It has a 1/6 chance of doing only 1dmg, but you almost always get more than one attack through. If you think the demolisher is a bad weapon, one wonders what you consider to be good.
My brother in Imperium, you have not seen me roll. I have rolled maxed shots at a bunch of guardsmen and only killed one guy with a single wound. The Demolisher is just too swingy.
Sounds like you need to bring your dice to the local high ecclesiarch and get them blessed!
But yeah ultimately it’s a game involving the chance of dice. Out of all the weapons in the guard arsenal except for super heavys, what do you consider to be superior to the demolisher cannon? I am genuinely curious.
Out of all the tanks, I find the Exterminator has the most consistent utility. The debuff keeps it relevant even if it's not able to deal a ton of damage directly, the actual damage output is enough to tear up harder infantry targets without the issue of overkill or underkill.
Essentially, I'll take a guaranteed 8 shots at 24" with an all but guaranteed +1AP debuff, with Str that can easily wound a Terminator, with rerolls if it's going up against something tougher, and kills most things on foot with a single successful wound.
The exterminator is a good tank. My second favorite. As you say, it’s very effective against elite infantry and also light vehicles.
The meta in my area is very vehicle and monster heavy so I run multiple Demolishers for the high strength and high damage (potentially) and an exterminator for the debuff. Also creed with a mortar for another AP debuff via FoF.
Yeah, my area is Space Marines out the ass, both loyalist and traitor, so risking scratch damage on their Terminators only to have them regen a model their next turn just doesn't work for me.
Not saying it sucks or anything, Just saying the D6 damage can be swingy. In my last game I had one Demolisher tank roll 5s and 6s for damage and kill Angron in one shot. Then in another round, after Angron came back, I rolled 1s and 2s for damage and he charged in and killed the tank.
I still run it, its just a little unpredictable on the damage is all.
Ye, I quite am. All my sentinels have plasma cannons and I wanted to convert a Stormblade (fw baneblade variant) but didn't get to it yet. Also, the only possible sponsons for executioners are plasmas, aren't they? :D
Ryza up! (Forge World Ryza produces most (and the best) of the plasma weapons in the Imperium, including for Leman Russ Executioner tanks. My astra militarum is kitbashed to look AdMech, and in Ryza orange. I bring all the plasma the army can carry, and I have a good lore reason lol)
Demolisher and punishers are pretty cool. Demolishers can crater entire bunkers and blow other tanks to scrap in the lore and on table top it can swing from a wet noodle to knee capping knights if you roll hot.
Punisher while not great on the tabletop have a place in my heart due to the coolness of the mini gun and are nicknamed “bullet hoses” which are pretty cool
I agree, the gatling looks so good and the fire power of the demolisher is epic but seems incredibly swingy. Is the Punisher good in mechanized detachments ?
The only parts that are lack luster for the demolisher is the not great range (24 is still enough most of the time) and the D6 dmg which you could spike with a 6,6,5 and delete most tanks from the game or roll poor and not kill marines
Game mechanics-wise? The Demolisher because it is good into everything and the rule it has lets it be a little more aggressive without worrying as much about getting bogged down in melee.
Lore/Fluff-wise? The Vanquisher because the idea of an armor-sniper cannon among the armored column is pretty great. Could you imagine being in an enemy vehicle and having one of those rounds rip right through your vehicle? Nope, time to go.
You actually don't. I haven't in my last couple games and have done fine. 245 points is a large investment and 3 LR hitting on 3s is effectively the same as 4 LR hitting on 4s. Plus you get another tank to soak damage. The 24 inch range can also be a trap as you need to stay mobile in 10th but the limited range will keep you from pushing as much as you should. I saw one of the tubers talking about it and tried it. It has worked well for me so far but I haven't done a lot of games yet.
Id be with you if buffing russes was all the Lord solar did. For your 245 points you get an extra command point per turn, 2 heavy weapons of your choice, and The ability to order rogals, super heavys, or anything else you can dream of. The russ is probably better for tanking damage, but the sheer mass of that many wounds isn't exactly easy to chew through.
I don't think that the Lord solar is as necessary as people tend to think. I think you can succeed without him, but there is a reason he tends to be considered and auto include. Most of that is down to just how bad the other officers tend to be. The tank commander in particular.
Demolisher, or Executioner. Demolisher just destroys everything it fights (and I pair it with a tech priest, it has yet to be killed) and the executioner is a great tank for cleaning up what’s left after my artillery is done
Good ol reliable Leman Russ el classico.
Sponson Heavy Bolters plus Heavy Stubber is good infantry clearing, a hull lascannon offers good anti tank options and the battle cannon is flexible able to hurt geq, meq, teq and vehicles.
Sure it won't be as effective as a specialised version but you never have to worry about bringing the wrong Russ for the battle.
You can't go wrong with a set of three basis Russes in any guard army.
it was useful round about 4th edition.
All ordinance back then was move or fire, so most Leman Russ stayed still all game, but the conqueror was a heavy weapon on the turret so meant you could move and fire.
Vanquisher, because I am also a huge fan of the Sherman Firefly. Long Barrel Cool. Next up is the Demolisher, because I think the AVRE is cool. I'm a simple man.
Although I do enjoy the terrifying nature of the Vanquisher and the potential pain of the Demolisher, sheer time on the table puts the Exterminator at my top tier for sheer, unfettered brutal efficiency. Those Autocannons are bad enough before the debuff, with a couple of Multi-Meltas and a Heavy Flamer strapped on, it handily removed two squads of CSM from the board in close combat, then finished off Ahriman by running his nerd ass over.
Haephestus, you are a beast and I love you.
Gotta be the Demolisher. For whatever reason, I find its goofy little snubnose cannon aesthetically pleasing. It just fits well with the overall look of the Leman Russ. Plus it’s usually the most playable variant.
Honorable mention goes to the Vanquisher. Here’s hoping it’s actually worth taking again in the future.
Because I cannot decide on the best one, I built 4. Normal (commander), Vanquisher, Punisher, Executioner.
Absolutely love the Russes. Workhorses throughout.
Old foreword vanquishers, when the tank was rare and extremely powerful, making that version part of the plastic kits was kinda dumb and the rules have never recovered. Though lore "technically" the plastic kit ones are not a true vanquisher, they are a modified or 2nd version that is weaker to the true, mostly not replaceable ones.
I like the vanquisher with the coaxial heavy stubber. The long anti tank gun is awesome and the coaxial machine gun makes it look more realistic to me. Plus I really like making tanks explode
Demolisher is the best general-purpose tank and does the most damage.
Exterminator is an excellent debuff unit that makes up for its reduced direct damage by making your other units hit harder.
Basic LRBT and Executioner are ok, not as universally good but still not bad.
Vanquisher has a terrible gun but it's cheap and has some use just because 155 points for a lascannon and two plasma cannons on a durable hull is a decent buy even if the main gun does almost nothing.
Eradicator and Punisher are ineffective and should never be taken.
I know neither are great but looks and idea wise my favorites are far and away the Punisher and the Eradicator though i think the eradicator has at least a little play for being really cheap heavy armor
Currently the Exterminator, trying them with triple bolters to chew through infantry and elites. The additional AP is spicy and turns auto cannons embedded elsewhere in your army into a serious Damage 3 threat to anything. Want AP-2 lasguns? That's doable with an Exterminator and Fields of Fire.
The better answer though is 2-3 of anything you chose with appropriate synergy/orders to maximize. Autocannons are one of my favorites, like flamers, and both of those only get dangerous if you take a lot of them, then they get dangerous in a hurry. Vanquishers in triplicate with the triple flamers for 155 points a piece (464 overall)? That's going to do damage and hurt to try to tar pit. Triple Punishers with triple bolters? Say goodbye to horde armies....
Demolisher because it absolutely wrecks everything on the table.
Ah yes, the S14 cannon that reliably outputs... \*rolls\* ...1 damage per shot.
At least you got to wound and deal SOME damage.
It has a 1/6 chance of doing only 1dmg, but you almost always get more than one attack through. If you think the demolisher is a bad weapon, one wonders what you consider to be good.
My brother in Imperium, you have not seen me roll. I have rolled maxed shots at a bunch of guardsmen and only killed one guy with a single wound. The Demolisher is just too swingy.
Sounds like you need to bring your dice to the local high ecclesiarch and get them blessed! But yeah ultimately it’s a game involving the chance of dice. Out of all the weapons in the guard arsenal except for super heavys, what do you consider to be superior to the demolisher cannon? I am genuinely curious.
Out of all the tanks, I find the Exterminator has the most consistent utility. The debuff keeps it relevant even if it's not able to deal a ton of damage directly, the actual damage output is enough to tear up harder infantry targets without the issue of overkill or underkill. Essentially, I'll take a guaranteed 8 shots at 24" with an all but guaranteed +1AP debuff, with Str that can easily wound a Terminator, with rerolls if it's going up against something tougher, and kills most things on foot with a single successful wound.
The exterminator is a good tank. My second favorite. As you say, it’s very effective against elite infantry and also light vehicles. The meta in my area is very vehicle and monster heavy so I run multiple Demolishers for the high strength and high damage (potentially) and an exterminator for the debuff. Also creed with a mortar for another AP debuff via FoF.
Yeah, my area is Space Marines out the ass, both loyalist and traitor, so risking scratch damage on their Terminators only to have them regen a model their next turn just doesn't work for me.
> My brother in Imperium, you have not seen me roll. You roll dice just like everyone else, you are not special.
The correct answer
It *can* wreck everything on the table. That D6 wounds can be pretty swingy.
Name a better damage dealing guard weapon that isn’t on a super heavy.
Not saying it sucks or anything, Just saying the D6 damage can be swingy. In my last game I had one Demolisher tank roll 5s and 6s for damage and kill Angron in one shot. Then in another round, after Angron came back, I rolled 1s and 2s for damage and he charged in and killed the tank. I still run it, its just a little unpredictable on the damage is all.
Exterminator, because it's huge plasma. I don't care if it's quite bad, I just love it Edit: Executioner not Exterminator
Are you a Plasma fan ? I sure am
Ye, I quite am. All my sentinels have plasma cannons and I wanted to convert a Stormblade (fw baneblade variant) but didn't get to it yet. Also, the only possible sponsons for executioners are plasmas, aren't they? :D
Ryza up! (Forge World Ryza produces most (and the best) of the plasma weapons in the Imperium, including for Leman Russ Executioner tanks. My astra militarum is kitbashed to look AdMech, and in Ryza orange. I bring all the plasma the army can carry, and I have a good lore reason lol)
Demolisher and punishers are pretty cool. Demolishers can crater entire bunkers and blow other tanks to scrap in the lore and on table top it can swing from a wet noodle to knee capping knights if you roll hot. Punisher while not great on the tabletop have a place in my heart due to the coolness of the mini gun and are nicknamed “bullet hoses” which are pretty cool
I agree, the gatling looks so good and the fire power of the demolisher is epic but seems incredibly swingy. Is the Punisher good in mechanized detachments ?
I confused Demolisher and Vanquisher sorry, the Demolisher looks awesome apart from the mediocre range
The only parts that are lack luster for the demolisher is the not great range (24 is still enough most of the time) and the D6 dmg which you could spike with a 6,6,5 and delete most tanks from the game or roll poor and not kill marines
Game mechanics-wise? The Demolisher because it is good into everything and the rule it has lets it be a little more aggressive without worrying as much about getting bogged down in melee. Lore/Fluff-wise? The Vanquisher because the idea of an armor-sniper cannon among the armored column is pretty great. Could you imagine being in an enemy vehicle and having one of those rounds rip right through your vehicle? Nope, time to go.
Punisher
Vanquisher - rule of cool
Cool like hell but 1 attack 4+ Ballistic Skill, so swingy
Keep it stationary, add orders = hitting on 2+
can you modify past +1 and -1 ballistic skill?
Order adds to the hit roll and heavy changes the bs. So you can get both like this way.
It's the other way lol, but yeah this is my favorite leman Russ
You have that reversed but yes
Ohhhhh ok, i think i def have been playing that wrong. Thanks for the clarification
Guard strong together.
3 Vanquishers buffed by Leontus ?
Yup. I do hate that you HAVE to include him in every list though.
You actually don't. I haven't in my last couple games and have done fine. 245 points is a large investment and 3 LR hitting on 3s is effectively the same as 4 LR hitting on 4s. Plus you get another tank to soak damage. The 24 inch range can also be a trap as you need to stay mobile in 10th but the limited range will keep you from pushing as much as you should. I saw one of the tubers talking about it and tried it. It has worked well for me so far but I haven't done a lot of games yet.
Id be with you if buffing russes was all the Lord solar did. For your 245 points you get an extra command point per turn, 2 heavy weapons of your choice, and The ability to order rogals, super heavys, or anything else you can dream of. The russ is probably better for tanking damage, but the sheer mass of that many wounds isn't exactly easy to chew through. I don't think that the Lord solar is as necessary as people tend to think. I think you can succeed without him, but there is a reason he tends to be considered and auto include. Most of that is down to just how bad the other officers tend to be. The tank commander in particular.
Ouch...
Demolisher with dozer blade. Cause its basicaly Leman russ AVRE. And vanquisher because of the long gun (unfortunatly not so great on tabletop)
A man of class and taste, AVRE & Firefly gang
Punisher. Because brrrrrt
Exterminator. Ap1 lasguns! Ap4 lascannons!. Pair it with a hellhound and it's a serious debuff.
I actually like the bog-standard Leman Russ, looks decent, works decent, doesn't make a fuss.
Agreed
The demolisher, because I always thought the snub nose was cute. It kind of looks like a metal slug.
https://preview.redd.it/cmoxvv7sx6bc1.jpeg?width=621&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e5bdd42a6d547f11a9059c7fa1652cf380d4410
So hot 🔥🔥🔥
The Incinerator, I like Volkite
It's Heresy only, isn't it ?
Correct, it does not have 40k rules at all. Some people proxy it as one of the 40k variants, usually an Executioner.
Both of you are correct, yes
Demolisher, or Executioner. Demolisher just destroys everything it fights (and I pair it with a tech priest, it has yet to be killed) and the executioner is a great tank for cleaning up what’s left after my artillery is done
Good ol reliable Leman Russ el classico. Sponson Heavy Bolters plus Heavy Stubber is good infantry clearing, a hull lascannon offers good anti tank options and the battle cannon is flexible able to hurt geq, meq, teq and vehicles. Sure it won't be as effective as a specialised version but you never have to worry about bringing the wrong Russ for the battle. You can't go wrong with a set of three basis Russes in any guard army.
Executioner or Incinerator. Strong 2nd place is the Atlas Recovery Vehicle, it’s built on a russ chassis.
Leman Russ conqueror was so cool
Oh, I did not know this one, it's a lighter version of the battle tank, isn't it ?
Yep back in 8th there were even rules for the co axial storm bolter helping with targeting
it was useful round about 4th edition. All ordinance back then was move or fire, so most Leman Russ stayed still all game, but the conqueror was a heavy weapon on the turret so meant you could move and fire.
On look the vanquisher That long canon is sexy as f*ck
So sexy in fact that I only build my russ' with the long barrel and just run them as battle cannons. Rule of cool
Vanquisher, because I am also a huge fan of the Sherman Firefly. Long Barrel Cool. Next up is the Demolisher, because I think the AVRE is cool. I'm a simple man.
A man of quality
Although I do enjoy the terrifying nature of the Vanquisher and the potential pain of the Demolisher, sheer time on the table puts the Exterminator at my top tier for sheer, unfettered brutal efficiency. Those Autocannons are bad enough before the debuff, with a couple of Multi-Meltas and a Heavy Flamer strapped on, it handily removed two squads of CSM from the board in close combat, then finished off Ahriman by running his nerd ass over. Haephestus, you are a beast and I love you.
Vanquisher. Big cannons are cool and I got in during 7th with the Damocles Crusade. Tau Hammerheads dueling Guard Vanquishers were so cool to me!
vanquisher mars alpha, ryza exterminator is great too
Mars Alpha Leman Russ Vanquisher. Just look at it. It's beautiful.
Demolisher because my homebrew guardsmen are urban warfare specialists. (I don't play on the tabletop yet)
Demolisher w/las hull and melta spons. For my Valhallans I got a KV-2 esque turret for the demolisher and I love it
demolisher is the best tank overall, but I always aesthetically liked the classic B cannon
Gotta be the Demolisher. For whatever reason, I find its goofy little snubnose cannon aesthetically pleasing. It just fits well with the overall look of the Leman Russ. Plus it’s usually the most playable variant. Honorable mention goes to the Vanquisher. Here’s hoping it’s actually worth taking again in the future.
Because I cannot decide on the best one, I built 4. Normal (commander), Vanquisher, Punisher, Executioner. Absolutely love the Russes. Workhorses throughout.
Vanquisher. Because fuck that one guy in particular at the other end of the field.
You good Sir are a man of taste.
I still live in the lands of 7th ed, so my answer is a bit biased, but I love the Vanquisher
Old foreword vanquishers, when the tank was rare and extremely powerful, making that version part of the plastic kits was kinda dumb and the rules have never recovered. Though lore "technically" the plastic kit ones are not a true vanquisher, they are a modified or 2nd version that is weaker to the true, mostly not replaceable ones.
Always loved the Exterminator autocannons and I'm so glad they are good now Never leave home without 1 or 2 in my lists
I like the vanquisher with the coaxial heavy stubber. The long anti tank gun is awesome and the coaxial machine gun makes it look more realistic to me. Plus I really like making tanks explode
Vanquisher, because big gun make me happy
Demolisher is the best general-purpose tank and does the most damage. Exterminator is an excellent debuff unit that makes up for its reduced direct damage by making your other units hit harder. Basic LRBT and Executioner are ok, not as universally good but still not bad. Vanquisher has a terrible gun but it's cheap and has some use just because 155 points for a lascannon and two plasma cannons on a durable hull is a decent buy even if the main gun does almost nothing. Eradicator and Punisher are ineffective and should never be taken.
I know neither are great but looks and idea wise my favorites are far and away the Punisher and the Eradicator though i think the eradicator has at least a little play for being really cheap heavy armor
Punisher. I’ve put the fear of the Emperor into Space Marine, Necron, and Nid armies with it
If we are talking looks. The classic Leman Russ Battle tank. Table top right now. Exterminator.
Currently the Exterminator, trying them with triple bolters to chew through infantry and elites. The additional AP is spicy and turns auto cannons embedded elsewhere in your army into a serious Damage 3 threat to anything. Want AP-2 lasguns? That's doable with an Exterminator and Fields of Fire. The better answer though is 2-3 of anything you chose with appropriate synergy/orders to maximize. Autocannons are one of my favorites, like flamers, and both of those only get dangerous if you take a lot of them, then they get dangerous in a hurry. Vanquishers in triplicate with the triple flamers for 155 points a piece (464 overall)? That's going to do damage and hurt to try to tar pit. Triple Punishers with triple bolters? Say goodbye to horde armies....
I'll take the regular LRBT. Always okay-ish every edition.