This was a 1993 sculpt, and credit goes to Norman Swales and Jes Goodwin. Announced in White Dwarf in June 1994, the article described it as:
The Razorback is a Rhino variant designed to speed into battle escorting other Rhinos and squads of Space Marines. As it smashes through the enemy lines, a turret mounted lascannon blasts apart enemy Dreadnoughts and tanks, while twin plasma guns fire gouts of flaming death. After neutralising hostile armour, the Razorback can then deploy a combat squad of Space Marines to mop up any survivors and secure the area.
Ian Pickstock, WD174
The article then goes to give the tank’s history, describing it as “relatively new” at 5 millennia since rediscovery – having been discovered in the 36th Millennium by Chief Artisan Tilvius during a 300 year quest for a STC databank.
The crew are described as being “drawn from the ranks of training and reserve units, and they bear special insignia in place of their usual tactical badges”.
Heraldry notes from the article:
The Datafax:
At 100 more points than a Rhino it was the same cost as a Whirlwind, or a twin-las Predator with heavy bolter sponsons (as shown in Codex: Ultramarines, anyway – the original datafax had it at 180pts with autocannon/las sponsons)… so it had a fair bit of competition for the points. The turret was better protected at the front but less at the rear than the Whirlwind – 22/15 vs. 20/18.
The Predator was more hardy – while it had the same hull armour values, it had 22/22 for the turret.
At what point did it start offering twin lascannons and twin heavy bolters?
As found:
Stripped:
Here’s a later turret with twin lascannons or heavy bolters:
This guy came as part of the RT107 Rhino crew member set, and is part number 070145/5. He’s seen in the July 1988 issue of White Dwarf (103) and is crew member number 3 there, painted in the colours of the Blood Drinkers:
