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What design of vehicle is the most practical the imperium has every made.

I'm saying the stormtalon gunship, while not the best looking, for a small gunship you couldn't ask for much more. It has a great combo of weapons, It is small, while diddy wings aren't pretty if that's all that's needed then its good, it's V/TOL which is great The body shape is practical for a gunship, not a fighter but this isn't a fighter it's a gunship and lastly twin assault cannons slaughter infantry. The only thing that could be improved would be to scrap the giant glass cockpit and use screens and sensors instead, like the stormhawk interceptor.


Anyway, what do you think is the imperiums most practical design for what the vehicle was designed to do?

PLEASE NOTE PRACTICAL FOR WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. THUNDERHAMMERS AREN'T PRACTICAL, BUT ARE PRACTICAL AS A MELEE TANK DESTROYER, WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO!

Rhino...

1. Chimera. Its an IFV. It acts like an IFV. It has the weaponry of an IFV. It loooks like an IFV.

2. Rhino. Its an M113. It looks good and does its job well.

Bonus: I'd add Imperial guard speeders but that was a little before your time.

The Rhino, it ain't flashy but it gets the job done

Centaur, can be used as a tractor, a troop transport, tow artillery...

The Lunar Class Cruiser. It's cheap to make compared to most other starships and can be built by literally any planet in the Imperium with metal ore deposits - even Feral Worlds. It's the true backbone of the navy by being the premier bodgyuard of the infinitely more valuable and infinitely more expensive Battleships while still packing a respectable punch of its own. They were after all, the ship class that killed Abaddon's Planet Killer.

For my main army, the Rhino. Up until 8th the best pure transport in my opinion, since it was cheap and it could draw a hell of a lot of fire power from it's cargo.

Over all I would say the Russ. It's a MBT that can run on wood.

Arkhan Land's greatest discovery- the humble Land Crawler.

No armies can march without food.

I think the Rhino. It work for what it is needed, and other SM Tanks parts from his model.

Wyzilla wrote:The Lunar Class Cruiser. It's cheap to make compared to most other starships and can be built by literally any planet in the Imperium with metal ore deposits - even Feral Worlds. It's the true backbone of the navy by being the premier bodgyuard of the infinitely more valuable and infinitely more expensive Battleships while still packing a respectable punch of its own. They were after all, the ship class that killed Abaddon's Planet Killer.

I second this.

Grimtuff wrote:Arkhan Land's greatest discovery- the humble Land Crawler.

No armies can march without food.

You should report to your company Commissar for such seditious talk. All good Imperials know faith in the Emperor is sufficient sustenance for any marching trooper!

Oddly enough, Baneblade chassis tanks have the most practical weight to tread surface area for a vehicle compared to anything else in the Imperial guard.

Rhinos are basically an M113 APC. Someone even modded one up to be a Rhino. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PEU_201IfI

Land Raiders are also fairly reasonable vehicles.

Lemun Russ tanks, if you make a true scale one that isn't based on the miniature's proportions(which are distorted because of the Heroic scale), you end up with a more practical tank. It becomes longer and wider which makes it not as top heavy. Its basically a late 50s/early 60s tank similar to a Super Sherman. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sherman

PSH. definitely Penitent Engines, the best way for a heretic to pay for their sins, that makes it the most practical vehicle, as it cleanses humanity for the Emperor.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Penitent_Engine

I think the Land Raider is the most practical.

now at the other end of the scale: one word....Mastodon! Not that I dont want one, but....

I think somewhere between the rhino and the land speeder. Both highly mobile and can be configured as a transport or a gunship.

As a person who prefers to drive what others call impractical vehicles I feel I could contribute to this debate.

Wha does practical mean? Can you go about your daily duties to the imperium? What sort of challenges will you face?

Let me start with the gunship proposal. I love gunships, but you have no room for a battle brother in a stormtalon. Vulture then you say? Room for your ranger buddy? While the vulture can transport you and your ranger buddy in style while you utterly dominate any opposition be it infantry or armor you will be unable to perform some simple yet important acts such as delivering a heretic to the inquisition for judgement or give a ride home for a bridesmaid post wedding. Trust me on this. No two seater can be considered practical. I know! Valkyrie! VTOLs in general are tremendous fuel hogs so even if you consider something with some transport capacity they are just plain out, as refueling any VTOL requires a fething team at your local air pad and doesn't fit under the weather shield at the average civilian promethium re supply point.

How about the Chimera?
Kill heretics? Yes
Carry ranger buddy? Yes
Carry ranger buddies wives bridesmaids post wedding? Yes
Refuel at any fuel depot? yes
Looks like a winner? No
The Chimera has too many guns. A gun is practical. Nine guns is fiscally irresponsible.
Don't even think about not having as many guns as you can put on a given chassis. That is also fething irresponsible. I talking to you commanders who fail to properly arm all Chimera with a holy Hvy Stubber or Storm bolter.

The real winner is the Rhino. It can do anything practical that a Chimera can do (pretending to be a boat is cool, but not practical just ask VW) plus is not overburdened with a large ammunition demand.

On top of that I can be maintained by a 200 year old idiot who thinks incense and repeating the phrase "this is my bolter, this is my gun" will keep his primary weapon functioning.

 Grey Templar wrote:


Rhinos are basically an M113 APC. Someone even modded one up to be a Rhino. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PEU_201IfI

Akshually ... they modded up an Fv-432 to the Rhino (since it was being built in the UK for that promo, and the 432 is far more common in the UK than the 113 ever was). Similar hull shape, different metallic construction. An M-113 utilises an ALUMINIUM outer shell and won't stop harsh words in a stiff breeze. The (British) Fv-432 has an all steel construction.
It's far easier to do the extra superstructure welding steel to steel (they used steel square tube stock and conventional steel welding gear) than to do it to aluminium.
Yes, they welded OVER the top of the old hull. Rather than strip it back to chassis and build it up from there.

 Flinty wrote:
I think somewhere between the rhino and the land speeder. Both highly mobile and can be configured as a transport or a gunship.

I was temped to name the landspeeder since they are incredible useful both in the fluff and on the table top but I decided against it due to one key flaw, maintenance and upkeep. It's noted from multiple sources that they are a pain in the ass to maintain and that's why I think they loss a bit in the practical race.

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 Insurgency Walker wrote:
The real winner is the Rhino. It can do anything practical that a Chimera can do (pretending to be a boat is cool, but not practical just ask VW) plus is not overburdened with a large ammunition demand.

Do you know how las weapons work in 40k. the chimera would have less ammo for all 9 of those guns than the rhino would have for its one stormbolter.

The motor bike is the most practical on a technical basis.

Mk1 leather personnel carrier, same as now.

 deotrims 16th wrote:
Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Insurgency Walker wrote:
The real winner is the Rhino. It can do anything practical that a Chimera can do (pretending to be a boat is cool, but not practical just ask VW) plus is not overburdened with a large ammunition demand.

Do you know how las weapons work in 40k. the chimera would have less ammo for all 9 of those guns than the rhino would have for its one stormbolter.

Just look at this glorious ammo hog.



Now give me ten pushups while reciting the litany of sight correction while I recharge my lasguns power pack with the fires of my soul!


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 Stormatious wrote:
The motor bike is the most practical on a technical basis.

While a motorbike with sidecar can transport your ranger buddy and the ranger buddies bridesmaid it can not deliver a heretic for judgement at the same time unless said heretic is either the ranger buddy or the bridesmaid and we know can pick your friends better than that. Not practical.

The Rhino seems to be the best, for good reason.

Self-repairing, incredibly rugged overall, lots of modification utility (can pretty much be armed with nearly any sponson, turret, or pintle mount available to the Imperium), can transport anything from Astartes to Guard (if Cultists can get in Rhinos, Guardsmen can!), plenty of access/exit points which don't conflict with any weapons' firing arcs, decently fast, relatively simple to maintain.

Leman Russ' are good for their ability to run on literally any fuel at all, but don't have the capacity to hold that many people, and require manual crews, rather than automation. Chimeras are a good choice, but are weaker in their rear and sides, lack the modularity of the Rhino chassis, and can't hold Astartes and are less rugged overall.
No flying vehicle is practical beyond specific tasks, and require larger fuel requirements.

Rhino or bust.

Definitely Rhino. Rugged, and according to the STC sheets over the years, flexible to the point that it can be made out of different materials with different engines and fuels and still function.

A gunship, while potentially good at specific mission, is never practical.

Insurgency Walker wrote:
While a motorbike with sidecar can transport your ranger buddy and the ranger buddies bridesmaid it can not deliver a heretic for judgement at the same time unless said heretic is either the ranger buddy or the bridesmaid and we know can pick your friends better than that. Not practical.

Wouldn't the heretic be dragged behind, hence "transported"?

Well technically speaking how is a motor bike not the most practical vehicle for the imperium?

Its the lightest vehicle, easily modified, you could chuck a extra wheel on the back so it becomes a trike, and have it tow some extra stuff.

The rhino

 Stormatious wrote:
Well technically speaking how is a motor bike not the most practical vehicle for the imperium?

Its the lightest vehicle, easily modified, you could chuck a extra wheel on the back so it becomes a trike, and have it tow some extra stuff.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't shoot him in front of your kids.


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 Uriels_Flame wrote:

Insurgency Walker wrote:
While a motorbike with sidecar can transport your ranger buddy and the ranger buddies bridesmaid it can not deliver a heretic for judgement at the same time unless said heretic is either the ranger buddy or the bridesmaid and we know can pick your friends better than that. Not practical.

Wouldn't the heretic be dragged behind, hence "transported"?

I like the cut of your jib.

Drop pod: a fairly practical way to do its one job of going from space to the ground.

I'd have to go with the chimera since it's amphibious. It also has that vox network thing. Also it has the guns on top so that embarked personel might contribute in a fight. Finally its chassis is used as a basis for so many of the Imperiums tanks. Like the hellhound, the griffon, the medusa, the manticore, the basilisk and the deathstrike. Overall that seems like a pretty solid design to me. I commonly field 4 of them, and prefer to arm them with a heavy flamer in the hull.

 Nerak wrote:
I'd have to go with the chimera since it's amphibious. It also has that vox network thing. Also it has the guns on top so that embarked personel might contribute in a fight. Finally its chassis is used as a basis for so many of the Imperiums tanks. Like the hellhound, the griffon, the medusa, the manticore, the basilisk and the deathstrike. Overall that seems like a pretty solid design to me. I commonly field 4 of them, and prefer to arm them with a heavy flamer in the hull.

I still fondly remember the look on my opponents face when my Chimera blithely drove into the water features on the assault. Bridges! We don't need no stinking bridges!
However, while cool, amphibious behavior requires a whole new set of maintenance ceremonies. Have you ever tested an amphibious vehicle? It goes something like this. SPLASH! Am I getting wet? No=good to go. Yes = Fething feth sack of feathered fethers, time to hope your a good swimmer. As a fething bonus you might not be able to open a hatch until your crew compartment is full of water. Not practical.