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I know some of the choices are terrible ,but feel free to post on the strengths of each tank if you want.

I personally enjoy the Vanilla LRBT the most. It has great anti-infantry firepower, and can double as a light AT if there's nothing else to shoot on the board. S8 +2D6 pick the highest = something happens to the rhino. Oh, and it kills CSM pretty handily, no armor save or FNP for plague marines. haha.

I personally think that the exterminator is a waste, you can get the Hydra, which is cheaper and better, if more fragile.
I never lived the Vanquisher, I prefer the Manticore for my anti-AV 14.

Eradicator..never used it, can't comment on it.
Same for the Demolisher, but what I can say is that having that gun scares pretty much everyone that's in range. It's anti-AV14 and anti-TEQ.

Punisher...no. Yes, 20 S5 shots looks good on paper, then you realize that only half hit (statistically). Also, short range kills it for me. However, if paired with Pask, it can mow down MC's pretty quickly, 20 BS4 S5 shots that reroll to wound is nothing to sneeze at.

Executioner...it's very expensive, but so much fun. Up to 5 plasma cannon blasts a turn = dead stuff.

I'll agree with my esteemed colleague on most points, however I'm a big fan of the Exterminator. I find them to be extremely reliable anti transport and anti-infantry powerhouses.

Eradicators are only useful if you fight mainly cover-hugging medium infantry (firewarriors, Eldar, IG and the like). Against them it is devastating but against everything else it is purely meh.

Demolishers are incredible. Incredible at being blasted to pieces. Now in defense of this I love them and I've got one named "The Good Father" that makes it into every mechanized list I build. Demos can throw out tons of hurt at short-moderate ranges but everyone is just as scared of that str 10 cannon on it as they are on the Vindicators. They've just gotta go.

My vote for best is the excellent all-rounder, the LRMBT.

Not on the OP, per se, but I've recently been loving the LRBT all over again with the addition of plasma sponsons. They give a little more killing power for both infantry and vehicles compared to heavy bolters, and the LRBT has the range on it's main gun to sit still and hurl all those templates downrange.

I've been a proponent of the Demolisher since the 3rd edition codex, and although the changes in the game have made it not quite what it once was, I'm still dumbfounded by the number of times I say to myself, "That unit would have really been a problem if it wasn't for my Demolisher."

I agree with the general who-blah about the executioner. It can mess up almost anything on a C:CSM list. Turrets make this even more killy, and its almost certain to make back its points unless they target it first.

My personal toy: the Vanquisher. I love everything about this tank. It can outshoot Tau and Eldar, and gives the +1d6, without the melta rule (stormraven anyone?). This kills Land Raiders and other things from almost twice the distance. And theres no risk of scatter, it hits or it misses, so you dont have to worry about being close to the enemy your shooting at (well, more worried then you are about being assaulted) IF you run out of armor to shoot at its Str. 8 AP 2, so light up some TEQs, like Abaddon.

Executioner vs. MEQ is da bomb. Point, shoot, watch them die.

Gavo wrote:I personally enjoy the Vanilla LRBT the most. It has great anti-infantry firepower, and can double as a light AT if there's nothing else to shoot on the board. S8 +2D6 pick the highest = something happens to the rhino. Oh, and it kills CSM pretty handily, no armor save or FNP for plague marines. haha.

Plague marines are base T5 not T4(5), if my memory is correct. Therefore they still get FNP roll as the battlecannon is neither AP2 nor S10.

Plasminator wrote:

Gavo wrote:I personally enjoy the Vanilla LRBT the most. It has great anti-infantry firepower, and can double as a light AT if there's nothing else to shoot on the board. S8 +2D6 pick the highest = something happens to the rhino. Oh, and it kills CSM pretty handily, no armor save or FNP for plague marines. haha.

Plague marines are base T5 not T4(5), if my memory is correct. Therefore they still get FNP roll as the battlecannon is neither AP2 nor S10.

Your memory is wrong. They are T4(5) and BC are S8 and AP3 so ignore fnp due to instant death.

Plasminator wrote:Plague marines are base T5 not T4(5), if my memory is correct. Therefore they still get FNP roll as the battlecannon is neither AP2 nor S10.

Nah, plauge marines are T4(5), much to my friend's dismay. So battlecannon eats them alive. Unless they're in cover...ugh.

It's the same with bikes, they're T4(5).

EDIT: Ninja'd by 14 seconds.

LRBT.

As said, it makes marines who don't feel pain feel pain. As well, if you give it the bolter boat upgrade, you can be good against demons as well (lots of shots to get through those obnoxious ++ saves).

The executioner wouldn't be so great here. The thing is that your opponent can always spread out so that you're only hitting a single CSM/demons per hit, whereas you're always taking down at least a couple with a battlecannon hit.

More importantly, assuming a plasma party wagon executioners, you can buy three bolter boat LRBT's for the price of just two said executioners.

The only time I'd recommend an executioner is if he's going really heavy on mini-MCs (demon princes, oblits, terminators, etc.) But otherwise the russ does a better job against most of his bread and butter units, leaving you the rest of your army list to handle his little nasties.

I allways use the executioner. 5 small blasts usually no armor saves has helped me in many games. the only proplem is that it costs alot of points. I think its just below 300 pts once you put the upgrades on it.

I voted for LRBT. Its cheap, reliable and able to take on most things.

personaly i think the vanilla russ is probably still the best, I will say though that the Vanquisher is just about the most underated russ variant. I mean seriously, its the only one which makes taking Pask worthwhile. and while it may be 220pnts, it generaly manages to kill 250pnts + on average per game (yes that equates to just over a landraider per game), which generaly means that either theirs a big crater where that big shooty enemy tank was or at the very least there is a raider or some such missing its tracks/gunz/large portion of its hull plating, at the other side of the table..... yes and its very nice fluff wise too

Its a must in anything 1.5k and up for me

I voted for Executioner as Ive had great success vs Thou Sons but there is a lot to be said for having a pair of standard Russ in support

Creed + outflanking demolisher or two hasn't failed me yet.

Decent range S10 AP2 pie plates? Yes please. They outflank? Phew. Armor value 14 chassis? SOLD!

For power armour I'd have to say the LRBT. I like to give it a hull lascannon and no sponsons. No sponsons so that it can always move and fire everything, and a lascannon because it takes meq (and teq) off w/o armour save, just like the cannon, and adds to the anti-vehicle backup role as well.

But power armour sometimes means termie armour as well. That's why at 1750 I start thinking about my LRD with plasma cannon sponsons and hull lascannon for teq-crushing madness. A huge expensive target, but devastating if its hitting. You have to work hard to get shots off with it. I like being able to move and still deliver pie with a cup of tea to my opponent. In big battles when I have creed it's the obvious choice to outflank with, especially if going second.

Haven't even proxied any of the new ones yet; they seem very specialized for a slot that I want to be able to kill anything and everything. I fill out HS with a basi for this reason.

Executioner...nuff said

Demolisher with plasma sponsons and executioner with plasma sponsons for taking out terminators any anything else thats a hardcase, the advantage of the demolisher is though they won't try to close with it before its demolisher cannon is out of action unless they are desperate or out of other options.
LRBT for killing regular chaos marines, lascannon and heavy bolter sponson, take sponsons as chaos try to get in IG's face 9 times out of 10 and it probably won't move that much, also 20pts is cheap for quite survivable extra firepower. The thing i love about the regular russ is its such an all rounder.

I think Executioner fits IG perfectly.

with 5 plasma blasts on same unit , the low BS might actually help with scattering into more units.
Less overkill that way i think?

The executioner is over rated. The only way it looks good is if you look only at it's maximum damage potential without considering ANY other factors. Other factors such as:

- it's mounted on a chassis that is only AV11 to close combat attacks.

- it's mounted on a chassis that is easy to blow up with fast melta (like combi-melta sternguard drop podding, for example)

- your opponent can exercise proper spacing, which means that any one shot won't kill more than 1 guy per hit (assuming no cover or invul saves).

- a plasma-boat executioner is REALLY expensive.

I think that a lot of people see the 5 plasma cannon shots, and their eyes sort of glaze over. This is only confirmed by the fact that it occasionally does, in fact, do some nasty damage. Meanwhile, all of its disadvantages creep insidiously in the background.

It's sort of like the problem with gambling. The gambler only focuses on the time they score big, and completely phase out the fact that they're still at a net loss for the night.

Ailaros wrote:The executioner is over rated. The only way it looks good is if you look only at it's maximum damage potential without considering ANY other factors. Other factors such as:

1- it's mounted on a chassis that is only AV11 to close combat attacks.

2- it's mounted on a chassis that is easy to blow up with fast melta (like combi-melta sternguard drop podding, for example)

3- your opponent can exercise proper spacing, which means that any one shot won't kill more than 1 guy per hit (assuming no cover or invul saves).

4- a plasma-boat executioner is REALLY expensive.

5 I think that a lot of people see the 5 plasma cannon shots, and their eyes sort of glaze over. This is only confirmed by the fact that it occasionally does, in fact, do some nasty damage. Meanwhile, all of its disadvantages creep insidiously in the background.

6 It's sort of like the problem with gambling. The gambler only focuses on the time they score big, and completely phase out the fact that they're still at a net loss for the night.

1. Better than most other leman russes...?

2. Like all leman russes?

3. Like most other leman russes?

4. Meh, efficient though, for all the horde/meq/teq killing goodness.

5. I saw one valid point... and it was arbitrary for killing power.

6. Hehehehe. So. You're saying it is an awful lot like a chimera with dual heavy flamers? >.>

- Only AV11 in CC? Let's count how many infantry can even GLANCE that without gernades... Hmmm... that's what I though :p

- Name a tank that isn't easy to blow up with a fast melta. Go ahead we'll wait.

- You should get an average of two hits per blast regardless of spacing against a horde army that is.

- Yes cool things are expensive

The real disadvantage to it is that you have way too much overkill going at one target and you're relying on scatter to efficiently spread the pain.

I actualy prefer the Hydra Flak tank to all of them.

Also, the LRBT gets a single blast, that at best against a spreader, nets three hits. On one template that is likely to scatter.

Executioner gets five templates that net 2 each, for a total of 10. Which are likely to get a hit or two.

Ailaros wrote:The executioner is over rated. The only way it looks good is if you look only at it's maximum damage potential without considering ANY other factors. Other factors such as:

- it's mounted on a chassis that is only AV11 to close combat attacks.

- it's mounted on a chassis that is easy to blow up with fast melta (like combi-melta sternguard drop podding, for example)

- your opponent can exercise proper spacing, which means that any one shot won't kill more than 1 guy per hit (assuming no cover or invul saves).

- a plasma-boat executioner is REALLY expensive.

I think that a lot of people see the 5 plasma cannon shots, and their eyes sort of glaze over. This is only confirmed by the fact that it occasionally does, in fact, do some nasty damage. Meanwhile, all of its disadvantages creep insidiously in the background.

It's sort of like the problem with gambling. The gambler only focuses on the time they score big, and completely phase out the fact that they're still at a net loss for the night.

1. All but 2 other Russ Chassi are AV 10. People would need to use grenades against an executioner.
2. Um, and so is every other vehicle in the game.
3. Yes, this is a good point, but the units you're generally shooting at are elite units, where killing a few is good. Generally you'll get 2ish hits on the scatter out of 5. But this is a good point.
4. Yes, it is, at 230 points.

And yeah, most people are like "omg 5 plasma cannon blasts!"
I would only run it for fun, myself. I prefer Vanilla Russes.

Before everyone starts piling into ailaros lets take a minute to think and take a deep breath.

While the first two points are both true, ailaros I think you being a little unfair. AV 11 on the back, sure its no AV14 but if memory serves its the best back armor guard have got. Also I personally always find the argument that someone could kill it a little poor. I mean how many units exist that won't die if the other play really wants it dead.

However agree its is very exspensive and small blasts IMHO are not as good as a large blast in most situations. I think the executioner is a good tank and imagine in preforms well against MC. The problem is that its a really expensive bullet magnet, at my flgs i've rarely seen them survive long due them being at the top of everyones must kill list. Its not an issue to say that something might be klled by melta as thats true of anything but with the executioner it WILL be killed by melta. I admitt there are no guarantees but its the exact kind of unit people do deepstrike meltas next to (like ailaros said)

I generally don't play large point game 1500 at most so can't imagine one working it way into my list (well not a full kitted out one) for some time. Like most units in WH40k it has its strengths and weakness, and for me its the price tag and it number one spot on most people most wanted lists. However If i was a better player might look to use that fear factor to my advantage.

I have only used the standard russ so far, but in it's first game, man did it make an impression. 2morrow, I'm going to proxy an Executioner and see how it goes...i have really only heard good things about it apart from Ailaros comment.

Ailaros wrote:

The executioner wouldn't be so great here. The thing is that your opponent can always spread out so that you're only hitting a single CSM/demons per hit, whereas you're always taking down at least a couple with a battlecannon hit.
.

However, you do get 3-5 of those plasma blasts, usually meaning more hits than a single large blast will give you. And they disallow 2+ saves and ANY FNP (due to AP2), where a Battle Cannon doesn't.

I don't think I really have a 'favorite' tho. Each one has it's niche and purpose. Want to kill armor? Get a vanquisher with a hull lascannon and put Pask in it. Heavy Infantry? Executioner. Light infantry/light armor? Exterminator, maybe with Pask (makes those autocannons effectively ST 8 when he doesn't move).

don_mondo wrote:

Ailaros wrote:

The executioner wouldn't be so great here. The thing is that your opponent can always spread out so that you're only hitting a single CSM/demons per hit, whereas you're always taking down at least a couple with a battlecannon hit.
.

However, you do get 3-5 of those plasma blasts, usually meaning more hits than a single large blast will give you. And they disallow 2+ saves and ANY FNP (due to AP2), where a Battle Cannon doesn't.

And then there's the (IMO) incredibly cheesy strategy of 2 mystic inquisitor, letting your leman russ executioner turn deepstrikers into goo. Won't be around for much longer, but it's still here.

AlmightyWalrus wrote:
And then there's the (IMO) incredibly cheesy strategy of 2 mystic inquisitor, letting your leman russ executioner turn deepstrikers into goo. Won't be around for much longer, but it's still here.

We've played? Yeah, I've done that.