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Hi all, I'm a pretty new Astra Militarum player.

Are there any rumors about the Leman Russ model being modernized any time soon?

To me, when I look at the model, it looks pretty dated and honestly a bit cartoonish with the comically huge main cannon. I want to start buying some tanks for my army, but I don't want to buy several Russes and then have GW come out with a newer, better model right after I do so.

Considering the infantry units got modernized somewhat recently, it seems like the Russ would also be a prime candidate to follow suit.

I don't follow 40k news and rumors that closely so would be curious what people here think.

No word of such.

But if you want a more modern Russ sculpt you could always buy the Horus Heresy kit.
Be aware though that it will not include all of the 40k weapon options nor sponsons.

Tree_Beard wrote:
Hi all, I'm a pretty new Astra Militarum player.

Are there any rumors about the Leman Russ model being modernized any time soon?

To me, when I look at the model, it looks pretty dated and honestly a bit cartoonish with the comically huge main cannon. I want to start buying some tanks for my army, but I don't want to buy several Russes and then have GW come out with a newer, better model right after I do so.

Considering the infantry units got modernized somewhat recently, it seems like the Russ would also be a prime candidate to follow suit.

I don't follow 40k news and rumors that closely so would be curious what people here think.

The Horus Heresy game just got a new version of the Leman Russ. I don't like it. Square top hatch, no sponsons and only a few main weapon options. I would be furious if they up dated the Russ or the Chimera. I just finished painting all of mine and I would like to actually play a game of Warhammer using current models for the first time in ages before GW tries to ruin another classic.

The Leman Russ really isn’t all that old.

I mean, it’s almost certainly older than my memory will admit (at least 12 years? Maybe 14?). But in terms of 40K tanks, it’s a real spring chicken.

The Eldar Falcon chassis has been around since 1995 or 1996 or so. The Rhino and Landraider chassis since…erm….I wanna say 2000ish?

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The Leman Russ really isn’t all that old.

I mean, it’s almost certainly older than my memory will admit (at least 12 years? Maybe 14?). But in terms of 40K tanks, it’s a real spring chicken.

The Eldar Falcon chassis has been around since 1995 or 1996 or so. The Rhino and Landraider chassis since…erm….I wanna say 2000ish?

The Leman Russ battle tank is 3 years older than the Falcon. 1994 vs 1997. But since then its been remade and repackaged...
Original... then the one with optional weapons... then the new version of the body... then the split between demolisher and battle cannon boxes... then the combined set... and now we have the Horus Heresy one. And I didnt include all the FW Ryza/Lucius/Mars Pattern variants.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

I mean, it’s almost certainly older than my memory will admit (at least 12 years? Maybe 14?). But in terms of 40K tanks, it’s a real spring chicken.

Dude. It is about 30 years old

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The Leman Russ really isn’t all that old.

I mean, it’s almost certainly older than my memory will admit (at least 12 years? Maybe 14?). But in terms of 40K tanks, it’s a real spring chicken.

It was released in 1995. The kit got an bit of an upgrade 15 years ago, but it's an 29 year old model.
Still love it though!

It is not

It got a significant re-do around 2010.

They do look similar, yes. But the kits are very different. Tracks and track assembly are completely different, the turret is now multi-role, the sponson and hull weapons are different (the Lascannon in particular is significantly slimmer than the original) and the hull is also new.

Same overall look, completely different kit.

As a minor amend, the Falcon was originally released in late 1997, while the Vyper is from early 1997 (assuming we're still on the original Vyper sprue).

Also worth noting the design cues of the Leman Russ come from its original incarnation in Epic Space Marine, which set the shape of the hull, as well as the number and location of the weapons.

I’m struggling to find out when, but I’d say easily as early as 1990.

The ones we have in Legions Imperialis are I think the 4th epic scale incarnation. And the current 40K kit is not the same as the original one.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I’m struggling to find out when, but I’d say easily as early as 1990.

They're not in this 1989 catalogue, but are in this 1991 one so 1990 is a good bet.

Lexicanum states the original 40k one was 1995, redone in 2003 & 2009.

Uptonius wrote:

The Horus Heresy game just got a new version of the Leman Russ. I don't like it. Square top hatch, no sponsons and only a few main weapon options.

Thanks, I actually like the look of this a little bit more. Will buy a couple I think.

Uptonius wrote:
Square top hatch, no sponsons and only a few main weapon options.

The square hatch is an option (there's a round one as well), and the weapon options are split between the Strike & Assault kits - but I agree about the sponsons.

i recently built my first leman russ for my genestealers, and it's still a great kit. builds well, has a lot of options, etc. a lot of kits, both newer and younger, show their age a lot worse than it

IMHO, kitbashing a HH 2.0 plastic Russ with 40K bitz for sponsons and flare, is the way

All I really want is a cheap way to add the space marine hover tank turret (insert silly name) to my Leman Russ so they look more like MBTs!

The_Real_Chris wrote:
All I really want is a cheap way to add the space marine hover tank turret (insert silly name) to my Leman Russ so they look more like MBTs!

Tech heresy detected.

The Leman Russ is deliberately goofy looking and covered in rivets to highlight the backwards tech of the imperium.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It is not

It got a significant re-do around 2010.

They do look similar, yes. But the kits are very different. Tracks and track assembly are completely different, the turret is now multi-role, the sponson and hull weapons are different (the Lascannon in particular is significantly slimmer than the original) and the hull is also new.

Same overall look, completely different kit.

Ooof yeah, those OG russ tracks were a pain to put together!

 Arschbombe wrote:

The Leman Russ is deliberately goofy looking and covered in rivets to highlight the backwards tech of the imperium.

Idk if I buy this. The Rogal Dorne doesn't look very weird.

You like your battle tanks to have a hole in the underside?

Tree_Beard wrote:

 Arschbombe wrote:

The Leman Russ is deliberately goofy looking and covered in rivets to highlight the backwards tech of the imperium.

Idk if I buy this. The Rogal Dorne doesn't look very weird.

Rogal Dorn, like a lot of imperial kit, looks like it was designed by a 7-year-old. Anyway, the IG tanks with the rhomboid chassis with the tracks going all the way around is meant to evoke the 1st generation of tanks in WWI. The sponsons too. Welded construction replaced rivets during WWII. Having the imperium reliant on rivets in the 41st millennium is meant to illustrate just how much has been lost. Just take a look at the Mark IV Tank circa 1917. The Leman Russ hull was taken directly from it. Imperial tech is supposed to be brutalist and inefficient in stark contrast to the sleek efficiency of the Xenos factions who do not have a religious relationship with technology.

beast_gts wrote:

Uptonius wrote:
Square top hatch, no sponsons and only a few main weapon options.

The square hatch is an option (there's a round one as well), and the weapon options are split between the Strike & Assault kits - but I agree about the sponsons.

Another issue I have with it is the fancy armor additions. The trim around the tracks looks like it would prevent the use of the armor upgrades from the vehicle accessory sprue. All my tanks have those extra armor plates. Every last one. If I cant slap those plates on a tank I dont want it in my collection lol

 Arschbombe wrote:


Rogal Dorn, like a lot of imperial kit, looks like it was designed by a 7-year-old. Anyway, the IG tanks with the rhomboid chassis with the tracks going all the way around is meant to evoke the 1st generation of tanks in WWI. The sponsons too. Welded construction replaced rivets during WWII. Having the imperium reliant on rivets in the 41st millennium is meant to illustrate just how much has been lost. Just take a look at the Mark IV Tank circa 1917. The Leman Russ hull was taken directly from it. Imperial tech is supposed to be brutalist and inefficient in stark contrast to the sleek efficiency of the Xenos factions who do not have a religious relationship with technology.

Well that and having zero suspension. It helps with suspending disbelief...

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
It is not

It got a significant re-do around 2010.

They do look similar, yes. But the kits are very different. Tracks and track assembly are completely different, the turret is now multi-role, the sponson and hull weapons are different (the Lascannon in particular is significantly slimmer than the original) and the hull is also new.

Same overall look, completely different kit.

THANK YOU Mad Doc. This was driving me nuts.

While the overall look of the Leman was decided in the second edition of Epic Space Marine (~1990), the kit currently on the market is from 2009 or so, it replaced the late 90s kit and has no parts in common. More recently the two variations of it were put in one box, so you can now build any variant and end up with an extra hull and turret for your troubles.

The HH version is brand new, but as other said has different turret weapons and no sponsons, an absolutely INFURIATING decision on GW's part and a return to the bad old days where they sold kits that literally could not be make the rules they wrote. Yes I know technically HH and 40k are different games but let's be serious here.

In contrast the HH Rhino is the best darn Rhino GW ever made and I love it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Dysartes wrote:
You like your battle tanks to have a hole in the underside?

So bloody annoying, I really like the look of the Dorn but I will never buy a second one.

Unless GW starts including a plate to cover my Dorn Hole.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 Dysartes wrote:
You like your battle tanks to have a hole in the underside?

So bloody annoying, I really like the look of the Dorn but I will never buy a second one.

Unless GW starts including a plate to cover my Dorn Hole.

You may already be aware of this, but third party sellers are a source of many bits some consider to be unnatural...

I know, I know, but I'm not dropping $100 for a tank with a gaping hole in it.

Well not dropping a second $100.

 waefre_1 wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 Dysartes wrote:
You like your battle tanks to have a hole in the underside?

So bloody annoying, I really like the look of the Dorn but I will never buy a second one.

Unless GW starts including a plate to cover my Dorn Hole.

You may already be aware of this, but third party sellers are a source of many bits some consider to be unnatural...

There shouldn't be a need for third party sellers to produce such a part.

Oh, I've never thought all those rivets were anything but cosmetic flare on Imperial Vehicles. Suits the IoM's overindulgent tastes as much as covering every cubic metre of their buildings with embellsihments that would make a 21st century architecht cringe. All about that maximalism baby!

Or ar you saying there is actually some lore that claims these rivets are "actual" rivets?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
I know, I know, but I'm not dropping $100 for a tank with a gaping hole in it.

Well not dropping a second $100.

I'll pick one up eventually once I accumulate enough Amazon Points on my CC.
Unless someone cashes one in at the shop & I can snag it for 60% of retail.
Wichever comes 1st.

If you don’t like them, then find something you prefer the look of and use that instead.

I picked up a combination of chimeras and predators and smooshed them together into Russes and Hydras that I much preferred the look of