I tend to run my boys using the Minervan list and my Companies tend to be 1 Russ and 1 SHT, then I add artillery or tank platoons to taste and top it all off with 4-6 squadrons of Thunderbolts.

The other option is to for 2 SHTs and then put all the little tanks in platoons. Just be sure to have some MW in there, Executioners, Thunderers or Shadowswords, doesn't matter but without them someone will flatten you with Titans.

That's a lot of T-Bolts. Not a bad idea, though, to add AC to my current list. Got to look into it. Thanks.

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SG

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My T-bolt fetish is a topic of some conversation among my friends. I use them partially to add activations to the Minervans. When you only have 4-5 ground formations you need to be able to save some of those units from having to activate early in the turn.

I've got 8 activations in my army currently; I could probably get that up by one or two more.

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SG

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I don't know about you guys, but I love my Steel Legion tank company... and I've include Demolishers with them to make the formation even bigger! This weekend I played two games (one vs. Ghazgkhull Orks, one vs. Biel-Tan Eldar) which showed exactly how hard they are to kill!

I was overconfident against the Orks on the first turn, and marched them forward, allowing a Big KoS (Scorchas and Buggies) to get into support range, then a Landa with a Warband (plus 2 Kommandos) close assaulted me, and I *still* came close to winning! Of course, I had higher-than-average saves (something like 14 out of 16), but it was VERY demoralizing for my enemy to see my Russes save ALL of the CC hits his warband generated. I kinda made up for my luck by failing to rally the formation for the next two end phases. The Ork player spent the rest of the game throwing more forces at the broken company, using the BMs-inflicted-on-broken-formation kills to take BTS by the end of Turn 3, but this gave the rest of my army time ans space to brake through on the other flank, giving me Take And Hold and Blitz.

The Eldar, on the other hand, learned the "never let a Russ Co. get into 30cm" rule. True, that was only because I managed to tie the strategy phase roll on Turn 2 (after losing strategy on Turn 1), which allowed my Russes and Warhound pack to use Sustain fire to break up the truly horrific Assault that the Eldar were planning on unleashing. The Autarch's Aspect Warhost (made up of Dire Avengers, Dark Reapers, and Fire Dragons) was in cover in a building less than 30cm away from the Russes at the end of Turn 1, a Windrider Troupe was behind a hill about 50cm away, and my opponent teleported 8 Swooping Hawks into a building 15cm away from many of my Russes at the beginning of Turn 2. Frankly, I shudder to think what would have happened to my poor BTS unit if the strategy went the other way (as the odds indicate). Still, it was WAY fun to do! Oh! the Eldar also spend 3 turns pouring AT and MW fire into my company, only to see the 4+ RA turn all the hits into a single BM for "coming under fire" at least half the time.

I haven't played much these past 6 years, so maybe I'm just extrapolating from too few data points, but I believe that I'll only get better at using my oversized Leman Russ Company as I get more games in. Either way, it's just plain FUN to use big armored formations! If I were to field two companies, I wouldn't care if I lost the game! The look on the face of my enemy when he's confronted by over three linear feet of double-ranked Imperial Steel would be worth it.

When i see a sl tank company, well deployed and ready for substained fire... usually... My orks go in panic. Ten russ have a firepower... devastating. i've see an untouched great gargant in flames... entire kult of speed light vehicles mixed bike vanished. 6 russ is versatile, but 10 russ, i prefer, well it they are protected by another company of infantry and patrolled by a detach. of sentinel... is terrible.

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IG SL are my main EA army- I don't leave home without one LR Company- they are so good. I usually add a Hydra and sometimes add an extra 3 Demolishers / LR to make my BTS a tough nut to crack.

I have taken 2 LR Companies and I have played against them. I like taking Regimental HQ and Shadowsword Company, and I find that a 4th Company usually eats too much into my activation count. In 3,000 points I aim for 8-9 activations and I find that 3 company choices and 5-6 support choices (artillery platoon, vultures, sentinels, rough riders) works best for me.

It is a shame though as LR are an iconic tank and it is great to see loads of them on tabletop.

Cheers

James

2 Russ companies would work out much better in Minervans than SL. Give one a Hydra to make their points different then take a SHT company and put your SC there.

That's 1950, leaving plenty of room to grab a couple support formations and some aircraft.

When I have played Minervan I was only using the vanilla LR so I did nt really feel the benefit of variants.

I was thinking of doing a vanilla LR company to hold the middle and then an all Demolisher company to drive forward and take ground. With a 3+FF they can even Engage or provide close support to a mechanized company.

I am not yet sold on Demolishers. Every time I have taken a platoon to reinforce LR compnay, I was left feeling that I would have got more out of more vanilla LR.

Demos and vanillas have pretty different roles, I can see why they don't mix well.

A company of just demos would behave quite differently from a russ company, wouldn't it.

Maybe- I am just so soured from fielding platoon that i would nt go to the trouble of collecting a whole company of Demolishers.

I use a platoon of Demos in most games, their job is to Double up next to things, nuke them and then retain and Engage with Mechanized Infantry.

Their purpose is to keep moving and get right in people's faces, entirely unlike standard LRs who want to find a nice spot and stay there on Sustain orders all game.

So you reckon I would be better off shifting my platoon of Demolishers across to my Regimental HQ?