Russes...So Many Russes...

So, for the billionth time, I'm sorry for not posting in so long.
I'd like to make this post about my favorite vehicle in warhammer 40k, the Leman Russ.
In this post, I will go over each Russ variant, and rate it. I actually have experience in this field, as at one time I ran 3 of these bad boys at a time. So let's do a countdown!

#7=The Vanquisher. This is as close to sucking as a leman russ can get. A single shot, S8, AP2, rolls 2d6 to pen vehicles. First of all, I'm going to note that it has a 50% chance of missing outright. Second, it is only AP2. Now, unless you intend on shooting at terminators with your 1 shot (don't), the upgrade from AP3 to AP2 is completely useless. It is also 5 points MORE than the standard russ.

#6=The Punisher. It was a very close call between this and #5, but frankly, I don't see much use in the Punisher. Sure, it has 20 shots, but half of those will miss. Some people will suggest upgrading it with pask, but he brings its already hefty points cost of 180 base up to 230. It is geared towards anti-infantry with its 20 S5 AP- shots, but if you do the math, it will kill 5-6 orks, 4-5 fire warriors, and about 2 marines. A template would do much better here. The extra rear armor is nice, but not nice enough to justify taking one of these competitively. I say it adds a lot of fun in a friendly game, though, so the Punisher will always have a place near my heart.

#5=The Eradicator. I actually think that this is a pretty underrated tank. At 160 points, you get the amazing durability of a leman russ, and a large blast template at S6 AP4 that ignores cover. Honestly, in almost any situation this tank will be more valuable than a Punisher, as it has a 36" range over the Punisher's 24". Frankly, I can't think of any other leman russ variant that would scare my eldar more than this one. That is why the seldom-used Eradicator placed at #5.

#4=The Executioner. At this point, we are getting into the worst of the best. The Executioner is no joke, with a gun equivilent to 3 plasma cannons, and an increased rear armor. The only thing stopping this tank from being used by every guard player in the competitive gaming field is its price of 190 points base. I'd say it may still be worth it, but the best IG players live by several rules. One of those rules is to always keep it cheap.

#3=The Exterminator. It was a very close call between this tank and the Executioner, and I'm still second-guessing myself, but I personally love the Exterminator. It costs 150 points, making it tied with the standard russ for being the cheapest russ variant around. The gun doesn't scream at you "USE THIS!" but 4 twin-linked autocannon shots are pretty darn good. Think of it as a rifleman dread with AV 14, 13, 10 and a heavy bolter/flamer.

#2=The Demolisher. Honestly, the demolisher is amazing. 165 points gives you a 14, 13, 11 tank with a freaking S10 AP2 pie plate and a heavy bolter/flamer. Not much else to say, use it if you have the points. I used to take one, and it never made me sad. It managed to kill about 500 points in a single turn at one point by knocking out a asscannon/heavy flamer dread, 5 furious charge terminators, and a venerable tank hunters dread with a lascannon/miss launcher.

#1=The Battle Tank. I think that this is easily the best tank in the game. Durable as hell, a 72" S8 AP3 large blast cannon, and at a dirt-cheap 150 points, I would never go to war without one of these fellows at my back. I actually added it up, and my 150 point russ killed 380 points in my last game, and it did no better than it normally does.

Hope you enjoyed this article, and if you play guard and don't have a russ, seriously, what's wrong with you?