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As the question says what are your favorite leman Russ variants... my favorite two are the exterminater and the vanqusher...

Executioner with a close second being the Eradicator.

The other Russes just don't work in the roles they are intended for. Vanquishers are lousy tank killers, LRBTs are mediocre infantry killers that gimp their sponson guns, unbuffed Autocannons are useless, Demolisher cannons suffer from near universal 4+ cover saves along with it's short rage/ordnance, Annihilator suffer from being just a single Lascannon that hits somewhat better and pays a lot for it, Punishers are useless unless you dump near a quarter of your points into it and finally Conquerors are... actually, not that bad. They just need to close in with their dual multi meltas to be of value and it is up to you to decide if that would be an issue for you.

The Executioner. 3 plasma cannon blasts really sells it for me.

My favorite Russes are the executioner and vanquisher.

I like the executioners because they kill every thing (including themselves) that isn't AV 13-14. And the massive plasma cannon just looks so cool.

I also like the vanquisher, but I like it because when given lascannons and plasma cannon sponsons they are effective against all targets, so if I don't know what I am fighting I can bring them and know it will have something to do.

All of the others I use on occasion but they hardly ever do anything notable. Although most of the time my tanks just die to deep striking meltas or random melee attacks any way so....

Demolisher comes out just above the Executioner for me.

I mean, come on, look at my sig.

Exterminators are the only Russ variants that ever stand a chance at making their points back in any game I play involving Russes.

They're still pretty poor at their job though.

Punisher with pask can glance pretty much anything to death....

Don't get why no-one has voted for the vanquisher, imo it's the best purpose built tank killer variant (melta sponsors aren't as good as math hammer suggests), it's pretty respectable, probs my 2nd or 3rd fav russ.

 Baldeagle91 wrote:
Punisher with pask can glance pretty much anything to death....

Don't get why no-one has voted for the vanquisher, imo it's the best purpose built tank killer variant (melta sponsors aren't as good as math hammer suggests), it's pretty respectable, probs my 2nd or 3rd fav russ.

Because the Vanq's intended use is to be the Guard's long range anti armour. It has a hard time killing Rhinos.
Attaching Multi-Meltas to it forces you to get in close. At which point, you're getting krak grenaded to death.

If the Vanquisher still had its original rules, dual profile cannon and coaxial gun, it would be a lot better.

Anyway, I like the Leman Russ Incinerator.

Personally, my favorite is an Exterminator with sponson heavy bolters and a hull lascannon. Can engage anything in a pinch, is good at munching infantry and light/medium vehicles, can stand in as AA if necessary, and isn't too expensive.

Pask-Punishers to me are just too expensive for the whole unit, not a fan of the command tank squadron thingy.

 Baldeagle91 wrote:


Don't get why no-one has voted for the vanquisher, imo it's the best purpose built tank killer variant (melta sponsors aren't as good as math hammer suggests), it's pretty respectable, probs my 2nd or 3rd fav russ.

Because it's actually pretty bad at killing vehicles. If it were BS4 and AP1, or had the coaxial stubber and were AP1, it might be ok, but a single shot, BS3, non AP1 tank just isn't putting out the raw volume of fire needed to get kills through the damage table or via HP's in 7E, particularly if the target is getting any sort of cover save.

Thunderer!


Demolisher Cannon in a more focused hull; counts as Demolisher on the tabletop.

I miss using my Demolisher :(

I built it years and years ago, with plasma cannon sponsons and a hull lascannon, back when the kit was still metal.


The tank being 210pts hurts, but being 210pts and now having to deal with Gets Hot! on the sponson weapons *and* being unable to use them in conjunction with the main gun really makes it a shelf-sitter.

I like Punishers just cause they look the best lol. Just can't go wrong with a gatling cannon on a tank. Can't wait for the real military to adopt it *evil grin*

My Demolishers (converted) to Thunderers don't have any expensive sponsons. Plus, I play Imperial Guard, so it's only 165 pts base, 190 pts with the dozer blade & extra armor.

210 is too high, of course.

Looking through AB, apparently, there's a Thunderer Siege Tank Squadron formation of 2-3 Such tanks, at a points cost of 140 base (no sponsons, no hull weapon). Fit with extra armor, dozer blade & PMHS, and I'm at a not-unreasonable 175 pts each. Given that's what they look like, and that's how I field them, those are probably the rules I should look at.

The eradicator is nuts and seriously good at what it does. Non-ordnance main gun which synergizes perfectly with 3 hull heavy bolters? Yes please.

It's just perfectly suited for what it's meant to do, unlike most of the other variants. The executioner being the other exception.

Conquerors always...

Vanquisher with beast hunter rounds. Oh is that your giant monster you are going to beat me with. Bang! Yeah he is not getting back up. Personally, out side of that, I use vanquishers pattern tanks for just about all my others. Great at busting armor and can mulch infantry pretty good as well.

If you want tanks, go for Armored Battlegroup. I have all my tanks in ABG, except Executioner with Pask and his Exterminator wingman.

And for my fav. LR, Vanquisher in Fluff, Executioner on tabletop and Incinerator in dreams.

Where can one find the ABG rules?

Imperial Armour 1, 2nd edition iirc.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
They're not that good though. They cost a lot more than codex russes, for not a whole lot.

 Selym wrote:
Imperial Armour 1, 2nd edition iirc.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
They're not that good though. They cost a lot more than codex russes, for not a whole lot.

With all the different wargear options and access to all the options from the IG codex, Yeah I'd still be taken a detachment of ABC just to fill in the tanks I want to use. Pask is an good tank command, but I've used the ABC tank commander and shot down Pask. Plus you can still use the IG tank formation from SR campaign as ABC. This is because ABC is consider to be part of the IG codex.

Ether wrote:
The eradicator is nuts and seriously good at what it does. Non-ordnance main gun which synergizes perfectly with 3 hull heavy bolters? Yes please.

It's just perfectly suited for what it's meant to do, unlike most of the other variants. The executioner being the other exception.

This might be the best TAC choice. It's rare that it wouldn't have a viable target in any given list.

I suppose if all you fought was Imperial and Wraith Knights...

Yeah, Eradicators are not too bad. S6 means you'll wound most troops on a 2+, so at least you're putting wounds on and forcing saves on 3+ armour. Against Xenos or Guard players you've hit the jackpot too, since they have a lot of 4+ or worse armour in you'll ignore their cover with the main gun.

um where is the standard russ. I'm sorry but that one makes it points back very quickly in todays all-marine meta. Variant-Schmeriant battle cannons FTW

 Emperor Pigeon wrote:
um where is the standard russ. I'm sorry but that one makes it points back very quickly in todays all-marine meta. Variant-Schmeriant battle cannons FTW

thats what LRBT is on the poll

 Emperor Pigeon wrote:
um where is the standard russ. I'm sorry but that one makes it points back very quickly in todays all-marine meta. Variant-Schmeriant battle cannons FTW

I haven't seen one doing much of anything spectacular in quite a while. A battlecannon isn't what it used to be. There's way too much these days that just doesn't care that much about a Battlecannon, and even amongst the units that do, they've got a lot more mitigation options than they did in the past generally. Cover, invuls, RP, higher model counts, etc all make that one Battlecannon shots a whole lot less interesting than it once was.

If Ordnance didn't bork the hull and sponson weapons, it might be more viable, but 150pts for a battlecannon just isn't really very scary anymore unfortunately

With Pask: Punisher
Without Pask: Executioner

Pairing them together is just nasty.

I quite like Eradicator loaded up with heavy flamers, they're cheap so I just drive them forward torching all the cover until they die.

 Emperor Pigeon wrote:
um where is the standard russ. I'm sorry but that one makes it points back very quickly in todays all-marine meta. Variant-Schmeriant battle cannons FTW

It's not very good. You have a "chance" to take out 100+ points in one shot, by getting a direct hit on a unit of marines out in the open, but neither of those things regularly happen.

Personally, I've never seen a LRBT do much at all, despite regularly fielding multiples of them.

Aye, the LRBT is just too variable to be consistently effective. It has a very high damage potential, but a very low damage average.

A bare minimum of unit spread means that pieplate's probably not hitting more than 5 models even on a direct hit, often less, and a scatte rmay only hit 1-2 or none at all. Add in even just a relatively common 5+ cover save, and instead of hitting 10 dudes and killing maybe 8 or 9 on a direct hit, you're more likely killing 2-3.

An Eradicator with 3 Heavy Bolters is probably going to inflict notably higher average casualties against a MEQ unit just through getting to toss more dice than the LRBT will, and be cheaper to boot.

Vanquisher's might not be the most effective Leman Russ, but with the Forge World Ryza turret they look darned sexy!