Imperial Guard A to Z from TauOnline.Org

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Below is a a comprehensive list of Imperial Guard terms and their meanings. If you're unsure of something, look it up here! Only goes from A - L currently.

AA: Stands for Anti-Aircraft. Essentially, AA weapons are designed to be used against Flyers, rather than ground targets. the Hydra is the most common vehicle of this type in the Guard.
Ace: A skilled Navy Pilot. Equivalent to a Veteran in the Guard.
Ace-in-the-hole: A backup plan, usually in the form of a secondary (and often unofficial) weapon. Common examples include boot-knives, revolvers, Stubguns or one-shot Bolt pistols.
Amasec: A Widely available alcoholic beverage distilled from wine.
Aquilla: The double-headed eagle, and symbol of the Imperium. The Sign of The Aquilla is made by placing both hands upon your chest so that the insides of your thumb-knuckles touch, resulting in a bird-like shape. Failing to salute the Imperial Aquilla can result in court-martial.
Arbite: Judicial representative of the Imperium. Arbites are charged with keeping law and order within the Imperium. Commonly seen amongst Penal Legion forces.
Armageddon: Forgeworld and home of the Steel Legion, a major recruiting ground for the Guard. Also produces closed-compartment vehicles, designed to operate in hostile terrain.
Armour: see Tank.
Armoured Fist: A squad mounted in a Chimera. Usually acts as a vanguard for the main force, or as a counter-assault unit.
Artillery: Artillery is a catch-all term for a variety of support weapons, including mortars, heavy rockets and howitzers. Artillery weapons usually have extreme ranges, and can engage the enemy without actually being able to see them. The Basilisk and the Griffon are the two most common forms of Artillery.
Assault Cannon: Rarely seen in the Guard, this weapon has a tremendous rate of fire, and is normally employed by tunnel-fighting units, such as Space Marine Terminators.
Astartes: High Gothic name for Space Marines.
Atlas: Heavy duty recovery vehicle, designed to remove damaged or destroyed vehicles from the field of battle.
Attila: Homeworld of the famous Attilan Rough Riders. Specialises in cavalry-regiments.
Augur Shell: A special shell designed to be fired from a Conqueror Cannon. It can cause horrific damage to enemy armour, but is rarely used.
Augmentic: See Bionic.
Auspex: A multi-function sensory device. Can track heat, motion or biosignatures. Can be set to either active or passive scanning.
Automatic: Automatic weapons, once fired, automatically eject spent ammo cases (if any), re-seal the gun-breech, and bring the next projectile into the breech for firing. By holding down the trigger, the user of an Automatic weapon can unleash massive amounts of fire very quickly. Auto-weapons are often automatic (hence the name).
Auto-weapons: Common solid-round weapons, usually sporting a high rates of fire, and are either semi or fully automatic (see above). Autopistols are common sidearms in Imperial Guard armies, while Autoguns are rarer, usually used by PDF or mercenaries who favour the loud, rapid bang and cordite smell of bullets. Some primitive regiments may be armed with Autoguns as standard. Autocannons are more common in Guard armies, acting as a light tank hunter, or used against targets too tough for a Heavy Bolter. Larger Autocannons are often used as anti-aircraft weapons, on vehicles such as the Hydra.
Baby Ogryn: A Catachan.
Backwater: Term for a technologically primitive world.
Baneblade: Super-heavy battletank. The Baneblade can unleash devastating amounts of firepower, and easily engage and destroy multiple enemy tanks at once. The Baneblade chassis is used as a template for many other Super-Heavy tanks.
Basilisk: Long range artillery piece. The Basilisk can engage and destroy all but the toughest of targets from extreme range (several miles). Basilisks rarely see front-line combat, and are normally protected by AA positions.
Ba**ard-weapon: A hybrid weapon, usually built in a field-workshop. These weapons are unpredictable at best, but are sometimes used when things turn nasty. In essence, they are an ad-hoc Combi Weapon. Ba**ard Swords are a form of sword between Longsword and Greatsword. Usually 6' to 7' long. Popular amongst Evadian soldiers, but difficult to use without proper training.
Bat: Navy term for hostile aircraft.
Batallion: A form of regimental organisation. Exact size and specifications vary.
Battery: Standard squad for artillery formations. A Battery usually consists of 3 Artillery pieces.
Battlecannon: Standard equip for the Leman Russ, the Battlecannon is a powerful weapon against both tanks and infantry. Sometimes fitted to defensive turrets.
Battle Standard: Another name for a Regimental Standard or Company Standard. The term Battle Standard is usually used in the more feral Guard regiments.
Bionic: A mechanical replacement for lost body parts. Arms and legs are common, though eyes, ears, lungs, hearts and even brains can be replaced bionically. Quality of the bionic depends on who fits them, and who they are fitted to. Some Bionics may include weapons, such as Laspistols, while others may be complete weapons in their own right, such as Yarrick's Power Claw.
Bleed out: To die of blood loss before medical aid can be given.
Blitzkrieg: A style of fighting that involved co-ordination of infantry, tanks and Navy flyers. The technique involves rushing enemy weak spots, hoping for a quick break-through. Tougher fortifications can then be encircled and destroyed, or bypassed entirely.
Blunt: Psyker term for non-Psykers.
Bogey: Navel term for hostile aircraft.
Bolt: A small, self-propelled rocket containing an explosive tip. Fired from Bolt-weapons.
Bolt-weapons: Usually about .75 calibre, these weapons are powerful in the extreme. Just one shot from these weapons can instantly destroy a human, and will negate all but the toughest of armour.
Bolt Pistols are common sidearms for Officers. They are especially favoured by Commissars.
Bolters, or Boltguns are semi-automatic weapons, comparable to a Lasgun in rate of fire. They are the standard weapon of Marines and Sisters of Battle, though Arbites are sometimes equipped with them. Bolt-Carbines are a variation on the Bolter, being lighter and easier to use.
Storm Bolters are usually pintle-mounted, and can unleash a horrendous amount of shots very quickly. Almost never used by Infantry, though some regiments favour them.
Heavy Bolters are a common anti-infantry weapon, capable of decimating entire squads with its high rate of fire. It can also be used to destroy light vehicles, though it is not well-suited to this roll.
Bombard: Super-heavy artillery piece. the Bombard's cannon is even more powerful than the Earthshaker cannon. However, it takes considerable time to reload.
Bombardier: A Guardsmen specialising in the use of grenades and explosives.
Bombardment: The act of engaging a position with artillery.
Bone 'Ead: An Ogryn with intelligence-enhancing surgery. These act as squad sergeants for other Ogryns, as they are smart enough to understand and follow orders.
Box: Flyer's payload, usually missiles or bombs. Also a multi-purpose storage container.
Bravery bolter: Slang for a Commissar's bolt pistol.
Bravery in a bottle: Slang for alcoholic beverages.
Bullet: Chemical explosive-delivered shot. Bullets are fired from Auto and Stub weapons. Bullets can be cased (which is discharged after firing the round), or caseless. Autoguns are usually caseless. Larger weapons, such as Heavy Stubbers, Assault Cannons and Autocannons, also use bullets. These bullets, however, tend to be much larger, and are usually caseless. Some bullets contain explosive tips (see Vulcan Ammunition).
Bullpup: A weapon whose magazine is loaded behind the trigger, often in the stock. Bullpup weapons are normally Autoguns, and are better-suited to close-quarter fighting. Drop Troop armies tend to favour Bullpup weaponry.
Bunker: An armoured emplacement, sometimes built underground. Bunkers can withstand all but the most powerful enemy attacks. Bunkers are usually built to protect command personnel, or protect valuable positions.
Cadia: A heavily militarised world situated close to the Eye of Terror. Their forces have fought Chaos for millennia, and are known as the Shock Troopers. There is a common saying that goes "anyone born on Cadia who can't field strip a Lasgun by age five was born on the wrong planet." Almost all of Cadia's population is under arms.
Cameleoline: Special material designed to conceal the wearer. Simple versions include camo-cloaks, but more advanced versions work by the use of active Stealth technology.
Camo Netting: Camouflage materials designed to help obscure vehicles. However, it is useless if the vehicle is active. Supplies may also be covered in Camo Netting if left in an exposed area.
Cannon: A heavy weapon, usually designed to fire shells, or large-calibre bullets. Cannons are often vehicle mounted, and are almost always capable of destroying enemy vehicles.
Capitol Imperialis: A super-heavy variant of the Leviathan. The Capitol Imperialis is usually employed by generals, or similar high-ranking officers.
Captain: An Imperial Guard rank found on most worlds. Captains are a mid-way rank in the officer cadre, usually in charge of a Company. Captains who command from the front are sometimes known as Field Captains. Captain is also a Navy term for a ship's commanding officer, one rank below Admiral.
Carapace: Thick, powerful armour designed to stop armour-piercing bullets. Carapace is much more durable than Flak Armour, and is standard equip for Stormtroopers.
Carbine: A rifle or machine gun designed to be used by cavalry. Carbines tend to be lighter than their full-scale equivalents, but have shorter range. Light Infantry and Drop-Troops prefer to use Carbines.
Catachan: Extremely hostile deathworld. Catachan produces some of the best jungle-fighters in the Imperium. Catachans are sometimes called Baby Ogryns, though never to their faces!
Catachan Kiss: A Headbutt.
Cavalry: Horse mounted troops. In places where horses are rare (or non-existent), bikes or other large beasts are used instead.
Chain weapon: Chain weapons are motorised close combat weapons that can rend flesh and armour apart. Chainswords are the most common version of these weapons, though axes do exist. Commissars favour Chainswords, and these weapons have become a potent symbol of the Commissariat.
Chart Table: A Holo-projection system designed to show and display 3D terrain models. Chart Desks are larger, usually non-portable versions of a Chart Table.
Chatter, Vox: Vox Chatter is incoherent, random information. Often used by Chaos forces to block vox-frequencies, thus making inter-squad communication difficult.
Chem-Inhaler: A respirator system designed to allow the user to inhale stimms.
Codicifer: Also called a Cogitator or Logic-Engine, these devices can perform complex calculations and battlefield metriculations.
Command, Chain of: The hierarchical structure of regimental command. Troopers answer to Sergeants, who answer to a Lieutenant, who in turn answer to their Captain, or Company Commander. These then answer to the Regimental Commander (often a Colonel), who answers to his General, or similar superior. At the top of the Chain of Command is the Warmaster, or Lord Solar, who answers to the High Lords themselves. As they represent the Emperor, it could be said that the Emperor ultimately commands all the Armies of Mankind, which is a pleasing concept for the Ecclesiarchy.
Commissar: A Commissar's task is to watch over and preserve regimental morale. He will inspire the timid, guide the lost, and punish the incompetent. On the battlefield, Commissars can (and will!) dispatch summary discipline to any found wanting, usually in the form of a Bolt round to the back of the skull.
Commissariat: The organisation that trains and dispatches Commissars.
Company: A common regimental formation. A Company usually consists of 2-6 Platoons, plus supporting units. Armoured Companies consist of a Command Tank and three squads of three tanks. Artillery Companies work in the same way, but using Artillery instead of tanks.
Company Standard: Each Company has its own Standard. Whether this is used on the field (for morale or easily unit-observation) or whether it is purely for parade display, depends on the regiment.
Conqueror: A Leman Russ variant. Originally produced on Gryphonne IV, it is favoured as a Cavalry tank, able to quickly counter-attack or launch rapid assaults against the enemy. Due to its smaller cannon, it is much better at mobile engagements than a standard Leman Russ.
Conscript: A term that covers both trainee and indentured troops. Conscripts lack the skill of a full-fledged Guardsmen, but make up for their lack of ability with weight of numbers. Penal Conscripts are usually used as cannon fodder. Trainee Conscripts are often known as Whiteshields.
Cooker: A Meltagun.
Counterseptic: Antiseptic and analgesic fluid used to combat infection.
Dataslate: A Hand-held device used to store and transfer information, images and orders.
Defeat in Detail: The process of wiping out an enemy force one unit at a time. Defeat in Detail relies on bringing all your force against a single unit, destroying it completely, then moving on to the next target.
Demolisher, Leman Russ: A siege tank based on the Russ, the Demolisher is more heavily armoured, and equipped with a powerful siege cannon and sponsons. The Demolisher is not built for open combat, but it can fulfil this role at a push.
Demolition Charge: Powerful explosives. Used properly, a Demolition Charge can obliterate a bunker, tank, or squad of infantry.
Destroyer Tank Hunter: Long range sniper-tank designed to destroy enemy armour. Rare, but deadly. Most Armoured Companies have at least three.
Det-tape: General purpose detonator material.
Devil-dare: An act of extreme bravery/stupidity, usually when attempting to out-do a team-mate. An example of a devil-dare would be trying to get closer to an enemy gun-position than your team-mates.
Do a Yarrick: To take a trophy from a slain enemy.
Digi-weapon: A miniature weapon, usually a laspistol, worn as a ring. Digi-weapons are extremely rare, and almost impossible to get a hold of without Inquisitorial requisition status.
Doctrine: A regimental trait or procedure that causes significant change to the regiment's fighting style.
Doomsday Cannon: A super-heavy cannon, normally mounted on a Leviathan. Few defensive installations can survive an attack from a Doomsday Cannon.
Dragon, Leman Russ: An extremely rare Leman Russ model. The Dragon is built only on the Forgeworld of Galaxia, and currently only three exist, two of which are commanded by the 175th Galetonian. The Dragon uses a longer barrel than normal, and its shells are far more powerful. However, the tremendous recoil quickly ruins the suspensor systems of the turret. The three vehicles are Mischief Maker, Dragon and Bahamut.
Dreg-soldiers: Derogatory term for Penal Legion/constripted troops.
Drop Troopers: Guardsmen who specialise in deploying via grav-chutes, often behind enemy lines, or into a combat zone.
Ecclesiarchy: The religion of the Imperium. The Ecclesiarchy worships the Emperor as a God, and ruthlessly annihilate all rival cults. They preach that Faith is the greatest weapon of Humanity, which explains Guard equipment...
Elysia: Drop-Troop elite, the Elysians are the drop-assault troops against which all other drop troops are compared.
Emperor, The: The Emperor rules over the Imperium, and is god to a billion individuals. Thousands of souls are consumed every day to sustain him, and his guiding light reaches from Terra to Ultramar and beyond. However, He cannot survive without constant hardship and sacrifice from his people. Without Humanity, the Emperor is nothing. Without the Emperor, Humanity is doomed...
Emperor's Benediction: A euphemism for a mercy killing.
Enginseer: A Techpriest of the Adeptus Mechanicus charged with tending the machine spirits of the regiment's vehicles.
Evac: Short for evacuation. Evacuations are always dangerous, especially if they involve withdrawing from the field of battle.
Evadia: Feral world not far from Ultramar. Evadia is infested with Feral Orks, but all attempts to remove them have met with extreme resistance... from the human inhabitants! Evadians make excellent assault troops. Unfortunately, they are extremely difficult to control, and have virtually no respect for Imperial authority.
Eviscerator: A massive chainsword. These weapons are too large for a normal human to use one-handed. Favoured by members of the Ecclesiarchy.
Executioner, Leman Russ: The Executioner was once a common Russ variant, but is now increasingly rare. Only Ryza still produces the Executioner in large numbers, and its Skitarii are composed entirely of Executioners. The Executioner's main weapon is a Plasma Destroyer, a massive plasma cannon.
Exterminator, Leman Russ: Exterminators replace their Battlecannons with twin-linked Autocannons, allowing them to engage on the move more easily. They work extremely well against hoard armies.
Exterminatus: Exterminatus is when the Imperial Navy employs cataclysmic force against an enemy-held world. Cyclonic torpedoes and virus bombs are the usual armaments. Exterminatus is a last resort, as the world is rendered totally uninhabitable afterwards.
Fallout: Side effect from atomic weapons. Extreme hazardous.
Feral: Feral is used to describe any race and/or colony that uses inferior technology to the Imprium's "normal" tech level.
Field Officer: Any officer that leads from the battlefield, as opposed to from a rear-line position. Sergeants, Lieutenants and some Captains are examples of field officers.
Flak Armour: Standard issue body armour for the guard. Works by means of friction, slowing the shot to prevent damage. Explosive ammunition, such as Bolt rounds, makes Flak virtually useless. However, it can prove effective against Las or Auto weapons.
Flakboard: General purpose sheet material for defence and repair. Fitted to the inside walls of defensive positions to prevent spalling material - dislodged by weapon imacts - causing injury.
Flamer: A flame-based weapon designed to ignite enemies. Flamers are very useful for clearing out enemy positions, especially tunnels, corridors or bunkers. Heavy Flamers are normally tank-mounted, but are even more dangerous. Inferno Cannons are another form of Flamer.
Flamer tan: Heat-scarring caused by minor thermal damage, usually from being in close proximity to a flamer attack, or incendary-based explosive.
Force Weapon: A Psychically-charged weapon designed to be used by Psykers. Force Weapons can be used to deliver horrific psychic trauma, and the results are almost always fatal.
Found Wanting: Euphemism for a field execution by a Commissar: "He was found wanting at the front line."
Frag: Short for Fragmentation. Frag weapons are either grenades, shells or missiles designed to cause massive explosions. Frag weapons kill by shrapnel, and are most often employed as a supression weapon, causing enemies to duck and cover prior to an infantry assault. Frag is also used to mean kill, usually with explosives or suitably violent kills. For example: "The Captain fragged three Orks with his Bolter."
Freak: Derogatory term for a Sanctioned Psyker. Other common terms include Brain or Bolt Magnet.
Fury: A Naval void-interceptor. Designed to operate in space, rather than in atmosphere.
Fyceline: The principal chemical ingredient used in the manufacture of standard Imperial Guard explosives.
Gadget Man: Derogatory term for a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Gas: Gas weapons cover a variety of weapons, from airborne toxins to smoke screens. Gas weapons are common, and often far more deadly than conventional weapons when used properly. As such, all Guardsmen are equipped with Gas Masks as standard to protect against such weapons.
Gas Mask: A device worn over the face. Protects against gas weapons.
Gel-bomb: Semi-liquid explosive. Gel-bombs stick to whatever they hit, and burn fiercely.
Germ Weapons: Germ Weapons involve using potent and deadly diseases to kill or incapacitate the enemy. Often Catachan bacteria are used, as these lifeforms are exceptionally deadly.
Green, the: Slang for the jungles of Catachan.
Greenskin: Slang for Ork.
Grenade: A compact explosive device, either thrown or fired from a launcher. There are many different types of grenade, including frag (anti-personnel), Krak (anti-armour), Smoke, Hallucinogenic, Haywire (EMP), Plasma and Inferno.
Grenadier: Heavy infantry, with equipment and training comparable to a Stormtrooper. Sometimes used as a term for a Bombardier.
Grenade Launcher: A device designed to fire grenades. Small, one-shot versions are sometimes used as under-slung launchers for Lasguns or Autoguns.
Griffon: A powerful close-support mortar. A Griffon can easily annihilate armoured vehicles or bunkers, and its high firing arc means it can engage while remaining hidden from enemy fire. The tell-tale shriek of incoming shells is often enough to cause enemy troops to flee in terror.
Guardsman: The standard fighting troop of the Imperial Guard. Guardsmen are well trained, and is well equipped for field combat. Whilst they do lack the more advanced pieces of technology the Imperium can offer, they are still more than able to fight the foes of mankind, and triumph time and again.
Gun-baby: Slang term for Whiteshields.
Gunship: A well armed and well armoured flyer, usually with VToL capabilities. Gunships provide vital close-support in combat, particularly for Drop-Troop armies.
Hangman: Derogatory term for a Commissar.
Harakoni: Home of the Warhawks. Skilled Drop-Troops, but do not compare to the Elysians.
Hell-Drop: Deploying straight into a combat zone, either by grav-chute or dropship.
Hellhound: Incendiary attack vehicle designed for close-quarter fighting. Hellhounds can decimate enemy positions, crippling enemy forces in furious storms of fire. Hellhounds are particularly efficient against enemy troops in buildings and woodland. The Hellhound is built upon the Chimera chassis, though it sports increased armour to protect its highly combustible ammo reserve.
Hellstrike Missile: Naval multi-purpose missile. Similar to a Hunter Killer in operation.
Hell-weapon: Hellguns and Hellpistols are essentially more powerful versions of standard Las-weapons. Hell-packs are harder to recharge, and quickly burn out, but their extra hitting power can make many types of armour near useless.
Hololithic: three-dimensional imagery.
Homicide, Field: Field Homicide is where a trooper kills a comrade in battle, then tries to pass it off as "friendly fire". In regiments with discipline problems, such occurrences can be common. Anyone found guilty of committing field-homicide will suffer death by disembowelment.
Hulk, Space: While "Hulk" could refer to any destroyed and/or abandoned vehicle, be it a Chimera or a Retribution Class Battleship, the term Space Hulk refers to a conglomeration of ancient ship-wreaks, comic debris and asteroid chunks. Space Hulks are massive, often as large (or larger!) than most Imperial stations. They often carry aliens, or other dangerous entities, but the potential technological rewards for recovering one usually outweigh the risks. As such, Hulks are quickly attacked, boarded and recovered as quickly as possible. Terminator Squads of the Adeptus Astartes are usually the ones chosen to perform this task.
Human Bomb: Penal legion troops equipped with a bomb harness. These forces are volunteers, and charge headlong into the enemy. When they reach the enemy lines, their harnesses are remote-detonated. However, approximately 1 in 20 are duds, and should these lucky few survive the battle, they are judged forgiven of their crimes by the Emperor.
Hunter-killer: Extreme range tactical missile, usually deployed as an auxiliary weapon for a tank.
Immolator: A Soroite heavy-transport, usually equipped with heavy flamers, but heavy bolters and multi-meltas are also common armaments.
Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer: Standard text manual issued to every Guardsman, containing proper proceedure for everything from marching to bayonetting techniques. Also includes prescribed prayers and hymnals.
Incinerator: Slang-term for flamers. Also a name for specialist flame-weapons used by the Ordo Malleus.
Inferno Cannon: A massive flame-cannon that launches highly flammable liquids over considerable distance. Inferno cannons often use special ammunition that sticks to the target whilst it burns, meaning even a single droplet can result in immolation of the target.
Inferno Pistol: A hand-held melta-pistol, favoured by the Ordo Hereticus.
Infil-Traitor: A genetically and cybernetically altered spy. Infil-Traitors are totally unaware of their true nature, and go about a normal, everyday life until the programming kicks in and turns them into unstoppable assassins. Infil-Traitors are usually used where discretion is needed, or the Imperium do not expect the operative to return.
Infiltrate: The act of moving ahead of the main guard force, usually into no-man's land or behind enemy lines. Infiltrating involves moving with stealth rather than speed.
Infraction: A breach of Imperial or Regimental law.
Infra-Red Goggles: See Thermal Goggles.
Internal Guard: Slang for PDF regiments, or a Guard regiment given colonial duties.
Iron Duke: A common name for vehicles and naval ships.
Jammer: An electronic-warfare device designed to disrupt enemy tracking and communications equipment.
Jantine: Home of the Patricians, a well-drilled mechanised regiment.
Jet: Slang for a flyer. It derives from the "Jet" style of engine used on simple/primitive fighters.
Jink: A vehiclular maneuver where the vehicle swerves rapidly from side to side to evade obstacles or incoming fire. Aircraft such as Valkyries and Vultures make good use of jinking to protect themselves.
Jumael: Home of the "Lucky Aces", a regiment that survived a warp-storm in transit, were deployed to siege a fortification that was destroyed in a freak earthquake, and accidentally found the fabled Chamber of Gold.
Jumper: A Drop Trooper, also a term for a Naval deserter (eg: someone who "jumps ship").
Jumping Bomb: An anti-skimmer mine designed to leap up into the air and explode, damaging vehicles that would otherwise miss the explosive, and killing soldiers with jump packs.
Jump Pack: A large backpack that weighs as much as a Guardsman's full kit, the Jump Pack is designed to allow drop-troopers to land safely, although with proper training it can be used offensively. The Astartes use a much larger version of the Jump Pack, which is so heavy it's impossible for a normal man to lift unaided!
Junker: A scratch built, and often unreliable, vehicle.
Juvenat: Short for "Juvenat Processes" or "Juvenat Drugs", they are techniques for prolonging youth and vitality. Usually highly expensive and reserved for senior officers or Imperial nobility.
Krak: A term for an anti-tank explosive. Krak grenades cover a variety of armaments, including vacuum-implosion charges that break apart enemy armour-plates by sucking them off the vehicle. Krak weapons come in grenade, missile and charge form.
Kraken: A hive fleet of the Tyranids, who pose a massive threat to the forces on the Eastern Fringe.
Lady, The: Also known as "Lady Luck", she is an unofficial, but widely prayed to, god of the Imperial Guard. Her blessing is called for whenever dangerous assaults are undertaken, tricky shots are made, or when playing cards. As no religious icons (save the occasional Navy decal), temples, prayers or religious dogma exists for The Lady, the Ecclesiarchy sees no need to summary execute her followers at this time.
Lamp-pack: A standard Guard issue, compact lamp with internal (but limited) power supply, designed to be hand held, or fix onto lasgun bayonet lugs.
Land Crawler: Possibly the greatest vehicle in the Imperium, the Land Crawler is a slow, but powerful, tractor unit. Land Crawlers are used throughout the Imperium on agricultrual worlds, but also see military service hauling cargoes in regiments that do not have access to Trojans. Siege armies, such as the Krieg or Baran, often modify the Land Crawler to produce combat vehicles, although they do not function as well as dedicated war machines, such as the Chimera.
Landing Zone: Often shortened to "LZ", the Landing Zone is a designated area for flyers or Drop Troopers to land, either to refuel and re-arm, or to assault as part of a mission.
Las-weapons: Las-weapons fire a focussed energy beam operating in the nineteen megathule range, capable of causing significant kinetic and thermal damage. Lasguns and Laspistols are standard equip for the Guard, and Lascannons are a common heavy weapon of the Imperium.
Lasguns work of a standard-issue energy cell. These cells are easy to recharge, and can be done so from any standard power unit, from solar-collector systems, or even by exposing the cell to thermal energy (though this is not recommended as it lessens the efficiency of the cell). The Lasgun is also extremely durable; it can be bashed, burnt, kicked, submerged, used as a club, shot (by small arms) and keep working. This, combined with the ease of replacing/recharging the ammo cells, means the Lasgun is favoured by many veteran warriors over more powerful weapons. Lasguns are produced on almost every world in the Imperium, and there are thousands, perhaps millions, of variations. However, as all are built to the same basic standards, they are interchangeable (for example, a Lasgun built on Baran can use Vitrian energy cells). Due to the sharp discharge-flash, and the laser-based nature of the weapon, Lasguns are sometimes known as Flashlights or Deathlights.
Leftovers: An incomplete squad built from the remnants of squads that have suffered casualties.
Lho sticks: An addictive narcotic rolled into a compact tube and smoked by Guardsmen. Officio Medicae personnel have warned that they may cause respiratory illnesses and lung damage.
Lightning: Multi-role light fighter, the Lightning is a versitile and deadly craft, capable of dog-fighting, making air-to-ground assaults, or even (when properly modified) serve as a Void Fighter. Lightnings are favoured for use in rapid-assaults, or from small airfields where the Thunderbolt's larger size would pose a problem.
Long Las: Any model lasgun modified or designed for sniper use. As the name implies, they are usually longer than the standard lasgun.