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Assuming that lasguns and the like fire heated laser bolts, wouldnt this simply cauterize the wound as soon as it hit. So in theory it is impossible for someone to bleed out from a lasgun shot. I could see this being fine for the bigger stuff like lascannons, but for the average lasgun, doesn't this drastically reduce it's effectiveness? Another theory is that I'm looking to far into it and should just shut up and play the game.

Yes it would, though many novels choose to believe otherwise.
It could still severely impede someone by completely cauterizing an artery, preventing bloodflow and leading to loss of limb.

So las weapons are less effective then auto weapons, except when put in the hands of a marksman

Laser weapons create a superheated miniature explosion upon impact.

Theoretically, being hit by such a weapon should be incredibly debilitating, capable of blowing off arms, etc.

Depictions seem to vary.

A lasgun shot can blow off a a person, or even penetrate weak points of a power armor, the trade off is worth it.

The most important point of a lasgun is the ease of production as well as the simplicity of use. When operating a force as vast as the Imperial Guard it is essential to be able to actually arm each soldier. Plus the charge on the lasgun can be changed so guardsmen can turn the power up to insure killing shots or to pierce tougher armor.

Just because a wound might theoretically be cauterized does not mean that it is possible to cauterize any internal organ or chest cavity. Or if you get hit in the arm, you are probably going to lose the arm.

I'll just leave these here:

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=123079]Grand 40k sticky

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=cda00edc00ea32042e031d3cb2a0aee5
Scroll down and check other pages to find 40k analysis.

Here is one of the analysis that can be found on the second link:
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=150910
It talks about Lasguns.

Las weapons explode on impact. If a lasgun were to hit an extremity (an arm or a leg) the actual entry point may be cauterized but everything from the wounded area down would disappear. Having an injury like that cauterized doesn't seem to be a comfort to me. If you didn't die you would fall over and bleed to death. If the shot hit you in the head or legs, its decapitation or having a hole blasted in the chest. You can decide if you'd like to lose a head, most of your internal organs or a limb. I should add that all these results only occur if the shot hits and makes it through the armor.

However, if you were inside a full metal armor suit (much like SM power armor) or inside a metal vehicle you are likely to superheat inside your armor, vehicle or any other item you are unlucky enough to be inside.

While the initial wound MAY be cauterised (may, it still needs to be pinched shut on anything but the smallest vessels), the resulting steam explosion isn't going to play ball. Blood gonna fall.

Before DoW, the popular thought on Lasguns was they fired a bolt more like electricity, than superheated laser. Though I could be completely wrong about this.

Pretty much everything said above. The rounds explode on impact.

TheAngrySquig wrote:Assuming that lasguns and the like fire heated laser bolts, wouldnt this simply cauterize the wound as soon as it hit.

Actually it'd vaporize the blood it came into contact with, likely causing nasty wounds similar to hydrostatic shock as well as potentially nastier wounds than we normally see.

Burns can bleed.

yeah lasguns are not lightsabers

ph34r wrote:Just because a wound might theoretically be cauterized does not mean that it is possible to cauterize any internal organ or chest cavity. Or if you get hit in the arm, you are probably going to lose the arm.

"Yes it would, though many novels choose to believe otherwise.
It could still severely impede someone by completely cauterizing an artery, preventing bloodflow and leading to loss of limb."

And of course it's possible. Is it likely? No. But definitely possible.

So in the fluff, lasguns actually fire simmilar to a plasma gun? I thought only Catachans were capable of such badassery

Not really. Plasma guns pretty much just fire a blob of superheated plasma, whereas lasguns are concentrated energy that is hitting at a single point

Keep in mind that plasma is just another state of matter which is at a higher energy level than gas (which is at a higher energy level than liquid, which is higher than solids, which is higher than Bose-Einstein Condensates).

In fact, you don't even have to superheat gas to make it into plasma. Plasma Lamps use electricity instead of heat to create plasma states in specific gasses.

Oh, I get it. It's like shooting someone with an explosive hot poker

It sounds more painful when you word it like that.

I'm good with words


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Wow, that made me sound like more of a dick than I am

Melissia wrote:

TheAngrySquig wrote:Assuming that lasguns and the like fire heated laser bolts, wouldnt this simply cauterize the wound as soon as it hit.

Actually it'd vaporize the blood it came into contact with, likely causing nasty wounds similar to hydrostatic shock as well as potentially nastier wounds than we normally see.

Burns can bleed.

This is also what i've heard it would do.

However if its based off of a laser isnt most of the energy kinetic? I thought that was the point of the star wars program in the 80's. Use the lasers kinetic energy to damage the warheads since missile are pretty fragile.

I think that it's not just a laser according to people here it's an explosive laser

I think they mean the heat from the lase causes the water in the target to rapidly boil and explode from within. Or at least that's what I'm assuming would cause an explosive effect.

That is gruesomely awesome

ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:

Melissia wrote:

TheAngrySquig wrote:Assuming that lasguns and the like fire heated laser bolts, wouldnt this simply cauterize the wound as soon as it hit.

Actually it'd vaporize the blood it came into contact with, likely causing nasty wounds similar to hydrostatic shock as well as potentially nastier wounds than we normally see.

Burns can bleed.

This is also what i've heard it would do.

However if its based off of a laser isnt most of the energy kinetic? I thought that was the point of the star wars program in the 80's. Use the lasers kinetic energy to damage the warheads since missile are pretty fragile.

Not quite.

Kinetic energy is mass times speed.
Light is fast but has almost no mass (might as well be none) so it has negligible kinetic energy.

The energy it has is electromagnetic energy in the form of light.

The star wars program included lasers and particle accelerators.

ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:I think they mean the heat from the lase causes the water in the target to rapidly boil and explode from within. Or at least that's what I'm assuming would cause an explosive effect.

Thats exactly it.

And here I was thinking only Catachans could be badass

Randomonioum wrote:

ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:I think they mean the heat from the lase causes the water in the target to rapidly boil and explode from within. Or at least that's what I'm assuming would cause an explosive effect.

Thats exactly it.

Yes. When something turns from liquid to gas, it expands. Even gasses which are natually gasses at room temperature tend to exert force against their container which is why they don't have a definite volume, they fill up as much as they can with the force the gas is exerting on its container). And the hotter a gas is, the more force it usually exerts.

So then how do lascannons work? Is it like a Spartan laser from halo or is like a mini deathstar cannon