Leman Russ Exterminator?

[DWest]

So I just came into possession of a Leman Russ Exterminator who got fired from Space Wolves employ. When it gets out of its' Simple Green bath, it will be the first model on my Big List of Imperial Guard Who Need Finished. Anyway, my question is this: I have the bits to put the battlecannon on, is it worth making it swappable so I can switch back to the Exterminator autocannon? Or should I just glue the turret back shut and continue using the autocannon assembly as a paperweight?

[Root]

Well it never ever hurts to have options so if you are able to make it interchangible then absolutely take the time and do it. Personally I prefer the battle cannon and always will because a Hydra gives you the same gun as an Exterminator cheaper. That being said one of the guys in my group runs a pair of Exterminators and they tend to make a mockery of everything AV12 and lower.

Bottom line if you can have both do both so you can decide for yourself what you like better.

[Anggul]

I don't really see any point in exterminators, if you want autocannons you take Hydras, which are ridiculously powerful for puny cost. Personally I'd just give it the battle cannon and leave it at that, I really do think exterminators are a waste of time when there's such an awesome gun as a battle cannon to be had.

[Paul]

A Few Things in Defense of the Exterminator:

A hydra has the same TWO guns as the Exterminator. This means that if it moves, it only fires two autocannon shots.

For a better comparison:

Bland hydra, immobile: 4x Autocannon shots, 3x HB shots. Very, very thin armor.

Bland Exterminator, immobile: 4x Autocannon shots, 3x HB shots. Thickest armor in the game.

Bland hydra, moving: 2x Autocannon shots. Armor as above.

Bland Exterminator, moving: 4x Autocannon shots, 3x HB shots. Armor as above.

I know if I was an armor commander looking for a mobile support which one I'd pick!

[Multigeneral]

I would definately make them interchangable. The Exterminator always gets its 4 shot from the ACs even when on the move, and when kitted out with 3 more heavy bolters (and a heavy stubber) its an insame amount of firepower. Not to mention it has WAY better armor than a hydra.

[redeye84]

The Exterminator.. lmao.

A friend of mine made a nasty setup on the Leman Russ Exterminator pattern.

He use Leman Russ Exterminator + Commander Pask + Lascannon hull + Plasma cannon sponson and Heavy Stubber with a plain Battle cannon Leman Russ.

Its nasty.. BS4 Str 8 Twinlinked Autocannon , Str 8 plasma cannon and str 10 lascannon vs Armor and reroll to wound for Montrous Creature. Accompany by a vanila Leman Russ for wound allocation.

He even brag about it at his blog.
http://w40knoob.blogspot.com/2011/06/best-leman-russ-configuration-for.html

[Commander Vimes]

The exterminator is an odd Russ Variant. It really needs to be about 20 points cheaper to be a great choice, but in certainly has a place. It's one advantage over the other sources of Str.7 in the Guard book is its armor, and for AV14 to start scaring an opponent you need a lot of it. One Russ is easily enough for any competent army to handle or ignore. Three Russes in the backfield, outside easy melta range, is very hard to suppress much less destroy.

The problem I see is that the Exterminator lacks versatility. Giving it a pair of plasma-cannon sponsons might help by giving it a role against heavy infantry once light vehicles have been popped, though I haven't tested this.

[DWest]

He use Leman Russ Exterminator + Commander Pask + Lascannon hull + Plasma cannon sponson
This is an intriguing idea, but it showed me a flaw in my plan: whoever glued this Russ together originally must have been shouting "GLUE FOR THE GLUE GODS!" the whole time. It's currently got a Lascannon up front and Bolters on the sides, and trying to change that is pretty well going to wreck the model. So it looks like Battlecannon for this beast, and then it's off to the FLGS for a fresh Russ. And here I thought this hobby was supposed to be *less* expensive than a crippling drug addiction.

Thank you for the feedback everyone, and I hope soon to be able to supply pictures of this model and a few others from my Volistad Irregulars project.

[weeble1000]

I can see the use of an Exterminator and I magnetized all of the turret options (which is way easy to do with the new kit) because you never know. Even so, I haven't ever used it. In my play style, the Leman Russ serves a particular role and popping transports is not it. Guard armies have a wealth of options to pop AV 12 without eating up a valuable heavy support choice.

Frankly, Most of the time I use the plain ol' Leman Russ Battle Tank, no sponsons, hull heavy flamer. Depending on the terrain and the opponent, I like to drop at least one LRBT in a corner and rain down str 8 templates on all of the units my infantry-based autocannons spill out of transports. The LR variants are nifty, but I love the tried and true reliability and flexibility of the standard battle cannon.

[Kawauso]

I'd keep it, swappable, because as people have said, you never know for sure.

I mean, the Battle Cannon is great, and you'll probably use it the majority of the time, but there will be an occasion when you'll want something different.

That's why I like the newer Russ kits - all those options right there, and it's so easy to make them swappable! I didn't even bother with magnets: I just trimmed the axels off the cannon mounts and hold them in place with a bit of blue tack when they're kitted out for a mission. Helps that the hull/sponson weapons just pop in/out of their mounts, as well.

Anyway, case in point for swappable weapons being handy: I know the Nova Cannon isn't great most of the time (i.e. against MEQ armies), but I sure am glad to have the option to swap to it when I play against, say, Eldar. :) Managed to wipe out an entire squad of Guardians once, leaving only their Warlock alive. I mean, I doubt my opponent will underestimate that cannon like that again, but still, it felt pretty damn great!

[w7west]

Doesn't matter just keep that **** sturdy for when your opponent smashes all of your vehicles while you are in the bathroom.

[Tynskel]

I like the exterminator. The tank can move and fire. It also has a weak version of power of the machine spirit, allowing it to almost always fire the turret.

That tank is rugged and will keep on shooting until someone blows the top off, or kills it.