What do you get a tank for its birthday? A brand new set of treads? A type of aftershave reward packs solely with turret polish and armor wax? To rejoice the anniversary of Warhammer 40,000’s Land Raider, Video games Workshop gave it what principally quantities to an episode of That is Your Life devoted to an imaginary Panzer.
The Land Raider is 25 years outdated, at the very least in its present kind. As Video games Workshop factors out, the unique model goes all the way in which again to the primary version of Warhammer 40,000 in 1987, although at that time it was a miniature scratch-built fully from spare elements by sculptor/artist/painter Dave Andrews with tracks made out of the tops of pens.
It was obtainable on the market a 12 months later—one in every of Video games Workshop’s first plastic kits in an age of lead. That equipment was a bit titchy in comparison with the present MkIII model although, which was first launched 25 years in the past in 2000. This was the most important plastic equipment obtainable on the time, “at the very least a 3rd bigger than its ancestor” in response to GW, with doorways that opened so you possibly can get a have a look at the inside and check out to determine how 10 area marines might be rammed in there.
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Whereas beloved as a centrepiece in your tabletop military or mob of clicked-and-dragged models in Daybreak of Conflict, the Land Raider is extra controversial amongst 40K loreheads. As detailed within the Horus Heresy novels, the Land Raider and the hovercar Land Speeder weren’t so named as a result of they’re autos for touring over the bottom. They’re truly each named after a tech-priest referred to as Arkhan Land.
This makes the sort of people that learn 40K novels roll their eyes out of their heads, however I am keen on these daft particulars. It is not a brand new addition, going at the very least way back to a 1990 article in GW’s in-house journal White Dwarf, and it is smart to me. I imply, I do not catch a Land Practice to the town to keep away from all of the Land Automotive visitors. And the actual fact there are nitpicky cultists within the Imperium 10,000 years later nonetheless insisting the tank ought to technically be referred to as “Land’s Raider” is the sort of batshit deep lore nonsense that retains 40K from feeling too oppressive.
