Leman Russ Vanquisher
The Leman Russ Vanquisher is a rare and specialised variant of the Leman Russ Battle Tank used by the Imperial Guard. It mounts the significantly more powerful Vanquisher cannon, firing special Vanquisher shells which are extremely effective at penetrating armour even at great ranges, and is a favourite among tank company commanders.[1a][2a]
Contents
History
The Vanquisher was primarily built on Forge World Tigrus until it was overrun by the Ork Warlord Arrgard the Defiler in M35, resulting in the number of remaining Vanquishers reserved only for experienced tank crews. With the loss of Tigrus the Adeptus Mechanicus made strenuous efforts to reproduce the tank's specialised cannon, selecting a number of Forge Worlds known for their craftsmanship and devotion to the Machine God to spearhead the effort. While the process was slow and with limited success two Forge Worlds — Gryphonne IV and Stygies VIII — have succeeded in producing their own version of the Vanquisher while several other worlds continue their work. A small but increasing number of Vanquishers produced by Gryphonne IV and Stygies VIII have been used to equipped Imperial Guard regiments, however both jealously guard their secrets and have not allowed any comparative tests to take place.[1a] Only those tank crews that demonstrated they can perform their duty against the most heavily armoured enemies, may receive the Vanquisher as their new battle tank.[5a]
Technical Information
The centerpiece of the tank is its Vanquisher Cannon, a modified cannon with superior range, accuracy and a first-hit kill ratio.[1a][2a] Both Forgeworlds produce a cannon able to achieve these effects, albeit through different methods, and the tank has achieved a fearsome reputation among the Imperial Guard and its enemies.[1a] The Vanquisher is also equipped with advanced auspex sensors including threat detectors, terrain finder[4a] and motion sensors,[4b] along with Targeter gear including range-finders.[1g] Many are fitted with co-axial Storm Bolters while other secondary weapons come in the form of a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer or Lascannon; if fitted with side sponsons it can also mount additional Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers, Multi-meltas or Plasma Cannons. A Searchlight and Smoke Launchers are standard on Vanquishers, while other upgrades include Camo Netting, a Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, a Hunter-Killer Missile and/or a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber/Storm Bolter.[2b]
In the relatively large or lucky Armoured Battle Groups the Vanquishers may be armed with the special Beast Hunter Shells which are mostly used against enormous alien creatures and Tyranid bioforms. The shell themselves contains a powerful bio-mutagenic acid designed to be devastating against all organic matter.[5b]
Vehicle Name: | Leman Russ Vanquisher[1a] | Main Armament: | Vanquisher Battle Cannon |
---|---|---|---|
Forge World of Origin: | Stygies VIII | Secondary Armament: | Lascannon or Heavy Bolter |
Known Patterns: | I-VI | Traverse: | 360° |
Crew: | Commander, Gunner, Driver, Loader, 2 Sponson Gunners | Elevation: | From -8° to +25° |
Powerplant: | HL230 v12 Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 28 Rounds |
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: | Hull: | 150mm | |
Max Speed - on road | 32kph | Gun Mantlet | 100mm |
Max Speed - off road: | 19kph | Vehicle Designation: | 0427-941-1880-LR0065 |
Transport Capacity: | None | Firing Ports: | N/A |
Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | 200mm |
Vehicle Name: | Leman Russ Vanquisher[1a] | Main Armament: | Vanquisher Battle Cannon |
---|---|---|---|
Forge World of Origin: | Gryphonne IV | Secondary Armament: | Lascannon or Heavy Bolter |
Known Patterns: | I-VI | Traverse: | 360° |
Crew: | Commander, Gunner, Driver, Loader, 2 Sponson Gunners | Elevation: | From -8° to +25° |
Powerplant: | HL230 V12 Multi-Fuel | Main Ammunition: | 28 Rounds |
Weight: | 63.5 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: | Hull: | 150mm | |
Max Speed - on road | 30kph | Gun Mantlet | 100mm |
Max Speed - off road: | 18kph | Vehicle Designation: | 0427-941-1880-LR0066 |
Transport Capacity: | None | Firing Ports: | N/A |
Access Points: | N/A | Turret: | 200mm |
Forge World Variations
- Gryphonne IV — Immense barrel length for superior shell velocity.[1a]
- Stygies VIII — Smaller calibre shell with no rifling for increased velocity and consequently superior first-shot accuracy, although increased barrel movement counteracts follow-up shots despite better gun stabilising and recoil dampening.[1a] It is said that Mechanicus of the Stygies VIII continue to work on correcting of this flaw, but knowing the slowness of their bureaucratic structure it may take decades or even centuries.[5a]
Regiments known to contain Vanquishers
- 5th Australler Armoured Regiment[Needs Citation]
- 8th Pardus Armoured Regiment[3]
- 12th Vellurian Armoured Cavalry Regiment[Needs Citation]
- 76th Krieg Armoured[1c]
- 254th Varolian[1h]
- 256th Varolian "the Ironsides"[1d]
- Cadian 142nd Armoured[1e]
- Cthonian 2nd Armoured[1d]
- Jouryan 27th Infantry Regiment — Liberation of Septiam Torus[Needs Citation]
- Magdellan 6th Armoured[1c]
- Mordian 16th Armoured[1e]
- Mortant 7th Regiment "Headhunters"[1d]
- Orestean Pride Armor 6 — defence of Orestes[Needs Citation]
- Tallarn 3rd Armoured "Desert Storm"[1b]
- Valhallan 8th Armoured[1f]
- Valhallan 28th Armoured[1c]
- Valhallan 193rd Armoured[1e]
Named Vanquishers
- Loyalty — Commanded by Commissar Konstantin Garrick of the 76th Krieg Armoured.[1c]
- Steel Dog Alpha — Commanded by Captain Obadiah Schfeer of the 254th Varolian. Equipped with a loud speaker system used to both inspire the Imperial forces and depress the enemy.[1h]
Images
Leman Russ Vanquisher (5th edition)
Epic Scale Leman Russ Vanquisher
Sources
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- 1: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy,
- 2: Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition)
- 3: Honour Guard (Novel) — The Saint (Omnibus), Chapter Three
- 4: Titanicus (Novel)
- 5: Imperial Armour Volume One - Second Edition: Imperial Guard