Laser Weapons, or Las Weapons as they are known in the Imperium of Man, are a family of directed energy weapons that produce beams of high-intensity, amplified light that induce heat damage when they strike a target. Laser Weapons are relatively easy to produce and maintain.
No solid ammunition is ever used -- only power cells which can be recharged and quickly swapped out when depleted with another fully-charged power cell. This makes Laser Weapons ideal for use by large troop formations like the Astra Militarum.
While the accuracy of the las beam cannot be distorted by wind or other weather effects like ballistic ammunition, it can be quickly diffused by heavy particles in the air such as smoke and hence lose its power over long distances.
Certain types of Lasgun have specific uses, most notably the more powerful Imperial Long-Las which is the catch-all term for sniper variants because they bear longer barrels.
Laser Weapons are used in many shapes and sizes. Some are big and powerful enough to be used in stellar engagements between voidships, others are used on vehicles like Titans, tanks or Dreadnoughts, whilst the smallest ones can be operated individually as man-portable firearms by infantry. Depending on their size, they are powered by on-board generators, power cells or portable power supplies.
Laser Weapons are used by many intelligent species in the galaxy, and as such, Laser Weapons are a crucial part of many xenos arsenals, including those of the Orks, Aeldari, Leagues of Votann and T'au, as well as the arsenals of the Chaos-corrupted Humans that make up the forces of Chaos among the Lost and the Damned and the Chaos Space Marines.
Imperial Laser Weapons
- Proteus Las-Lance
Aeldari Laser Weapons
Ork Laser Weapons
- Big Zzappa
- Gaze of Mork
- Supa Zzap-Gun
- Zzap Gun
- Zzappa Kannonz
T'au Laser Weapons
Leagues of Votann Laser Weapons
Sources
- Codex: Eldar (3rd Edition), pp. 35, 46, 63
- Codex: Eldar (4th Edition), pp. 22, 42, 46
- Codex: Imperial Knights (8th Edition), pg. 68
- Codex: Leagues of Votann (9th Edition), pp. 92-93, 96-97, 101
- Codex: Orks (3rd Edition), pg. 14
- Codex: Orks (4th Edition), pg. 51
- Dark Heresy: Core Rulebook (RPG), pg. 138
- Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook (RPG), pg. 110
- Dark Heresy: The Lathe World (RPG), pg. 59
- Dark Heresy: Creatures Anathema (RPG), pg. 85
- Deathwatch: Mark of the Xenos (RPG), pg. 5
- Epic Armageddon Rulebook, pg. 108
- Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 91-98
- Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, pp. 67-72
- Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard Second Edition, pp. 51-56, 251, 267
- Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pg. 67
- Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three, pp. 119-121
- Imperial Armour Volume Eight - Raid on Kastorel-Novem
- Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara, pg. 101
- Imperial Armour Apocalypse, pg. 6
- Imperial Armour, pp. 10-11, 22-23, 37, 39
- Imperial Munitorum Manual (Background Book) by Graham McNeill, pp. 61-64
- The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer (Background Book) by Mat Ralphs, pg. 19
- Inquisitor Rulebook (Specialist Game), pp. 66, 110-111
- Rogue Trader: Core Rulebook (RPG), pp. 120, 129-130
- Rougue Trader: Battlefleet Koronus pp. 74-77
- Rogue Trader: Hostile Acquisitions (RPG), pg. 48
- Rogue Trader: Into the Storm (RPG), pp. 110-111
- The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 246
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1st Edition), pg. 78
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- Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook (6th Edition) pg. 55
- White Dwarf 111 (UK)
- Cain's Last Stand (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell
- Ghostmaker (Novel) by Dan Abnett, pg. 295
- First and Only (Novel) by Dan Abnett
- Guns of Tanith (Novel) by Dan Abnett
- For the Emperor (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell, pg.58
- Forge World Ork Stompa Head'
- World Big Zzappa
- FG Legio Custodes Coronus Grav-Carrier