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Hi.

There are 2 different GW kits for leman russ. What leman russes are in them?

What leman russ are forge world exclusive, and whom are just in the standar codex?

The GW kits are outlined on their pages - the standard Russ "can be assembled as a Leman Russ Battle Tank, Eradicator, Exterminator or Vanquisher", while the Demolisher can be built as a "Punisher or Executioner variant instead."

Off the top of my head, the only FW ones remaining are the Conqueror (light battle cannon) and Annihilator (twin Lascannon).

In the Leman Russ Battle Tank box you get parts for Battle Tank, Eradicator, Exterminator or Vanquisher.
In the Leman russ demolisher box you get parts for Demolisher, Punisher or Executioner.

All of the above are in the codex.

Not sure about the forge world as I do not play with FW kits.

Was there ever a plastic Conquerer option? I remember peeking into a codex for 5th (?) edition way back and seeing it as an option.

I have no idea what any of these are, lol. I guess I need to do some research.

I like the 4x lascannon one, but I suppose the 'humble' cadian lascannon team comes out far ahead on the mathhammer.

In a nutshell:

Battle Tank - Normal tank with normal cannon.
Eradicator - Nova cannon (ignores cover).
Exterminator - Two auto-cannons. Don't take this.
Vanquisher - Vanquisher cannon. Don't take this.
Demolisher - Demolisher cannon (strong, short range)
Punisher - BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT.
Executioner - Plasma cannon.
Conquerer - Smaller cannon and coaxial auto-cannon.

 Niiai wrote:
What leman russ are forge world exclusive, and whom are just in the standar codex?

in regards to what is and is not FW exlusive, everything that is mentioned in the GW codex you can get from GW, either from their store or from direct only.
aka the basilisk is GW but is not sold in any actual stores, only on their webshop.
FW exlusive models has their own index books sold by FW.

but you have no need for any of them. standard russ and demolisher kit makes all codex variants(and beast_gts allready told you what kit makes what) and if in doubt, allways go for the battlecannon.
it is a solid option against any army.

the other variants are basicly for a spesific task.
you can kit the russ/demolisher for pretty mutch any role you need it to do, and it aint hard to magnetise the turret cannons either to maximise the usage.
the hull mounted weps have a socket so no need to glue them either.

naturaly the lemans are going to be one of the fokus targets for your opponent, espesialy if you have a tank commander HQ.

 Infantryman wrote:
Was there ever a plastic Conquerer option? I remember peeking into a codex for 5th (?) edition way back and seeing it as an option.

That's actually an artillery variant of the basilisk. It was basically a giant middle finger to space Marines. Ignored cover and 3+ or better armor, and wounded Marines on 2. It was this weird seige mortar thing. Never got a plastic kit, so it disappeared in 6th. I think it still exists in FW, not sure.

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

 Infantryman wrote:
Was there ever a plastic Conquerer option? I remember peeking into a codex for 5th (?) edition way back and seeing it as an option.

That's actually an artillery variant of the basilisk. It was basically a giant middle finger to space Marines. Ignored cover and 3+ or better armor, and wounded Marines on 2. It was this weird seige mortar thing. Never got a plastic kit, so it disappeared in 6th. I think it still exists in FW, not sure.

Eh?

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

 Infantryman wrote:
Was there ever a plastic Conquerer option? I remember peeking into a codex for 5th (?) edition way back and seeing it as an option.

That's actually an artillery variant of the basilisk. It was basically a giant middle finger to space Marines. Ignored cover and 3+ or better armor, and wounded Marines on 2. It was this weird seige mortar thing. Never got a plastic kit, so it disappeared in 6th. I think it still exists in FW, not sure.

Sure you don't mean the Medusa?

Tech wrote:
In the Leman Russ Battle Tank box you get parts for Battle Tank, Eradicator, Exterminator or Vanquisher.
In the Leman russ demolisher box you get parts for Demolisher, Punisher or Executioner.

The only kit ever included in the bundles is the Battle Tank kit. I have never seen the Demolisher kit in a set, and only when sold on its own.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

 Infantryman wrote:
Was there ever a plastic Conquerer option? I remember peeking into a codex for 5th (?) edition way back and seeing it as an option.

That's actually an artillery variant of the basilisk. It was basically a giant middle finger to space Marines. Ignored cover and 3+ or better armor, and wounded Marines on 2. It was this weird seige mortar thing. Never got a plastic kit, so it disappeared in 6th. I think it still exists in FW, not sure.

Sure you don't mean the Medusa?

Sounds like the Colossus to me

The FW Vanquisher with co-axial heavy stubber is actually really good, just so you know. If you make any hits with the co-axial hvy. stubber, the Vanquisher cannon gets a hit re-roll.

The concept with the co-axial machine gun is really something GW should have picked up and introduced when they redesigned the Leman Russ kit a couple of years ago. It works really well, and serves to make otherwise lackluster weapons like the Vanquisher fun and interesting to use. It also fits the background really well, it looks appropriately over-engineered and in the period IG tanks are imitating, co-axial guns were widely used, and continues to be used on RL military vehicles to this day.

The Annihilator is also a FW exclusive Leman Russ. It comes with twin-linked lascannons.

Yeah I like coaxial guns - though a coax autocannon is...something. I think that's the conquerer's only claim to fame now, since you can move and shoot with all tanks, and stationary can shoot twice - tossing out the conquerer's old utility as being a Heavy weapon, letting you move and shoot or stay and shoot twice.

 Infantryman wrote:
Conquerer - Smaller cannon and coaxial auto-cannon.

Where are you getting co-axial auto-cannon from? It's a storm bolter in 'Index: Forces Of The Astra Militarum'.

Yeah, it's a Storm Bolter.

The Conqueror has a co-axial storm bolter, the Vanquisher gets a heavy stubber, which is really a much better fit.

As far as I know, the Conqueror was introduced to 40k long before there existed a model for the Heavy Stubber, and at the time the Storm Bolter filled the role of a light/medium machine gun in Imperial Guard.

Today it goes something like:
Heavy Stubber -> Twin-linked Heavy Stubber -> Storm Bolter -> Heavy Bolter -> Autocannon -> etc.

Yep, egg on my face. I don't know where I got the idea it was an auto-cannon, either - even as I said, that was a bit too weird.

Heavy Stubber would be a better fit though I guess storm bolter isn't too crazy.

Regardless, this is another thing that seems to have gone the way of the dino on Forge World, so it's a small wonder it was even in the book at all.

I've got an old, abused Conqueror turret lying around somewhere, that I bought maybe 15 years ago, and it really shows that it's one of the first FW models. It's covered with odd greebles, the main gun and the storm bolter aren't parallel, and many of the lines are crooked.

I don't think it compares well to the Mars Alpha Pattern model (the DKoK version with the trench rails) which FW released a couple of years after they made the Conqueror. There was a marked change in quality around 2005 when they released the Elysian range, followed by DKoK in 2007. Most of the kits and vehicles FW released from about 2005 and onward are clean and professional looking, with relatively comprehensible, functional-looking designs.

A lot of the oldest models are kitbashes; you can see bits from the old tank accessories sprue (the one with the boxed hunter-killer missine and the 'dozer blade with spikes) and other kits. The assault gun/tank destroyer variants of the Leman Russ (the turretless ones) have part of a Chimera hull on the top to cover the turret ring, for example, and I recognise several greeblies from other tank kits and Epic 40,000 models.

As an aside, does the Index datasheet for the Vanquisher really have a coax stubber? Annoyingly, I've got the OOP Gryphonne IV-pattern turret; it (and the Stygies VIII-pattern) has a storm bolter.

 AndrewGPaul wrote:
As an aside, does the Index datasheet for the Vanquisher really have a coax stubber? Annoyingly, I've got the OOP Gryphonne IV-pattern turret; it (and the Stygies VIII-pattern) has a storm bolter.

The Stygies Vanquisher has a storm bolter while the DKoK Mars-Alpha has a heavy stubber.

Ah, so there's two different datasheets; good. I've not looked through the FW Index book too carefully.

 DoomMouse wrote:

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

 Infantryman wrote:
Was there ever a plastic Conquerer option? I remember peeking into a codex for 5th (?) edition way back and seeing it as an option.

That's actually an artillery variant of the basilisk. It was basically a giant middle finger to space Marines. Ignored cover and 3+ or better armor, and wounded Marines on 2. It was this weird seige mortar thing. Never got a plastic kit, so it disappeared in 6th. I think it still exists in FW, not sure.

Sure you don't mean the Medusa?

Sounds like the Colossus to me

Whoops you're right, colossus not conqueror. My bad!

 Infantryman wrote:
Yeah I like coaxial guns - though a coax autocannon is...something. I think that's the conquerer's only claim to fame now, since you can move and shoot with all tanks, and stationary can shoot twice - tossing out the conquerer's old utility as being a Heavy weapon, letting you move and shoot or stay and shoot twice.

The claim is good enough to be one of the best russ variants though. Only oop being major issue

Zingraff wrote:I've got an old, abused Conqueror turret lying around somewhere, that I bought maybe 15 years ago, and it really shows that it's one of the first FW models. It's covered with odd greebles, the main gun and the storm bolter aren't parallel, and many of the lines are crooked.

I don't think it compares well to the Mars Alpha Pattern model (the DKoK version with the trench rails) which FW released a couple of years after they made the Conqueror. There was a marked change in quality around 2005 when they released the Elysian range, followed by DKoK in 2007. Most of the kits and vehicles FW released from about 2005 and onward are clean and professional looking, with relatively comprehensible, functional-looking designs.

I don't really remember what that was like. I was playing the game 15 years ago, but I remember very little FW stuff from that era though I know I definitely visited the site on the regular. Budget didn't really allow for any of their stuff, and as I recall almost everything they produced was considered a poor choice for the points.

That said I do remember working on two FW units from other players I knew - one of the IG VTOL craft - Valk, probably - and that tank destroyer. The Valk was OK but I remember the barrel of the tank destroyer having a noticeable slope - it was definitely pointing at the ground.

It's a shame that so much of what I do remember has gone OOP!

AndrewGPaul wrote:A lot of the oldest models are kitbashes; you can see bits from the old tank accessories sprue (the one with the boxed hunter-killer missine and the 'dozer blade with spikes) and other kits. The assault gun/tank destroyer variants of the Leman Russ (the turretless ones) have part of a Chimera hull on the top to cover the turret ring, for example, and I recognise several greeblies from other tank kits and Epic 40,000 models.

As an aside, does the Index datasheet for the Vanquisher really have a coax stubber? Annoyingly, I've got the OOP Gryphonne IV-pattern turret; it (and the Stygies VIII-pattern) has a storm bolter.

Wouldn't surprise me - I still remember a lot of encouragement to kitbash in the 3e era. I'll say the Gryphonne Vanqiusher never looked right to me though.

tneva82 wrote:

The claim is good enough to be one of the best russ variants though. Only oop being major issue

Honestly not sure why it would be good. I considered using it for a future IG force that uses more light units (current one is focused on heavy armor), but that was a stylistic choice. A Conquerer turret would be a pretty simple conversion to make, at least.

 Infantryman wrote:
Honestly not sure why it would be good. I considered using it for a future IG force that uses more light units (current one is focused on heavy armor), but that was a stylistic choice. A Conquerer turret would be a pretty simple conversion to make, at least.

50% more hits with the main gun(well assuming no modifiers). How often you need to shoot past 48" anyway?

I never actually used the Conqueror as written, but as an alternative model for the battle cannon turret, which I had come to dislike. The co-axial storm bolter then came to represent the pintle-mounted storm bolter the conventional Battle Tank had access to.

BTW, the Vanquisher Stygies VIII Conversion Kit is still being sold (I guess for as long as stock lasts), and that turret could easily be adapted to represent a Conqueror battle cannon.

If you're the sort of "Krieg-purist" I am, you get both the Stygies Vanq. turret and a Mars Alpha Pattern Leman Russ with Modified Ryza Pattern Turret kit, and replace the Vanquisher barrel with the Battlecannon barrel from the LRBT-kit, to create a turret which has both a Battlecannon barrel and a co-axial stormbolter.

Of the variants available, I like the following:

Standard Battlecannon Leman Russ Main Battle Tank: A solid A to A- on the scale. Good damage, excellent range, overall a solid choice and can be used to hurt pretty much anything. Add hull/sponson weapons to taste.

Leman Russ Eradicator: The cannon is great for dealing with infantry in cover. Not as great versus vehicles/monsters/higher toughness, but hull/sponson weapons can help this a bit if you want to spend the points. A solid A-, in my opinion. It's like a slightly better infantry emphasis Leman Russ demolisher, in that it does good damage to infantry at 36" range. I swear by mine.

Leman Russ Executioner: Plasma Death. Need I say more. This thing is crazy good, especially if you have a way to re-roll hits/1's nearby, or fix damage for the inevitable few 1's you're going to roll with it if you choose to overcharge. Plasma Sponsons and either a Heavy Bolter (to help with cost) or Lascannon in the hull slot, plus a heavy stubber on the pintle mount (optional). This thing is an unholy terror to whatever it's pointed at. It's not cheap, and be sure to bubble wrap it or keep it protected from charging units. It will be a primo target for your opponent to negate/nullify as soon as they can. Makes an excellent command tank. A+

Leman Russ Punisher: Yes. This thing is awesome. Much like above with the Executioner, it will become a big target for your opponent once they realize it's kicking out 40 shots a turn just from the turret. If you put hull & sponson heavy bolters and a pintle heavy stubber and this thing is putting out 52 shots a turn, with all but 3 of them being ST:5. The absolute bane of infantry. Re-roll to hits on it just adds to the fun. Excellent command tank. A+

Leman Russ Exterminator: Good mid-range tank. Not the best, but it's a solid choice. Good at hunting light/medium armor and some monsters, or hurting medium to heavy infantry such as Terminators. One wound does 2 damage, so every failed save drops them. I like these tanks myself personally, but some folks don't like them. Your mileage may vary, and add sponson/hull weapons to taste as usual. A decent B to B+

Leman Russ Vanquisher: I'd rank this one below the Exterminator, but only because of the volume of fire is superior on the Exterminator, especially with the ability to shoot twice if you move half-speed or less. This thing can put good damage on target if you're lucky, but you have to be lucky with it. I'd rank it a solid B-

Leman Russ Demolisher: This tank would rank higher if it weren't for the short range. It can put damn good damage on target, despite this, and it's going to wound most all targets on 2+ if it hits. Good option, but there are better ones above that do the job more efficiently due to better range (Battle Cannon) or through better volume of fire (Punisher). Still, most people are scared to death of the Demolisher cannon. As with all Leman Russes, keep it protected by walls of chaff so it can shoot. I'll rank it at B- thanks in no small part to it's destructive potential regardless of what it's pointed at, assuming it's in range.

Just my assessments. Take it easy.

-Red__Thirst-

With all the turn 1 charges etc ranges are generally less of issue. Especially in 40k where ranges are spitting range anyway.

And vanquisher just plain sucks. Funny fact. It actually causes less damage in average against T8 3+ save tank than battle cannon...The melta rule plus extra save just doesn't compare with 3.5 times the shots. So even against the only target it's good at(vehicles/monsters) it's worse than regular russ while being total loser against infantry. Okay battle cannon is pricier but 2 pts is steal for that.

Another case of GW assigning rules that looks cool(2d6 pick highest for damage!) without actually bothering to do elementary school calculation it's useless.

If it had flat 2d6 ratio it would at least cause bit more than battle cannon in average but nope.

Oh yeah, the Vanquisher needs some mad help. Exterminator, too. Shame, because I like the visuals of both tanks