Basilisk

A Basilisk is a mythological creature, always described as reptilian and deadly. It's name comes from Greek phrase for "little king," and was considered to be lord of all serpents. The first recorded mention of a basilisk described it as a snake about twelve fingers long (6"-24" long, depending on how you count), and it was so venomous that it would kill plants just by passing by, and it would fatally poison you just by looking at you. You were supposed to kill it with weasel musk -- I'm not joking.

The modern-day "green basilisk" or "plumed basilisk" is a little lizard that can run across the surface of water like wire-fu ninjas do, or Remo Williams in that movie "American Ninja."

Because the legendary basilisk was SO FUCKING DEADLY, it was of course used in fantasy games and used as a name for whatever vehicle people wanted their enemies to be pants-shitting scared of. Nobody's gonna respect you if your wartitan is called "lupis usagi" or a "battle-pig." Well, unless it was piloted by Orks, those guys can make anything look nasty.

Dungeons & Dragons

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Warhammer 40,000

The Basilisk is the redoubtable artillery piece of the Imperial Guard.

In other words it's a cardboard tank with a fuckhuge gun and some dudes driving it. Thats It.

And if they had bayonets they would be fuckawesome.

Was it mentioned that they have the second longest range of any weapon in the game (10 feet direct fire, 20 feet indirect guess-fire)? The ability to lob a shell that can effectively instagib an entire squad a table or two away is simply astounding, you could kill people playing fantasy on the other table, not to mention utterly pointless in a table-top wargame.

And with the new codex, you might be able to have 9 of these shelltossers. Which basically lets you kill everything dead... as long as it is 36 inches away from you (indirect minimum range is 36). It will also scare your opponent shitless. Mainly because he will think he's in an Apocalypse game. Of course with guard.. when AREN'T you in an Apocalypse game?

Why A Basilisk is The Best Place To Be In The Whole Goddamn Imperium

-You're ten miles from the front lines and whatever fanged horrors or berserk supersoldiers are invading the Imperium this week.

-All the commissars are also at the front lines, seeing as that is where the business of executing cowards is most wanting.

-You're probably in a depopulated area far away from Inquisitorial interest.

-If your regiment is commanded by Creed, you're one of a select few that knows how it is possible to deploy a dozen pieces of mobile artillery inside an impenetrable Ork stronghold.

-You can probably even get away with complaining about the High Lords of Terra and their general not giving a shit, seeing as there are no senior officers, no Inquisitors, and no fucking commiss-*BLAM*