Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

+1 to the 'why bother with a long ranged weapon if you're a Primarch' points. If the Hulk or Wolverine turn out to be better marksmen than Hawkeye, they're still wasted sitting in the back lines with a sniper rifle!

Hulk with a sniper... Lol. I think that Vulkan would be awsome at close range combat.

What about Alpharius? He doesn't seem like he'd be too opposed to whipping out a sniper rifle every now and then.

Of course, an individual with primarch-level senses, reflexes, and dexterity could carry an extremely heavy, high-powered rifle and unleash hell and, I'd say, be more effective than his charge-into-melee brethren.

Yeah. I went there.

Primarch size exitus rifle? (probably more of a cannon at that size)?

Well hello there mister Titan...

Approaching it from a story perspective, the Primarchs were less effective in ranged combat. They were the shining knights of the Imperium, and fought as such. Their presence on the battlefield provided a sort of morale siphon, reducing the enemy's while increasing their own forces'. They were as much a battle standard as they were a combatant. Extreme ranged combat doesn't fit with that mold, so it's a tactic that is unfavorable at best to a Primarch.

Among groups with similar styles (at least in popular culture if not in reality) you don't really hear so much about knights or samurai being ranged combat monkeys. Mostly people are obsessed with their melee capacity, despite the fact that they almost certainly did make use of ranged weapons.

That being said, I think that Vulkan and Ferrus Manus were probably decent at ranged combat, since a marksman is only as good as his weapon. I think Dorn, Lorgar, Russ, and Angron most likely disdained ranged combat. Kurze and Corax were more likely to be in a short range firefight, although they would have been most likely to use extreme long range weapons. I think that Gulliman and Horus had a soldier's proficiency with ranged combat, although not at long range. I can see Perturabo as being more of a long range type of Primarch, and I think that Mortarion would use whatever tool worked most efficiently. Sanguinius and Khan's fondness for rapid engagement assault probably means it wasn't them, although the other 'angel,' Jonson, was probably a decent mid to long range shot, given his background as a huntsman. Khan was probably a very good shot from his bike though, given the cultural inspiration he was drawn from. Magnus may have had psychic capacity, but if anything, I think that would have made him a poorer marksman, since he would have been inclined to throw down the psychic mojo rather than good old fashioned bullets. I think that Alpharius was probably a close contender for 'best shot at long range,' since he would be most likely to disdain the chivalric sense of front line honor his brothers demanded in favor of a 'cut the head off the snake' strategy. A long range assassination seems right up his alley.

But if the question is, which of the Primarchs is the best shot, that is to say, which of them was the best marksman? I would have to guess Fulgrim. Despite the fact that I hate him and his legion, he was obsessed with being the best at everything, and since he didn't become obsessed with his inability to nail a target every time and fall to Chaos over that, I have to think that he was a damn good aim.

Just my opinion though.

Excellent points, but the question isn't about marksmanship - it's simply ranged combat. Magnus's Titan-tipping escapades put him squarely on top in those stakes.

Purely on ranged combat, Magnus.

Best shot, Perturabo.

I'm not that filled in on the Horus Heresy and the Primarchs so I am asking from earlier, Which Primarchs got killed by other Primarchs? and who was the "important person" he shot at range and killed? thanks

Although all of them were adapt at all forms of combat I don't think ranged was really what they went in for. It's not very inspiring seeing your illustrious leader pop shots off from miles away.

They're about getting down with the fisticuffs, kicking ass and taking names up front and personal.

But I guess Magnus with his Hex rays of death from his single of doom peow peow.

Herd this Lion=Cypher teory? If it is true, the lion would be a good shot...

Horus

Omegaon and Alpharius.

It could be Guilliman, didn't he emphasise using bolters rather than bolt pistols?

Durza wrote:It could be Guilliman, didn't he emphasise using bolters rather than bolt pistols?

Not really. He emphasized using certain tactics that best suit the situation. If hand to hand were the situation, he'd most certainly advocate the use of bolt pistol and some form of blade.

Justicar Cliesthenes wrote:I'm not that filled in on the Horus Heresy and the Primarchs so I am asking from earlier, Which Primarchs got killed by other Primarchs? and who was the "important person" he shot at range and killed? thanks

Alpharius was killed by Guilliman... maaaybe...
Sanguinius was killed by Horus.
Ferrus Manus and Guilliman were killed by Fulgrim.

Guilliman isn't dead.

He's in stasis while "mortally wounded." for all intents and purposes, he's dead.

MandalorynOranj wrote:He's in stasis while "mortally wounded." for all intents and purposes, he's dead.

Let's not get into that one... again.

MandalorynOranj wrote:He's in stasis while "mortally wounded." for all intents and purposes, he's dead.

But still not dead. Horus was revived from the same injury by what was probably the same weapon.

Wasn't Guilliman stabbed in the neck with a poisoned sword?

Yes.

And Horus was cut in the chest by a cursed sword? Meaning they couldn't have been the same sword. Where did Fulgrim leave all those swords? And the hammer?

Durza wrote:And Horus was cut in the chest by a cursed sword? Meaning they couldn't have been the same sword. Where did Fulgrim leave all those swords? And the hammer?

Horus and Guilliman were both cut by the Anathame, a Daemonsword that is currently in the possession of Fulgrim, who laid Guilliman low.

If it was so dangerous to Horus, how did Guilliman manage to survive long enough to be put in stasis? And how are they claiming he's healing?

Only the most fanatical and deluded Imperial Zealots believe Guilliman is healing.

That's good then. The high lords probably wouldn't be too happy if he came back.

Wouldn't the primarch who was best at interstellar naval combat automatically be the best at range? I mean, if a single shot hit another ship at some 20,000 miles, that's a pretty long-ranged shot.

Durza wrote:If it was so dangerous to Horus, how did Guilliman manage to survive long enough to be put in stasis? And how are they claiming he's healing?

Horus survived for a pretty long time after he was cut. Long enough to recite his whole life story to a remembrancer. The most fanatical believers claim his wounds are healing. It's meant to serve as a spark of hope amongst the grimdark, not that it would be too stupidly ridiculous if it were to happen.

cincydooley wrote:I sorta hate the notion of Magnus having an "eye beam." I'm going to mentally delete that from existence.

The Irish god Balor was a giant with one eye who could kill people simply by looking at them. I suspect that is the inspiration for that bit of fluff.