A Short History
History: The Leman Russ was designed to answer the call for a reliable, all-purpose armored fighting vehicle that could stand against Xenovore warbeasts and bio-mechanical combat creations. It needed to be both well-armored and well-armed, able to operate in a wide variety of environments, easy to service, and capable of withstanding constant abuse. After a period of trials, in which several competing designs tested and rejected, the Terran military selected what was to become the mainstay of Earth’s armored forces: the Leman Russ.
Named after an early hero of the Xenovore Wars, the Leman Russ is a rugged design, notable for the large rhomboid track systems (which enable it to deal with a wide variety of terrain and obstacles). Fairly simple to manufacture, the designers admit to being influenced by certain World War II models, specifically the M4 Sherman and the T-34. While the Leman Russ has little in the way of internal luxuries (most Russ crews describe the vehicle’s interior as “spartan”), it’s easy to maintain, repair, and can run on just about any type of fuel poured into the tank.
Description: Weighing in at 60 tons, the Leman Russ is a massive vehicle. It is 7 meters long, 4.86 wide, and 4.42 tall, giving it a boxy shape. It normally has a crew of four (commander, driver, gunner, and loader) with two additional gunners if sponsons are added.
Armament: Offensively, the standard Leman Russ design mounts a “Battle Cannon” in the turret, with either a dual Bolter or a Lascannon set in front of the tank. A popular variant, created with anti-personnel and infantry-support operations in mind, adds a set of sponsons to either side of the tank. These normally contained additional Bolter systems, but some have opted for more Lascannons or even flame-throwers. There are numerous variants of Leman Russ, as the chassis lends itself to customization. A quick list is as follows:
Tactics: The Leman Russ itself, along with the Conquerer and Vanquisher, are meant to be all-purpose armored fighting vehicles, used to tackle enemy armor, warbeasts, and fortified positions. The Annihilator is used to destroy heavily armored positions, while the Exterminator is commonly used to strafe lightly- and non-armored vehicles and buildings. The Executioner is an anti-infantry weapon, while the Thunderer is specifically designed for urban conflicts and “bunker busting.” The Demolisher is used as a heavily-armored bombardment tank, while the Destroyer is has one sole purpose—eliminate enemy armor.
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