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Title says it all really. I'm interested in learning why this rather unrelated name happened

Because Leman Russ designed it.

It's older fluff, basically. There were no Primarchs in the original 40K, Leman Russ was "only" an Imperial Commander. A rather legendary one ofc, having tanks named after him and being given command of a Space Marine Chapter.

Originally, Russ was an Imperial Guard leader.
When Primarchs were introduced and he was retconned to be one of them, this was changed to Russ and the Wolves found the SCT for the tank, and it was named after him.
Much like the Land raider and Speeder.

No he wasn't.

on page 27, Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader wrote:
Marine Commander
Imperial Record AA/SW 05/015. f19.P6. Profile: Leman Russ Boprn: 2612016. M32 Guranta D Gurantan system.
Commissioned Adeptus Terra as special agent 0134041.M32. First rose to imperial notice during Lucan Crusade. Appointed Imperial Commander Lucan 0333042. M32. Instrumental in founding Adeptus Astartes unti 4 'Spacewolves'. Suffered severe alviola damage during acid storms on Susa. Transplanted with model cybron-osmotic gill.

That's the image caption for the picture in the rulebook. The next time we hear of him, it's in WD 127 where he's the Primarch of the Space Wolves, raised by wolves on Fenris with his two wolf brothers Freki and Geri by his side.

He's always been the founding hero of the Space Wolves. "Imperial Commander" was the Adeptus Terra rank that includes planetary governors, Space Marine Chapter Masters and other similarly important individuals (possibly also including Imperial Army generals). "Imperial Commander Lucan" means he was appointed governor of Lucan - the Space Wolves homeworld.

Huh, very interesting. Thank you

Warboss Grimdakka wrote:
Title says it all really. I'm interested in learning why this rather unrelated name happened

As others have noted, Leman Russ wasn't originally a "Primarch", but rather an Imperial Commander. This was back when Marines were T3 and only got a 5+ power armor save (after modifiers) against Lasguns, the Fang was a rather Disneyland-ish looking castle, and the Imperial Guard was still the Imperial Army, and Custodes looked like dudes out of "300" (lack of shirts and all) with Eldar Guardian helmets.

Eventually the story got overhauled, Leman Russ was no longer a contemporary Imperial Commander but a mythical Primarch, who's forces recovered the tank's STC template.

Basically, because someone thought it was cool and they rejiggered the story a bunch

They tried cementing this in 3rd edition by allowing you to field the Annhilator variant of the Russ in Space Wolves armies. It was basically a heavier armored version of the Annhilator Predator.

Why wouldn't you name an imperial guard tank after Leman Russ?

The more important question is that why there were no tanks named after Sanguinius? He only got a holiday named after him.

I'm all for more primarch tanks
How about.... a super heavy tank with 12 heavy flamers called vulkan

It's basically Early Installment Weirdness that got retconed into Leman Russ finding the STC for it.

Warboss Grimdakka wrote:
I'm all for more primarch tanks
How about.... a super heavy tank with 12 heavy flamers called vulkan

They don’t say why it’s named as such, but the Gorgon does have HH rules in the Auxilia, maybe we already have another one? I could see people naming a giant transport after Ferrus Manus... “FLESH IS WEEEAK. WEEEEEAK!” XD.

 Vaktathi wrote:

Warboss Grimdakka wrote:
Title says it all really. I'm interested in learning why this rather unrelated name happened

As others have noted, Leman Russ wasn't originally a "Primarch", but rather an Imperial Commander. This was back when Marines were T3 and only got a 5+ power armor save (after modifiers) against Lasguns, the Fang was a rather Disneyland-ish looking castle, and the Imperial Guard was still the Imperial Army, and Custodes looked like dudes out of "300" (lack of shirts and all) with Eldar Guardian helmets.

Eventually the story got overhauled, Leman Russ was no longer a contemporary Imperial Commander but a mythical Primarch, who's forces recovered the tank's STC template.

Basically, because someone thought it was cool and they rejiggered the story a bunch

He never was a contemporary character, even in his first (only) mention pre-primarch fluff he was dated as M32!

I could be wrong, but i think in the rogue trader days space marines were not geneticly enhanced super soldiers. They were prisoners forced into indentured servitude as front line shock troopers to protect the traders new exploration routes and help forge the path to new systems.

So no primarchs.

Does anyone know where (out of universe) the name comes from? Given that Leman is not exactly the most manly of names I always wondered. Of course that's something I like, Leman Russ is a much better name than Wolf Dragon Fang Axe.

I remember hearing years ago it was after a British general but never confirmed it.

Possibly there's a Russel Leman somewhere?

Oh and for the record...

 RedCommander wrote:
Why wouldn't you name an imperial guard tank after Leman Russ?

The more important question is that why there were no tanks named after Sanguinius? He only got a holiday named after him.

I would imagine a plane would be a better choice for Sanguinius. Besides more people celebrate Sanguinala than drive tanks. I think he got the better end of he deal.

The GW designers were armchair historians, I'm sure, so my guess is its a reference to the M3 Lee / Grant of WWII; so a possible corruption of General Robert E. Lee.

I mean, the Leman Russ does share some design features with the M3....

There's a story of Russ finding the STC in Inferno.

Tip of the hat to Stormonu, I never thought of Lee/Leman.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Oh and for the record..

Oh yes, that handsome guy who gets all the female dogs. I'd say the biggest Leman Russ retcon isn't his status as Primarch!

Spetulhu wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Oh and for the record..

Oh yes, that handsome guy who gets all the female dogs. I'd say the biggest Leman Russ retcon isn't his status as Primarch!

Well he lived for some time after the heresy right? I like to think that's what he looked like after a few centuries.

Or, who knows, maybe there was an M32 Leman, (named for the first) and THAT'S who the tank is named for.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
They tried cementing this in 3rd edition by allowing you to field the Annhilator variant of the Russ in Space Wolves armies. It was basically a heavier armored version of the Annhilator Predator.

Actually, they had acces to the Leman Russ Exterminator tank, a Leman Russ tank without the battle cannon, but with TL autocannons, and a bunch of dakka sponson/hull options.

The Predator annihilator is a Predator variant invented by the Wolves when they were besieged by some Chaos army with lots of heavy tanks. The Wolves had plenty of normal (useless against armor) predators, and plenty of lascannons, but had lost too many men to use them all, so the Iron Priests mounted them in the Predator chassis, and the Predator Annihilator was born.

 Crimson Devil wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:
Why wouldn't you name an imperial guard tank after Leman Russ?

The more important question is that why there were no tanks named after Sanguinius? He only got a holiday named after him.

I would imagine a plane would be a better choice for Sanguinius. Besides more people celebrate Sanguinala than drive tanks. I think he got the better end of he deal.

True, true. Perhaps Valkyrie should have been named after Sanguinius? On an unrelated note, I have to now go and make an announcement to all of my troops:

"Attention all personnel! From here on out, any and all 'Valkyrie'-airborne assault carriers shall be designated as 'Sanguinius'-airborne assault carriers. Carry on. The Emperor protects. Over and out."

"And paint them red. Over and out."

Wow this blew up

I always thought the Leman Russ looked more like a French Char Ib rather than an M3 Lee/Grant.

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/france/char_B1_bis.php

 Stormonu wrote:
The GW designers were armchair historians, I'm sure, so my guess is its a reference to the M3 Lee / Grant of WWII; so a possible corruption of General Robert E. Lee.

I mean, the Leman Russ does share some design features with the M3....

Spoiler:

Bear in mind GW is/was particularly slapdash when it comes to names, you've got the likes of Pedro Kantor named after playtester Pete Cantor and Valhallan Imperial Guard who are most definitely not vikings.

I'm damned if I can find any reference to a Russell Mann or the like, but GW was working on the RT rulebook at the same time as Dark Future, wherein the sanctioned operative's cars were clearly based on the Group C cars then used by the Le Mans tournament.

cannonfodr wrote:
I always thought the Leman Russ looked more like a French Char Ib rather than an M3 Lee/Grant.

I think the analogy was the name and not any physical resemblance.

Imperial Tank design seems to follow a mish-mash of WW1 and WW2 designs. Both Land Raiders and Leman Russes both have a lot of similarities to Mk5s for example, especially the idea of sponsons.



Give it a turret and it's basically a Leman Russ.

Bane Blades are basically a reusing of the "Land Cruiser" theory of tank design.

Alan Merrett wrote:Bryan Ansell thought that it would be cool if the imperium named things after the heroes of the Imperium - just like we sometimes do in real life! Leman Russ - as a Primarch, etc - was just such a hero and so the main battle tank was named after him! That's pretty much it guys - no big conspiracy, sorry!

nareik wrote:

Alan Merrett wrote:Bryan Ansell thought that it would be cool if the imperium named things after the heroes of the Imperium - just like we sometimes do in real life! Leman Russ - as a Primarch, etc - was just such a hero and so the main battle tank was named after him! That's pretty much it guys - no big conspiracy, sorry!

So pretty much like the US naming tanks after famous generals? Or the Soviets doing the same during WW2? Makes sense, I suppose.

Another reply from the Oldhammer FB group

Rick Priestley I just made up the name for the Primarch... someone appropriated it for the tank... don't think there was any more to it than that

Can't ask for more than that!