New Leman Russ Tank

I've managed to get my 5th Leman Russ tank!

Leman Russ Battle Tank with Tech-Priest Enginseer

This time I built a Leman Russ Battle Tank, the standard one, along with a 2nd Tech-Priest Enginseer. This completes my Tank Commander squadron, both tanks will be visible with the aquila and antenna. Yay. The Battle Tank has a shorter cannon than the Leman Russ Vanquisher.

With my 5th Leman Russ done, that means I finally have the bare minimum for an Emperor's Fist Armored Company! 5 Tanks, 2 in Tank Commander Squadron and 3 Leman Russ squadrons of 1 tank each, with the necessary Tech-Priests Enginseer (I have 2, so 1 is a spare). So right now my Emperor's Fist Armored Company looks like this:

Tank Commander squadron

Tank Commander in Leman Russ Vanquisher with lascannon (and multi-melta sponsons if necessary, I'll just count them as broken and malfunctioning to save points)

Leman Russ Battle Tank with lascannon (and heavy flamers sponsons if necessary, as with above I'll count them as broken and malfunctioning to save points)

1st Leman Russ squadron

Leman Russ Punisher with 3 heavy bolters

2nd Leman Russ squadron

Leman Russ Executioner with plasma cannon sponsons and lascannon

3rd Leman Russ squadron

Leman Russ Executioner with plasma cannon sponsons and heavy bolter

Tech-priest Enginseer (2 if necessary)

With this completed, I have the Core choice for my Cadian Battle Group (or Draconian Battle Group that uses the Cadian Battle Group Detachment rules). So I shall present you the might of Imperial Armor!

The might of Imperial Armor

A formidable wall of steel, behind which human guts and hearts stand firm against the terrifying enemies of the Imperium. Yeah, tanks may suck in the current meta with all the haywire, melta and destroyer weapon spam, but a wall of AV14 is still a tough nut to crack. Usually. I hope.

So with my Emperor's Fist Armored Company done, and in effect the Core Choice of my Cadian Battle Group, I only have my Emperor's Spear Aerial Company left. I already have the Command Choice, the Battle Group Command, which composes of a Company Command Squad inside a Chimera. This means I can essentially play a 1,575-point game now. But I'll be wasting my Company Command Squad and the command benefits the Cadian Battle Group grants me if I just rely on my tanks. So what I'm going to do is...get a job, and once I get my pay, I'll purchase the Militarum Tempestus Storm Scions box set, which allows me to get a 3rd Vendetta (or Valkyrie, I just need to get the Vendetta conversion kit), plus much-needed infantry to make use of those amazing command benefits. Can you imagine Stormtroopers with Ignores Cover, or Tank Hunter/Monster Hunter, or even a group of 10 Stormtroopers firing their hellguns...uh...hot-shot lasguns three times with the First Rank, Fire! Second Rank, Fire! order? Even more so, I can order them to run after shooting when I drop the Company Command Squad and 2 Stormtrooper squads down from my Vendetta gunships after they make a low-altitude drop

So yeah, I'm so getting Militarum Tempestus Scions for my Cadian Battle Group. Right now I have no stormtroopers, and only 2 Vendetta gunships. I can always swap the Stormsword and Chimera for 3 Vendetta gunships and an extra Stormtrooper squad. Or I can play 2,500-point games, that would be fun.

For the Emperor!

Oh, right. And if you're asking me why there's Imperial Guard in an Adeptus Mechanicus blog, well, it's part of the fluff. The Forge World of Draconis IV manufactures countless tanks for the Imperial Guard armored regiment of Draconis III, so they have close ties and will support each other in times of xenos incursion and other threats. Makes sense, right? I mean, in Titanicus by Dan Abnett, there's an armored Planetary Defense Force that fights alongside the Skitarii and Titans against the traitor Titan legion. So why not Draconis III as well?