Ragged Edges, this is Commissar Fiorenzi again. Today I’m reaching out to ask for advice on armaments. For whatever reason when I received my sash and hat I wasn’t issued a dedicated execution pistol, only receiving a Chainsword and a Mark IV Laspistol. Having spent little of my pay since then I have some savings so I was hoping that given the wide array of armaments used by the Ragged Edges that either your more experienced Commissar, or some of your guardsmen could suggest a weapon.
You have options. None of them are the wrong choice, don’t worry.
Use the laspistol AS the execution pistol. That’s generally done from close range, so the comparatively low potency of the laspistol wont be a problem.
Not to be impertinent, sir, but are you sure that’s wise? Between a soldiers flak helmet and their skull, the las shot might not make it all the way through. It could leave them unharmed or, most beastly of all, could end up slowly burning out their brains from the inside.
Ha ha! REALLY? Like, the las shot just bounces around their skull and cooks their brain?!
Erm...yes..takes about a minute for the victim to die. Makes them thrash about in the most ghastly fashion. A bit like a dying insect.
AWWWESOOOME..
Enough.
When you execute someone you don’t shoot someone through the direct back of the head, or the side. If they’re wearing a helmet, its not necessarily going to work. You aim between the occipital bone and the atlas. Unprotected on most uniforms. Dead in seconds. If that’s not an option your best option is to shoot them through their soft pallet. If they don’t wear a helmet, and you get the chance, then behind the ear is fine too.
But anyways.
On a commissar’s salary, and maybe with a little luck you should be able to switch to something with a little more bite or at least intimidation as your primary sidearm.
I favour a high end, custom tooled, autopistol, but something that scatters shell casings and has that much recoil might not be what you’re looking for if your melee weapon is something with as much finesse and balance as a chainsword.
There’s also the plasma pistol, which is just a beautiful weapon. It looks good. It SOUNDS good and its not a bad little distinctive weapon. Remember: as a commissar you’re sort of a performer as well. A gun that launcher miniature exploding suns at the enemy is pretty impressive.
Especially if you actually hit something with it...











