Alternative Leman Russ Model

[NonSequitur]

This is as good as place as any to post this. I remember a while back a couple of people voiced their opinion that they would like to have an alternative to the standard Leman Russ, Tom I believe was one of them. This was about the time that the hoax Leman Russ pictures were floating around on-line.

Well here is a company out of German/England founded by a former quality control manager at Games Workshop who decided to create his own company and raise the bar for 28mm miniatures. His first project is the Mortian Heavy Battletank which has a striking resemblance to Forge World's Macharius tank and Forge Worlds Leman Russ turrets .











Its only a few centimeters larger than the Leman Russ and has a more realistic suspension on it. It would fit in with any Imperial Guard army and has several different main gun options, including short barrel, long barrel, double auto cannon, double laser, a siege cannon, and a "plasma" cannon all included with the set. It also comes with sponsons that can fulfill the heavy bolter and heavy flamer roles as well as what looks to be twin-linked heavy stubber equivalents. Basically, it can fulfill all of the Forge World Leman Russ tanks in one kit. It is however rather expensive, about 15 GBP more than equivalent Forge World models, so 54 GBP. Still it looks well worth the price and it might yet come down in price as the company gets established, it is apparently their first model.

I definatly like it better than the Games Workshop model, but it would just be too expensive to replace my exisiting Leman Russes, even though this model is far superior.

Here are some links for those who would like to learn more about it:
www.brueckenkopf-online.com/?p=3679
gwfwmort.bplaced.net/web1/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=1&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2&lang=en#

[ddaypunk06]

Badass...thats all I can say. I'm sure you could rig up bits on it to make it a bit more IG too. Would look nice.

[Leudast1215]

I've decided I'm going to acquire these over GW plastics (even with new plastic versions on the horizon) because this is downright superior to both GW and Forgeworld.

[NonSequitur]

I'm glad you liked it . It is a very nice find, the guy has a section of his gallery showing some possible future projects, some are better than others, some show some real promise.
Heres a link:
gwfwmort.bplaced.net/web1/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&gid=1&Itemid=3&lang=en

Eventually, he plans on adding infantry and up grade kits. He also seems to be working on a modular building system that isn't as Gothic as GW's is, as well as a Tau inspired line. Definitely a site to watch.

[Leudast1215]

I'll have to check back in several months to see if anything comes of his R&D. I want the self propelled artillery and obvious Stug. III inspired assault gun.

Btw, while expensive, it's cheapter than FW because the product is priced in Euros, not British Pounds. The Euro price also includes the tax, so it's practically the same price as a DKOK FW Leman Russ. Over-all you're looking at about $70 for each tank from the Euro and, gee, about $70 from the British Pound FW DKOK Leman russ!

I agree that it's probably impractical, if not unnessary, to replace all your Leman Russes with this bad boy. Acquiring one, however, may provide a nice center-piece to paint up above-and-beyond for a tank centered army like yours. If you want one, tell me quick, cause I'll probably be ordering all my stuff May 3.

I think I'll wind up getting 3 of these guys in total. A Vanquisher w/ Pask to kill tanks, an Executioner (the plasma one) and whatever else strikes my fancy. Although given I've abandoned the Grenadiers list I had in mind, maybe I'll ppp in a 4th for good measure because I can sink so many points into IG tanks that I can build a high point army with relative ease and still have room left for two full Infantry Platoons ($140 for 100 DKOK Guardsman is a steal).

Speaking of which, I'm very tempted to incorporate a FW Chaos Renegades Command Squad into my army to lead an out-flanking platoon of infantry and buy a few conversion packs to turn my IG into cultists. They just look so frickin' sweet and fit the theme of gas mask wearing guys well. Maybe they can 'count-as' Veterans or something? Or should I go the full monty and pick up a nice Chaos Leader? I'm looking at the Warhammer Warriors of Chaos guy mounted on the robot-rhino or the new FW Chaos character.

Input is appreciated!

[NonSequitur]

I missed that it was in Euros, good catch. Personaly I'd rather get a GW Baneblade, even though that is so cliche by now , rather than one of these tanks, just because it would fill an extra role in Apocolypse battles that this tank would not, but thanks for the offer. I like unity in my army, so it would feel weird having one or two tanks that didn't match .

If you are going to have some renegades, might as well go all renagade while your at it. It will be more expensive if you went all forgeworld, but I think you could get similar heads from pig iron or where ever else you choose to look to keep price down. In ~6 months there will be a tide fo gaurdsmen flooding ebay for cheap as people who only started up because of the hype lose interest, and they just be begging to be fixed up with new heads and accesories to be used as traitors, if your interested.

Renagades would just seem out of place besides DKoK minis, they are suposed to be the most suicidaly devout and stubbernly loyal Guardsmen in the galaxy, they kill traitors, not join them. I guess you could always pick up some spiky stuff and make the DKoK look like a renagade force, but it sounds overly complicated.

Mabey just a cultist-like force, like a penal legion theamed platoon (not the new squad choice but a real platoon, compleat with human-bombs "demo charges", commissars [no feeling sorry for those executions] and fresh meat for the grinder "conscripts"), you know like the Krieg are forcing these pathetic worms to die for the Emperor to pay for their crimes, would be cool, you could even find an old Schafer model if you wanted, he has a very similar weapon kit and stat line to Al Rahime or whatever his name is.

Either way, total renagade army or just a theamed platoon (renagade or penal), I would have to say it is interesting. Not something maybe I would do, but definatly a army I would like to play against and see painted and massed on the field and everything.

By the way, the money went through on Paypal so I will order the Shadowswords tonight ;D. Everyone still wants Shadowswords right? The guy does also have Baneblades. If no one says other wise, I'll make the purchase around nineish tonight. It should be in by no latter than Friday next week. Then we can work around how to get you guys the tanks.

[Leudast1215]

Nah I'm cool with the Shadowsword but thanks.

I'm not terribly interested in acquiring Cadian minis on the cheap from ebay because they'll all be painted and the FW conversion kits (they're NOT full models) only need plastic Cadian legs to round them out. Therefore, it be cheaper and more sensible to just buy Cadian legs as bits if I wanted to go the full monty.

Which I cannot, because it's a lot more expensive then the DKOK minis .

Oh well... I have to come to a decision on this quickly cause now I have images of converting up zombies/skeletons/ and AOBR minis to decorate the tanks from the website you posted.

I mean, how sweet would FW Renegades look converted to ride Dark Elf Cold Ones?

The Chaos gods are tempting me...............

Oh and no spiky bits. I would never deface the beauty of DKOK minis like that. In fact, no spiky bits at all because they look lame and they snap.

Although my first "scene" conversion was half-baked at best (he's being re-modeled to fly now), I've discovered I enjoy converting and want to make more scene stuff. Thus the idea of having a tank heavy army with a good platform like these tanks opens itself to people fighting on it, bodies being strapped to it, etc...

I wonder if I can model an AOBR Marine being trampled by this tank....

[Andrew]

I'd also like a baneblade yes, but I'm fine with the shadowsword for now.

[NonSequitur]

Hmmm... If your still interested in a Baneblade over the summer and this guy keeps posting sets of three and if we could find a third person, well, I'd be game. Just need half the money up front, then I would order it. I just need to get working over the summer to refill my pockets , I needs money . We'll have to see about it. Assuming Tom's fine, Shadowswords within a week or so ;D.

On a different note, is anyone else having the forum refreshing like its trying to induce a seizure? I have to tell it to stop loading the page when I come on. I use Internet Explorer and I have a nagging suspicion that it may be stupid IE problems more than anything else . It dosen't seem to do it after I log in though, wierd .

[Andrew]

Yea when you're logged in your fine. I never have problems.

[NonSequitur]

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate the world, I hate paypal . So I transered money to the paypal account and then paypal has decided to transer the money twice because I was 81 cents short and apparently paypal can't just transfer an extra 81 cents no it has to transfer a whole $215.81 all over again. CURSE YOU INTERWEB!!!! So I had to arange for my parents to get extra money into the bank account so paypal can transfer the money I already transfered to it plus the 81 cents I didn't transfer because I am willing to bet that the $215.00 don't get back to bank in time. Arrg, well it will all work out in the end, I'm just going INSANE right now. By the way, it works out to $72.00 a piece if we split it exactly three ways. If you guys would be willing to throw in $2-3 extra bucks for my time, nerve wrakingness, and servicies, well that would be great. Thanks in advance.

See you guys tomorrow!

[Andrew]

Indeedy. I had something like that happen once. Got it all sorted out anyway.

[NonSequitur]

Thanks for understanding, oh and I think that the blinking has something to do with the adds from by google, when they don't load properly or something, I don't see them when it flashes all weird, oh well.