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Made in us
Regular Dakkanaut




How tall is the emporer

How tall are the primarchs?

Basically what are the canon heights for Big E and Sons, too many conflicting reports where Alpharius and Lorgar are only a head or so taller than an Astarte, while A human woman was only up to the waist of Horus.

I always assumed that a primarch would be to an astartes what an astartes is to a human, and the empoerer would be even larger than that.


Human- 6 feet
Astartes- 7-8 feet
Primarch - 9-12 feet? (unarmored)
Emperor 13 feet? (unarmored)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/03/27 01:42:39


 
   
Made in us
Gore-Soaked Lunatic Witchhunter




Seattle

An Astartes is 7-7.5 feet tall. That's a foot and a half over an average adult man. That a human woman (on average shorter than a human man) was only waist-high to Horus puts him at 10-11 feet tall. That's fething huge.

However, the Emperor was known to psychically change his shape and size at will, so his true height is unknown.

It is best to be a pessimist. You are usually right and, when you're wrong, you're pleasantly surprised. 
   
Made in us
Regular Dakkanaut




Cool, I always assumed Mortarion was the tallest at 12ish feet ever since being described as lean muscled and long limbed (similar to how a chimpanzee doesn't look to be nearly as strong as it really is), while some like Dorn, Horus, The Lion and Russ would be 11ish feet but more heavily muscled.
   
Made in rs
Land Raider Pilot on Cruise Control





Holy Terra

amudkipz wrote:
How tall is the emporer


Very tall.

How tall are the primarchs?


Also very tall.

Let us say that Average Human is 2 meters tall...
Astartes are 2.5 to 3 meters tall.
Primarchs would be around 4 meters.
I believe Emperor would be up to 5.

This is just my interpretation based on the art, official and nonofficial. In my opinion regular Priamrch would be the same size as Dreadnought, maybe even a little taller witch is freaking huge.

The universe has many horrors yet to throw at us. This is not the end of our struggle. This is just the beginning of our crusade to save Humanity. Be faithful! Be strong! Be vigilant!
 
   
Made in us
Homicidal Veteran Blood Angel Assault Marine



north of nowhere

In Battle of the Fang the Space Wolves fortress was assaulted by a primarch (can't remember which) who was described as having the ability to make himself larger at will. I believe the tallest was something like dreadnought sized when he faced off with bjorn.

 Azreal13 wrote:
Not that it matters because given the amount of interbreeding that went on with that lot I'm pretty sure the Queen is her own Uncle.

BA 6000; 1250
Really this thread just failed on about 3 levels, you should all feel bad and do better.-motyak 
   
Made in us
Sinister Chaos Marine





Thatguyhsagun wrote:
In Battle of the Fang the Space Wolves fortress was assaulted by a primarch (can't remember which) who was described as having the ability to make himself larger at will. I believe the tallest was something like dreadnought sized when he faced off with bjorn.


That was Magnus and could seemingly change his size since the very beginning.

 
   
Made in us
Homicidal Veteran Blood Angel Assault Marine



north of nowhere

Thought it was Magnus thanks for clarifying; guess he doesn't count than

 Azreal13 wrote:
Not that it matters because given the amount of interbreeding that went on with that lot I'm pretty sure the Queen is her own Uncle.

BA 6000; 1250
Really this thread just failed on about 3 levels, you should all feel bad and do better.-motyak 
   
Made in gb
Grim Dark Angels Interrogator-Chaplain





Earth

If you look at the angron mini and straightened him out, he would be twice as tall as a marine, depending on which.source you use for.marine height that could put.him between 16 and 26 feet tall...madness
   
Made in gb
Steadfast Ultramarine Sergeant





Liverpool, England

Magnus was always described as the biggest though, he's a huge red cyclops, even before he changed his height he was meant to be huge.
The thing about the Primarchs though, is that they're all different sizes. Alpharius and Omegon were the smallest, standing barely a head taller than an Astartes, with most being to an Astartes, what an Astartes is to a human. So let's put the average man at 6ft, and an Astartes at 7.5ft (most sources say 7-8ft, so we can assume 7.5ft for this demo) That's 1.5 feet taller, or 25% taller. We can then interpret this two ways;
-The Primarchs could be 1.5ft bigger than Astartes, standing 9ft tall.
-The Primarchs are 25% larger than Space Marines, standing 9.375ft tall, so roughly 9'4", not a huge difference, but a number that increases as Space Marines get bigger.

So, in my opinion, going from HH descriptions, the average Primarch is about 9ft tall, With others on either side of the bell curve, Apharius Omegon on the far left, Magnus on the far right.

As for the Emperor, I can't help sorry. But as Psienesis said, he could change his own size, so we won't know.
   
Made in us
Hallowed Canoness




Ireland

Boy, that must suck not being able to ride in the tanks your army uses.

But I suppose this is the point where I should throw in that no, we do not have any sort of definite numbers, since very few things in 40k are definite. Rather, all we know and all we read is "rumors, distorted legends and half-truths", to quote Marc Gascoigne.
And personally, the larger people are described as, and the more insane stunts they supposedly pull off, the more I am willing to believe it's one of those legends.

In the end, however, we all have to make our own call on that. There is no truth on this matter, merely opinions and preferences.
   
Made in us
Banelord Titan Princeps of Khorne




Noctis Labyrinthus

Lion El'Jonson unarmoured is said to be a little above three meters tall, in Descent of Angels.

Also, Ogryns, who also can be three meters tall, can ride in chimeras, so ignore Lynata's insinuation that a Primarch can't fit in a tank.

Also, why are people assuming the Emperor is taller than his Primarchs? He's not, at base, he seems to be about equal in height. The Primarchs have varying sizes. Alpharius, the smallest, is the size of a big Marine. Magnus is the largest, and can further change his size.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/03/27 05:49:24


 
   
Made in us
Hallowed Canoness




Ireland

Ogryns do not wear powered armour with large backpacks (this is important - Ogryns can actually bend when boarding, and from how it sounds they do), "up to 3 meters" is not "always 3 meters", and a Rhino looks like it has smaller doors than a Chimera.

Let's not argue, though. As I said, it's a matter of opinions and preferences, and the sources on all of these things will invariably deliver vague or conflicting information.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/03/27 05:58:42


 
   
Made in us
Banelord Titan Princeps of Khorne




Noctis Labyrinthus

 Lynata wrote:
Ogryns do not wear powered armour with large backpacks (this is important - Ogryns can actually bend when boarding, and from how it sounds they do), "up to 3 meters" is not "always 3 meters", and a Rhino looks like it has smaller doors than a Chimera.

Let's not argue, though. As I said, it's a matter of opinions and preferences, and the sources on all of these things will invariably deliver vague or conflicting information.


What makes you believe Primarchs can't bend?

What conflicting information?
   
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Shunting Grey Knight Interceptor





Titan

Alpharius and Omegon were said to only be slightly taller than a standard Astartes

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Made in us
Banelord Titan Princeps of Khorne




Noctis Labyrinthus

They are explicitly the smallest Primarchs though.
   
Made in us
Shunting Grey Knight Interceptor





Titan

 Void__Dragon wrote:
They are explicitly the smallest Primarchs though.


Well yes I'm aware of that. But I was just making a point that not all of them are 10-11 feet tall

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"*Sparten stabs marine through heart "Finally you're dead!" "Nu-uh beetch" *Rips sparten's head
off"- Grey Templar

"so manly, it has a fething banner saying how huge it's balls used to be before they left to settle down in a tropical island with a loving wife and kids."-Shrike

"I wouldn't murder her. Just cripple her for life."- Angel of Ecstacy
 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Most Primarchs are probably 10-12 inches, though guys like Magnus, Horus, and Angron were bigger then average.

My Armies:
5,500pts
2,700pts
2,000pts


 
   
Made in us
Banelord Titan Princeps of Khorne




Noctis Labyrinthus

Angron was never said to be bigger than average.

In fact, art of him as well as dialogue (Describing him as stocky or some gak) implies thick, but short. The anti-Mortarion basically.
   
Made in us
Hallowed Canoness




Ireland

Void__Dragon wrote:What makes you believe Primarchs can't bend?
What conflicting information?
The design of power armour, of course. With such massive chestplates and armoured bellies, you are only flexible so much. Not to mention the greatly enhanced arms and legs, etc. Unless of course we assume that it is the depictions of the appearances and armour that are exaggerated.
And what conflicting information? At this level of detail, every second book that goes into that degree of detail will tell you something different. You know very well how this stuff works in 40k - just look at the many contradictory ideas of novel writers concerning the height of the standard Space Marine; cue Jes Goodwin's comment on "them getting bigger with every new book". I'm sure that the following posts will deliver sufficient examples for Primarchs, too.

Why are we even debating this, though? We both know there is no true common ground here.
   
Made in us
Banelord Titan Princeps of Khorne




Noctis Labyrinthus

I'd actually just assume that most writers, GW and BL, disregard what the armour actually looks and would function like.

I'm sure they probably won't, personally. And any "contradictions" would only have relevance if it is the same Primarch being spoken of.

There is one statement on the height of a Primarch I have seen. Three meters outside of armour, and a head above Termie armoured astartes. That last part is parroted many times in many books.

Debate doesn't need a purpose; the argument is its own purpose. You don't ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don't ask why I debate.
   
Made in eu
Alluring Sorcerer of Slaanesh






Reading, UK

Magnus was the size of an Imperator Titan and used two as a chair.

Lorgar was the size of a large horse and Kor Phaeron used to ride him bare back.

No pity, no remorse, no shoes 
   
Made in gb
Steadfast Ultramarine Sergeant





Liverpool, England

 Pilau Rice wrote:


Lorgar was the size of a large horse and Kor Phaeron used to ride him bare back.


Raised as a Catholic, I think I'm allowed to have all these jokes going through my head.
   
Made in eu
Executing Exarch






 Pilau Rice wrote:
Magnus was the size of an Imperator Titan and used two as a chair.

Lorgar was the size of a large horse and Kor Phaeron used to ride him bare back.


I liked Battle of the Fang - Magnus changing size so he could beat up a statue of Russ, while mocking it.
Yeah, take that you inanimate statue!

Magnus = manly.

 Blacksails wrote:

Its because ordinance is still a word.
However, firing ordinance at someone isn't nearly as threatening as firing ordnance at someone.
Ordinance is a local law, or bill, or other form of legislation.
Ordnance is high caliber explosives.
No 'I' in ordnance.
Don't drown the enemy in legislation, drown them in explosives.
 
   
Made in fi
Courageous Space Marine Captain






 Brother Captain Alexander wrote:

Let us say that Average Human is 2 meters tall...


Wut? No wonder rest of your numbers are totally crazy if you have this much trouble gauging sizes of things that actually exist.


I always hated the idea that Emperor was somehow super huge. Humans are not orks, they do not decide leadership based on who is biggest. Emperor is a master psyker and a strategist. I'd Imagine him to be much more like a Jedi Knight than Incredible Hulk.

My numbers:
Average Human: 175 cm
Emperor: 195 cm
Average Marine 215 cm
Primarchs: about 240 cm (Aplharius is shorter, Magnus taller.)



   
Made in us
Banelord Titan Princeps of Khorne




Noctis Labyrinthus

The Emperor, as the mightiest psyker in the galaxy, could make himself as big as he damn well pleased.

What leads you toward those numbers?

Though yeah, the average human being 6'7" in his list was pretty funny.
   
Made in fi
Courageous Space Marine Captain






 Void__Dragon wrote:
The Emperor, as the mightiest psyker in the galaxy, could make himself as big as he damn well pleased.

He certainly could, so his 'real' size is hard to estimate.

What leads you toward those numbers?


Well, marine size is the standard GW seven foot figure, and rest is just my totally made up 'personal canon.'

195 cm is a good height for a really tall person who do not still seem freakishly huge. As for Primarchs, I've always imagined them as really big dudes, but still being able to interact somewhat normally with the human scale world, and anything past eight feet really is too big for that.


   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Holland , Vermont

Wjy the heck does it even matter how tall the emperor is, he could look like this guy..



And he would still be the frikken Emperor, as has been stated over and over again he's the most powerful human psycher yadda yadda.

so he could be 5' nothing and a couch potato, and still turn you inside out through your anus!

Personally I like the idea of a little scmuck of a emperor, who down through the millenia has been "inflated"in stature by all his fanatical followers.

hmmm I wonder if his bones on the throne are super sized too.

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Made in hr
Willing Inquisitorial Excruciator




Croatia

 Pilau Rice wrote:


Lorgar was the size of a large horse and Kor Phaeron used to ride him bare back.




Yipikaye mother.... btw totally agree...

Also I will add "the bigger they are, the harder they fall" (insert Magnus irony)....

My main question (which nobody gave me an answer) would be : HOW BIG ARE THE HEADS?

Picture it: - normal head on 3,5 meter body - sucks; proportional head makes them easy target (insert Fulgrim sniped in AE)


ADB: I showed the Wolves revealing the key weakness at the heart of the World Eaters; showing Angron that his Legion was broken and worthless compared to the others; that he was the one primarch who couldn't trust his own warriors, and that they didn't care if he lived or died; showing that loyalty to brothers and sons is the heart of success for the Legiones Astartes, to the point even Lorgar makes a big deal out of saying the World Eaters and their primarch were massively outclassed by Russ, and Angron was too stupid to see the lesson Russ had sacrificed time, sweat, and blood, to teach. We're talking about a battle the Wolves won, by isolating the enemy general through pack tactics, and threatening to kill him, without a hope of defending himself. It was a balance, 50/50 - Angron overpowered Russ, and the Wolves were losing ground to the World Eaters; but Russ and his warriors had Angron by the balls, and barely broke a sweat. They won, no question. Lorgar even says: "The Wolves won, meathead."

Dorn won’t help you either. He’s too busy being the Emperor’s groundskeeper, hiding behind the palace walls. The Wolf is too busy cutting off heads as our father’s executioner, while the Lion holds on to his secrets, and has no special fondness for you. Who else will come? Not Ferrus, certainly. Nor Corax either. Even as we speak, I suspect he flees for Deliverance. Sanguinius?’ Curze laughed cruelly. ‘The angel is more cursed than I. The Khan? He does not wish to be found. So who is left? No one, Vulkan. None of them will come. You are simply not that important. You are alone.’ Konrad Curze to Vulkan


 
   
Made in it
Grey Knight Purgator firing around corners






Warning, rants below!

I always had the impression that the "height" matter in 40k is more a subjective impression (so to speak) than the objective feet'n'inches/metres'n'centimetres measure.

The fact that the Emperor is often described as someone not definite regarding dimensions or age (now young, then old, then middleaged...) had made me convinced that the size of astartes/primarchs/emperor is more than all a matter of awe.

So, why Alpharius/Omegon is the smaller of the primarch, whereas Magnus and Horus are so imposing?
It could be just for that. I mean, Alpharius relies on cunning, on the fact that any Legionnaire 'is Alpharius'... so, he's as big as astartes, seems slightly bigger when you realize it's him, else he does not want to stand out.
On the other side Hours is charismatic and proud of himself (hubris most of all is is flaw, innit?) and Magnus knows his mind is the (second) most powerful (at least in the Imperium), so you can have a 'bigger' perception of them (and people might unconsciously cringe (sort of) before such generals).

Moreover, Imperium feels to me nearly obsessed with objects being standard, so PA are 'one size', adjustable on the inside within some limits. Also, since an Astartes may simply be promoted to terminator (or, as in GK case, they may wear both at any time) TDA can not be so much bigger than the normal one. Bulkier, more menacing, but not necessarily bigger.
You kind of see it when you see (well done) PA cosplays vs not armored people. 'Marines' are normal people, there, but they still seem way bigger.

Also, in earlier editions, I think I read something about the marine weighting about 10% more of a normal man, upon completing the augmentations. Subtract from this the black carapace, the mass increase of hyper-dense bones... we're not so much apart in size.
But, when you see a Marine (even unarmoured) that can spar for twelve hours without breaking a sweat, who can march and fight for a week without sleeping, you may naturally and unconsciously 'enlarge' his figure, because his being too much superoministic to be like a normal human.

"Upgrading" this thread of insan.. *cough* of thoughts, let's see three examples (Spoiler, since I review albeit vaguely, pieces from two HH books)
Spoiler:
Example 1. Guilliman.
Apart the fact that he normally multitasks things that would require a dozen people...
He's unhelmeted on the bridge when it explodes.
Not only he survives the explosion, but he reenters on a bay, from vacuum, stil w/o helmet, and saves the day.

Example 2. Sanguinius (If I'm not mistaking with another primarch, I read too many books in a row :p)
In an access of rage, he backhands a marine, beheading him.

Example 3. Horus.
If he was so much bigger than Astartes/Terminators, there is no way that the Vindicare in Nemesis could target the wrong person.
"Looks like I aimed and shot a 7' man instead of a 10' one. Well, oops?" - seriously?

People capable of such things, are "inflated" in our perception.
And all the Imperium knows what they are capable of.
And all the enemies fear what they are capable of, no matter how defiant they appear.

Ok, I'm done with this rant, I think

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Flashy Flashgitz






I will just go with what i read,..

a normal human has to look up to lock eye contact with an astartes,... so yeah they are big.

An Astartes has to look up to lock eyes with his primarch before his knees will give out and he will bow like a little b*atch..

In some occasions when reading it seems the Emperor to be as tall as a Primarch or bigger.. I dont care which it is cause daaaayumn! Hes huge!


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