Tank Commander with Tech-Priest Enginseer

And so I've finally built my Tank Commander with Tech-Priest Enginseer.

Leman Russ Vanquisher, Tank Commander and Tech-Priest Enginseer

I chose to build a Leman Russ Vanquisher instead, so that's what you're seeing. Then I added the Command antenna and giant Aquila to mark him as a Tank Commander. I didn't build the guy yelling out of the hull because he'll get easily shot down and killed. The whole point of having a Tank is to hide behind an armored wall of titanium, and it defeats the purpose by sticking your head of the hatch to make yourself an easy target. So nope.

The Tech-Priest Enginseer looks awesome. I can probably use him as a Magos for my Mechanicum army if I ever get around to building it. First, I'll quickly finish up my Armored Company by getting my last tank (Leman Russ Battle Tank with lascannon to make use of the Tech-Priest Enginseer's Power of the Machine Spirit). If I can get my hands on Militarum Tempestus Storm Scions, I can build another Vendetta to complete the Airborne Company and throw in a few Storm Troopers into my Cadian...er...Draconian Battle Group. Let's hope it works a lot better than my Combined Arms Detachment. Re-rolling ones for my hot-shot lasguns, making sure my orders to Ignore Cover, Run after Shooting or Monster and Tank Hunter go off, giving my Battle Group Command Company Command Squad 3 orders and 24" range...wonder if those will make a lot of difference. I hope it does, but we'll never know.

Anyway, someone wondered why the Imperial Guard has all the good tanks and not the Space Marines. Same with the artillery. Why not give all these tanks and artillery to the Space Marines?

Well...the Adeptus Astartes are genetically engineered super-soldiers who are designed to survive in the harshest environments, have enhanced physical strength that allows them to engage in ferocious melee combat, wear Power Armor...so why would you stick such a super-soldier inside a tank? You would want to make use of his enhanced physique to throw them behind enemy lines and wipe them out in close combat. Wouldn't ordinary humans be sufficient to drive a tank or artillery tank around? You don't need super-soldiers for that, it's a waste of genetic engineering potential.

Anyway, I like the Imperial Guard a lot more than the Space Marines...I just can relate to them more. Part of it is down to me reading too many Ciaphas Cain novels, but the romance and courage of normal men fighting together against all odds, facing unimaginable horrors, ravenous monsters, psychic aliens, advanced technology, super-soldiers, and yet somehow triumphing over all that...that somehow just appeals to me. It is just so touching and strikes home with me...maybe because I've served in the military for a couple of years so I see a lot of myself in the Imperial Guard. Just a regular joe hanging out in the barracks with no genetic engineering, transplants, augmetics or super-soldier physique and reflexes to save me. Just me and my trusty rifle (lasgun! Ha ha!), and maybe a one-use rocket launcher that fails to kill a tank more often than not. So yeah...I'm technically a real-life Imperial Guard.

So we get the best tanks! Problem, Astartes?