Leman Russ Harvestman

**This article, Leman Russ Harvestman, was written by Perozes Sassanius. It may be linked to any page without asking for the author's permission.**

## Leman Russ Harvestman

A typical Leman Russ Harvestman tank with its mine flail retracted above the turret when inactive. Weapons loadouts are variable but the Syrtis pattern autocannon is the most popular choice for this platform.

## Armaments

### **Secondary Ammunition**

None, or 3,000 rounds for a heavy stubber

*Feel free to add this tank to articles you have written. If you let me know I will add them to the notable users list.*

The **Astra Militarum's** primary battle tank is the Leman Russ and by far and away the most commonly fielded in the Imperium. The Harvestman is less a standardised pattern of the Leman Russ unto itself as much as it is an upgrade package specifically for the purpose of clearing mines with additions including more dense armour plating and hardpoints to mount the infrastructure to support a mine flail. As such, different patterns of the Leman Russ can be outfitted with the flail but are still colloquially referred to by the moniker of Harvestman for their role in minesweeping. Though this flail can be outfitted on virtually all patterns of the Leman Russ with its different weapon loadouts, the most popular appears to be the use of a non-standard weapon for the platform: the Syrtis pattern autocannon found on Predators and the newly introduced Arvaley Kurov light tank. Since these tanks are not expected to be the ones spearheading attacks, some have removed the main gun altogether. However, this is far from the most popular method of operating this platform, and the majority of tank crews that have adopted the use of a non-standard loadout for the Harvestman: the Syrtis pattern autocannon. Primarily to operate the Harvestman as a vehicle that isn't completely helpless and can still answer enemy fire with their own munitions. This trend toward adopting the lighter pattern of autocannon has the additional benefit of freeing up the use of heavier and specialised weapons and munitions for tanker crews that need them.

## History

The Harvestman is based on a Standard Template Construct (STC) recovered during the tail end of the Crusade and was used to good effect by the Solar Auxilia on various different chassis but was most commonly outfitted on the Leman Russ or Chimaera, but the Leman Russ was more popular for its durability. Testbeds on different chassis and different forms of the flail came in several varieties, but eventually coalesced into a recognisable form that has been adopted into the armoury and motorpool of the Astra Militarum. Trials of the tanks outfitted with the mine-flail would continue on several forge worlds, including Mars, Gryphonne, Carcosa and Tvastar alongside others until performance was deemed satisfactory and formally was designated as 0427-941-1876-LRHM-31 for any Leman Russ outfitted with the mine-flail. The HM in the designation stood for "heavy mine-flail" and was colloquially referred to as the Harvestman by crews who operated it as the very long arms that held the flail reminded its operators of the arachnid with its spindly and long limbs that it uses to capture prey with to maintain a safe distance from it before angling itself to deliver the killing blow safely.

## Capabilities

### Battlefield Role

The use of such vehicles are prevalent on or off the battlefield, clearing minefields ahead of an assault often sees the use of these tanks deployed ahead of the advance of an infantry assault. The front third is heavily armoured and can take more punishment than other forms of the Leman Russ specifically to withstand the damage of mine blasts. Though suited primarily for anti-personnel mines, they can be fielded against anti-tank mines again though its inherently more perilous to do and means less service life from the flail and its arms, though given its relative simplicity, this isn't deemed an issue by the Mechanicum or the operators of the platform.

The most outlandish use of the Harvestman is undoubtedly as part of assault formations against horde armies against orks and the newly-arrived Tyranid menace. Raining fire on the enemy with its light weapons until lines collide and the flails do their work against the grunts levelling themselves toward the vehicles. Off the battlefield, it still maintains its primarily role as a mine-clearing platform in the hands of the Guardsmen that now occupy the world, or a planetary PDF, or even Arbites units might requisition their use for mine-clearing operations. However, especially callous PDF commanders and Arbites who have witnessed the effectiveness of a motorised flail against horde armies have been known to use these tanks an especially grisly means of doing crowd clearing during revolts where dense masses of people take up arms in urban environments might expect to face a line of Harvestmen with their flails engaged.

### Armament

The Harvestman can be outfitted with a number of weapons systems, as the upgrade package fits over any given Leman Russ variant after removing the sponson turrets. Some foregoing even taking a primary gun or even a turret. However, the use of a light gun has been found to be most popular for the assault on known minefields to offer both the tank some measure of defence and to offer the infantry assaulting a position some supporting fire. As such, the use of the Syrtis pattern assault cannon has proved exceptionally popular for this purpose. This has the added benefit of freeing up heavier and more specialised guns for use by other tanker crews who need those weapons. The second most popular choice of main gun on the Harvestman is that of the Demolisher cannon, specifically by siege regiments that favour the use of such heavy guns coupled with the mine clearing capabilities of the chassis, and though not official, this version of the platform lacks an officially recognised name but colloquially have been referred to as the "Scorpion" by its operators. Another variant that has seen limited service use chem cannons like those found on the Banewolf pattern Chimaera, typically also used by siege regiments to douse the enemy with all manner of toxins and has earned the moniker of "Vinegaroon", in keeping with the theme of naming these vehicles for invertebrates and their defence mechanism of the vinegaroon for spitting of toxins. Incidentally, the Vinegaroon appears to be the most popular sub-type of the Harvestman for use on crowd control with less potent chemical and nerve agents on civilians that might get drenched with during revolts and strikes.

### Armour

The frontal armour of the base Leman Russ measures 150 millimetres thick but the addition of the mounting points and plating of the flail can add up to 30 or 40 extra millimetres of plating to the front third of the tank making it more durable and capable a minesweeper. It is virtually indistinguishable from whatever form of the Leman Russ the tank originally was bar the removal of the sponson turrets necessary to mount the mine-flail.

## Known Users

* **Avestan Jezzaliers and Auxiliary Debtors Guard Corps** - Improvised or otherwise purpose built, they are being increasingly ordered both as a mine clearing and improvised anti-horde platform with the flails making a grisly first impression as a melee weapon in itself. This increased use against hordes have made for more specialised variants like the Vinegaroon.