outer casing peels away and the high velocity adamantium needle accelerates into the victim, where the larger detonator propels shards of super hardened metal further into the wound. These are effective against heavily-armoured infantry.​

Metal Storm Frag Shells Best against multiple lightly-armoured targets. They detonate before impact and spray shrapnel, shredding their victims. A proximity detonator replaces the mass-reactive cap, and the diamantine tip and deuterium core are replaced with an increased charge and fragmentation casing. They are similar to flak rounds and are used against clusters of enemies.​

Psycannon Bolts Are used by the Inquisition, primarily the Ordo Malleus and Grey Knights, in Psycannons.​

Seeker Bolts Special rounds used by Chaplain Boreas of the Dark Angels. Each handcrafted round contains a miniature cogitator capable of steering the bolt towards the heat signature of a target.​

Stalker Silenced Shells Are rounds with low sound signatures, meant for covert fighting and used in conjunction with an M40 targeting system and an extended barrel and stock on a bolter to produce a sniping weapon system. A solidified mercury slug replaces the mass-reactive warhead for lethality at sub-sonic projectile speed. A gas cartridge also replaces both the propellant base and main charge for silent firing.​

Tempest Bolts Incorporate tiny plasma shock generators that emit electromagnetic and thermal radiation when the shell detonates. Produced only on Mars, Tempest shells are noted as particularly effective against machines and mechanical targets.​

Vengeance Rounds Utilise an unstable flux technology which makes them slightly hazardous to use but makes them very good against armoured targets. In fact, they were originally developed to combat Traitor Marines.​

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Reference: Space Marines Codex​

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In addition, the Bolt-Pistol is a slimmed down version of the Boltgun that is typically used in concert with a melee weapon by Imperial Officers, Astartes, Inquisitors, and the Adeptus Sororitas. These compact frames are prized for their reliability and stopping power but are generally only issued to Imperial Officers of Major/Captain and higher due to the expensive production costs and finesse needed to wield them properly.​

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Flamer: Flamers unleash a liquid incendiary chemical, usually promethium, that bursts into flame as it leaves the weapon. They are valued for their ability to destroy many enemies at once, regardless of any protective cover. Both flamers and the more compact hand flamers are considered assault weapons due to their relatively short range.Imperial and Chaos Space Marine flamers fire a mix of highly volatile liquid chemicals which are ignited by a pilot light at the weapon's muzzle. The flaming chemical sticks to its target and continues burning of its own accord - those who are not killed instantly die horribly as the super-hot chemical continues to burn.​

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Flamers are an invaluable tactical choice in conditions where spotting the enemy is difficult due to dense terrain (such as jungles), during urban fights and bunker assaults. Flamers are particularly effective in breaking the cycle of Ork infestation by destroying the spores exuded by the corpses.​

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In addition, the flamer weapon can come in a variety of shapes and forms across the Galaxy, the typical variants such as:​

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The Incinerator, a twin linked flamer used by the Inquisition and Grey Knights that typically uses blessed Promethium to further damage the bodies and souls of the malform and corrupted.​

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The Fire Lance, typically used by Arch Enemy forces, this weapon is designed for siege warfare by having an extended barrel capable of leading fire around corners and over large walls. These weapons are extremely heavy and unbalanced leading to it being crewed by two to three soldiers and is a rare sight outside of the Armageddon Steel Legion and Death Korps of Krieg unless you are fighting against the human detachments of the Iron Warriors.​

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Grenade Launchers: are relatively simple tubular weapons which can launch several different types of grenades using means such as compressed gas or an electromagnetic charge. Grenade launchers benefit from their ability to fire ordnance on an arching trajectory, allowing their shots to clear obstacles and lay down suppressive fire on unseen foes. While a variety of common grenade types can be fired by grenade launchers they are almost universally loaded with frag and krak grenades. Other types include incendiary, flash bang, hallucinogenic, plasma, smoke, concussion, virus and xeno-filament grenades. Grenade launchers are a common weapon used by Imperial Guard infantry squads thanks to their ability to lob grenades greater distances and with more accuracy than can be thrown. Their primary duty is to lay down suppressive fire and destroy light vehicles and buildings.​

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Infantry (II)​

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Hellpistol (Hot-Shot Laspistol): a slimmed down version of the Hotshot Lasgun, it is a more common sight amongst Imperial Guard Officers. Hellpistols are typically hand-crafted, rather than mass-produced in factories, and most are hundreds of years old and have acquired histories over the course of centuries of use in combat. Unless otherwise specified, a hellpistol remains the property of the Departmento Munitorum, though an individual can be awarded one for heroic deeds. A hellpistol fires a higher-intensity shot than a laspistol, cauterizing just about any wound it causes and preventing blood from being shed. For this reason, hellpistols have been sanctioned for use as execution weapons for officers and commissars, as a shot to the condemned soldier's head will prevent any blood from staining their uniform.​

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Hellgun (Hot-Shot Lasgun): Known as either a Hellgun or Hot-shot Lasgun, these high-energy weapons are more potent and destructive than common Lasguns, drawing on external energy sources for a more penetrative shot, but also more complex, requiring reinforced barrels, thermal-cooling cells and gyro-stabilized power packs. A substantial backpack power source allows the weapon to be fired in both semi-automatic and rapid-fire modes. While the backpack power source is not quite as powerful as the Hotshot Laser Power Pack used in Long-Las sniper rifles it does produce an intense shot which, while still comparable to one from a normal lasgun, has far superior penetrative power. However only a few Forge Worlds produce hellweapons, and the Departmento Munitorum rarely issues such weapons outside of Storm Trooper companies due to the cost and difficulty in manufacturing and maintaining them. Those issued these weapons train extensively in their repair and maintenance, up to rebuilding them completely if necessary.​

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Despite these features the weapon has a reputation for unreliability and requires a lot of maintenance to keep functional. Massive stress is placed on the recharge generator due to the amount of power passing through it during automatic fire, leading to a drop in rate of fire if it is not properly maintained, and the power couplings can become quickly worn causing variations in shot power. Despite the refrigeration unit excess heat created by the overpowered shots, especially when firing in automatic, places addition stress on the barrel. This can cause warping and a loss in accuracy after repeated uses, though an automatic cut-off switch will kick in to prevent firing until the weapon returns to normal temperatures. The overpowered shots also create a large muzzle flash which reveals the firer's position, and the delicate calibrations needed to keep the sight functional leads to many Guardsmen simply disabling it.​

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Lasgun/Lascarbine: Lasguns are reliable, easy to maintain and produce, and are readily available on most Imperial worlds. They have longer range and higher ammunition capacity than a Laspistol (the laspistol power packs having roughly 80 shots before depletion, compared to roughly 150 shots for a lasgun), but are nowhere near as powerful as a Lascannon. They also lack the rapid-fire quality of the Multi-laser or the Hellgun. The lascarbine is a slimmed down version of the lasgun typically used by airborne forces and PDF.​

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The lasgun uses the same basic technology and operates along the same lines as other laser weapons, emitting a beam of focused light. The high amount of energy in the beam causes the immediate surface area of a target to be vaporized in a small explosion. It is a relatively unimpressive weapon when compared to other weapons in the Imperium, but is still capable of cleanly severing limbs or piercing the power armour of a Space Marine (but only through a vulnerable spot in the armour). Most designs have iron sights mounted along the top of the weapon. It is powered by a small, rechargeable power pack located beneath the weapon, in front of the trigger guard. The pack can be recharged in many ways, including sunlight. It can also be "overcharged," a trick used by Guard veterans that causes the pack to explode, turning the weapon into a makeshift grenade. This tactic is only used in last-ditch situations, as it results in the destruction of the weapon. The resultant explosion, however, is powerful enough to crack open the frontal armor of a Chaos Dreadnought. Lasguns have several lethality settings that adjust the damage of each shot in order to conserve power (weaker settings use less energy) or disable rather than kill a target. The weapon can also be fitted with a "Hotshot" pack, providing more powerful but less numerous shots.​

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Laspistol: There is little standardization in the design of laspistols, most worlds producing their own versions. The most unconventional designs are the derringer-type pistols and the ornate and hand-crafted dueling pistols. A laspistol does not have anywhere near the range of the lasgun, as the power of the las-bolt dissipates into the atmosphere after only a short distance. However, within its limited range, it has the same devastating result as a lasgun, producing an explosion upon contact with a target. The laspistol lacks the lasgun's selective fire options, having only the ability to fire single shots. The limited range of the weapon makes it primarily used for gaining an extra attack in close combat, and actually shooting the gun is sometimes foregone in favour of this attack. Laspistols are mainly used by Imperial Guard Officers and advisers, including Commissars, Techpriest Enginseers and Sanctioned Psykers.​

Where the hell are the memes

Er wrong thread. I meant to do that.

What are the sources you're using?

this seems like a copy paste from warhammer wiki (i might be wrong)
also why do we need the part about psycannon bolts(GK aren't going to be at launch)or the part about lasguns!??!

Hopefully Lexicanum, considering two weeks ago I reported an image on WH40k wiki about an image of a lasgun being a terrible Pimp my gun pic coloured in paint only for them to tell me Fanart is better than no art.

I said this was an "Imperial" weapons and armaments which include ALL factions of the Imperium, though I will exclude the Mechanicus. These are partially from Lexicanum though I am using sections of it that I contributed so they are actually my sources. Also if you look closely, there are several paragraphs that aren't. The only section that isn't my own is referenced and that is the bolter ammunition section.