# Leman Russ Tanks secondary weapon options?



## Imperious (May 20, 2009)

Ignoring the turret and pintle, I'm looking for the best anti-infantry options. I'm referring specifically to the fixed front weapon and sponsons. 

The front gun has only 3 options: heavy bolter, heavy flamer, lascannon. 
The sponsons have 4 options: heavy bolters, heavy flamers, multi-meltas, and plasma cannons. 

Considering the fact that I'm going specifically for hordes & infantry, I've really narrowed it down to the heavy bolters and heavy flamers. 

Anyone have any battle experience they care to share?


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## Lord Sven Kittyclaw (Mar 23, 2009)

Why not plasma cannons..if your fighting a horde they will score more hits than a HB. not to mention they eat MEQ


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## jaws900 (May 26, 2010)

Sven makes a good point. However they come at quite a cost. Personly i have to ask "will it get close?" and then you have your answer. If it's somehting like a Demolisher then HF and MM/HF. If it's a Devil Dog, Bane Wolf or Hellhound then HF no questions. Things like the Vanquiser, Punisher etc then bes tof with HB's to lend more fire down on the enemy


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

if your wanting to go against hordes and infantry I'd just skip the sponsons, your gonna be moving every turn since standing still against hordes is asking for a power fist up the rear armour, so your only gonna fire 2 weapons, and 1 will be the main gun, save your points and ignore the sponsons.


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## Imperious (May 20, 2009)

Great. More options. All valid too. WTF do I now? 

I don't know if it helps to say that I'm focusing on orks and nids.


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## Lord_Murdock (Jul 16, 2008)

Stella Cadente said:


> if your wanting to go against hordes and infantry I'd just skip the sponsons, your gonna be moving every turn since standing still against hordes is asking for a power fist up the rear armour, so your only gonna fire 2 weapons, and 1 will be the main gun, save your points and ignore the sponsons.


I agree. You can get a bare-bones leman russ for dirt cheap (relatively) so just stick with that. A battlecannon and a heavy bolter is enough, especially if you're taking two or more tanks. The ability to move and shoot is quite valuable against hordes, and the points you save from not taking sponsons can help 'fund' your infantry. Another squad here or heavy weapon there is normally a good idea.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

although a lascannon on a basic russ is *finally* viable, so for a tank lacking AP2-1 shooting it can be useful, especially if you have 3, although that depends how much big stuff is in these hordes, though a back up anti transport/MC is always useful.


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## Imperious (May 20, 2009)

Lord_Murdock said:


> I agree. You can get a bare-bones leman russ for dirt cheap (relatively) so just stick with that. A battlecannon and a heavy bolter is enough, especially if you're taking two or more tanks. The ability to move and shoot is quite valuable against hordes, and the points you save from not taking sponsons can help 'fund' your infantry. Another squad here or heavy weapon there is normally a good idea.


I actually agree as well. IMO plasma is just way to expensive. But the HB and HF are considerably cheaper and I felt that the sponsons could just contribute that little extra bit of death.


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## Vrykolas2k (Jun 10, 2008)

I always take the lascannon and plasma cannons, regardless of variant.
Then again, I generally stress quality over quantity...


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

I think quantity would count more in 40k, I'd rather lose a tank costing 150pts as apposed to a tank costing almost 200pts, especially since 3 of such tank could buy me 4 basic leman russ


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## Imperious (May 20, 2009)

Stella Cadente said:


> I think quantity would count more in 40k, I'd rather lose a tank costing 150pts as apposed to a tank costing almost 200pts, especially since 3 of such tank could buy me 4 basic leman russ


As far as "thinning the herd" goes it's true. Quantity has a quality all if it's own. 

Vrykolas, if I was setting up an anti armor tank I would agree with you. But a Lascannon does little good against a mob of ork boyz.


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

The weapon that will do the most damage is the battle cannon. Reduce the cost of your tanks and get one more. You will see considerable benefit. The only reason I don't run 3 bare russ in my list is that I don't have any more. All my others are different variants with the sponsons glued on(facepalm). Stella has it right.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

There's a lot to consider when it comes to Sponsons/Hull weaponry, and taking them/not taking them are both viable, plus it comes down to what points are available and if you're satisfied you have the rest of your list built to your liking.

Put a Hull HF on a mobile Tank and HB's on a firebase - type Tank. Lascannons could go on an Exterminator seen as it's a good transport destroyer. Putting it on a Demolisher/Executioner would make all the weapons AP2 but cost also becomes a factor.

Overall our anti-tank Russes are quite poor at the role and are far better at anti-infantry, so sticking a Lascannon on a Russ doesn't automatically make it a good Tank hunter.

Sponson -wise it depends on what role you want the Tank to play. Tanks with Sponsons make great area-denial and static 'firebase' type units and put out a ton of firepower.

Tanks with short-ranged guns (24") are better kept mobile so no Sponsons, mainly because they will be up close to the enemy so c/c is unavoidable in the end. That said, a Demo with Plasma Sponsons is scary for armies with lots of Termies.

An Executioner with Plasma Sponsons kills a lot more MEQ than one without them, as they are only a 3" blast so having 5 is obviously better than 3, and the 40 pts paid is a trivial matter. You could also build something similar and put Plasma on a LRBT.

In the end I use Russes with and without Sponsons and it works well overall..there is no one way is better.


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## gally912 (Jan 31, 2009)

I defer to HOBO on this, the man knows his guard and he is very right in this case.


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## Imperious (May 20, 2009)

Agreed. Hobo does seem to know the guard. So then here's my final question. Considering the sponson upgrade is only 10 (nothing to me), what's going to ruin more light infantry? The HF or the HB?


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## gally912 (Jan 31, 2009)

Well, if you have plans to run your Russ down your opponents gullet, as in have it moving towards the horde, I would go with flamers. 

If you are going to have it as a weapons platform that hangs out in the rear, go with HB. Take advantage of the range. 

Don't forget your heavy stubber!


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## bishop5 (Jan 28, 2008)

Probably going to be the heavy bolters - the flamers are better weapons overall but if you're using all the flamers on your tank (i.e. one hull, two sponsons) then you have infantry right infront of your (not moving) tank and you're doing it wrong... the bolters can hurt infantry from turn one, but don't expect them to do much damage.


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