Mr. B's Outside the classroom Blog: Hobby Gaming: Rethinking the "Rusty Lemon" - Modifying the Leman Russ tank design for 40k.

Nobody wants to drive a lemon - let alone go into battle in one.

I like AFVs (Armored Fighting Vehicles) - drove several during my military career, and like working with AFV models.

M-551 Sheridan Vismod (OPFOR!)

M577 Command Post Vehicle

MTLB APC (OPFOR!)

BTR-60 APC (OPFOR!)

GW Photo of Leman Russ.

I also have a bit of a 40k modelling habit, so I had to come to terms with the terrible design of the Leman Russ tank - whose most obvious feature is the tiny one man turret with the huge gun - allowing no space for a breech block, loading system, recoil, or even the body of the tank commander to fit inside the turret.

I took inspiration for my modification from historical vehicles, namely the US M3 Lee/Grant tank from WW2. The Lee/Grant had a short 75mm cannon in a hull mount, and a lighter 37mm (2pdr in Lend Lease?) gun in the small turret.

M3 Lee in service with UK in WW2.

I thought that the Russ would make a lot more sense if the larger gun was also hull mountd, while the lascannon (which has no recoil, and no in-line breach mechanism) would fit nicely into the turret.

WIP - Tracks need to be added.

Same WIP, different angle.

Then I decided that, while I was at it, I might as well reverse the tracks, giving the tank a much more agile and "aggressive" appearance - and one much more in line with the Land Raider. It has been pointed out that this would make it hard for the tank to deal with sharply rising terrain, but it goes nicely with the Land Raider - and who puts that kind of terrain on a gaming table, anyway?

WIP with reversed tracks.

Command tank needs paint.

My thinking is that the "faster looking" LRs with reversed tracks will be the "Cruiser" tanks, while the ones with the slower looking, traditional, track set-up will be "Infantry" tanks.