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There's a local player near where I am that is pretty set on putting a Punisher in his army. I know I've spoken to other Guard players who are also at least interested in a gatling tank despite its high price. Leaving aside the question of whether it is a good choice, I want to explore the ways one could use it to maximum effectiveness.

Noteworthy Features:
-Rear Armor 11 makes it slightly more durable in assault.
-Turret Weapon: S5, AP-, 24", Heavy 20
-30 points more than a standard Russ

So, what is this tank good at? Some math and experience with how hordes operate in-game suggest that this tank isn't actually that great in an anti-horde role. The Guard have numerous tanks that are far better (Griffon, Hellhound, Eradicator, Standard Russ, etc.) thanks to their high strength templates that can get an equivalent number of hits for less cost, with better strength and AP.

What all of the template tanks can have trouble with, however, is low model count and/or large base units that can avoid taking many hits from template weapons. Add in high toughness and/or good armor save and a lot of the template tanks lose killing power. Cover can also limit the effectiveness of tanks that rely on AP to kill.


Primary Target:
All other things being equal, low model count units made ideal targets for the Punisher. Being that you get 20 shots, +9 with the hull and sponson heavy bolters, it probably has the best bell curve of any tank in any army. It is extremely reliable, and should be able to finish off small squads with as close to clockwork precision as we get in 40k. Because of this, I think it might have a place in a list that can get a lot of cheap templates (Griffons come to mind, but there are other options). The templates do a lot of initial wounds, and the Punisher finishes them off (and provides cover to you artillery tanks if needed). Additionally, it forces a lot of saves on bikes, assault squads, etc., that your template tanks might have trouble with.

All numbers are calculated with 20 shots + 9 Heavy Bolter shots. They will change, of course, as movement changes.

T5 (Nobs do not follow this profile as they nearly immune to the Punisher): 14.5 hits, 7.25 wounds
T4: 9.67 wounds (notable in that every squad member will probably take a save in a full sized squad)
T3: 12.08 wounds


Secondary Targets:
Taking the tough, low model count targets to its logical extreme, lets look at monstrous creatures as a possible target
T5 Monstrous Creatures: 14.5 hits, 7.25 wounds
T6 Monstrous Creatures: 4.83 wounds
T7/T8 Monstrous Creatures: 2.42 wounds

This is nothing to write home about, but it is worth considering.


Tertiary Targets:
Armor 10: 14.5 hits, 2.42 glancing hits, 2.42 penetrating hits.
Armor 11: 2.42 glancing hits

The real problem here, of course, is that the AP- of the main gun makes about 2/3rds of your armor penetrations -1 on the table. These are probably only worthwhile targets of open-topped or you've killed everything else.


One can also upgrade the tank with Pask for 50 points (25% increase) to alter these numbers.
T5: 19.33 Hits, 9.67 wounds (~33% increase in damage output)
T4: 12.89 wounds
T3: 16.11 wounds

So on a damage output basis, Pask is a good investment for the Punisher, and gets better when looking at secondary and tertiary targets.

Secondary Targets (monstrous creatures)
T5: 19.33 hits, 14.5 wounds (100% increase in damage output)
T6: 10.74 wounds (~110% increase)
T7/8: 5.91 wounds (~120% increase)

Clearly an effective MC killer.


Tertiary Targets (standard caveats about AP- apply)
Armor 10: 19.33 hits, 3.22 glancing hits, 6.44 penetrating hits (~100% more glancing/penetrating hits)
Armor 11: 19.33 hits, 3.22 glancing hits, 3.22 penetrating hits (~133% more glancing/penetrating hits)
Armor 12: 19.33 hits, 3.22 glancing hits (allows the possibility of glancing hits)

These kind of results make shooting at light armor effective, but questionable against AV 12.


This is my initial analysis. I see the Punisher having a place in the army with a lot of templates that needs a unit to "finish the job", ie, an artillery heavy army. I think in most cases Pask is a good buy, but it might be wise to add a tank to the squadron to avoid lucky hits taking out your 250 point tank. A Leman russ Exterminator might be a good ablative tank as its main gun has similar strengths as the Punisher with Pask. I don't see the Punisher as having a place in an army with lots of Chimeras or Hydras, as their heavy bolters, multilasers, and autocannons can accomplish some of what the Punisher can at better range (but with worse survivability).

Additional useful analysis that remains incomplete:

-Comparison of damage vs. points against similar targets using Chimeras and Hydras
-More detailed consideration of what units interact well with Punishers


Thanks for reading

Damnit I scrolled down the whole post then read "thanks for reading" so was then committed to spending the three minutes it took me to read that.

Highly accurate report.

The punisher kills everything with a toughness value. It is far more reliable than the demolisher even though it doesn’t have the chance of killing as many well armored troops. What you get out of the punisher is a tank that helps with your anti infantry needs both efficiently and reliably. It’s not about to kill anything scary, you need other units to do that. It will however over the course of the game have such a massive impact that it may turn the tide in your favor.

I reckon this is a gimmick tank - great for some bucketload of dice rolling fun, but at 200pts including HB sponsons, and 210pts if you want a PHS for 32 shots, it is a target-magnet, and every melta, multimelta and lascannon in your opponents army is going to be targetting it.

Like you guys mentioned, I think it can work if you have some additional template tanks. Would it be worth it to place it in a squadron with 2 naked russes?

AdeptSister wrote:Like you guys mentioned, I think it can work if you have some additional template tanks. Would it be worth it to place it in a squadron with 2 naked russes?

I think it wouldn't. At that point, you're not taking advantage of its ability to concentrate firepower, because the standard Russ is a template weapon. I think you either squadron it with another Punisher or an Exterminator.

mtaylor666 wrote:I reckon this is a gimmick tank - great for some bucketload of dice rolling fun, but at 200pts including HB sponsons, and 210pts if you want a PHS for 32 shots, it is a target-magnet, and every melta, multimelta and lascannon in your opponents army is going to be targetting it.

To be fair, the LR Demolisher with lascannon and plasma sponsons is 220 points, and the LR Executioner with plasma sponsons is 230. Both of these tanks are better in many situations, and worse in some, but neither one is a bad choice because it's a "Target Magnet". You should have enough guardsmen to screen against meltas, and multimeltas are not so widespread in most armies that they are unstoppable. With the best firepower in the game, you ought to be able to take out whatever units are threatening with multimeltas before they get a good chance to do their job. You can't do anything about lascannons, but they need a lot to take your tank out.

That being said, chances are that if an opponent really wants to drop you tank (of any kind) they can do it, your job as a player is to exploit whatever advantage you get from the tank being a target magnet, so you probably want more than just a Punisher in there as your armor support. But that has been true about heavy armor for ten years, and isn't new to the Punisher.

Look at the bright side. If the enemy is capping everything off at your 250 point tank he isn't shooting at the rest of your army. Especially the rest of your tanks.

This tank + pask = far too expensive...

-But- it is effectively a heavy 20 weapon vs armor & vs troops (and armor) it hits alot better with BS4. HHHHHHHHHxlots.

Far too expensive is a matter of opinion. Does it have a role? Maybe, can something else do that role better? Arguably. I'm just trying to find the best way to use a fun, if not entirely efficient tank.

I can see a role of the tank being to force armor saves on specific models. Shoot at a combat squad of marines and force a save or two on the powerfist. Might work somewhat for character sniping. I know a punisher would be hell on my crisis command team. It could also be very effective against assault termies.

A squad of Terminators fails a little more than a save and a half from a full Punisher salvo. Not bad, but there's probably better targets on the table.

I too saw this tank as good vs. MC's and small units with good saves. AP- is as good as AP4 vs 3+/2+ saves (or invulnerable saves) and I can see this tank with Pask really putting the hurt on Elite Carnifexes and Daemon Princes, Combat Squads (character sniping as was mentioned), and other small elite squads (Crisis teams, small Terminator squads, etc.).

It is a gimmick tank and I don't think we'll see it in competitive play, but rolling nearly 30 dice is fun and it can make it's points by finishing off squads through simple weight of fire.

That's the funny thing about it. People see heavy 20 and think they should use it against hordes when it really favors shooting at single model units.

Raxmei wrote:That's the funny thing about it. People see heavy 20 and think they should use it against hordes when it really favors shooting at single model units.

This Tank + Pask = Dead Wraithlord a turn...on average rolls.

Rangerrob wrote:

Raxmei wrote:That's the funny thing about it. People see heavy 20 and think they should use it against hordes when it really favors shooting at single model units.

This Tank + Pask = Dead Wraithlord a turn...on average rolls.

I don't think this is true. By my math, which I'm pretty sure about, it does close to two wounds to a wraithlord. This doesn't suck, but it probably won't kill the thing.

My math:

29 (number of shots) * 2/3 (chance of hitting) * (1-5/6*5/6) (chance of wounding) = 5.92 (rounded to the nearest hundredth)


Comparing this to two lascannon squads (210 points) you get:

6 shots, 3 hits, 2 wounds, 1 wound if in cover
So for points, your 250 point tank is close to the 210 point lascannon squad against Wraithlords in the open, and twice as good if it's in cover. The standard scoring infantry vs. tank caveats apply, of course.

There I go again...believing other posts numbers before checkin them myself.

Did the math myself and it looks like 1 wound...

29 shots...20 hit rounding up...3 wound rounding down(Str 5 vs T8)...1 unsaved. Yeah forget that Idea

Rangerrob wrote:
29 shots...20 hit rounding up...3 wound rounding down(Str 5 vs T8)...1 unsaved. Yeah forget that Idea

Reroll to wound against monstrous creatures, dont forget.

I'll just stop while I'm behind. lol.

Against very small numbers of toughness 3-4 models in cover, the Punisher does better than another tank, however against large numbers of targets, or high toughness, or good armor, Plasma Executioner with PC sponsons is looking a whole lot better.

If the Punisher was Heavy 30, or S6, or AP3-4, or ignored cover, or *something*, it'd be pretty good. As-is, though, I don't see it having a lot of use. Not when you can take a more specialized tank to do better against more targets.

Can you take them as a squadron?

Not saying it would be effective, but it would be fun to see the look on your opponent's face as you roll 60+ dice against a unit. Makes my Lootas look kinda tame.

Sarigar wrote:Can you take them as a squadron?

Not saying it would be effective, but it would be fun to see the look on your opponent's face as you roll 60+ dice against a unit. Makes my Lootas look kinda tame.

A full unit of lootas can get almost that many shots (45) with better strength, AP, and range, and doesn't cost 700ish points (as a squadron of 3 punishers would, after upgrades).

My opinion - expensive junk. It really doesn't do anything that another tank couldn't do just as well (except in some very specific situations), and does notably poorer against some other targets.

How good is it against Daemons??

I've not run the numbers but just had the thought. High volume of shots is a great way of putting them down, particularly when they land and are likely vulnerable and in the open.

Any thoughts?

It sounds good in theory, but I have yet to see it in action...

It's a lot more than Lootas, definitely a given. However, they are more durable that Lootas. The first time I roll 40
+ shots with my Lootas, they become target #1.

After now going through the book a bit, I like the Punisher(s). May not be for anti armor, but there are so many other ways to get anti armor in the book.

And again, it may be just for the fun of rolling 60+ dice from a squadron.

Centurian99 wrote:My opinion - expensive junk. It really doesn't do anything that another tank couldn't do just as well (except in some very specific situations), and does notably poorer against some other targets.

I don't think I can seriously disagree with you. It seems too pricey for it's capabilities, particularly with the range limitations. But the fact is, it's a Leman Russ with a big damn gatling gun, and there's enough people that thing it's cool (myself included) that I'm trying to figure out how to make the best of it's strengths.

Sarigar wrote:The first time I roll 40+ shots with my Lootas, they become target #1.

You do realise you don't need to roll for every Loota seperately right? It's either 15, 30 or 45 shots for a full size unit, all depending on 1 D6 roll.

Biophysic wrote:

Centurian99 wrote:My opinion - expensive junk. It really doesn't do anything that another tank couldn't do just as well (except in some very specific situations), and does notably poorer against some other targets.

I don't think I can seriously disagree with you. It seems too pricey for it's capabilities, particularly with the range limitations. But the fact is, it's a Leman Russ with a big damn gatling gun, and there's enough people that thing it's cool (myself included) that I'm trying to figure out how to make the best of it's strengths.

To each his own. I'd rather have the Executioner with plasma sponsors or the Eradicator with plasma sponsons.

Good write up on the Punisher! I have tested one out in several games, all with pask, and it seems to be about as good as stormtroopers... Not good at all. It has had a couple moments in the sun, don't get me wrong. It does make a good clean-up gun and EXCELS at dealing with line infantry with 4+ or worse... those buggers like to space out and stand in lines to avoid template death. Really that is what this tank is good at IMO. Killing squads that are spaced out to avoid the brunt of my template love.
Really though, for the cost, this tank is not the ticket at all.
The executioner(s) that I run make my opponents howl in frustration and are actually less expensive than a punisher with pask.
Soon I will run a list with 3 executioners and punishers each with minimum troops and see what happens. It should be fun.

Airmaniac wrote:

Sarigar wrote:The first time I roll 40+ shots with my Lootas, they become target #1.

You do realise you don't need to roll for every Loota seperately right? It's either 15, 30 or 45 shots for a full size unit, all depending on 1 D6 roll.

Of course, but I may or may not use 15 every game. I've tried finding various sweet spots for how many I really need. Plus, it's just easier to say 40+ shots as it depended on the size of my unit.

Don't worry, I'm tracking with the rules.


Besides, I'm predicting on seeing loads of Exterminators, Psyckers in Chimeras and Veterans with Melta Weapons as a fairly standard to most IG armies of the future. I like the Punisher as it's just very different from what I've seen in the past.