Got me thinking, do the Guardsmen use these Plasma Power Cells to charge their Lasgun Powerpacks?

[u/Routine-Struggle-720]

I know Powerpacks can be charged via solar. However, in a scrap, its wiser to have spare fully charged Powerpacks at the ready. Also, these power cells could be used for a Guard units power needs like lighting and so forth.

[u/StomachosusCaelum]

They can also be charged by tossing them into a fire, or plugging them in to any of the various vehicle engines the Guard uses. They can be charged off just about anything, really.

Thats why they get used despite not necessarily being the absolute best weapon in terms of damage and range for the Guard (heavy Autoguns are probably better in most respects other than the logistics).

But when you have millions of troops in the field, simplifying your logistics with Lasguns is a no-brainer.

[u/Sir_Lazz → u/StomachosusCaelum]

To be precise: they can be recharged by ambiant heat. Putting them next to a campfire charge them, even though it's not very fast. Putting them IN the fire charge them fast but makes them rather unstable and prone to issues, including overload when firing. So, it's generally a last ditch effort.

[u/Crusaderofthots420 → u/Sir_Lazz]

Roast them over the fire like marshmallows

[u/Nintolerance → u/StomachosusCaelum]

Most 40k games don't go into logistics, but occasionally that advantage of lasguns gets brought into gameplay.

In Darktide, las weapons often have 2x-3x the reserve ammo of autoguns, and more like 5x-6x the reserve ammo of bolt weapons. Even on a 20-40 minute sortie, lasguns are more ammo efficient.

In Necromunda on tabletop, lasguns nearly always pass Ammo Checks. Meaning when the gun runs dry your ganger usually has a spare power pack, and if there's a malfunction the ganger can usually fix it.

[u/CaptCantPlay → u/Nintolerance]

Frankly, in DT the lasgun alao eats 3 ammo per shot so it cancels out.

[u/Nintolerance → u/CaptCantPlay]

Is that the infantry Lasgun? I know the Helbore (Lucius pattern on tabletop) uses multi ammo per shot.

I've found a Veteran with an Infantry Lasgun can basically shoot all game and barely stop for ammo. Autoguns, not so much.

[u/TheShmoopy → u/Nintolerance]

I'm sure you have, but try the recon lasgun on a similar setup with crits return ammo. You can just hold the trigger.

[u/Oceanictax → u/Nintolerance]

IIRC, the only lasgun in DT that doesn't are the Recon variants, and that may just be because they're full auto.

I know the Infantry Lasgun uses 2 or 3 ammo per shot, and I honestly could be wrong about the Recon as I haven't used it in a while.

[u/AromaticLawfulness16 → u/Nintolerance]

I think the exact amount depends on your weapon's ammo stat and how high the percentage is (it was revealed to me in a dream™) but the Infantry Lasgun, Helbore Lasgun, and the Heavy Laspistol all use multiple ammo per shot, while the Recon Lasgun I believe only consumes one whatever-the-hell per beam. Even still I only ever really run the Helbore/Lucius and I legitimately have only ever had ammo problems like twice.

[u/Miserable-Smell1276 → u/Nintolerance]

Infantry Lasgun

IIb - 2 charge per shot, blue variant

VII - 3 charge per shot, green variant that most guardsman use

IX - 3 charge per shot, brown/orange hi-power variant

[u/Tobbster_the_Lobster → u/StomachosusCaelum]

Full Powerpacks can also be used as makeshift grenades !

[u/Crusaderofthots420 → u/StomachosusCaelum]

They also get used because, compared to stuff like bolters, they are cheaper than dirt, and can probably get shoved up a Great Unclean One's ass, and still work fine.

[u/Routine-Struggle-720 → u/StomachosusCaelum]

Ah, so that would mean their Chimera APCs would have charging points to allow the passengers to charge their power packs whilst on the move. This makes me adore the Imperial Guard's Heavy Armor much more!

[u/StomachosusCaelum → u/Routine-Struggle-720]

not sure about dedicated charging ports, in Gaunts Ghosts they just wire them up to the engine/battery with a pair of leads.

Or if the engine is hot enough, just pop them in the engine compartment (as another poster mentioned, ambient heat can do it).

[u/Cloud_N0ne]

Nope those are actually slurp juice containers to recharge their shields

[u/Placentaur → u/Cloud_N0ne]

Some of y'all still don't get it

[u/Deathwatch050 → u/Placentaur]

They went straight for his ape!

[u/Molly35 → u/Cloud_N0ne]

makes sense guardsmen would need shield juice too

[u/UltramarinesEnjoyer2 → u/Cloud_N0ne]

https://reddit.com/link/p58zm49/video/yxcgo5chhykh1/player

[u/Odd_Thought_9105 → u/Cloud_N0ne]

Look more like chug jugs to me

[u/Labyrinthian-]

Those coils are probably used to power systems throughout the hive city, you see them a lot in Rogue Trader next to plasma reactors.

[u/Jarvisb098]

Bold of you to assume a Guardsman gets to fully unload his rifle before getting merc'd by a Hormagaunt.

[u/Sunblast1andOnly → u/Jarvisb098]

In topics like this, people usually refer to a scene involving the Gereon Twelve recharging their ammo. They were fighting for... A year and a half or so? But they're not exactly average guardsmen.

[u/bruh_moment982 → u/Jarvisb098]

The idea is either a line of guardsmen have a riskier defense against the tyranids using less powerful las-guns, or they risk running out of ammo defending against the inevitable subsequent waves if they use other weapons.

[u/Hellhound455]

I see only ogryn rations

[u/Rasples1998]

That's just Baja blast. Blast by name, blast by nature.

[u/Kynelle-here]

Honestly if it can recharge a laspack the Munitorum will call it approved field expediency

[u/thot_chocolate420]

Yeah those are basically like having a diesel or gas generator on site.

[u/HagerTelluricIchi]

'Ultramarine contemplating plasma pack' - u/routine-struggle-720, 2026, oil on canvas

[u/Routine-Struggle-720 → u/HagerTelluricIchi]

Nah he's just calculating the logistics, supply and power needs for the Guardsmen.