Lancer is a configuration of the Gladiator Anti-Grav Tank used by Primaris Space Marines in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Mirroring the design of the standard Space Marine Predator Tank, the Gladiator is built upon an APC chassis and comes in a handful of different configurations that each specialize in fighting against particular kinds of enemy units. The Gladiator Lancer functions primarily as a long-range artillery piece specializing in targeting heavily armoured vehicles and monsters.
A Lancer's primary armament is the Lancer Laser Destroyer. The laser destroyer is a devastatingly powerful directed energy weapon developed prior to the Great Crusade, over ten-thousand years prior to the 40k setting. It originally came in two variations, the Heavy Laser Destroyer that was the main arm of the Destroyer Tank Hunter and Laser Destroyer Arrays that were used as sponson weapons on the Fellblade Super-Heavy Tank. These used to be commonplace armaments but millennia of infrastructure decay and lost knowledge had left few facilities in the Imperium capable of even repairing existing Laser Destroyer weaponry, let alone manufacturing new ones. Although not directly addressed ~~on the wiki~~ in the lore this is presumably not the case with Lancer Laser Destroyers, which are downsized and less powerful than the Heavy Laser Destroyers and less complicated than the Laser Destroyer Arrays and therefore seemingly easier to produce and deploy in force. While it is less powerful than its ancient predecessors, the Gladiator Lancer is still a force to be reckoned with and is one of the most powerful units fielded by the Space Marines in terms of pure destructive capability.
On the Tabletop (mildly crunchy)
The Gladiator Lancer was first introduced as a deployable unit in WH40k 9th Edition, and remains available in 10th edition (the current edition). As would be expected, the in-game version of the Gladiator Lancer is also a long-range artillery piece specializing in taking down heavily armoured enemy vehicles and monsters. In both editions the Lancer Laser Destroyer has a massive range of 72", allowing it to target nearly any unit on the standard 44"x60" field of play as long as it has line of sight, and has very high Strength, Armour Penetration, and Damage characteristics while only being able to fire 2 shots per Shooting Phase. Even with its powerful stat-line, the Gladiator Lancer is point efficient to field. Standard competitive WH40K armies have a point limit of 2000, and the Gladiator Lancer costs only 120 points in 9th edition and 160 points in 10th edition.
It would be easy to assume that a Powerful, Cost Effective Unit would be make it a mainstay of competitive Space Marine army lists... but with the Gladiator Lancer that's not the case (at least in 10th edition I'm sooo not dedicated enough to go searching for 9th edition top 4 finishes). Space Marines often suffer from a glut of available unit options, and 10th edition is no exception. The Gladiator Lancer sees competition with the Ballistus Dreadnought, Vindicator Battle Tank, and even its smaller cousin the Predator Annihilator.
Both the Ballistus Dreadnought and Vindicator Battle Tank see heavy play in competitive Space Marine armies, compared to the middling play the Gladiator Lancer sees.
While the Ballistus Lascannon is weaker than the Lancer Laser Destroyed in almost every regard, its 48" is still large enough to cover a large portion of the battlefield and its statline still leaves it effective as an anti-armour artillery piece. What really makes the Ballistus Dreadnaught a more powerfull piece is it also has long range anti-infantry capabilities with its Ballistus Missile Launcher, which can fire frag missiles to take out globs of enemy infantry. The Ballistus Dreadnaught also has its reasonably strong Armoured Feet as a melee weapon for any melee infantry that manage to close the distance to it. At 150 points, the Ballistus Dreadnaught is weaker as a dedicated anti-armour artillery piece but its versatility makes it edge out the Gladiator Lancer.
The Vindicator Battle Tank, strictly speaking, does not fulfill the same role as long range artillery due to it only having a 24" range on its Demolisher Cannon. That being said, the similarities of the Demolisher Cannon to the Lancer Laser Destroyer I think are hard to overlook when talking about the glut of similar units in Space Marine armies and how they play into competitive choices. The Demolisher Cannon has only one less Armour Penetration than the Lancer Laser Destroyer and has the same strength. It does a pretty significant amount less damage, dealing only 1d6 damage vs the Laser Destroyer's 1d6 + 3, but the Demolisher Cannon makes up for this by having a massive 1d6 + 3 attacks which gives it devastating damage potential against not only vehicles, monsters, and standard infantry but also against heavily armoured elite infantry.
Both the Ballistus Dreadnought and Vindicator Battle tank see much more play in competitive lists than the Lancer Gladiator, with some armies even taking both Ballistus Dreadnoughts and Vindicator Battle Tanks. The Lancer's otherwise strong profile being overshadowed in such a way showcases just one example of many of the problem Space Marine armies have with being oversaturated in models, a situation born from Games Workshop constantly pushing new kits for popular army in order to sell more plastic despite potential negative affects to the game itself. Weeee capitalism.
Oh also there's a type of Imperial Ceratus Knight called the Lancer, because it has a shock lance. Not really talking about those because, despite them being giant robots, I think the Ceratus Knights are kinda lame and aren't as cool as the other Knights and Titans. Anti-shoutout to the Ceratus Knight Lancer.
So, uh, yeah, that's Lancer I guess. I'd love to hear about everyone's favourite tanks in sci-fi and fantasy!
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How do I know I won't be a disgusting freak as a girl? What if my proportions are all wrong? How do I know I won't look even worse and like a monster? How do I know if I'm transitioning for the right reasons? What are those?
I'm sorry for being so confused. I want to make an appointment to start hrt, but I'm afraid I'm making a mistake.
You don't. But being concerned over your appearance as a girl is dysphoria and generally transitioning relieves dysphoria. I believe all women are beautiful but there are cis women who are considered masculine, ugly, plain etc by conventional beauty standards. Also nearly all cis women have concerns about their appearance. At some point dysphoria just becomes dysmorphia. Estrogen is slow but it does wonders too. Laser. Surgery etc. All options.
As above there are cis women who are upset with their proportions. Fat redistribution and fashion goes a long way as well though.
This on is actually quite complicated because it's internalized transmisogyny that makes us think the most monstrous thing is a non passing trans woman. It needs to be interrogated, challenged and rejected both in how you view yourself and other trans woman (some trans woman lag behind in either case). But even if you hypothetically looked "monstrous" which you won't, it's better to look monstrous while feeling better mentally and experiencing the warmth and openness that many cis woman have for their trans sisters.
Cis people do not think about transitioning at all. There is no right reason to transition, There is no wrong reason no matter how brain-wormed or weird it is. The act of deciding to transition is such contradiction to being cis it almost justifies itself.
Personally for me, I couldn't take another day as a man. Then a little while later, I couldn't take another day not being a woman. The unexpected benefit was the way nearly every woman I have known or meet treat me with a warmth, openness and trust I never received when they thought I was a man. It has been truly the best thing of transition and even if we lived before HRT I would try and live as a woman knowing this experience was possible.
I booked my appointment and I'm really excited. I really want to be a girl I'm just so scared. If I could wake up tomorrow and I could change whatever I wanted I would be a girl. Everyday I would choose to be a girl. I'm just so scared to get there.
That's great and you're doing amazing.
I don't mean to come across like I ever think anything negative about anyone else. I'm sorry if it seems that way. I could never hate or hurt any of you. I just have no empathy or understanding for myself. I'm sorry.
Spoilered because I'm discussing transphobia and dysphoria
It didn't seem that way. It's just a material reality that from childhood at every level we get indoctrinated with transphobia, transmisogyny and transemasculation. Even trans women and men need to overcome it.Sometimes people overcome it for others first, but not themselves. Like "I can't be trans, trans people are so strong and valid, I'm not" etc
Occasionally it goes the other way and you get the trans people who think they are the "good ones" and punch down at other trans people that don't pass or conform etc.
I had very similar thoughts and worries as you did not so long ago. It gets better.
The only right reason is that you want to do it. Like there aren't bad reasons and good reasons. If you want to transition, then you're good!