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The basic lascannon still does admirable work. With the price hikes to their weapons, I've stopped running scions at all, although if you're all foot, you'll probably still want them.

The builds I've been loving are Cadian Spearheads, with one or two CCs, and six heavy weapon squads, each with one lascannon and two mortars or heavy bolters. 48-54 points for a lascannon with re-rolls, plus the mortars do nice work, especially on ITC boards with lots of LOS blocking terrain.

So, speaking of Russes, I was wondering what you gents were running for 8th on your Russ chassis. Guard is going to be a new army for me, and I'm still waffling over the details of what kind of force I want. Right now I'm leaning toward an armor-heavy build with probably 6+ Russes, Maybe this would be easier if it were itemized...

1. What builds do you have success with on tank commanders, Pask or otherwise?
2. What's your go-to turret weapon?
3. Sponsons or no sponsons?
4. What regiment do you favor for your Armored Company?

My current rough cut list is as follows, of that helps:

2 x Tank Commander (probably in Punishers) w Lascannon hull mounts
5-6 Leman Russes (fill in for the list is Battle Cannon/Lascannon and no sponsons)

1-2 Salamander Scout Tanks
2-4 Scout Sentinels (AC maybe)
30-80 Infantry of some sort (versions range from Elysians to Valhallan Conscripts, so who knows).

I'm not looking for help with the list specifically, more general tactics and builds for the Russ as part of an armored list.

 Fenris-77 wrote:
So, speaking of Russes, I was wondering what you gents were running for 8th on your Russ chassis. Guard is going to be a new army for me, and I'm still waffling over the details of what kind of force I want. Right now I'm leaning toward an armor-heavy build with probably 6+ Russes, Maybe this would be easier if it were itemized...

1. What builds do you have success with on tank commanders, Pask or otherwise?
2. What's your go-to turret weapon?
3. Sponsons or no sponsons?
4. What regiment do you favor for your Armored Company?

My current rough cut list is as follows, of that helps:

2 x Tank Commander (probably in Punishers) w Lascannon hull mounts
5-6 Leman Russes (fill in for the list is Battle Cannon/Lascannon and no sponsons)

1-2 Salamander Scout Tanks
2-4 Scout Sentinels (AC maybe)
30-80 Infantry of some sort (versions range from Elysians to Valhallan Conscripts, so who knows).

I'm not looking for help with the list specifically, more general tactics and builds for the Russ as part of an armored list.

1) don’t really like commanders. Too many points, abilities can be found elsewhere and the get focused down
2) Conqueror battle cannons are my go-to, basically they replace the tank commander entirely. I run 6 at 2K pts
3) for conquerors no sponsons, gotta keep moving and shooting.
4) I play Catachans for my Russes.

What regement are you thinking for your list?

 Fenris-77 wrote:
So, speaking of Russes, I was wondering what you gents were running for 8th on your Russ chassis. Guard is going to be a new army for me, and I'm still waffling over the details of what kind of force I want. Right now I'm leaning toward an armor-heavy build with probably 6+ Russes, Maybe this would be easier if it were itemized...

1. What builds do you have success with on tank commanders, Pask or otherwise?
2. What's your go-to turret weapon?
3. Sponsons or no sponsons?
4. What regiment do you favor for your Armored Company?

My current rough cut list is as follows, of that helps:

2 x Tank Commander (probably in Punishers) w Lascannon hull mounts
5-6 Leman Russes (fill in for the list is Battle Cannon/Lascannon and no sponsons)

1-2 Salamander Scout Tanks
2-4 Scout Sentinels (AC maybe)
30-80 Infantry of some sort (versions range from Elysians to Valhallan Conscripts, so who knows).

I'm not looking for help with the list specifically, more general tactics and builds for the Russ as part of an armored list.

Currently running either BC and lascannon or PGC and Lascannon. keeping them cheap without sponsons because of the models i'm using....

 More Dakka wrote:

1) don’t really like commanders. Too many points, abilities can be found elsewhere and the get focused down
2) Conqueror battle cannons are my go-to, basically they replace the tank commander entirely. I run 6 at 2K pts
3) for conquerors no sponsons, gotta keep moving and shooting.
4) I play Catachans for my Russes.

What regement are you thinking for your list?

Yikes, yeah the Conqueror is awesome. I don't know how I missed that. Pardon me while I adjust my list...

My current use for the Commander is to have them shooting the PGCs. The 3+ helps out there a lot, and having a couple of Lascannons hitting on a 3+ isn't awful either. Having some tank orders looks like fun too, and they do fill HQ slots.

No sponsons is how I'm looking at the Russes in general so far, for the reason you mention, and also overall points. Right now I'm looking at hull Lascannons across the board to up the lists anti-tank.

Catachan is so you can re-roll the BC D6 right? I thought about that, and it seems good for the BC chassis. Cadian might be better for the PGCs, but I really don't want to play a gunline every game either - aggressive armor is what I want to play. I was thinking about some Tallarn mixed in for outflanking shenanigans, although I don't know about having a whole squad of Russes off table for the first turn or two. The WWII historian in me would also love to play an armour and conscripts Valhallan list.

@gendoikari87 - my Russes are currently exactly the same as yours.

Punishers are pretty meh so far, even 40 shots is just ho-hum considering you're almost never wounding on better than 3's and there's no save modifier so even other guard will turn away about 1/3 of the shots. I want to like them so I'm running a vulture to get the same kinda thing going but I think the LR punisher just suffers from the short range.

I think all your other choices really come down to your doctrine. I run Catachan because you're actually re-rolling BOTH dice for the number of shots, each D6 is a separate instance of shooting even though they have to be at the same target. On a Conqueror with no sponsons you're driving all over the board 4.9" per turn and still dishing out an average 10 shots with re-rolls to hit anything in 24" great anti-horde and anti-armor.

Cadian is fantastic for Executioners or any non-random shot turrets, but if you take it you're limiting yourself to remaining stationary to take advantage of the rule. At the same time they make sponsons way more appealing for the same reason.

I'm running Tallarn for my I really want to try out Tallarn for my Russes since they just get so many shenanigans and 8th edition is basically won or lost in the movement phase, plus you can use your sponsons on the move.

Valhallan is really powerful, if you want to run hordes of infantry that stick around, and tanks that are still combat-effective down to the last few wounds then they're really worth considering.

 More Dakka wrote:

Punishers are pretty meh so far, even 40 shots is just ho-hum considering you're almost never wounding on better than 3's and there's no save modifier so even other guard will turn away about 1/3 of the shots.

I think it really comes down to what role they are playing in your list and what army you are likely to be facing. If you are running a TC with a Punisher as a bit of anti-horde insurance it can be pretty helpful. If the only infantry you are coming up against is MEQ, well then you are correct, it might not be worth it. Basically at 24"...the range at which a Conq gets its reroll...the Conq performs very slightly better against MEQ, but in reality it is nearly identical. However a Conq is clearly better against multi-wound models and other vehicles. This makes it more versatile and in some ways more reliable. However if you are coming up against units with a size larger than 10 (think Gaunts, Boyz, etc) then the Punisher becomes much more attractive, nearly doubling the models it can be expected to kill per round of shooting VS the Conq...with the upward possibility of casualties being VERY much higher indeed.

So if you have other models which are doing your anti-armor, anti-vehicle shooting even a single TC Punisher can be a decent take if you expect to need to thin massed infantry. If you expect to only see MSU of tougher infantry, you are probably correct the Conq feels like an overall better choice.

What I was looking at was probably 5 Conquerors and 2 TC Punishers, all with hull LCs. The Punishers were very much in the mix as anti-horde insurance as part of a TAC build.

Maybe 1 Punisher would be enough? I want to able to weather those massive Ork and Nid lists and have enough Dakka and bubble wrap not to get immediately overwhelmed. I am planning to take maybe three HW Mortar teams (15 mortars) to help thin hordes as well.

For AT I'd have something like 5 CBCs, 9 LCs and some ACs.

 Fenris-77 wrote:
What I was looking at was probably 5 Conquerors and 2 TC Punishers, all with hull LCs. The Punishers were very much in the mix as anti-horde insurance as part of a TAC build.

Maybe 1 Punisher would be enough? I want to able to weather those massive Ork and Nid lists and have enough Dakka and bubble wrap not to get immediately overwhelmed. I am planning to take maybe three HW Mortar teams (15 mortars) to help thin hordes as well.

For AT I'd have something like 5 CBCs, 9 LCs and some ACs.

i mean it's a punisher, it's a gatling gun. ask yourself if you can take the hit to your cool points by removing a gatling gun.

gendoikari87 wrote:


i mean it's a punisher, it's a gatling gun. ask yourself if you can take the hit to your cool points by removing a gatling gun.

That's a more important point than some people think. I'm not building this list to go to Adepticon (I've been, and this list isn't close to optimized enough). This is supposed to be a competitive TAC list that I'm still going to have fun painting and playing. Maybe good enough to win some local RT type tournaments, or place decently at a mid-sized event. I'll worry about complete optimization if and when I get the chance to hit one of the bigger events next. Cool factor is still important.

Cool factor is the reason I'll be shelling out for the Cadian hostile environment FW infantry upgrades. 'Cause they're cool AF. Same with converting snipers to stand in for Ratlings. Snipers are cool. If I'm not going to have fun putting the army together what's the point?

The conqueror has to be within the co-axial range for it to get re-rolls right? 24" is pretty close for a russ.

For less than 5 points it's effing fantastic, close or no. Plus it's an extra SB, which by itself isn't awful. Throw on the pintle mount an you're dropping an extra 8 dice a turn if you're in close. Good for cleaning out random gribblies that might be planning a shot-preventing charge. I'd agree that you don't want to be in close with Russes, but sometimes there's no help for it, especially not if you;re being aggressive with your armour and not playing a parking lot.

Combined with the Catachan re-roll on all the BC D6's and it's dropping a ton of hurt within that 24".

Wow, 139 pages. I can't read through all that.

I am planning on picking up my SW in a few months. I wanne add some IG allies for ranged support.

I was thinking lascannons. My old SW 5th editiion used rocket long fangs and MM/flamers landspeeders for 'ranged support'. I was thinking addiong some lascannon heavy weapon teams could be good, But 3 units of 3 lascannons is perhaps a bit boring. Are there any fun IG ranged suport I should be looking into?

Well you can unload an insane amount of S4 shots with mortar teams in your backfield. They are super cheap.

Leman Russ battle tanks are where the party is at though.

HW Teams are easy to hose down, so spending the points on Lascannons might not be ideal. The Mortar team is indeed the current hot buy there.

The Leman Russ Annihilator has Lascannons for days and is even a fluffy choice.for SW since it used ti be in the codex.

 Fenris-77 wrote:
HW Teams are easy to hose down, so spending the points on Lascannons might not be ideal. The Mortar team is indeed the current hot buy there.

The Leman Russ Annihilator has Lascannons for days and is even a fluffy choice.for SW since it used ti be in the codex.

I like two mortars and a lascannon in each HWS, this gives each lascannon some ablative wounds, which still hurt and are cost effective.

And the Space Wolves had the Exterminator in the 3rd edition codex. I think the Annihilator has always been FW.

The Exterminator is the Leman Russ that was in the old Wolves dex.

The Annihilator has always been a Forge World tank.

Oops! You guys are correct, That's what I get for posting with a head full of pain meds.

I like the LC/M/M loadout a lot.

I suppose it would be cheaper to just buy some more long fangs and change out some of the set ups in the unit.

I think IG has many cool models though. Some of the tanks are great looking. Some of the SW tanks are a bit generic.

You guys mix up heavy weapon squads? Doesn't that mess up target priority for the squad? Like why would you shoot mortars as something you want to shoot a lascannon at? wouldnt more lascannons be better?

Heafstaag wrote:
You guys mix up heavy weapon squads? Doesn't that mess up target priority for the squad? Like why would you shoot mortars as something you want to shoot a lascannon at? wouldnt more lascannons be better?

In 8th edition you can split fire, meaning you can fire the mortars at enemy infantry and the lascannon at an enemy tank with no issues.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:

Heafstaag wrote:
You guys mix up heavy weapon squads? Doesn't that mess up target priority for the squad? Like why would you shoot mortars as something you want to shoot a lascannon at? wouldnt more lascannons be better?

In 8th edition you can split fire, meaning you can fire the mortars at enemy infantry and the lascannon at an enemy tank with no issues.

Well damn. That's crazy.

Latest regimental standard, is this a tacit admittal that they over nerfed commisars?

Attention, Guardsman!
It has come to the attention of Imperial High Command that morale in your sector is dangerously low this Candlemass season, possibly due to the mysterious accidental deaths of all your Regimental Commissars. Our Tech-Adepts are hard at work fixing the “sudden involuntary discharge” issue many claim to have with your lasguns, while for the issue of your morale we have recruited His Revered Holiness Rudolph Crispin, a renowned preacher of the Adeptus Ministorum, to share a special festive story with you all

Heafstaag wrote:

 Unit1126PLL wrote:

Heafstaag wrote:
You guys mix up heavy weapon squads? Doesn't that mess up target priority for the squad? Like why would you shoot mortars as something you want to shoot a lascannon at? wouldnt more lascannons be better?

In 8th edition you can split fire, meaning you can fire the mortars at enemy infantry and the lascannon at an enemy tank with no issues.

Well damn. That's crazy.

Welcome to 8th edition Where the boxcars all are empty, And the sun shines every day, And the birds and the bees, And the cigarette trees, The, lemonade springs, Where the bluebird sings, In games workshops 8th edition

In games workshops 8th edition,
All the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmers' trees are full of fruit
And the barns are full of hay
Oh I'm bound to go
Where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall
The winds don't blow
In games workshops 8th edition

I don't know what the consensus (if any) is in this thread, or what the experience of others is, but I came to the conclusion that I want to take all my shooting in the form of super-heavies, and spend the rest of the points in assault units.

Assault is inevitable vs many different builds, and pure shooting armies tend to lose against a variety of alpha super infiltrates that tie up everything. Even more so after chapter approved.

What I run is two Shadowswords and a Banehammer for getting the deployment drops to six or seven, and alternatively one Shadowsword and one Banehammer, for five or six deployment drops. I support them with a bunch of Eversors, a Culexus, Bullgryns, and only mandatory infantry squads. Mortar teams naturally shoot from the Banehammer. Celestine still appears in lists too, as does Pask, but no other Leman Russ variants. Pask because he's so much better, and one Russ can be protected somewhat. Super-heavies are simply so much better because they can't be prevented from shooting, and they're great bang for the buck from whatever angle you look at them. Likewise, Eversors and Bullgryns are very points efficient on their own, so while they protect the other stuff, they'll still great in a vacuum as well.

I just dropped in to give my 2 cents, since I'm curious sometimes how other Astra players are coping with this Eldar dominated meta that has some 'I assault you with 100 models on the first turn' armies sprinkled in.

I have been tinkering with a list consisting of 1x Shadowsword, 1x Macharius Vulcan, and 1x Baneblade chassis (whatever you want). I can then fit in 60 conscripts, 2 commanders, 3 psykers, a tech priest, a trojan, and a basilisk.

This nets you 9 command points!

Obviously I'd recommend going Valhallan since the superheavies AND conscripts can both significantly benefit. Rocking that Pietrov's Mk 45 pistol with all those conscripts!

WatcherZero wrote:
Latest regimental standard, is this a tacit admittal that they over nerfed commisars?

Attention, Guardsman!
It has come to the attention of Imperial High Command that morale in your sector is dangerously low this Candlemass season, possibly due to the mysterious accidental deaths of all your Regimental Commissars. Our Tech-Adepts are hard at work fixing the “sudden involuntary discharge” issue many claim to have with your lasguns, while for the issue of your morale we have recruited His Revered Holiness Rudolph Crispin, a renowned preacher of the Adeptus Ministorum, to share a special festive story with you all

It could be - they're pretty savvy these days. At the same time, it's not uncommon for the regimental standard to open with an "inconvenience" as the reason for the article, and fragged commissars leading to a priest telling a festive story is pretty logical, and could fit anytime in any edition.
We'll never know!

WatcherZero wrote:
Latest regimental standard, is this a tacit admittal that they over nerfed commisars?

Attention, Guardsman!
It has come to the attention of Imperial High Command that morale in your sector is dangerously low this Candlemass season, possibly due to the mysterious accidental deaths of all your Regimental Commissars. Our Tech-Adepts are hard at work fixing the “sudden involuntary discharge” issue many claim to have with your lasguns, while for the issue of your morale we have recruited His Revered Holiness Rudolph Crispin, a renowned preacher of the Adeptus Ministorum, to share a special festive story with you all

HaHa. I wasn't the only one who had the feels over that comment. Especially since I did swap both my commissars for priests.

Any word on rules for Rambo?

gendoikari87 wrote:
Any word on rules for Rambo?

Yes.