Wishlisting a new Land Raider kit

[Evil Eye]

The current Land Raider kit is rather old at this point, dating back to the very tail end of the 90s (if memory serves correctly) and whilst impressive for a kit of its vintage, it has definitely aged less than gracefully in some areas. Most notably, the fit of the parts is VERY poor, with a lot of work needed to tidy up join lines (the exhausts and the top plate are particularly bad offenders) and the interior is...well, let's just say trying to make sense of the interior is a borderline cognito-hazard. Anyway, point being, it could really do with a proper refresh. The question is, what should that look like?

 

Speaking for myself, there's two main areas to consider: Form and Function (such as it is). Form referring to purely cosmetic features, whereas Function more applies to things that might have gameplay considerations.

 

FORM:

 

For starters, I'd like to keep the kit recognizable as a Land Raider, such that it could comfortably be interchanged with the current model and not cause issues. So about the same size, same iconic backwards-WW1 rhomboid tank shape, same basic armament and entry/exit points, etc. Not saying change nothing (we'll get to that) but don't reinvent the wheel or try and fix what isn't broken.

 

That said, there are some things I would change. Whilst I do like the semi-modular nature of the current one with regards to sponson positioning I'd like to see the Mk. IIB style of sponsons brought back. I definitely prefer sponsons in front and doors at the rear and the old FW kit (itself based on the Epic model IIRC) was a very good look, not to mention the mounting made painting that bit simpler.

 

Speaking of weapons I'd personally be tempted to make the hull guns a bit more raised. This would allow for a bigger assault ramp, which would make the newly-rescaled Terminators look less implausible trying to exit the vehicle. In fact I'd go a step further and say I'd actually be tempted to put the twin heavy bolters into a small roof-mounted turret, rather than the recessed mounting we currently have. It would raise the profile of the tank a tiny bit, but it would also allow for a greater arc of fire* and make more space inside the hull for crew and ammunition.

 

Oh, and on that note; either give it a full interior or delete it entirely and have the opening door reveal an inner "airlock". I'd also be tempted to give it at least hints of suspension. Nothing too advanced, this is 40K after all, but something to make it clear the thing isn't going to be getting foiled by small stones.

 

Lastly, give us the option to leave the track guards off for full wraparound tracks. Those are cool.

 

FUNCTION:

 

One of the main things I'd like to see is taking advantage of the increased sprue density of modern kits and fitting more options into the kit. Notably I'd give the option to include the same weapon options for the turret as the Proteus kit (the lascannons and heavy flamers) and also a pair of extra mini-sponsons to allow the triumphant return of the Terminus Ultra.

 

I'd also like to see the old FW variants returned; the Prometheus and the Helios would be very easy to fit the parts in along with the Crusader and Redeemer. I'd like to see the Ares and Achilles brought back, but you might have to split the builds between two boxes to avoid a single kit becoming too big and expensive due to the sheer number of optional builds. Certainly the Ares and Achilles could share a box as they both replace the assault ramp with a large hull-mounted gun (demolisher cannon for the Ares and thunderfire cannon for the Achilles)- perhaps have them buildable from the same box as the Prometheus and Helios, with the classic Phobos, Terminus Ultra, Crusader and Redeemer sharing the other box?

 

In terms of extra parts, aside from the obvious stowage, searchlights, hunter-killer missiles etc I'd love to see an optional dozer blade that can fold open to let the occupants out the ramp. Not sure how they'd accomplish that but it'd be neat to see them try. It'd be lower on my priority list, but anyway.

 

Lastly, the same base kit would form the basis for a new Chaos Land Raider; the core hull of the kit would be confined to its own set of sprues, whilst all the options not useable by Chaos would be on their own sprues that could be swapped out with various Chaotic parts. Ideally this would also come with some new in-game options for Chaos Raiders, notably some weapon options like, say, ectoplasma cannons, hades autocannons etc.

 

 

Anyway, your thoughts?

 

_{*Yes I know weapon arcs aren't a thing anymore; hence it coming under Form.}

[Blindhamster]

interesting note, the original land raider was a grav vehicle in lore.

 

Ergo. If they want to, they can make a land raider and still have it fit the grav thing they seem to have leant into.

 

For the record, I'm not saying I want that, I don't have a huge desire one way or another, I don't have strong feelings about land raiders honestly.

 

I think something with broadly speaking, the current land raider shape, but grav plates could look pretty nice still. I honestly don't think they'll change much of the design of the land raider regardless. And most likely it'll remain tracked.

 

Or, it'll be dropped for loyalists and chaos will get an update.

 

p.s. totally agree, if it got an update, it'd be good if it included some kind of variant in the base version

Edited March 9 by Blindhamster

[ThaneOfTas]

Id want the profile and silhouette to match the current one close enough that continuing to use the current kit is a reasonable proposition if necessary, or at least that Using eeither a Heresy Land raider or Spartan would work.

 

I would very strongly prefer that they didnt go Hover for it, the new hover tanks just havent grown on me at all, i gave them a fair try by buying an Executioner, the longer it sat in my pile of shame the less i wanted to look at it and i eventually on-sold it.

 

I very much like the idea of using the extra sprue density to add some additional options into the kit. Honestly sticking the Godhammer, Crusader and Redeemer into a single box doesnt feel like much of a stretch. I also quite like the idea of bringing back the Terminus Ultra, I would also humbly suggest the return of the Angel Infernus if we are playing with the fun excessive variants.

 

I do definitely think making it a Mk. IV (or V or X or whatever) Is a good call, lets them make some changes while keeping it familiar as the same unit. A return to the Mk IIb style sponsons or the Mk1 style fully looping tracks would both be very welcome additions, and adjusting the placement of the forward bolters to give the assault ram more room is an interesting idea, putting them onto a sort of dorsal turret could be an interesting change, so long as it looked less... triangular i guess?, than the Repulsor turret.

 

A Dozer blade, Somewhat like this one perhaps could also be a very interesting option, not sure what kind of rules effect i'd want it to have but if done right it could look very cool.

 

On one hand i get the appeal of a modeled interior, on the other it just seems ecessive and raises too many questions on how the thing actually works. I dont want to take it way from someone who likes having them, but i dont think that it should be a priority.

[Evil Eye]

9 hours ago, Blindhamster said:

interesting note, the original land raider was a grav vehicle in lore.

 

An optional grav build would be interesting, though I wouldn't want it replacing the tracked option entirely.

 

18 minutes ago, ThaneOfTas said:

putting them onto a sort of dorsal turret could be an interesting change, so long as it looked less... triangular i guess?, than the Repulsor turret.

Right- I'm not thinking a full-blown MBT style turret (as quite aside from anything else the twin heavy bolters don't really justify that) but even a slightly more raised mounting for the traditional remote turret would be helpful. Just as an example of the rough idea, here's my (still very WIP) Crusader with the turret mount turned into a raised "pulpit".

(Yes, I still need to work on the styrene, I am aware!)

[Orange Knight]

Games workshop gave us the ultimate plastic Landraider, and then they took it away.

 

Just put this in the codex as the Landraider "Spartan" and we can all move on with an amazing model that offers genuine functionality over other transports with it's massive capacity.

 

Also the kit is scaled really well alongside things like the Repulsor.

 

 

Alternatively I wouldn't mind a Grav Landraider that resembles the Spartan...

[Evil Eye]

The Spartan is a different vehicle altogether, though. Different armament, different transport capacity, different size. I do agree the decision to relegate HH vehicles to Legends in 40K is utterly silly, though. The Proteus at least works very well as a substitute for the Godhammer Land Raider even without bespoke rules (seeing as it's the direct predecessor and all, and basically just a modernized version of the RT model with more options).

 

Anyway, just to be clear this is a thread about a new Land Raider kit. Not a kit for a totally new vehicle to replace the Land Raider.

 

@Blindhamster That's the dream! An optional grav-raider build would definitely be cool, and also very fitting for Sisters of Silence and Custodes, who were described as utilizing rare grav-propelled variants of existing STCs (notably the Rhino and I think the Land Raider) in earlier fluff.

Edited March 9 by Evil Eye
Ninja'd be Blindhamster, appended point re: Grav Raider.

[Blindhamster]

4 hours ago, Evil Eye said:

An optional grav build would be interesting, though I wouldn't want it replacing the tracked option entirely.

Honestly this is how I'd do it, and I'd have it be two distinct datasheets with somewhat different rules, tracked one slower but a bit more durable, grav one faster but a bit less being the obvious thing. Would let you pick the one that suits your army theme that way too (da red 'uns go fasta!)

 

if there isn't a special rule involved, you could probably have it just be an "option" on the unit, -x wounds +x movement

Edited March 9 by Blindhamster

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I'm not against the concept of a new Land Raider kit, but I would hope that it is the same basic kit on a new sprue.  Like you said, the exterior structural plates could do with a tighter fit, and I'm also not opposed to cramming the Phobos, Redeemer, and Crusader weapon options all into the same box.  However, the LR is at this point such a long-standing and iconic visual in both art and on the tabletop that changing it in anyway would, IMHO, be a bad idea.

[Orange Knight]

7 hours ago, Evil Eye said:

The Spartan is a different vehicle altogether, though. Different armament, different transport capacity, different size.

 

The Spartan is a variant of the Land Raider. Simply the most mighty example.

 

It's also referred to as "The Land Raider Spartan" in various publications. 

 

 

 

 

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

Can we have a variant with no sponsons, but a dedicated turret weapon, and only like 8 or 10 transport capacity.

 

Turret options

 

battle cannon

48” A d6+2 S10 AP-2 Dd3+1

 

macro plasma cannon

(repulsor executioner profile the MPC)

 

hull options

twin linked assault cannons

twin lascannons

twin heavy bolters

[Magos Takatus]

The problem with a hover Land Raider is that we'd have to call it the Air Raider.  (Yes, I know about Arkhan Land, don't "Um Akchually" me! )

 

I think it would be a great idea to give the kit a new lease of life, and with the original resin Achilles in my collection I would be overjoyed for it to see wider use. However with the background saying it was notoriously unable to be mass-produced and almost exclusive to the Imperial Fists and their successors, could I suggest the Helios in it's stead? A heavily armoured artillery vehicle with a small transport capacity is an interesting variant, and being able to protect a small squad so that they can leap out onto an objective late-game seems to be more valuable in 10th than it was in previous editions. It would certainly be niche but I think it would be a fun addition.

[NovemberIX]

Not that I need anymore Land Raiders, but I think a pair of kits covering Assault Ramp and Non-Assault Ramp variants is pretty cool. Personally, I'd like to see Plasma, Melta, Grav, and Volkite (since it seems to be back) as Sponson and main gun options. Ironically, I'm the opposite camp of wrap around tracks, I'd like to see more track cover extensions. I love how you can identify an Achilles by it's track covers, I think small things like that give character. I do think a Quad-Las hull gun variant would be cool too, would fit in with the Ares and Achilles. Options to add extra armor would be nice, I rather like the way the old FW Reinforced Armor Kit looks, and I kinda wish I had gotten the spaced armor when I had the chance. Basically, I'm looking for an excuse to build another handful of land raiders.

[Terminatorinhell]

I'd definitely like a box thay has a few variants in it, better interior detailing. Ditch the stupid front hatch mechanism for something better. As others have said the assault ramp changes, maybe a dozer blade option. 

[TheArtilleryman]

I actually think the existing kit is so good it’s going to be hard to improve upon. That’s probably why it hasn’t been changed in so long. In my opinion it is vastly superior in looks to all the heresy style land raiders. I have a Spartan built, primed and sitting in my collection that I want to paint but I keep leaving it. If it was a second Godhammer/Phobos instead then it would have been painted a year ago.

 

Maybe it wants to be a bit better to build and have a larger ramp so as to look better with the larger marines, as even firstborn have to duck to get in and out and primaris look a bit odd on that ramp. We’ve always had to have a bit of suspension of disbelief when it comes to vehicles and transport capacity though, or they’d be too big and unwieldy to manoeuvre on the table.

 

Other than that I wouldn’t change anything about the general design aesthetic. More weapon options are always cool though and although I prefer the track guards (40,000 years into the future you’d think they would realise open tracks is a devastating weakness), I’d support the option suggested to have them removable if other want to. Not sure where to put the heavy bolters if the ramp was bigger though, as if they’re on top then they’d get in the way of the pintle mount and vice versa.

 

I don’t think we need a grav option as we can use the repulsor if we want that. I also wouldn’t remove the sponsons or give it a loadout like the repulsor as again, we have the repulsor so it would seem a bit redundant.

Edited March 16 by TheArtilleryman

[redmapa]

Land Raiders are far too iconic to change in any meaningful way, they didn't dare to change Terminators and won't do it with LRs imo. I think that if a new kit does happen it might borrow certain designs from 30k like the enclosed gun turrets and just package more variants in one box, one sprue for Phobos/Redeemer/Crusader and then some other options like the Helios or Ares or even an option for a Command Land Raider in another box.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

5 hours ago, TheArtilleryman said:

Maybe it wants to be a bit better to build and have a larger ramp so as to look better with the larger marines, as even firstborn have to duck to get in and out and primaris look a bit odd on that ramp. We’ve always had to have a bit of suspension of disbelief when it comes to vehicles and transport capacity though, or they’d be too big and unwieldy to manoeuvre on the table.

 

The lack of size-appropriate scaling in 40K never bothered me.  Like you said, there needs to be a certain suspension of disbelief.  If the Land Raider model was in-scale with actual Space Marine models, it'd probably approach the Baneblade model in terms of size and extremely difficult to fit on a standard table full of terrain.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

20 hours ago, Terminatorinhell said:

I'd definitely like a box thay has a few variants in it, better interior detailing. Ditch the stupid front hatch mechanism for something better. As others have said the assault ramp changes, maybe a dozer blade option. 

If interior detail that no one will see makes the kit more expensive I am 100% fine with absolutely 0 interior detail.

[Brother Carpenter]

Regarding the interior o love a noce detailed interior. I always feel cheated when dealing with a non detailed interior kit. Price wise you ll get screwed by gw anyway

[Evil Eye]

On 3/17/2025 at 8:27 AM, Brother Carpenter said:

Regarding the interior o love a noce detailed interior. I always feel cheated when dealing with a non detailed interior kit. Price wise you ll get screwed by gw anyway

This is kind of how I feel; it's gonna cost an arm and a leg regardless, so it'd be nice if it at least had all the extra little bits. Though I will say the Proteus having the inner "airlock" behind the assault ramp is a nice compromise.

 

On that note, I built a Proteus today (to be run as a Chaos Land Raider in a Chaos force with the 3.5E book, for one of my many ADHD-driven projects) and I'm astonished at not only how nice a kit it is but also how much better value it is. For a good £10 LESS than the standard LR you get far more options, a better build experience (borderline Tamiya-quality "just falls together") and much nicer detail. The only objective things that the Godhammer/Phobos has on it is being a fraction larger and technically having more interior detail, such as it is.

[Tokugawa]

GW: shut up and go buy Repulsor

[TheArtilleryman]

20 minutes ago, Tokugawa said:

GW: shut up and go buy Repulsor

Playerbase: no

 

well ok we will cos we’re fickle but we still want a LR too take our money 

Edited March 20 by TheArtilleryman

[Helias_Tancred]

I'd prefer to see them re-do the Land Raider, clean it up, and make it slightly larger, with one kit that can build either of the three variants. 

 

Edit: One caveat, keep it a more simple kit in terms of the # of parts and how they are more simple and straightforward, versus the current large vehicle kits. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23 by Helias_Tancred

[Orange Knight]

I've been thinking about this more, and I'm hoping they go down the route of a Grav Vehicle, but looking more like the classic Raider.

 

I want them to keep the range visually consistent. The Gladiators, Repulsors, etc are all hovering. Also, for the record, the stands on the hover tanks are very effective visually and the vehicles look great on the tabletop.

 

Something like this but better:

 

 

[chapter master 454]

Keep your grav plates away from the perfection that is the design of the land raider. The kit needs tuning up but you get your 10-man pick-up handles plates back to where they belong!

 

Personally, the kit could do with some overhauling. In terms of the internals, that is kind of a take or leave personally but I do think it adds a cool factor to the model for those who like to paint and model, while maybe not the largest group in the hobby some people just like to build and paint these models and having details like that can add layers to the model.

 

And to note fellow fraters, the base land raider is known as a Land Raider Phobos. Yes, it is funny that GW named the stealth/co-vert primaris marines this as well so now the Land Raider is actually a stealth tank. Next update: gains the stealth USR!

 

If we want to talk pipe dreams, then there are a number of variants that could be considered for returning, or even bringing into full real life in terms of one variant.

First, the Prometheus variant was the Original command tank variant that traded the forward hull gun for additional sensors and the sponsons were a set of quad heavy bolters. Meant as a mobile command bunker more than anything. It is also the reason the Redeemer doesn't have this name as in the lore when the redeemer was introduced (5th edition if I remember right) the chapter responsible for this variant wanted to call it the Prometheus but learned of the already existing one. Would be a cool concept for a character based vehicle in space marines (and there is another though that could ruffle feathers).

We do have a lesser known variant and maybe not as inspiring, even I can't recall the armaments he bore upon sponsons however the Helios wasn't really much of a variant. It was a land raider with a Whirlwind Rocket launcher system on it. By all accounts an easy pass over for consideration. Though it is cool as an oddity.

 

We move onto however 2 rather odd ball land raiders, 1 WAS a real boy and the other wasn't.

Achilles as some have mentioned basically just becomes an all out rolling battle tank. Thunderfire cannon mounted on the front with the front heavily modified and reinforced with armour, this thing along with the next one I mention just barely not considered super-heavies. I believe this variant carried shorter ranged side weapons, I seem to re-call heavy flamers.

The one I allude to that was a massive conversion piece was the Ares. Like the Achilles, no transport capacity but it did have a dozer blade, and the main gun was a Vindicator's Demolisher Cannon. It mounted twin-linked multi-meltas for sponsons. This was never a real land raider model but instead was a conversion job shown in a White Dwarf. The amount of work that went into it was immense. The lore that was made for the tank credits the Dark Angels with it's creation in their pursuit of a Fallen that had taken refuge within a fortified hive city.

There are 2 other variants however they are...questionable though they do exist. Terminus Ultra is the Land Raider variant that GW made for apocalypse. Lascannons all over it, it mounted 3 twin-linked lascannons and 2 singular lascannons. Personally...looks a little goofy to me but I can see the charm in it that some people see. Then there is the Land Raider Excelsior. That one is part of the Space Marines command tank bundle that is Warhammer World exclusive...so not sure if we can bring that in.

 

If we were to have a perfect world where in I could form 3 distinct Land Raider kits I would have each a dual kit that builds one of two.

Phobos/Prometheus share a box. Feels right as the Prometheus does pre-date even the crusader variant I believe though not by much.

Crusader/Redeemer. This kit already exists and could just do with tuning up as needed.

Achilles/Ares. The Siege tank variant. Choice of Thunderfire Cannon or Demolisher Cannon. This is how you slap big guns on tanks and look good doing it Cawl!

 

 

Oh I can dream...I can dream......-sigh-but I know the Land Raider is doomed...but I will never use the Primaris Gladiator or Repulsor. They just look so emperor forsaken ugly! But if you like 'em and their your jam, you go off brother. You enjoy them and let this old veteran ramble on about past glories.

[Helias_Tancred]

Well thought out post ^ ... but I do not think the Land Raider in the game, or as a model kit, is going away. It may get updated and changed, but I don't think it's going to disappear.