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I now have 6 leman russ (3 battle tank, 1 exterminator, 2 demolisher) and I was wondering how you guys like to run them? On most types sponsons just seem too expensive but then again, I've never actually fielded a leman russ before and I'm pretty noob when it comes to guard. ( I played DE and Chaos before so no real heavy tank experience. )

Take sponsons. They're a steal for the amount of firepower you get on such a durable chassis for so few points. Multimeltas or plasma cannons. Hull lascannons as well for the same reason. As for the turret weapon, it depends on what you're needing in your army. Generally, I like vanquishers, because they handle heavy targets at long range, but there are certainly cases to be made for the others.

Just so long as you don't take a turret weapon that will cause the sponsons/hull lascannon to snap fire, you'll be fine.

I run mine naked replying solely on the Battlecannon and heavy bolter/lascannon and that works pretty well for me

Ailaros and I agree on the Lascannon. Where else in the IG (other than vendetta) are you going to have a lascannon last as long in a game. Even if your tank gets destroyed, it usually has had some large amount of fire power dedicated to taking it down.

For me, it almost depends on the type of Leman Russ you take in addition to the rules of 6th. Lumbering Behemoth being gone now, and, now that you can fire all "heavy" weapons at BS.

LRBT: I would go with plasma cannon and lascannon
LR exterminator: Lascannon and heavy bolters
LR Demolsiher: Lascannon and Multi melta

Those are the ones I have played in the past and been happy wiht. It is up to you, your models.

Ok, thanks, I think I'll try the multimelta sponsons on my demolishers, the plasma and lascannon on all my LRBT and triple heavy bolter on my exterminator. Are heavy stubbers/bolters and/or hunter killers ever worth it? I was thinking maybe heavy stubber just to help with weapon destroyed.

 martin74 wrote:
Ailaros and I agree on the Lascannon. Where else in the IG (other than vendetta) are you going to have a lascannon last as long in a game. Even if your tank gets destroyed, it usually has had some large amount of fire power dedicated to taking it down.

For me, it almost depends on the type of Leman Russ you take in addition to the rules of 6th. Lumbering Behemoth being gone now, and, now that you can fire all "heavy" weapons at BS.

LRBT: I would go with plasma cannon and lascannon
LR exterminator: Lascannon and heavy bolters
LR Demolsiher: Lascannon and Multi melta

Those are the ones I have played in the past and been happy wiht. It is up to you, your models.

If you fire an ordnance weapon, all other weapons fired in that shooting phase must be fired as snap shots. The LRBT and Demolisher loadouts you just posted are exceedingly wasteful.

Corollax wrote:

 martin74 wrote:
Ailaros and I agree on the Lascannon. Where else in the IG (other than vendetta) are you going to have a lascannon last as long in a game. Even if your tank gets destroyed, it usually has had some large amount of fire power dedicated to taking it down.

For me, it almost depends on the type of Leman Russ you take in addition to the rules of 6th. Lumbering Behemoth being gone now, and, now that you can fire all "heavy" weapons at BS.

LRBT: I would go with plasma cannon and lascannon
LR exterminator: Lascannon and heavy bolters
LR Demolsiher: Lascannon and Multi melta

Those are the ones I have played in the past and been happy wiht. It is up to you, your models.

If you fire an ordnance weapon, all other weapons fired in that shooting phase must be fired as snap shots. The LRBT and Demolisher loadouts you just posted are exceedingly wasteful.

Did not know this. Will not get sponsons for ordinance turret tanks.

The relevant passage is on page 71 of the BRB, in the bottom right corner. Remember that the Imperial Guard FAQ has replaced the Lumbering Behemoth rule with the Heavy USR.

I failed to mention that clearly. Since the rules change in 6th, I have stopped using the LRBT and Demolisher. I mainly run a squad of two Exterminators w/ lascannon and heavy bolter sponsons. I cannot complain about the performance of those two tanks.

I only suggested the Demolisher with multi melta due to past experience in 5th, and that the range of the weapons compliment each other.

I would never waste the points on the stubber or storm bolter. HK missile, maybe if I had some points left over. Only time I really use the HK missile is on my outflanking squad of scout sentinels.

For me, the go-to Russ is a LC/PC Vanquisher. Deadly to tanks MCs, TEQ/MEQ and can even throw down a few wounds on larger squads.

Second goes to an Exterminator with 3x HB, great dakka and the AP4 volume of fire is amazing against Tau, Crons and Eldar.

Third is a Punisher with 3x HB, great anti-infantry Dakka if you throw in Pask.

I like to mix up my sponsons. I like the plasma sponsons. They can really help in the Riptide era, but also against many other threats too.

Ultimately this is very much a function of what ELSE you took in the list as it usually is, but with that many Russ's, i wouldn't miss the opportunity to put plasma on some.

An Executioner with a lascannon and PC sponsons is a fun one

As others have mentioned the battle tank and demolisher have ordnance weapons so you are best at keeping them barebones and not upgrading them.

As for other variants the Vanquisher with a hull lascannon and Plasma sponsons is an amazing tank. MM sponsons arent bad either.

Eradicator with heavy bolters all around is a good favorite for anything with a 4+ save.

Exterminator with lascannon and MM sponsons is nice, or lascannon and heavy bolters or just heavy bolters all around.

Punisher is nice with heavy bolters all around.

But as I mentioned above a vanquisher with LC/PC has been a personal favorite.

Some players will put cheap sponsons on the Ord tanks just to make the big gun more survivable. With them, it goes from a 50/50 chance of being destroyed on a weapon destroyed to a 25% chance. Better if you also add in a HKM as if it has not been fired, it counts as well. Not saying that's the way to go, just that its an option if you want to try it out.

When I use a vanquisher, I usually put pask in it (my pask is a squat and my vanquisher is converted to match him. His bonuses added to the vanquisher's basic tank busting abilities can really make a difference. Unless of course, your like me and always roll ones to hit with the vanquisher cannon. lol

That sometimes made sense back in 5th, when hull points weren't a factor. In 6th, that secondary weapon means a 50/50 chance of saving a turret on a vehicle that's at least 1/3 dead, anyway.

The only vehicle where I'd consider that now is the Battlewagon, and that's because it lacks weapons entirely. Halving the risk of an immobilized result on your transport is worth the points. Protecting the weapon on a half-dead tank seems more questionable.

In any event, the argument isn't relelvant to a Russ anyway, since they all have at least a hull-mounted heavy bolter to protect their turret. (Notably, Thunderers do not. This is one of the reasons why they're 25 points cheaper than a Demolisher.)

I didn't say it was the way to go, just that it was an option. Your right, it would auto be at least 1/3 dead and it would only help if you rolled that exact result. The math doesn't mean its that great an option.
Hoiwever, I will sometimes put them on just for fun. That's more important to me than winning anyways.

When modeling them, I always put sponsons on them. If I don't pay the points for them, I just tell my opponent that the moter pool forgot to load the ammo for them. that way they are still WYSIWYG. Your allowed to have something modeled you don't use but some people (not myself unless its crazy) get pissy about using something that isn't modeled so to me it's "safer" that way.

Here's some stuff I've said previously on this subject:

The vanquisher is just not reliable enough to kill enemy armour at range. The only time I would use one would be with the co-axial heavy stubber, from armoured battlegroup. The Executioner, in my opinion is the best tank of the lot. It absolutely demolishes EVERYTHING it shoots at, be it light or heavy infantry, monstrous creatures, and light to medium armour. The punisher, while not the most efficient use of points, is still useful, in that it provides mobile fire support, and weight of fire that mech armies typically lack. I personally use mine to finish off weakened units, and in that role, it excels. Other than that, I think you've covered the rest.

also:

The las/melta exterminator is the true jack of all trades, a title it has taken from the battle tank. It has the capacity to deal with everything that is thrown at it, including a credible threat to flyers. Whether you want to take one or not, is entirely dependant on your playstyle, and the rest of your army's composition. If you prefer a host of units that can be tasked with whatever can be thrown at them, in true space marine style, then the exterminator fits in perfectly. If, however, you need the tank for a specific role in your army, then I suggest you look elsewhere, for there are other far more niche tanks available.

Also, 3 str 7 hits on average at long range is nothing to be sniffed at against light vehicles, as the exterminator has taken the role of light-medium vehicle destroyer over from the vendetta, as it can operate from turn 1. It also has devastating short range AT weaponry should the enemy close the distance. In regards to loadouts, In my opinion, the las/melta configuration is the only way to equip the exterminator, as the heavy bolter exterminator is eclipsed by the punisher, plasma cannons are done better by the executioner and there is no reason to bother with hull and sponson flamers, unless of course you are jeremy clarkson.

I hope it helps, as I personally LOVE leman russ tanks, and have had reasonable success running them in tournaments, and I hope you do to

The vanquisher, properly kitted, does fine against enemy armor. Yes, the main gun only has a 50% chance, but it also has a lascannon, and THEN it also has plasma cannons or multimeltas. Plus, not all armor is AV14 in front. A las/plas vanquisher can certainly bring the pain to a DE raider or a chimera.

And, of course, like anything in the guard, you don't take one, you take three. Back in my 5-vanquisher days I was doing things like taking down fliers through the sheer weight of fire I was putting down. That many tanks are also pretty hard to shut down, as well.

More importantly, though, in plasma mode, you've got an average of two hits per turn per tank that wounds almost everything on 2's, and every shot is Ap2 or better. That's not just dead vehicles, that's dead riptides, and dead wraithguard and dead terminators. There's a lot out there that will justly fear this kind of tank, or three...

The only thing I like better, in theory, is the lascannon/multimelta punisher, as it does such an excellent job against anything in 24". The only problem is that it's a defensive weapon, and it's pretty unlikely between a FRF/melta hedge and a mechvet wall that you're going to need any more defensive weapons than you're already forced to bring. Hence the long-range killing power of the vanquisher.

The only thing I'm tempted more by is the KING PLASMA TANK. Executioner+lascannon+plasma cannons+Pask. ABSURDLY expensive, yes, but against vehicles you're firing 5 S8 Ap2 and 1 S10 Ap2 weapon, all at BS4, and against monstrous creatures, you have 6 BS4 shots of doom that reroll failed wounds. Against everything else, they better have cover saves, that's all I'm saying...

If you take the standard LRBT or Demolisher, probably best to just run it stock because ordinance will make them snapshot. Otherwise the sponsons are a pretty good deal with plasma cannons or multimeltas. Plasma cannons on the executioner just melts basically anything without an AV (and some things with one)

 Ailaros wrote:
The only thing I'm tempted more by is the KING PLASMA TANK. Executioner+lascannon+plasma cannons+Pask. ABSURDLY expensive, yes, but against vehicles you're firing 5 S8 Ap2 and 1 S10 Ap2 weapon, all at BS4, and against monstrous creatures, you have 6 BS4 shots of doom that reroll failed wounds. Against everything else, they better have cover saves, that's all I'm saying...

AP2 only really have utility on vehicles when it's coming from a high strength weapon. Plasma guns make lousy anti-tank because against even AV12, half their results are glances anyway and AP2 does nothing for them. Pask helps with this, but...really, it's still an issue. I'd look for my anti-tank elsewhere.

 Ailaros wrote:
The only thing I'm tempted more by is the KING PLASMA TANK. Executioner+lascannon+plasma cannons+Pask. ABSURDLY expensive, yes, but against vehicles you're firing 5 S8 Ap2 and 1 S10 Ap2 weapon, all at BS4, and against monstrous creatures, you have 6 BS4 shots of doom that reroll failed wounds.

Only one problem here: outside of Ailaros-40k you're allowed to take the Vendetta. A pair of them will give you better shots with a better chance of hitting, and won't be a useless paperweight against flyers and FMCs. Oh, and they'll do it for fewer points while also transporting a couple scoring units for late-game objective grabs or suicide melta/plasma drops.

Now, the Executioner with plasma sponsons is still a good idea, but that's because of its firepower against elite infantry. Throwing another 50 points on it to bring Pask and make it into a mediocre anti-tank unit is just not a good idea.

@Corollax
AP 2 does give a +1 on the result table if you pen, and with Pask's Crack Shot giving all weapons against a vehicle +1 armor pen, you can glance to death AV 14 with str 8 shots. So the AP 2 is not totally worthless.

But I have to say Peregrine has the best answer as to not do this. The Vendetta is just cheaper at 130pts vs a 295pt Plasma-cutioner with plas-sponsons and a LC with Pask included. Sure, it is dead killy, but it better be for that amount of points.

When you can buy two vendettas for one tank, your have to really love your tanks and hate your flyers. Heck, you can buy 3 LC HWSs for 315pts (9 LCs at up to 3 different targets!). Sure, they are more fragile than the other options, but they fire Turn 1 and can be made twin linked or to ignore cover saves with Orders. All 3 have strengths and weaknesses, and cost is a factor.

As a side note, I am not a fan of Plasma sponsons on a LRBT because I don't care for stripping away hull points on 'Gets Hot!' rolls. Thank God the main gun on that Plasma-cutioner doesn't have that issue!

I didn't say that plasma couldn't pen. I said that it was less capable of doing so compared to other options (like lascannons). Even with Pask, the Lascannon is still going to penetrate whenever plasma would glance, and a Vendetta is a lot cheaper than a Paskecutioner is.

 BlkTom wrote:
@Corollax
AP 2 does give a +1 on the result table if you pen, and with Pask's Crack Shot giving all weapons against a vehicle +1 armor pen, you can glance to death AV 14 with str 8 shots. So the AP 2 is not totally worthless.

But I have to say Peregrine has the best answer as to not do this. The Vendetta is just cheaper at 130pts vs a 295pt Plasma-cutioner with plas-sponsons and a LC with Pask included. Sure, it is dead killy, but it better be for that amount of points.

When you can buy two vendettas for one tank, your have to really love your tanks and hate your flyers. Heck, you can buy 3 LC HWSs for 315pts (9 LCs at up to 3 different targets!). Sure, they are more fragile than the other options, but they fire Turn 1 and can be made twin linked or to ignore cover saves with Orders. All 3 have strengths and weaknesses, and cost is a factor.

As a side note, I am not a fan of Plasma sponsons on a LRBT because I don't care for stripping away hull points on 'Gets Hot!' rolls. Thank God the main gun on that Plasma-cutioner doesn't have that issue!

That order doesnt ignore cover it just makes your opponent reroll successful cover saves. Also on LD7 you are failing the order half of the time.

Also vendettas are nice at taking out armor but if my opponent has flyers Im probably going to focus my vendettas on them first. Which means my opponents armor has a better chance of surviving longer seeing as my vendettas wont come on until turn 2 and if my opponents flyers are on the board then Im going to have to take them out.

If your opponents got a land raider coming up with nasty units in it then I personally would like some units being able to take it out at a distance and be able to fire at it turn 1.

I think my vote still rests with a vanq with LC/PC or MM sponsons. I usually always have 1 with pask but will usually run 2 of these tanks.

Meh, the king plasma still has a lot of advantages over the vendetta, despite the vendetta's slight boost in firepower. I'd rather have the unit that can start shooting turn 1, isn't vulnerable to interceptor or skyfire (or markerlights), can't be hurt by S6 and S7 weapons, and isn't mobility- or firepower-limited by overrunning, or occasionally chased off the board. And that's before we start talking about the little things, like actually being able to use cover, synergising with chimera-chassised vehicles, free searchlight, etc. etc. etc.

Anyone who believes that the vendetta is the only thing worth taking, and is just far and away better than anything else has been wrong, well... since the beginning.

 tankboy145 wrote:


That order doesnt ignore cover it just makes your opponent reroll successful cover saves. Also on LD7 you are failing the order half of the time.

Also vendettas are nice at taking out armor but if my opponent has flyers Im probably going to focus my vendettas on them first. Which means my opponents armor has a better chance of surviving longer seeing as my vendettas wont come on until turn 2 and if my opponents flyers are on the board then Im going to have to take them out.

If your opponents got a land raider coming up with nasty units in it then I personally would like some units being able to take it out at a distance and be able to fire at it turn 1.

I think my vote still rests with a vanq with LC/PC or MM sponsons. I usually always have 1 with pask but will usually run 2 of these tanks.

If your just throwing HWTs out there by themselves and saying they are a failure, then your the one making them fail. Take a CCS and a Lord Commissar with a Icarus ADL. Keep the HWTs within 6" of the Lord, who is manning your Icarus, and within 12" of a CCS with a Banner. They are now a re-rollable Ld 10 for Morale and Pinning and a Ld 10 for Orders. The Lord is BS 5 so is going to hit with the Icarus consistently and all of your guys are behind a ADL for a cover save (for what cover saves are worth these days). It would be like taking naked Platoon infantry squads and expecting them to never run or do something useful. Point is, for roughly 300pts, there are options.

 Ailaros wrote:
I'd rather have the unit that can start shooting turn 1

Then why are you taking a LR Executioner? You only have 36" range and lose your anti-tank bonus if you move, so unless you've deployed directly across from the biggest threat you're going to have to wait.

isn't vulnerable to interceptor or skyfire (or markerlights)

Err, what? Interceptor doesn't say "may only fire on units as they arrive from reserve", you know. And I have no idea how you think that a LRBT is not vulnerable to markerlights.

Anyone who believes that the vendetta is the only thing worth taking, and is just far and away better than anything else has been wrong, well... since the beginning.

No, you're completely missing the point. The Vendetta is better than using the LR Executioner to kill tanks. Please don't straw man that into "the Vendetta is the only thing worth tanking".

 BlkTom wrote:

 tankboy145 wrote:


That order doesnt ignore cover it just makes your opponent reroll successful cover saves. Also on LD7 you are failing the order half of the time.

Also vendettas are nice at taking out armor but if my opponent has flyers Im probably going to focus my vendettas on them first. Which means my opponents armor has a better chance of surviving longer seeing as my vendettas wont come on until turn 2 and if my opponents flyers are on the board then Im going to have to take them out.

If your opponents got a land raider coming up with nasty units in it then I personally would like some units being able to take it out at a distance and be able to fire at it turn 1.

I think my vote still rests with a vanq with LC/PC or MM sponsons. I usually always have 1 with pask but will usually run 2 of these tanks.

If your just throwing HWTs out there by themselves and saying they are a failure, then your the one making them fail. Take a CCS and a Lord Commissar with a Icarus ADL. Keep the HWTs within 6" of the Lord, who is manning your Icarus, and within 12" of a CCS with a Banner. They are now a re-rollable Ld 10 for Morale and Pinning and a Ld 10 for Orders. The Lord is BS 5 so is going to hit with the Icarus consistently and all of your guys are behind a ADL for a cover save (for what cover saves are worth these days). It would be like taking naked Platoon infantry squads and expecting them to never run or do something useful. Point is, for roughly 300pts, there are options.

So now it's a 295pt plasma tank versus 3 hwts a lord commissar, a ccs and an aegis line? There obviously are options for 300pts but that tank won't be alone. Who's not to say that there's already vendettas in the list to take care of air and help out against armor.