Pauldrons
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. Unless you have <A style="cursor:pointer;" onmouseover="window.status=; return true" href='http://www1.seekarium.com/trf_split.php?query=Imperial+power+armor'>Imperial power armor</A>, in which case there is also pauldrons. Pauldrons are the sections of armor that cover the shoulders, and are well known for the <A style="cursor:pointer;" onmouseover="window.status=; return true" href='http://www1.seekarium.com/trf_split.php?query=tendency+of+artists'>tendency of artists</A> drawing Warhammer 40k material to make them ridiculously huge. World of Warcraft armor also tends towards oversized shoulder-plates.
It is theorized that position in Imperial society is directly related to how large your pauldrons are, as exemplified by artwork of the Empra himself, who has <A style="cursor:pointer;" onmouseover="window.status=; return true" href='http://www1.seekarium.com/trf_split.php?query=power+armor+with+pauldrons'>power armor with pauldrons</A> so massive he cannot see over his own shoulders or raise his arms to more than a <A style="cursor:pointer;" onmouseover="window.status=; return true" href='http://www1.seekarium.com/trf_split.php?query=forty-five+degree+angle'>forty-five degree angle</A>. Those unfortunate enough not to be equipped with power armor instead use the size of their hats in a similar manner.
Privateer Press has copied the style of the huge pauldrons of Warhammer 40k and added comically large pauldrons to some of the characters in its Warmachine game.
Pauldrons are absoultely essential in surviving the 40k universe, anyone without these oversized pauldrons generally has a shorter life span, any race that lacks pauldrons usually has overwhelming numbers or just sucks.