Leman Russ Battle Tank
The biggest pain in the ass, for points, a player will encounter when fighting the Imperial Guard, the Leman Russ Battle Tank is so reliable and hard-hitting that it is named for the rapetastic Space Wolf Primarch, Leman Russ. The Leman Russ is widely considered one of the most religiously useful vehicles the Imperial Guard have on the tabletop, boasting both heavy firepower and good utility; it is easily one of the best tanks for cost in Warhammer 40K tabletop, and its ability to rape Necron and SPESS MEHREEN players through judicious use of ordnance and weapons fire make this thing a complete pain in the ass to deal with. Heavy-as-hell front armor (Superior to all Space Marine tanks barring the Land Raider) and reasonable side armor make these a tough nut to crack (just don't let them get shot from behind), and the ability to fire their main gun (even if that main gun is an ordnance weapon) if they move slowly makes them capable of delivering serious punishment - and that's before their ability to pack on Heavy Bolters, Plasma Cannons, and Multi-Meltas is factored in.
At 500 Points, Fucking Cheese
A lot of players used to field nothing but low-level infantry squads and a Leman Russ, due to its low points cost, in 500-point games. This practice continues today (though it's more commonly seen with the Imperial Guard Manticore Rocket Launcher, and has been known to induce ragequits.
Shit got worse, boys. If the Imperial Guard was not balls-to-the-wall enough now, Leman Russes can be SQUADRONED in three's. Three Leman Russes per Heavy Support slot. NINE TOTAL.
Flavor of the Week
There are a dizzying number of Leman Russes with tons of different payloads. The most common variations seen in the tabletop game are as follows:
Leman Russ Battle Tank
The original boasts a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter and a Battle Cannon by default, the latter of which is widely regarded for its ability to fuck up squads of Space Marines and Necrons. It can swap the Heavy Bolter for a Lascannon and add a Pair of Heavy Bolters, Plasma Cannons, or Heavy Flamers in a set of sponsons, making it good for blasting the fuck out of just about anything that pisses it off.
Leman Russ Vanquisher
The Leman Russ Vanquisher trades out the Battle Cannon for a heavy-duty anti-tank gun that will usually let it one-shot enemy vehicles at long range. If a Lascannon or Battlecannon just isn't doing it for your tankhunting purposes, and you don't really feel like grabbing a Melta, this weapon will more than adequately fill the need. The downside is that it doesn't have any blast effects from its main gun (so consider the Plasma Cannon options for this thing).
Leman Russ Exterminator
This tank is so awesome that it was once part of the Space Wolves army list. If you aren't quite sold on the Hydra Flak Tank's ability to rape infantry and light vehicles, there's always the Exterminator, which uses a twin-linked Autocannon with a doubled fire rate as its main gun. One of several vehicles capable of driving Ork players into a frothing, white-hot RAGE when used with Heavy Bolter Sponson, the Exterminator's main drawback is that it relies on its sponson/hull weapons to deal with enemy heavy armor (or a hunter-killer missile if you're a jackass). Even though there's OTHER Leman Russ tanks which can effectively deal with enemy vehicles. Duh.
Leman Russ Eradicator
Fuck your cover saves. The Eradicator has a shorter-range gun that ignores cover saves. It's a little weaker than the Battle Cannon in every stat (lower strength, shorter range, worse AP), but is still a respectable tank, especially against Eldar or any unit that is trying to take advantage of the Small Targets or Stealth rule. It's otherwise basically the same as the regular version, range and power aside.
Leman Russ Demolisher
The first of the "Reinforced" Leman Russ models (they have additional rear armor), the Leman Russ Demolisher packs a short range gun that is much stronger than the normal battle cannon and virtually guaranteed to threaten entire formations with the instant death rule should it shoot. It kind of sucks at anything but line-breaking, but there's little question that it does it better than the SPESS MEHREEN Vindicator, which is pretty hilarious when one thinks about it.
Leman Russ Punisher
About as close to "enuff Dakka," as the Imperial Guard can get, the Punisher boasts an S5 AP- main gun that has a fire rate of Heavy 20. The range is poor for a vehicle weapon, but the fact that one of these things can crank out more firepower than an entire squad of guardsmen under a Rank Fire order is absolutely hilarious; normally only Orks with Shootas get to roll this many dice. When backed up with other weapons, the Punisher can basically destroy huge numbers of troops at once, though it lacks AP.
Leman Russ Executioner
Jokingly called the "Leman Russ Trollface" or "Leman Russ Blast Template Dropper" by some players, the Executioner is the bane of Smurfs everywhere, for it packs a Plasma Cannon that fires in 3-round bursts. For maximum hilarity, pair with Plasma Cannon sponsons (ergo allowing 5 Plasma Cannon shots a turn from one vehicle) and try not to laugh when killing about double the tank's point cost in heavy infantry every turn. For maximum hilarity, employ against Grey Knights and vaporise the majority of a Terminator squad in a round before asking: "Problem, SPESS MEHREENS?"
And Commanders Too
Knight Commander Pask Not really a Leman Russ but an upgrade therefore, Knight Commander Pask raises the BS of any Russ he's placed in to 4, ergo making the tank more accurate. Widely considered conditionally broken against some factions when paired with a Punisher, Executioner, or Exterminator. Pask is known for killing Titans with a Leman Russ and refusing to drive a Baneblade in favor of one. His balls of steel rating is thusly considered somewhere between Vance Motherfucking Stubbs and Colonel "I tore a Landshark's throat out with my teeth" Straken.
FORGE WORLD LOVE
GW's specialist subsidiary Forge World made a couple of their own Leman Russes While they pimped out the appearances of several types.
Leman Russ Conqueror
A Forge World creation, made during the days when a Leman Russ had to stay still to fire its fucktastic Battle Cannon. With the Lumbering Behemoth special rule for all Russes, there's not much point to a Conqueror except to look different. All it does is fire a standard Battlecannon pieplate to a shortened range of 48 inches, with the profile of Heavy 1. In standard games on a 4x6 foot table the shorter range doesn't matter. One thing worth noting about the Conqueror is that it does the same thing as a standard Russ for 20 points cheaper. Forge World still supports this tank in their FAQ's.
Leman Russ Annihilator
Specialized anti-armor Leman Russ based on the Space Marine Predator Annihilator. It trades off a template for precision Twin-Linked Lascannons. This version rolled out with the Death Korps of Krieg army, and was very popular before 5th edition changed the way a Leman Russ works. Since moving and shooting is no longer a problem, the Annihilator is pretty much pointless, but still effective. Forge World no longer supports this tank in their FAQ's, but you'd have to be pants-on-head-retarded to not be able to make up your own rules for it.
How to not Fuck it up
First, only idiots put Multi-Meltas on their Leman-Fucking-Russ. Despite the superiority of melta-type weapons in 5th Edition, putting a pair of sponson multi-meltas on a Leman Russ is a hideous waste of points, even if it is on a close-assault version like the Punisher or Demolisher. Always give your tanks a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter or Lascannon. There are no substitutes.
Second. It's a Leman-fucking-Russ. It's dirt cheap, and has BS3, but ARMOR VALUE 14. If you fuck up using one, you need to go back to Land Raiders and Smurfs. Like a Claymore mine; FRONT TOWARD ENEMY. Treat the big bitches well and they will treat you well, providing an effective wall of the Emprah's steel which bristles with guns.
Third. If you have a Demolisher or Punisher, keep the fucking sponsons off it. Punishers and Demolishers work best when they keep moving, so your sponsons will only be wasted. None of this gun-bunker crap. It's a tank, not a pillbox. Long-range Leman Russes can afford to have sponsons, since they should mostly be sitting still and only moving up to support the forces in front of them.
Fourth. Your Demolisher/Punisher/Executioner may have increased rear armor, but it's only AV11. That's still a weak ass. Keep high-strength weapons away from them. Duh.
Gallery
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The Leman Russ Punisher. DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA for Guard. -
The Leman Russ Executioner, known for making marines break out in hives. -
FUCK YOUR COVER SAVES DAWG I HAS AN ERADICATOR -
Even the basic Leman Russ is better than your army's tanks.
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If the Leman Russ Demolisher hasn't absorbed at least 6 attempts to destroy it by turn 2, you're doing it wrong. -
When you need to fuck up a Land Raider, accept no substitutes. -
The Exterminator likes to party. At 500 shots per minute. -
Knight Commander Pask is in dire need of some juvenat drugs. Jesus.
