Summary
Tanks are a mainstay of military fiction. Invented in 1915 and used to great effect during World War One, they have captured the public imagination ever since. FromStar WarstoTerminator, science fiction writers have come up with new and wacky designs for tracked or floating armoured vehicles reminiscent of the first Landships that crawled their way across France and Belgium.
Even before 3D graphics, Tanks became a mainstay of video games, able to fulfil the role of everything from bosses to drivable vehicles for the player. There’s something so appealing about driving a colossal metal box across a battlefield, maybe it’s all the explosions. Many of these designs didn’t lift from history or even the modern day, but from futuristic sci-fi settings, letting developers come up with new and interesting designs. Here are just ten of them.
Warhammer
The backbone ofWarhammer 40,000’sImperial Guard, the Leman Russ was named after the Primarch of the Space Wolves, who discovered the vehicle’s designs during the Great Crusade. The tank has won many battles for the Imperium, such as the apocalyptic battle of Tallarn, in which theTallarn Desert Raidersdrove back the invading Iron Warriors Space Marine Legion, even while their world was reduced to an uninhabitable desert.
The Leman Russ has many chassis and variants for dealing with different targets and terrain. Coming standard with a turret, front mounted gun, and two sponson mounted weapons, the tank is incredibly versatile.
Star Wars
One of the primary vehicles used by the Clone Army and later both the Empire and Rebel Alliance, the Saber was a reliable and extremely versatile hover tank. Designed to support infantry and battle other light tanks, the saber was often deployed in packs, overwhelming their foes with numbers and firepower. It’s even featured in some of the best games in theStar Wars Universe.
The tank was armed with twin laser cannons and a variety of additional armaments, from anti tank weapons to the beam cannon seen in theStar Wars: Battlefrontgames. The TX-130 would be used from the battle of Geonosis all the way until the fall of the Empire, and beyond by mercenary groups the galaxy over.
Halo
Taking the Covenant all the way from the battle of Harvest to their final stand on the Ark, while also being used by alien splinter factions and rebels. The Zurdo-pattern mortar tank or “the Wraith” is used as mobile artillery. While it is not entirely suited to close quarters, it certainly can fight in them. The Wraith has featuredthroughout the franchise.
The Wraith can be equipped with either a colossal mortar cannon that decimates vehicles and infantry alike, or twin anti-air weapons to strike down enemy aircraft. It was prolific during the Human-Covenant war and saw action on countless battlefields, striking fear into the hapless marines and army troopers who faced it.
Mass Effect
Designed for rapid deployment and rough terrain, the Mako is a perfect vehicle for crew such as that of the Normandy. Able to withstand impressive punishment, falls from great heights, and deal out devastating firepower with its mass accelerator cannon, the Mako is a jack of all trades.
The tank features a host of additional functions, inbuilt minesweepers, anti ordnance functionalities, and a crew compartment with room for up to ten people at a squeeze. It can even be deployed from a ship’s cargo bay, given how compact it is.
One of the most threatening units a Helldiver can face on the battlefield. An Automaton tank is a heavily armoured killing machine that can obliterate all but the most coordinated and well prepared of Super Earth’s soldiers.
Featuring the option to mount anything from a massive laser cannon to an anti-aircraft gun on its chassis, the Automaton Tank is a force for destruction at both long and close range. Able to be rapidly deployed from the air or rolled out froman Automaton objectiveto meet attackers head on. The tank is something allHelldivers 2players should fear.
The Basilisk is traditionally used inCyberpunkfor military cargo transport. A tough nut to crack and featuring a unique form of driving in which both pilot and gunner linked cybernetically, it has been a mainstay of Militech’s arsenal for years.
Should players complete the “With A Little Help From My Friends”during Panam’s questlineinCyberpunk 2077they can help the Aldecaldos steal a Basilisk chassis. From there the nomads will customize the already formidable tank into a force of destruction, equipping it with a new, upgraded primary cannon and thermal missile banks.
StarCraft
A versatile source of heavy firepower for the Terran people, the tank is designed with both mobile artillery and frontline support. The tank can transform, digging in its treads and turning itself into a long range artillery platform.
The Siege tank was used both during the civil war known as the Guild Wars and later against the Zerg and Protoss. Extremely widespread among Terran colonies and independent states, the tank has been highly customized and subject to several revisions, but it always follows the key tenets of mobile armored support married to long range firepower.
The primary battle tank of the Seperatist forces. The AAT was not itself a droid, despite the Seperatists often using fully automated vehicles, such as the Vulture Fighter. It would usually be crewed by four battle droids, but could also be used as a command tank for droid commanders and organic officers.
The tank features a colossal top mounted cannon with twin side mounted blasters for close defense. The main cannon being so powerful that it could punch straight through the massive AT-TEs used by the Clones. The tanks were so prolific that they would fall into the hands of the Rebel Alliance following the fall of the Confederacy.
One of the most powerful vehicles at the Imperium’s disposal. The Baneblade and its many variants are some of the most destructive tanks in the setting. A single baneblade is a rolling fortress, able to wade through the heaviest punishment the enemies of the Imperium can muster.
The Scorpion is the main battle tank of the UNSC. In use for over two hundred years, the tank has seen conflicts ranging from the Human civil war known as the Insurrection, to the apocalyptic Human-Covenant War. The tank remains a versatile chassis that has been revised several times since its inception. While the Warthog is probablyHalo’smost Iconic vehicle,even featuring in crossovers, the Scorpion is the king.
The tank fires Tungsten shells at extremely high velocity, which turns what would be a 20th century anti tank round into something that can punch through alien armor. The shells also feature a high explosive element, allowing for anti infantry use. The Scorpion also comes equipped with a coaxial machine gun, and sometimes a crew mounted one, for close defense.
