Leman Russ Executioner
The Leman Russ Executioner is an extremely rare variant of the Leman Russ Battle Tank used by the Imperial Guard. It uses the same chassis as the standard Leman Russ but mounts a massive Plasma Destroyer rather than a Battle cannon.[1a]
Contents
History
The Executioner used to be widely used throughout the Imperium, especially during the Great Crusade, with entire Imperial Army armoured regiments consisting of Executioners. However since that time the knowledge required to construct the Executioner's primary weapon has been gradually forgotten. Currently there is only one Forge World capable of producing them, Ryza, which has an extensive knowledge of the workings of Plasma-based technology. While their own Skitarii forces are almost exclusively equipped with Executioners, elsewhere within the Imperium these tanks are rarely fielded due to their scarcity. Furthermore they are unpopular tanks among most Imperial Guard tank crews, whose criticism mainly centers on the plasma weapon's tendency to explode; many odd, old superstitions surround the blessing of the main gun prior to battle to ensure the crew comes back alive. While most tankers prefer the traditional Leman Russ' armament those who do crew an Executioner are said to have a foolhardy (or insane) bravery.[2a][4]
Technical Information
The Executioner's Plasma Destroyer is a powerful if temperamental weapon with an extremely high energy output. Due to the unstable nature of the weapon the Ryza-pattern Executioner incorporates several safety features. Emergency vents in the turret help disperse the heat produced by each shot while protective heat shielding screens the crew and allows enough time to escape the vehicle in the event of a minor containment field failure. Many also include an emergency chemical coolant tank in the rear of the vehicle which connects with the weapon through two coolant lines running across the top of the turret. However these exposed lines can be severed by enemy fire, a contributing factor to many green Executioner crews abandoning the tank at the first sign of trouble since a catastrophic failure can result in the destruction of the tank and anything else in a large area around it. Those who are found to have abandoned their tanks can expect to face harsh punishment, even death, for such a crime from their regiment's Commissar.[2a][4]
Secondary weapons come in the form of a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer or Lascannon. Those with sponson mounts can also take two additional heavy bolters, heavy flamers, Multi-meltas or Plasma Cannons. A Searchlight and Smoke Launchers are standard on the Executioner and it can be upgraded with Camo Netting, a Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, a Hunter-Killer Missile and/or a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber/Storm Bolter.[1b]
Vehicle Name: | Leman Russ Executioner[2a] | Main Armament: | Plasma Destroyer |
---|---|---|---|
Forge World of Origin: | Ryza | Secondary Armament: | Lascannon or Heavy Bolter |
Known Patterns: | III-VI | Traverse: | 360° |
Crew: | Commander, Gunner, Driver, Loader, 2 Sponson Gunners | Elevation: | From -8° to +22° |
Powerplant: | HL230 V12 Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 12 Shots from Photonic Fuel Cell |
Weight: | 63 tonnes | Secondary Ammunition: | Unlimited or 600 Rounds |
Length: | 7.08m | ||
Width: | 4.86m | Armour | |
Height: | 4.42m | ||
Ground Clearance: | 0.45m | Superstructure: | 180mm |
Fording Depth: | {{{Fording Depth}}} | Hull: | 150mm |
Max Speed - on road | 30kph | Gun Mantlet | 100mm |
Max Speed - off road: | 18kph | Vehicle Designation: | 0427-941-2010-LR0103 |
Transport Capacity: | None | Firing Ports: | n/a |
Access Points: | n/a | Turret: | 200mm |
Regiments known to contain Executioners
- Eighth Pardus Armoured Regiment[3]
- Armageddon Steel Legion — Third War for Armageddon[Needs Citation]
- Cadian 31st Armoured Regiment — Levilnor IV[Needs Citation]
- Cadian 122nd Shock Troops Regiment — Defence of Vogen City on Zai-Khann[Needs Citation]
- Krieg 28th Armoured Regiment — Galan Expeditionary Force[Needs Citation]
- Palladius 46th Armoured Regiment[Needs Citation]
- Phyressian 42nd Armoured Regiment[2b]
- Savlar 71st Chem Dogs Regiment[Needs Citation]
- Valhallan 8th Armoured Regiment — Advance on Sallan's Point[Needs Citation]
Images
Leman Russ Executioner[Needs Citation]
Sources
- 1: Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition):
- 2: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy:
- 3: Honour Guard (Novel) — The Saint (Omnibus), Chapter Ten
- 4: Imperial Armour Volume One - Second Edition: Imperial Guard, pg. 20
- 5: Citadel Catalogue 2010, pg. 315
- 6: Games Workshop Leman Russ Battle Tank (site accessed 2010.07.17)