Leman Russ Tanks. Will we ever get them back?

[Squark]

I understand perfectly. The Leman Russ is a pretty nice model. I just don't see how we could actually use it in the army from a logistics standpoint, especially when there's pretty much always a PDF tank regiment there to run them for us.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

For all the people saying "oh... well Space Marines are a quick force" and "No tanks are too slow and sluggish Navy SEALs would never deploy with those." BS! There is no reason why a tank is not capable of QR operations and even from a fluff stand point the SW codex is very clear that the Predator tank is a very integral part of the Space Wolves success. Now if you intend on making an argument that the Rhino Chassis is a much quicker and more deployable platform than the Leman Russ I will hear out your Argument (the best I've heard thus far is the inability to be transported on a Thunderhawk) otherwise you're full of it. 

Oh, also, if the mission needs it.. there is no reason a Thunderhawk cannot be modified to insert Leman Russes. Thunderhawks can airlift and insert Land Raiders no? 

All said an done, because GW is GW I doubt we will be seeing them, just as much as I doubt we'll see a flyer. I do not have the greatest opinion of how they try to run things. 

[Squark]

Uhh... Leman Russes are slow. That's like... their whole scthick. Huge, Lumbering battle tank with a giant gun. I never said anything about the predator. Of course we use predators. But the difference is the predator (And the whirlwind, Land Raider, and vindicator, for that matter) is designed to keep up with our APC and IFVS. The Leman Russ? Yeah... Not so much. I mean, it's even in the rulebooks; Leman Russes are Heavy vehicles (Or, in 5th edition, they could only cruise d6+6 inches). Our vehicles are not.

 

And modifying a Thunderhawk is no simple task; For starters, you risk offending it's machine spirit by making unwanted modifications to it. Then you've got to actually figure out how to do it (Which is problematic because that huge turret is getting in the way whereas rhino and land raider chasis vehicles are generally a lot flatter); And since the Leman Russ is normally deployed via vaccum-proof shuttles, you've also got to modify the Leman Russ to survive being carried externally during re-entry, something it was never designed to do. And that in turn risks offending the Russ's machine spirit.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

Good points, however fluff wise they found a way to do it (transport and use Leman Russes). I am not intimately familiar with how they did it, but we do know Russ discovered them, brought them to Fenris, and that they were used as an effective tool in the Army... but meh starting to chase rabbits. 

[Russ Brother 92]

Good points, however fluff wise they found a way to do it (transport and use Leman Russes). I am not intimately familiar with how they did it, but we do know Russ discovered them, brought them to Fenris, and that they were used as an effective tool in the Army... but meh starting to chase rabbits. 

 

I would say that back when Russ found the STC and they were brought to Fenris, it was the Great Crusade, a time of unprecedented tech. knowledge, there were machines which literally reshaped planets (hence the terra-forming of Nikaea for the Council), it's how they were even able to hollow out an entire (or around 70-80% of it) mountain to create the Fang/Aett.

 

These days it's like stating that all Chapters should have knowledge and use of the Legio Cybernetica (most of who primarily followed Horus until they were later crushed on Mars)...

[Valerian]

Good points, however fluff wise they found a way to do it (transport and use Leman Russes). I am not intimately familiar with how they did it, but we do know Russ discovered them, brought them to Fenris, and that they were used as an effective tool in the Army... but meh starting to chase rabbits. 

 

Russ did not, in fact, discover the tanks and bring them back to Fenris, which is what it look like you are saying.  He brought back the STC, which is essentially the "blueprint" for how to produce them.