Alternative style for LR Punisher gun?

[Evil Eye]

I recently nabbed a Russ from a local hobby shop to use with my 4E Traitor Guard project. I'm not sure which variant to build, but I'm gravitating towards the Punisher (VDR or a simple backport will be needed as it wasn't introduced until 5th). However whilst I really like the idea of a rotary cannon as the main gun, the style of the giant minigun on the base kit is not to my taste.

 

I could do a very simple conversion and graft on a Contemptor's Kheres assault cannon in its place but I am also pondering designing and printing a whole new gun. I was thinking a large 1860s Gatling gun would be a cool direction to take, but an enormous water cooled Maxim style gun would be nifty too. Unless anyone has any other ideas?

[Griefbringer]

Personally, I am not particularly fond of the Leman Russ Punisher concept (sticking a short-ranged low-caliber gun on a tank), but I have to admit that Traitor Guard tanks forces certainly benefit from having wackier looking weapons than loyalists.

 

That said, I think the gun on the official model does not really match that theme well, having rather long and think barrels for such a weapon - plus there being only six barrels. If I had to scratch-build my own version, I would probably go for two gatling-style weapons (with 6+ barrels each) side-by-side on the turret front, if the space allows. Essentially something like the twin-linked assault cannon on the good old Baal predator (actually, I might have such assault guns somewhere in my bits box).

 

If you think twin-linked is not enough, you could also try a quad-mount (2 x 2 set-up) but that might end up looking too busy and there might not be enough space to fit it conveniently.

[WBRBloom]

Are you looking to go for accuracy and lore specific, or you're looking for rule of cool and absurdity?

 

Because I was thinking that you can go for a turret mounted Kai Gun 

[Evil Eye]

1 hour ago, Griefbringer said:

Personally, I am not particularly fond of the Leman Russ Punisher concept (sticking a short-ranged low-caliber gun on a tank), but I have to admit that Traitor Guard tanks forces certainly benefit from having wackier looking weapons than loyalists.

 

That said, I think the gun on the official model does not really match that theme well, having rather long and think barrels for such a weapon - plus there being only six barrels. If I had to scratch-build my own version, I would probably go for two gatling-style weapons (with 6+ barrels each) side-by-side on the turret front, if the space allows. Essentially something like the twin-linked assault cannon on the good old Baal predator (actually, I might have such assault guns somewhere in my bits box).

 

If you think twin-linked is not enough, you could also try a quad-mount (2 x 2 set-up) but that might end up looking too busy and there might not be enough space to fit it conveniently.

Twin linked assault cannons would be a good look! And I do have two leftover Contemptor assault cannons so I could do that even without printing. Need to do a size comparison.

 

Personally I like the Punisher conceptually, especially with the perpetual interwar "let's throw mud at the wall and see what sticks" design philosophy of Imperial tanks (and having the hull and sponson guns for dealing with armour), but I do agree the plastic gun is far too big and long (each barrel is autocannon bore!) and also very oversimplified, looking a bit toyetic for my tastes. I will be honest though, in general even as a big fan of the Russ and other classic 40K vehicles I always preferred the Forge World turrets over the plastic ones. The Executioner especially; the plastic one looks a bit naff IMO whilst the FW ones are excellent and very convincing given the inherently fanciful nature of a plasma cannon on a tank straight out of the far flung future of 1923.

 

@WBRBloom that is a very cool concept and I might do that for a Chaos Space Marine tank!

Edited 19 hours ago by Evil Eye

[Griefbringer]

Those Contemptor assault cannons are decent sized, but then again you would likely have just the barrels sticking out of the turret, unlike on the dreadnought where all the worky bits are also visible. They might fit the role quite well - or you could at least use them as a starting point if you want to design your own.

 

Regarding my earlier point about quad-mounts, while it does not sound like a particularly bright idea for assault cannons, it might work with some other funs guns. For example, the quad heavy bolter from Rapier might look quite beefy on Russ turret (less certain about the quad multi-laser or laser destroyer):

 

https://www.warhammer.com/en-EU/shop/solar-auxilia-rapier-direct-fire-battery-2026

https://www.warhammer.com/en-EU/shop/legiones-astartes-rapier-quad-heavy-bolters-2025

 

As for plastic Russ turrets, I personally prefer the original mid-1990's version (in all simplicity) over the current 40K version. Though the one on the recent 30K Solar Auxilia version looks decent in pictures:

 

https://www.warhammer.com/en-EU/shop/solar-auxilia-leman-russ-strike-tank-2024

 

As for Forge World turrets, I have never had any in my hands, though they look pretty good in pictures. However, the resin turrets are not particularly conversion friendly, and some of the turret designs had features that I did not really like, such as the coaxial storm bolter which ended up off-setting the main gun (and is a bit puny weapon for a co-ax).