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Leman Russ - The Wolf-Child Comes to Fenris: The primarch of the Space Wolves had landed upon the icy Death World of Fenris, his incubation pod plummeting down into the flank of a vast mountain. Given the harshness of the Fenrisian climate, it is safe to say that a lesser being would have died almost immediately upon his arrival. Emerging from his smoking capsule, the infant Primarch soon encountered a deadly mother Thunderwolf. He was doomed, yet fate, it seemed, had other ideas. Sensing in the feral youth a kindred spirit, the giant she-wolf did not kill the child, but instead raised him alongside her cubs as one of her own. The Imperium's records concerning the Space Wolves' heritage and Russ' origins owe much to the life's work of Gnauril the Elder, a contemporary of the ancient Fenrisian king Thengir. Gnauril's saga, The Ascension of the Wolf-King, tells of one fateful Helwinter, when the feral wolf-child was discovered by a hunting party of Fenrisian tribesmen. In a vicious confrontation, the wolf-mother was slain by their spears and arrows, along with many of her cubs. The Primarch fought with terrible fury, slaying a dozen warriors with naught but his bare hands to protect his two surviving packmates, Freki and Geri.It was then that fate intervened once more. One of the tribesmen at last recognised the Primarch for what he was -- human, not wolf -- and called for his fellow huntsmen to lower their weapons. The bloodied youth stood his ground, fangs bared, but understood their peaceful gesture and stayed his wrath. Unsure quite what to do, the tribesmen brought the young Primarch and his wolf-kin – for he would not be parted from them -- before the court of King Thengir of the Russ tribe. The aging chieftain saw the undeniable potential in the young man and ordered that he be given a place within his household, there to be raised as a true Fenrisian -- as a warrior. Though many were left dumbfounded by the King's decision, time certainly proved Thengir wise.
Leman Russ - Learning To Be Human: Amongst his own kind for the first time, Leman quickly learned their skills, showing a natural aptitude for the way of the warrior. He learned to speak, and mastered their primitive weapons -- iron axes and swords. Though he was quick to roar with laughter or bellow tunelessly in song, the Primarch slowly realized that he was more human than wolf, but far superior to both. When Russ handed the Champion of the King's Guard his battle-axes during their third sparring session after disarming him, Thengir admitted to himself that the young man was destined for greatness. The Primarch soon spoke the Fenrisian dialect of Low Gothic with powerful eloquence, and one evening, King Thengir deemed him worthy to receive a true name. The King named the former wolf-child Leman of the Russ. As the Primarch grew to maturity, he became the greatest of their number by far, leading the tribe's warriors to a thousand victories and more. Upon King Thengir's death, Leman of the Russ took his place upon the throne. So did the Wolf-King become a living legend across Fenris. It was only a matter of time before word of his fame reached the ears of one who desperately sought news of his lost sons.
Leman Russ - A Heroic Rise to Power: Much of what is known of Leman Russ' early years is borne of hearsay and legend as his fame quickly spread throughout the tribes of Fenris. It was said that he was able to turn back whole armies of the King's enemies by himself without a scratch, to tear whole oak trees from the ground and snap them over his back in twain, and to wrestle Fenrisian Mammoths to the ground and roast one whole for his meal that evening. When King Thengir died, there was no question as to who should succeed him as the monarch of the Russ. Therefore, King Leman of the Russ took the throne. In time, his leadership was recognised by all the tribes of the frigid world, for all sought to benefit from his wisdom and extraordinary skill at arms on a world where the weak did not survive for very long.
Leman Russ - The Wolf King: Thus it came to pass that Russ was hailed as king of all Fenris, the "Wolf King," his judgement considered to be as strong as his sword-arm and his authority indisputable. No man nor beast could best the Wolf King. No tribe could stand against his armies. Within Russ' kingdom a truce existed between man and wolf. His court was attended by the fiercest of warlords and the most beautiful of maidens. Tales of his mighty conquests spread like forest fires, and it was not long before the eyes of Terra turned upon his deeds.When the fleets of the Emperor's Great Crusade neared Fenris in 819.M30, they heard tales of Fenris' extraordinary Wolf King. The legend of the Wolf King was quickly identified by the Emperor as the work of one of his missing primarchs, and the Emperor descended to the planet. And so it was that the great, sky-spanning starships of the Emperor travelled to the centre of the sea of stars, settling on the icy world of Fenris scant standard years after Russ' ascension to the throne he had forged by uniting all the fractious tribes of his world.
Leman Russ - Coming of the Emperor: The Emperor, disguised in a long, plain robe and cloaked in psychic runes of disguise and confusion entered the long hall of Russ. Those few natives that were sharp-eyed and sober, as well as the great Fenrisian Wolves, shrunk from this new, powerful presence. Russ refused to pay him homage as the Master of Mankind. The Emperor had known well that proud Russ would never bow to his rule without being beaten in a contest. The Emperor was convinced of his own power, and knew that such a challenge would be as nothing to him.
Leman Russ - Three Challenges: The strange wanderer approached the gnarled wood of the Wolf Throne and its gargantuan occupant, and stood firm, staring hard at where Russ was presiding over the feast. It was then that the stranger offered his challenge. The nature of the contest was for the Wolf King to decide. If he won, the stranger asked for nothing but to be allowed to drink at the right hand of Russ during the feast. Russ demanded that should the wanderer fail, he would serve at the king's behest for a year. Grimly, the stranger accepted. Russ challenged the Emperor to a series of tests. The Wolf King did not wish to spoil a good feast; his first challenge was to an eating competition. The stranger ate well indeed, consuming many times more than the stoutest warriors present without pause. But when he looked up from his plate, Russ had already consumed three entire aurochs. The stranger had lost the first challenge. But the king was enjoying his sport. He realised that the brown-cloaked traveller had the spirit of a Fenrisian. And so he challenged the outlander to a drinking bout. But by the time the wanderer had reached his sixth barrel of strong Fenrisian mead, there was no more to drink. The Wolf King had drained the entire feast dry. Once again the Emperor had lost. The light of anger appeared in the wanderer's eye.Driven by disappointment in his offspring, the wanderer called Leman Russ a drunkard and a glutton, able to achieve nothing more in life than stuffing his face and bellowing hollow boasts. The Wolf King calmly laid down the consequences of his last challenge, and his court backed away as one. The court grew silent, daring not even to breathe as Russ drew his great sword from its scabbard and stepped onto the long banqueting table. For the third challenge Russ boasted he could defeat the Emperor in combat. The Emperor threw away his cloak, the hood falling from his face, his true form revealed. He stood far taller than any man present, swathed in light and clad in baroque golden power armour. This time, the Emperor defeated Russ, felling him with a mighty blow from his Power Glove. When Leman came back to consciousness within the hour, he admitted defeat and with a bloodied smile and a broken fang, he swore fealty to his true father, the Emperor of Mankind.
Leman Russ - The VI Legion and the Great Crusade: Spiriting the great Wolf King away from Fenris, the Emperor began Russ' tutelage in the ways and technology of his star-spanning Imperium. The Primarch's teaching and training went swiftly; it was only a matter of weeks before the Emperor judged Russ worthy of leading his armies in the Great Crusade across the galaxy. Leman Russ was introduced to the warriors of the VI Legion of Space Marines who had been created through the implantation of gene-seed organs that had been grown from his own DNA. And so it came to be that Leman Russ became the father, progenitor and Lord of the newly named Space Wolves Legion of the Legiones Astartes and joined the glorious action of the Great Crusade. He was armed with a thrice-blessed suit of Power Armour and his greatsword was replaced with the legendary Frostblade Mjalnar, whose teeth were torn from the maw of the Great Kraken Gormenjarl and were then used in its forging. Reputably, the blade could cleave the ice mountains of Fenris in half. With his mighty Frostblade, Russ plunged headlong into the fighting at the forefront of every battle, vanquishing all before him. Throughout the long and difficult battles of the Great Crusade, the Space Wolves and their lupine allies drawn from amongst the Fenrisian Wolves were always at the front line. Russ strode at the head of his Legion, slaughtering all who dared stand before him, his coming announced by the howling of the pack.
Leman Russ - The Night of the Wolf: Following the infamous Ghenna Scouring, where an entire planet's population was butchered in a single night, the violent World Eaters Legion were publicly censured by the Emperor and commanded to stop using the dangerous cortical implants known as the Butcher's Nails. Imperial records state that two Primarchs came to Angron, both claiming to have been sent by the Emperor, intending to convince him to stop the dangerous practice. The first arrived soon after Angron joined his Legion after being unwillingly rescued from Nuceria. The second would not come until almost a century later. But by then, it would be too late to stop the tragedy that had already begun to unfold. The Night of the Wolf is a little known incident that occurred shortly after the massacre of the entire planetary population of Ghenna. The Primarch Leman Russ had been charged by the Emperor to take his Space Wolves Legion to Ghenna to bring the World Eaters to heel. The two Legions met at Malkoya, on the fields beyond the dead Ghennan city of that same name. The World Eaters, battered and bleeding from Ghenna's Imperial Compliance campaign, formed ragged lines before the assembled Space Wolves Legion.The Primarchs stood before their hosts, armed and armoured -- Angron awash with blood and carved up by fresh wounds; Leman Russ in resplendent battle-plate the colour of the storms on his tempestuous homeworld of Fenris. In these early years of the Great Crusade, Angron still carried his first axe, the precursor to all others. He called it Widowmaker. It would break this very day, never to be used again. Russ carried Krakenmaw, his immense Chainblade, toothed by some Fenrisian sea-devil from that blighted world's many myths. Angron refused to recognise his brother's authority, and warned the Wolf King to depart before the situation became something that he would regret. But Russ refused to be cowed by the warlike Primarch. He informed Angron that the implantation surgeries must end, for the Emperor Himself had deemed it so. The massacres of newly discovered human worlds were to end with the fall of Ghenna. The World Eaters were to submit to the Space Wolves as their escorts for their Legion's return to Terra. Once they reached the Imperial Palace, everything would be done to remove the parasitic Butcher's Nails implants from the World Eaters' minds. Angron was not amused by Russ' implied threats.No one ever saw who fired the first shot. In the decades after, the World Eaters claimed it came from the Space Wolves' lines, and the Space Wolves claimed the same of the XIIth Legion. Without either Primarch giving an order, the two Space Marine Legions fought. The Night of the Wolf, it was later called. Imperial archives referred to it as the Ghenna Scouring, omitting the moment the World Eaters and Space Wolves drew blood. A source of pride for both Legions, and a source of secret shame. Both claimed victory. But both feared they had actually lost, and in truth, the battle proved bloody but inconclusive. But the World Eaters did not return to Terra, and Angron refused to stop the implantation of his Astartes.
Leman Russ - Horus Heresy: Russ' actions in bringing new worlds into Imperial Compliance met with such rampant success that his conquests led him into the far corners of the galaxy, many light years from the Segmentum Solar. The Space Wolves were not the only Space Marine Legion to be reconciled with their genetic forebear. Gradually, all twenty Primarchs were reunited with the Emperor and went on to lead their own Legion of Space Marines. Many years passed, and thousands of human-settled worlds were brought into the Imperium, but eventually the Golden Age drew to its inevitable end. In an act that would scar the galaxy forever, Russ's brother Primarch Horus, the Warmaster of the Great Crusade and the progenitor of the Luna Wolves Legion as well as the most favoured son of the Emperor, turned from the light and embraced the Ruinous Powers to fulfill his dark ambition of replacing his father upon the throne of Terra. This great schism later known as the Horus Heresy would nearly rend the Imperium apart.The rebellion of Horus tore the Imperium apart at its very birth and set Space Marine against Space Marine as the Primarchs and their Legions sided either for or against the Warmaster. At first, few suspected the heinous evil that had taken root within Horus, and some Legions stood aside from the conflict, unsure of what to do. Horus' trickery and deceit ensnared no less than nine Space Marine Legions, whether by coercion, misdirection or outright corruption. Some of the Legions that sided with Horus did so out of a sense of comradeship with their old Warmaster. It was only later that some had cause to regret their decision, but by then it was too late, for Horus had become corrupted in mind, body and soul. Indeed, Horus had pledged allegiance to the Dark Gods of Chaos in return for powers unimaginable to mortals –- even such mortals as the Primarchs.Despite the treachery of many of his brothers, Leman Russ held true to the oath of fealty he swore to the Emperor on the day they first met. So did the Space Wolves remain fiercely loyal to the Emperor throughout the Horus Heresy. They took part in some of its most renowned actions, but from these dark times, more than ten thousand years ago, come few details of any certainty. It was a time of legends. It was an age of war. Such records as were made have not survived, and only many centuries later did chroniclers begin to describe the bloody events of those days. The Space Wolves, though not present for the closing days of the Heresy during the Battle of Terra, were intertwined in the foundations of the Horus Heresy. It was in the disastrous beginnings of this time that the Sons of Russ began their ages-long blood feud with the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion.
Leman Russ - Siege of Terra: During the final epic battle of the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves were still far from the Throneworld during the Siege of Terra. Knowledge of the imminent arrival of two Loyalist Legions, which included the Space Wolves and the Ultramarines, would inevitably tip the balance in favour of the Loyalists.This pushed Horus at the climax of the Siege of Terra into allowing the Emperor to personally teleport aboard his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit, in orbit over Terra in a desperate gamble to bring the terrible civil war to a swift conclusion. The two Legions arrived just after the battle concluded, with the Warmaster and the Blood Angels' Primarch Sanguinius (killed at the hands of Horus), already dead. The Emperor Himself had been mortally wounded and was later interred within the arcane life support mechanisms of the Golden Throne by Rogal Dorn.
Leman Russ - The Codex Astartes: The Space Wolves were not present during the final battle for Terra that ended the Heresy and doomed the Emperor to a living death in the stasis field of his Golden Throne. Afterwards, Leman Russ was to rage against the events that had kept him from his beloved sire. With the permanent enthronement of the Emperor came a different age for Mankind. The Primarchs were warriors, generals and leaders of men, not bureaucrats and politicians, so the responsibility of ruling the Imperium in the Emperor's name passed to the High Lords of Terra.Both the High Lords and the surviving Primarchs dreaded the resurgence of Chaos. Many worlds were purged during a time of great retribution known as the Scouring. Throughout the galaxy, the tainted were sought out and destroyed. Never again could the Imperium tolerate the possibility of Space Marine armies falling under the influence of an enemy of Mankind. In accordance with the Ultramarines' Primarch Roboute Guilliman's seminal treatise, the Codex Astartes, the original Space Marine Legions were broken up into smaller 1,000-man Chapters and a code was drawn up to redefine their role and jurisdiction within the Imperium. Before the Heresy, a Legion had numbered Space Marines in their tens of thousands; under the new order each Chapter's size was limited to ten companies of approximately one hundred battle-brothers. The Legions still loyal to the Emperor would live on as "First Founding" Chapters, keeping their original names, colours and iconography. The remaining Space Marines from each loyalist Legion were then reorganised into a number of new Chapters. In each case, these Second Founding Chapters all shared a genetic brotherhood with their First Founding Chapter and their Primarch.The Space Wolves were officially divided only once, creating the ill-fated Wolf Brothers Chapter. Leman Russ cared little for formal military organisation and tactics, ever relying on the strength and courage of his warriors to win the day. He had no intention of breaking apart his mighty Legion further in accordance with his brother's wishes. Though Guilliman ostensibly agreed to the Space Wolves retaining their twelve remaining Great Companies, each one still comprised many hundreds of Space Wolves and led by a Captain called a Wolf Lord, for the Wolf-King would have them fight in the manner of the native tribes of Fenris –- as an army of battle-hungry warriors, not a small contingent of disciplined and well-ordered troops. In this way the Space Wolves retained their original size and power in a way matched by no other Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Thus did the Space Wolves largely ignore the Codex Astartes, instead holding to the teachings of Russ, which still define their fighting methods to this day.
Leman Russ - The Wolf-Kin of Russ: Known as Freki the Swift and Geri the Cunning, the Hearth Wolves of the King, this pair of massive Fenrisian Wolves were said to be companions of the Wolf King from his earliest days as a foundling upon the bleak desolation of Fenris.These two creatures were beasts of prodigious size, formidable intelligence and a physical power that beggared belief in purely "natural" creatures of their type. The guardians of the Wolf King's hearth, from time to time when he called they followed alongside him into battle, becoming a potent symbol to the Space Wolves.They had come to symbolise not only their own savage natures but their spiritual connection to cold death itself.Both long followed their bellicose master onto countless battlefields as friends and protective bodyguards and keen watchers, and proved themselves more than capable of ripping apart their hated foes with their inhumanly powerful jaws and claws.
Leman Russ - Varagyr Wolf Guard: The Varagyr were the chosen warriors of Leman Russ, hand-picked from his own Great Company to form his personal guard and close companions in war and council. To have attained such a rank and position, each had distinguished themselves in battle many times over, and each had forged their own saga worth the telling.More so than any other of Russ' sons, they were the wolves of his pack, marked by the great beast pelt which adorned their armour. To adopt this honour meant more than simply to walk in the Wolf King's shadow and lay down one's life for him if need be.It meant that at least for a time one had foregone the chance to lead one's brothers in battle, to watch while others struck, to stand fast and not seek out the glory of battle save when the lord of the Space Wolves commanded. When such coldly withheld fury was unleashed, however, it fell like a thunderbolt against the foe.The charge of the Varagyr was terrible to behold, a tide of armour-clad, beast skin-draped hulks propelled by superhuman strength and inhuman ferocity.Given sufficient momentum to aid their charge, the Varagyr struck their foes like cannon shells, crushing and killing their enemies before even their fearsome blades struck.Though all served the Wolf King faithfully and with fealty as his Honour Guard, the Varagyr also took great satisfaction in showing their superiority over the petty lords and champions of those they slew, vying to honour their master with the trophies of the slain justly anointed in the blood of the vanquished in the hopes of making a tale worth the telling.
Leman Russ - Wargear: Armour of Elavagar - The warplate of Leman Russ was a suit of unique Artificer Armour whose origins can be tracked back to the mysterious period of bitter warfare which shrouds much of the Legion's history in the decades after the Primarch took over the VI Legion. It is accounted for now within the Space Wolves Chapter's chronicles by obscure metaphor and strange and macabre allegories impenetrable to outsiders. Within its shell were strange exothermic field generators, otherwise unknown of in the Imperium's arsenal of technology. These devices bleed energy, specifically heat and kinetic potential from their surroundings when triggered, with the effect of creating an aura of murderous chill around the Primarch at will. It is this effect which gave the armour its name to the Fenrisians -- Elavagar -- a wave of killing frost.Mjalnar, the Sword of Balenight - A weapon of truly ancient mystery, the sword of Russ has gone by many names. To the Remembrancers of the Great Crusade, it is called Balenight -- a name itself a commonplace derivation of the High Terran Maledica Nocterum-- a dark legend carried during the Age of Strife where it passed through the hands of warlords and tyrants. But to the Wolves of Fenris it has always been Mjalnar -- the Fang of the Wolf King -- taken in battle as a blood-brought prize of victory. Ultimately,  Balenight is a power sword of unknown origin, a thing of terror and blood against which no armour can stand as the sword's sliver-white blade inexplicably darkens as it kills, first to the deep red of heart's blood, and then to a fathomless, glittering black.Axe of Helwinter - Russ' favoured axe, though less strange and potent than his darkly fabled blade, was no less a weapon of great beauty and lethality. It was a Frost Axe, a prince amongst its kind, its edge made with the kraken-teeth of the mighty beast which gave the axe its name; a legendary menace slain by Russ himself before the coming of the Emperor to Fenris. Its murderous edge was further amplified by a disruption field generator which was a masterwork in its own right, so that a well-placed blow could split the armour plate of a battle tank.Scornspitter - Once simply a Space Marine Legion Bolter, Scornspitter had been re-worked by no lesser hand than the Salamanders' Primarch Vulkan to form an outsized but perfectly balanced pistol suitable for the hands of the Wolf King. Though Russ and his Legion often stood apart from their fellows during the Great Crusade, this gift was one of honour, given after the two Primarchs' Legions fought the bitter campaign at San Katos together, and Russ held it and its giver in high regard.Frag Grenades
Leman Russ - The Great Wolf (Novella) - Leman Russ - The Great Wolf (Novella): Leman Russ - The Great Wolf is the second novella in the Primarchs series. The novella was released in limited-edition hardback, and later as a non-limited release on January 17, 2017.
Leman Russ - The Great Wolf (Novella) - Synopsis: Many are the sagas of Leman Russ, Lord of Winter and War, most fearsome of the Emperor's Primarch sons. At the height of the Great Crusade, his Space Wolves fight to bring the rebel world of Dulan to Compliance. Enraged by the defiance of the tyrant Durath, Russ has pledged to strike him down personally –- but his brother Lion El'Jonson of the Dark Angels advises more caution. With the might of two Legions arrayed against Durath, tensions nevertheless run high, and the rivalry between the Wolf and the Lion threatens to engulf them all.
Leman Russ Annihilator - Leman Russ Annihilator: The Leman Russ Annihilator is a variant of the Imperial Guard's primary main battle tank, the Leman Russ. The Leman Russ is named after the Primarch of the Space Wolves Space Marines Chapter, Leman Russ, and is one of the most common armoured vehicles used by the Imperium of Man. The Leman Russ Annihilator variant differs from the standard pattern Leman Russ in that its main weapon is a set of Twin-linked Lascannons, as opposed to the standard Battle Cannon.The Leman Russ Annihilator is an uncommon variant of the Leman Russ and is not widely fielded by many Imperial Guard Regiments. The Leman Russ Annihilator is slowly becoming a more popular choice for the Imperial Guard's tank-hunting needs than the Leman Russ Vanquisher, as the ability to manufacture the Vanquisher's long-barrelled Vanquisher Cannon in slowly being lost to the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Leman Russ Annihilator's name is taken from the Space Marine Predator Annihilator tank, which is also equipped with Twin-linked Lascannons.The Leman Russ Annihilator is becoming very popular on battlefields with a high armour attrition rate, as the Leman Russ Vanquisher is too costly to lose in large numbers. Imperial Guard regiments such as the Death Korps of Krieg and the Tekarn Armoured Forces are now deploying Annihilators in high numbers, and as such the Forge Worlds of Mars, Ryza, and Accatran are manufacturing Annihilators in ever-growing numbers.
Leman Russ Annihilator - Armament: The Leman Russ Annihilator is equipped with a set of turret-mounted Twin-linked Lascannons. The weapon's firepower allows the tank to penetrate even the thickest of enemy armour. The power cells for the Lascannons are stored where the shells for the tank's original Battle Cannon were once kept, and thus no extra space is taken up by the large cells. The tank is also equipped with a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter or Lascannon.The Leman Russ Annihilator, like all Leman Russ variants, can be equipped with two sponson mounts, one on each side. The most common configuration for the sponson-mount is 2 Heavy Bolters or 2 Heavy Flamers. Leman Russ tanks that are a part of an unusually well-equipped armoured regiment sometimes have 2 Multi-Meltas or 2 Plasma Cannons as their sponson weapons.The tank can also be equipped with camouflage netting, extra armour plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a mine sweeper, a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, track guards, a searchlight, rough terrain modifications, a dozer blade, and smoke launchers.
Leman Russ Annihilator - Notable Users of the Leman Russ Annihilator: Imperial Guard - The Leman Russ Annihilator is used by the Imperial Guard as a powerful anti-armour tank. As the STC designs used to construct the powerful Vanquisher Cannon were lost, the Annihilator is slowly becoming a more common sight on the battlefield.Planetary Defence Forces - The Leman Russ Annihilator is used by several Planetary Defence Forces stationed on important, well-equipped Imperial worlds, such as Cadia, Armageddon, or Krieg.The Lost and the Damned - The Lost and the Damned is the name collectively given to the multitude of beings that have turned to Chaos over the millennia, the vast majority of whom are the ordinary mortals who fight for Chaos. They are not a single coherent force, but rather a diverse and infinite collection of war-bands and hosts under the leadership of Chaos Champions. These forces take their weapons and vehicles with them, and as many of them were former members of the Imperial Guard or Planetary Defence Forces, they make use of an unknown number of Leman Russ Annihilator tanks.The Death Korps of Krieg - Due to the Death Korps of Krieg's tendency to throw everything it has against its enemies, the attrition rate of both men and vehicles is extremely high. As the Vanquisher Cannon becomes more and more difficult to produce, the Death Korps has started deploying larger numbers of Annihilators in the Leman Russ Vanquisher's place.The Tekarn Armoured Forces - The Leman Russ Annihilator variant is an extremely powerful tank-hunter, and the Tekarn Armoured forces deploy them in great numbers when needed.19th Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment - Fought against the Traitor forces during the Siege of Vraks158th Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment - Fought against the Traitor forces during the Siege of Vraks88th Death Korps of Krieg Army Regiment - Fought against the Traitor forces during the Siege of Vraks
Leman Russ Annihilator - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: TankMars Pattern Leman Russ AnnihilatorVehicle Name:Leman Russ AnnihilatorMain Armament:Twin-linked LascannonsForge World of Origin:MarsSecondary Armament:Hull-mounted Lascannon or Heavy BolterKnown Patterns:II - VITraverse:360 degreesCrew:1 Commander, 1 Driver, 1 Main Gunner, 1 Loader, 2 Sponson Gunners (if sponsons are attached)Elevation:-8 to 26 degreesPowerplant:HL230 v12 Multi-FuelMain Ammunition:UnlimitedWeight:58 TonnesSecondary Ammunition:Unlimited or 600 RoundsLength:7.08 metresArmour:Width:4.86 metresHeight:4.42 metresSuperstructure:180 millimetresGround Clearance:0.45 metresHull:150 millimetresMax Speed On-Road:40 kilometres per hourGun Mantlet:100 millimetresMax Speed Off-Road:24 kilometres per hourVehicle Designation:0198-561-6730-MG42Transport Capacity:N/AFiring Ports:N/AAccess Points:Top HatchTurret:200 millimetres
Leman Russ Annihilator - Also See: Vehicles of the Imperial GuardLeman Russ Tank
Leman Russ Annihilator - Sources: Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard (Second Edition), pp. 47-50, 247, 250, 254, 267Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One, pp. 120-124Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two, pp. 37, 46-47, 185Imperial Armour Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus, pp. 45, 197, 203Imperial Armour Apocalypse II, pg. 6Forge World - Death Korps of Krieg, Mars Alpha Pattern Leman Russ AnnihilatorForge World - Modified Ryza Pattern Leman Russ Annihilator Turret
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Leman Russ Battle Tank: The Leman Russ Battle Tank is the primary main battle tank of the Astra Militarum, and is also the most widely deployed tank in the Imperium. This medium tank is named after the primarch of the Space Wolves, Leman Russ. Far from a sophisticated vehicle, the Leman Russ was designed and built with reliability and versatility in mind. It can survive the worst the galaxy can throw at it, and can run on almost any combustible liquid fuel.Though the Leman Russ is slow, its frontal armour is strong enough to withstand the multitude of weaponry wielded by the enemies of the Emperor of Mankind. Its side and rear armour remains thinner to reduce the strain on the tank's engines. This characteristic does make the Leman Russ vulnerable to assault from these angles, requiring infantry support, other tanks or very careful operation to protect the vehicle. The Leman Russ can only perform to its optimum capabilities when all of these elements are combined during an Imperial armoured advance.The Leman Russ main battle tank is an ironclad declaration of might made manifest. They are the mainstay of the Astra Militarum's armoured forces, lumbering slabs of armour and intolerance whose inexorable advance has ground a billion foes of the Imperium to bloody ruin.What the Leman Russ lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in brute force and survivability. Enemy fire patters from its inches-thick armour like dust on the wind. Between its sponsons, hull and turret the Russ carries enough firepower to pound almost any foe into submission. The tank’s rugged simplicity and ease of manufacture ensures that the Imperium can field whole companies of Leman Russ with ease, burying the outnumbered foe beneath waves of irresistible armoured fury.Dedicated Leman Russ tank companies play a key role in Imperial strategy, and the greatest Imperial tank offensives will see armoured formations many kilometres in breadth sweep all before them in a rumbling tide. However, it is common to see armoured companies broken into squadrons to support infantry and artillery elements in the field.The presence of even one Leman Russ can provide an enormous boost to the fighting strength and morale of Imperial Guard infantry, while a whole squadron of such armoured brutes wields serious destructive power. Leman Russ squadrons can be deployed to spearhead an all-out offensive, reduce an enemy breakthrough to a tangle of blood-soaked wreckage, or safeguard the thundering guns of an artillery company from attack. With its many common variants, the Leman Russ is a versatile and deadly tool in the arsenal of any Imperial Guard commander.The Leman Russ is crewed by a minimum of four crewmen, including a commander, gunner, loader and driver. Side sponson weapons may be added, each of which requires an additional crew member to operate. The Leman Russ is simple to operate, but very loud and uncomfortable for its crew. Due to the noise, intravehicle communication is only viable by an enclosed intercom system, with the commander having access to an external Vox-caster.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - History: The Leman Russ battle tank was first developed at some point during the Dark Age of Technology, but by the end of the Age of Strife no traces of it remained.It was only during the Great Crusade that its STC-template was rediscovered by the VI Legion of the  Legiones Astartes, the Space Wolves, on the xenos-dominated Hive World of Nova Borilia. As they had been led by their Primarch, the great Leman Russ, the Mechanicum of Mars chose to honor the Space Wolves by naming the newly discovered battle tank after their gene-sire.The Leman Russ battle tank proved to be a reliable and proven armoured vehicle named after the Primarch in honour of his savage ferocity in war. Numerous sub-patterns mounted a wide array of weapons in service of the elite Solar Auxilia were often enhanced to the "Solar" pattern, fitted with supplementary survival and exploration systems.Leman Russ tanks in Auxilia strike squadrons were fitted with extended fuel reserves and their engines enhanced with forced induction chargers. These combined to increase the tanks' speed and operational range substantially, allowing them to make wide flanking advances in order to engage an enemy at the moment the infantry sections launched their own attack.Leman Russ assault squadrons consisted of heavily armoured variants of the Solar pattern -- re-configured for direct assault against fortified enemies. They lacked the speed of the strike Russ squadrons but were formidably durable.Their main weapons were comparatively short ranged in relation to the artillery batteries, but they were used in a direct assault role or in close support of the Infantry Tercios, in particular those mounted in Dracosan Armoured Carriers.The Plasma Destroyer mounted on the Executioner and the volkite demi-culverin with which the Incinerator was armed, were rare and highly prized weapons more commonly seen on the war machines of the Legiones Astartes, and they had to be painstakingly calibrated and intensively ministered to by Tech-Priests assigned to the cohort to ensure their continued operation.In the 41st Millennium, the Leman Russ tank is the mainstay of most Imperial Guard armoured regiments and is produced by the millions in Forge Worlds and Hive World manufactorums across the galaxy. The tank is also used by many other Imperial forces such as Planetary Defence Forces and the Adeptus Arbites.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Capabilities: The Leman Russ seems to be a crude, slow, and poorly-designed tank, but it is an excellent benchmark for the abilities and advanced nature of Imperial technology. Despite being famed for its simplicity and reliability, the Leman Russ is an extremely complex and advanced main battle tank.The tank's frontal armour is 150 millimetres thick, meaning it can withstand all but the most dedicated anti-tank weaponry, yet its side armour is much thinner. With a range of 105 Terran miles on just 360 gallons of fuel, a feature the later Land Raider would also possess, the Leman Russ can accept almost any sort of combustible fuel.Though its top speed is a mere 29 kilometres/hour, this is mostly because of extremely heavy governing of the tank's engine, as a properly tuned Leman Russ can reach speeds in excess of 70 kilometres/hour.The Leman Russ is also noted for its ability to turn on a dime, and its ability to reverse direction in only seconds remains a "signature move" for the vehicle. The Russ is equipped with a variety of high-tech scanners and Auspex systems, plus inertial dampening technology designed to provide better stability for the firing of the tank's main weapon.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Armament: The basic and most common armament of the Leman Russ tank is a turret-mounted Battle Cannon and a hull-mounted Heavy Bolter. Alternatively, a Lascannon can be mounted on the tank's hull instead of the Heavy Bolter.The Leman Russ can be equipped with two sponson mounts, one on each side. The most common configuration for the sponson-mount is 2 Heavy Bolters or 2 Heavy Flamers. Leman Russ tanks that are a part of a well-equipped armoured regiment sometimes have 2 Multi-Meltas or 2 Plasma Cannons as their sponson weapons.The tank can also be equipped with Camouflage Netting, Extra Armour Plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a mine sweeper, a Pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, a Searchlight, track guards, rough terrain modifications, a Dozer Blade, and Smoke Launchers.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Notable Formations: Emperor's Fist Tank Company - An Emperor's Fist Tank Company is an armoured company consisting of three squadrons of Leman Russ main battle tanks of any type, and a single Formation Leader. The three squadrons must each consist of three Leman Russ tanks, of any type. This powerful phalanx of armour makes the perfect hammer for the Imperium's forge of war.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Notable Users of the Leman Russ Tank: Solar Auxilia - The Leman Russ was the mainstay of the elite Solar Auxilia during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the 30th and early 31st Millennium.Astra Militarum - The Leman Russ is the basic and most common battle tank of the Imperial Guard, and is the mainstay of nearly all Imperial armoured regiments and companies.Planetary Defence Forces - The Leman Russ is used by many Planetary Defence Forces stationed on Imperial worlds.Adeptus Arbites - The Precincts of the Adeptus Arbites will sometimes have a small number of Leman Russ tanks at their disposal, though these vehicles are usually ancient and rarely, if ever, see any action.Lost and the Damned - The Lost and the Damned is the name collectively given to the multitude of beings that have turned to Chaos over the millennia, the vast majority of whom are the ordinary mortals who fight for Chaos. They are not a single coherent force, but rather a diverse and infinite collection of warbands and hosts under the leadership of Chaos Champions. These forces take their weapons and vehicles with them, and as many of them were former members of the Imperial Guard or Planetary Defence Forces, they make use of an uncountable number of Leman Russ tanks.17th Tallarn Regiment - Fought during the Taros Campaign against the T'au.12th Tallarn Armoured Regiment - Fought against the Tau during the Taros Campaign3rd Tallarn Armoured Regiment - Fought during the Taros Campaign against the Tau61st Death Korps of Krieg Tank Regiment - Fought against the Traitor forces during the Siege of VraksVraksian Traitor Militia - Fought against the Loyalist forces during the Siege of Vraks261st Imperial Guard Siege Regiment - Fought against Traitor forces during the Siege of Vraks7th Death Korps of Krieg Tank Regiment - Fought against Traitor forces during the Siege of VraksTyrant's Legion - Fought against Loyalist forces during the Badab War14th Vaust Regiment - Aided the defence of Betalis III against the Asuryani of Craftworld Mymeara6th Cadian Armoured Regiment - Fought during the defence of Betalis III against the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara412th Cadian Regiment - Fought against Eldar, Ork, and Necron forces on the planet of Lorn V1st Kronus Regiment - Fought against enemy forces during the Dark Crusade252nd Kauravan Conservator Regiment - Fought during the defence of the Kaurava System against enemy forces85th Vendoland - Fought during the Second Aurelian Crusade against the forces of Chaos14th Phyressian Armoured Regiment12th Vellurian Armoured Cavalry Regiment113th Mortant Armoured RegimentArmageddon Steel Legion - Fought during the Third War for Armageddon against the Orks22nd Death Korps of Krieg Armoured Regiment13th Valstadt Armoured Regiment - Fought during the Lammas Campaign
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Derivatives: The Leman Russ chassis is the basis for many other Imperial armoured vehicles, including the:Destroyer Tank Hunter - Tank HunterThunderer Siege Tank - Short-range ArtilleryAtlas - Recovery TankBombard - Heavy Short-range Artillery
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Patterns: There are several different Leman Russ patterns used by the Imperium. Many of these differences between them are only cosmetic, but several offer increased interior room, better performance, or increased armour.Mars-Alpha- The Mars-Alpha Pattern Leman Russ has a slightly larger chassis interior than any other pattern. The Mars-Alpha Pattern is commonly used for Leman Russ tanks that serve as squadron or regimental command vehicles, as the extra space allows for the installation of more powerful communications equipment and provides more room for a command staff.PhaetonRyzaSolar - An ancient variant pattern, the "Solar" pattern was primarily utilised by the elite Solar Auxilia Cohorts of the Imperialis Auxilia. These Leman Russ tanks were retrofitted with supplementary survival and exploration systems. Sometimes they were fitted with extended fuel reserves and their engines were enhanced with forced induction chargers for increased operational range.Gryphonne IVStygies VII
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Variants: The Leman Russ tank can exchange its main weapon for a different weapon which changes the tank's formal designation and tactical battlefield role. These variants include:
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Annihilator: The uncommon Leman Russ Annihilator variant replaces the standard tank's Battle Cannon with a pair of Twin-linked Lascannons. This is similar to the identically-designated Predator Annihilator tank of the Space Marines from which this variant of the Leman Russ takes its name.This change requires the addition of extra power-cells inside the tank, but these use the space saved by the fact that the Battle Cannon's ammunition no longer needs to be stored. The Annihilator's twin Lascannons turn this variant into a true tank-hunter and it is in this role that the tank excels.Of course, such sophisticated tactical planning is not regarded as important by the Death Korps of Krieg Imperial Guard regiments that have been the most common users of this variant of the Leman Russ. As such, where other regiments would regard this tank-hunter as a defensive weapon, the Death Korps uses them as offensive weapons to be thrown into the open assault across no-man's land during a planetary siege.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Conqueror: One of the less common Leman Russ variants, the Leman Russ Conqueror is only produced in any significant quantities on the Forge World of Gryphonne IV, where the Standard Template Construct plans for the design were originally rediscovered. Armed with the Conqueror Cannon, as opposed to the standard Battle Cannon, the Conqueror sacrifices outright destructive power in exchange for improved mobility and accuracy whilst firing on the move.The Leman Russ Conqueror comes standard with co-axial mounted Storm Bolters and searchlights, removing the need to expose a crew member to fend off oncoming enemy infantry. The back of the turret houses an armoured ammunition access hatch, making re-arming the tank quick and easy. This hatch is also used to dispose of spent Conqueror Cannon shells.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Demolisher: One of the most common Leman Russ variants, the Leman Russ Demolisher is equipped with the Demolisher Cannon, and is designed as a short-range bombardment and line-breaker tank. The extreme power of this weapon is hampered by its short effective range.Demolishers are valued as close heavy fire support vehicles by the Imperial Guard's infantry units, and it is the most common variant of the Leman Russ that is equipped with Plasma Cannons and Multi-Meltas on its sponson mounts in order to make them more effective against heavily armoured units.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Executioner: A variant now produced only on the Forge World of Ryza, the Leman Russ Executioner is armed with the Plasma Destroyer, a slightly more powerful version of the Plasma Cannon. A poorly understood and temperamental weapon, the Plasma Destroyer is often criticised for its high power requirements, limiting the tank's effectiveness in extended engagements.The turret features emergency vents, heat shielding and coolant to both protect the crew and the weapon itself from damage should a plasma containment field failure occur. However, due to bad design, the coolant feed lines run outside the turret, and are prone to damage, rendering the emergency systems less than reliable. Crews dislike being made to work in the Executioner, and are prone to bailing out at the first sign of trouble.Crews who willingly command these tanks are often seen as foolhardy, extremely brave, or insane. However, those crews who do stick to their tanks are among the best tank-killers in the Imperium, able to take out even the most heavily armoured tanks and buildings due to their powerful main gun. When the tank takes too much damage, the plasma containment field for the main gun can short out, releasing an expanding shock-wave of energy that can incinerate any infantry close to the vehicle.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Eradicator: A simple, destructive vehicle, the Leman Russ Eradicator was instrumental in the urban conflict on Khai-Zhan. Its main weapon, the Eradicator Nova Cannon, gained a fearsome reputation as a powerful anti-infantry weapon. The weapon's heavy, high-calibre ballistic shells are capable of destroying both enemy barricades and any infantry sheltering behind them with a highly volatile sub-atomic charge.This makes the Eradicator extremely effective in cities, jungles or other dense terrain. With a blast radius close to that of the Demolisher Cannon, but possessed of a longer range, the Eradicator Nova Cannon can effectively clear buildings of enemy infantry before they can even get a shot off.
Leman Russ Battle Tank - Exterminator: The infrequently seen Leman Russ Exterminator variant is armed with turret-mounted Twin-linked Autocannons and is generally deployed in an anti-infantry role. Sometimes the Exterminator is also utilised as a stop-gap measure for anti-air defence due to its rapid firing speed.It is especially effective against lightly armoured horde armies such as the Orks or Tyranids, and when the tank is equipped with all anti-infantry weaponry, such as Heavy Bolters, it is capable of laying down a withering hail of ballistic fire. While the Twin-linked Autocannons have recoil dampeners they lack a muzzle brake or flash suppressor. The Exterminator is unique in that it is also used in small numbers by the Space Wolves, making it the only Leman Russ variant fielded by any Space Marine Chapter.