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Going to start a weekly 40k icons thread.
This week we look at the humble tank (battle, transport or other). (not including super heavies this week)
Poll attached cuz everyone likes a poll.
Chime in with any others Ive missed and why.

Choose
A. the most iconic in 40k overall
B. Most iconic by faction

I voted Rhino (and variants) because the Exorcist is by far one of the most awesome looking tanks in the game, IMHO.

SG

Gotta be the Russ.

To me, its got to be the lowly Rhino. Its been around since RT, its got the chunky imperial style, and its the core tank chassis for the core imperial army (ie, all things Marine), and has always been at least marginally useful.

I voted Waveserpent myself. The shape and aesthetics are fairly unique considering how old it is.
I know the rhino and LR are great too but to non wargamers they are probably "just another tank". The WS is very unique in that regard and has been copied quite a bit by other games over the years.

When you think 40K and tanks you think of the Imperial Guard and when you think IG tanks the Russ is what pops into your mind. No other faction is as defined by their battle tanks as the Guard. While the Rhino is also well known it shares the spotlight with the Drop Pod as the space marine transport.

Personally I would of replaced the Killkrusha with the Looted Wagon. Its really the iconic "battle tank" for the Orks even though Orks don't really have a proper main battle tank in the game.

Yeah forgot the drop pod actually.

Land Raider. Mostly due to seniority. Almost voted for the Rhino though. They’ve been around forever, and make up the backbone of the imperial armies. Both are classically iconic, but the LR pulls ahead due to being more of a tank. The rhino is more of a rolling dumpster, and feels like an APC, not a MBT.

The Leman Russ is the iconic tank of the Guard, but if we are going for 40k overall, I think a marine tank is more definitive.

I know it’s odd, as they have vehicles that fill the same role, but I don’t think of any of the Necron vehicles as “tanks” There is the giant floating box of the Monolith, but it feels more like a fortification. The other things are just floating death rays.

While the Wave Serpent might actually be a better tank then most races can field, the iconic Eldar tank to me will always be the Falcon. The Fire Prism would be second on my list for them. Game mechanics obviously tell a different story.

Russ, followed by Baneblade. If it's not Guard it's not a tank.

 MarsNZ wrote:
Russ, followed by Baneblade. If it's not Guard it's not a tank.

Back in the day, guard could take rhinos/LRs.

Just saying...

I went with the Russ. The LRBT was the first plastic tank kit that GW released, the Rhino and Pred were out before that but they were actually resin models and looked pretty horrible.

The Russ came out in the 90's and was a clear departure from the style of previous vehicle models. It was the first kit I saw where I audibly went "Coooool" at the store.

I voted for the Land Raider. The most iconic vehicle from the most iconic 40k faction, they seemed unkillable in my first few games - then I discovered meltabombs. If I were to vote for my faction's most iconic vehicle I would have to go for the Battlewagon - an assault vehicle that makes most other factions green with envy.

I'm torn between the Land Raider and the Russ. I think they both immediately conjure 40k and they both look like classic tanks. For my faction, well obviously not for the Nids, but for my CSM, it's gotta be the Land Raider......

 MarsNZ wrote:
Russ, followed by Baneblade. If it's not Guard it's not a tank.

I voted the same way. When I see that a wave serpent is considered a "tank" I kind of roll my eyes. If it don't have treads then it's not a tank.

 Lord Scythican wrote:

 MarsNZ wrote:
Russ, followed by Baneblade. If it's not Guard it's not a tank.

I voted the same way. When I see that a wave serpent is considered a "tank" I kind of roll my eyes. If it don't have treads then it's not a tank.

The Wave Serpent makes me think of a transport but something like the Hammerhead to me is a true battle tank (just happens to be a hover tank).

Treads help, but do not make the tank. Plenty of fine, fine, hover/grav armor out there.

I forgot about the hammerhead. Probably because it’s been a while since I’ve seen one on the table. But that’s a legit tank there. Respectable armor, big honkn’ gun, nice lines. What more could you ask for?

(insert obligatory “decent rules” joke here)

xlDuke wrote:
Battlewagon - an assault vehicle that makes most other factions green with envy.

I wasn't aware I was envious of that thing

It's a pretty tough choice between Leman Russ, Land Raider and Falcon. They've all got something going for them.

The Rhino, as it is the most common and well-known 40k vehicle by a large margin.

Land Raider. But, specifically, the Proteus variant.

Land Raider, because nothing says superhuman like a big a** tank. I would say that is the most iconic with the Rhino and it's infinite amount of varients. BTW Vindicators are the coolest variant. No explanation needed.

 More Dakka wrote:
I went with the Russ. The LRBT was the first plastic tank kit that GW released, the Rhino and Pred were out before that but they were actually resin models and looked pretty horrible.

The Russ came out in the 90's and was a clear departure from the style of previous vehicle models. It was the first kit I saw where I audibly went "Coooool" at the store.

Um, no. The rhino, land raider and predator were all plastic not resin. And released way before the leman russ. Had a couple, back in the day.

I voted land raider, it's just iconic. And imperial guard land raiders featured in a great short story in the first white dwarf I got - the original issue 109. A land raider company taking on a traitor titan during the heresy, great stuff.

 Bobthehero wrote:

xlDuke wrote:
Battlewagon - an assault vehicle that makes most other factions green with envy.

I wasn't aware I was envious of that thing

I know I am....

I would vote Baneblade. That thing just looks like a tank, shoots like a tank and feels like a tank.

Rhino - multiple variants (love the vindicator, and the whirlwind) across multiple armies (including GWs posterboys and the moustache twirling villains)
russ is a close second

Although in sheer numbers either (insert any IG vehicle) or looted tanks

Also went with the Russ.

For most iconic from your faction - oddly, the most ironic vehicle my faction has is actually part of another faction now. The Venom - once the traditional transport of the Harlequins, now the Dark Eldar have nicked it. Not an awful lot of choice there, of course, but still.

I voted for the Land Raider. But truth be told, there are four choices on that list that are all equally iconic to any 40k fan. I would lump the Chimera, Rhino, and Leman Russ together with the Land Raider in the "iconic" territory. It seems that just about every Regiment and Chapter has them. Anything going along with them is just gravy.

My vote's for the humble Rhino. Nearly every Imperial army has access to some vehicle based on this chassis (hell, Chaos Marines and Daemonkin use 'em too!), and the Rhino itself is one of the more useful vehicles in the game (especially for the cost).

Gotta be a Rhino - I started with 2nd Edition and the Rhino was the ONLY tank to feature in any of the colour pictures in the 3 starter rulebooks

Hammerhead. Reminds me of a modern MBT. Wish they had better rules to match.