Board Thread:Discussions/@comment-35898226-20180616172050/@comment-35898226-20180617165017

Thanks for your forthright comment. I really appreciate it. That WAS what I was looking for.

I quite understand your comments reference the IST but we do the same thing here with SEAL and SF (Special Forces). In OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) we used "Blackwater" to denote any number of 'guns for hire' who were'nt obligated to follow Rules of Engagement (ROE). The company was disbanded after the war because of the controversy

My understanding from literature is that the ‘Helgun’ and the ‘Hotshot’ are actually two very different weapon systems. The ‘Hotshot’ is an unauthorized modification of a standard lasgun that puts the weapon under undue stresses; it supercharges the issued power pack in a dangerous way. Somewhat like ‘overclocking’ a computer, which is forced to perform a function it’s not designed to. Troops altering their issued lasguns to make them more powerful, yet risk explosion is something the Adeptus Ministorum would frown upon.

The ‘Helgun’ is heavier, more bulky but it is strengthened to support the increased power output. It is a more expensive, yet suitable for the work of special operations troops such as Stormtroopers.

As to the IST there is reference they are used as the stock fighting force for the Inquisition, which would make sense: loyal, disciplined and already serving the organization. Co-opting IG constantly creates more problems than it solves.