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.

I'm sure this is a very asked quesiton, but I want more than just an answer. I want an answer and why, specific examples. IE Combat doctrines, beliefs, attitude, etc.

I for one vote Mortarion.

While alot of primarchs grew up like a normal human, some didn't have anything close to a human life, at least not initially. (Russ, Johnson, Angron, Mortarion, etc) So he has a very different outlook. and he grew up on a world where the weak were ruled over by necromancers. Which explains his hate against Magnus. His life wasn't all "Grow up and be happy" It was train the villagers to defend themselves one at a time, take back this world one stronghold at a time, and then kill his own "father" figure. And the Emperor stole his kill. his one long wanted and seemingly needed kill.

His combat is just so simple it's stupid. "Just throw alot of guys at this wall... then the next... then the next..." lol, what's not to love about that?

and his attitude is just SO nonchalant about it... plus he has a bad ass scythe with some bad ass scythe wielding bodyguard who are always PRECISELY a certain amount of steps from him. you know you're cadre of guards are intense when they have a MEASURE distance from you in STEPS.

but what's yall's opinion on this matter?



Automatically Appended Next Post:
though now that I've posted this I'm sue it would have been better placed in Background FML

I'm a pretty big fan of Roboute Guilliman, or Bobby G as I like to call him.

Afterall, who doesn't love someone who doesn't pull their own weight in the crusades or the heresy, then has the balls to tell everyone what to do because his legion can now beat up everyone else's weaker one?


Plus Lion El'Jonson wasn't done very well in the Heresy books, so I can't be a fan of him.

I vote for Alpharius/Omegon

They're pragmatic, it gets s**t done.

 ADustyMan wrote:
I'm a pretty big fan of Roboute Guilliman, or Bobby G as I like to call him.

Afterall, who doesn't love someone who doesn't pull their own weight in the crusades or the heresy, then has the balls to tell everyone what to do because his legion can now beat up everyone else's weaker one?


Plus Lion El'Jonson wasn't done very well in the Heresy books, so I can't be a fan of him.

lol. He is made out to be the most bad ass... and now he has like four heresy books devoted to the ultramarines.... God I hate him. lol. but if you like him all for ya. lol

Lion on the other hand I like alot too. He's just so conserved and distant. never know what's going on in his head.

I want to like lion, I really do, since I play Dark Angels, but the books he was in that I've read weren't done very well, so it was always just him popping up for half a page to brood.

 ADustyMan wrote:
I want to like lion, I really do, since I play Dark Angels, but the books he was in that I've read weren't done very well, so it was always just him popping up for half a page to brood.

lol. this is true. Except the short story where him and Kurze throw down. that was pretty cool.

 HeraldofDisease wrote:

 ADustyMan wrote:
I want to like lion, I really do, since I play Dark Angels, but the books he was in that I've read weren't done very well, so it was always just him popping up for half a page to brood.

lol. this is true. Except the short story where him and Kurze throw down. that was pretty cool.

I haven't gotten to read that one yet, but its on the list

 ADustyMan wrote:

 HeraldofDisease wrote:

 ADustyMan wrote:
I want to like lion, I really do, since I play Dark Angels, but the books he was in that I've read weren't done very well, so it was always just him popping up for half a page to brood.

lol. this is true. Except the short story where him and Kurze throw down. that was pretty cool.

I haven't gotten to read that one yet, but its on the list

It's a let down in that it isn't a full book, but it is good for how short it is. I'm sure you won't be too let down by it. It delves alot farther into the lion than other books.

I'd have to say Kurze, essentially he was born and bred (genetically, physically and metaphysically) to be a future seeing serial killer on 'roids.. Yet he takes that darkness and still puts it to good use, making the world a better place through fear.. Then goes off the deep end.. Not so great after that...

 Spazamataz wrote:
I'd have to say Kurze, essentially he was born and bred (genetically, physically and metaphysically) to be a future seeing serial killer on 'roids.. Yet he takes that darkness and still puts it to good use, making the world a better place through fear.. Then goes off the deep end.. Not so great after that...

lol. love how you put him in the good light, and then shot him down instantly... lol.

I like so many of them, it's hard to pick a favorite. It's also really hard to separate the Primarch from their Legion.

That being said, my vote goes to Vulkan. He set down the Legion that best represents (in my opinion) what the Emperor wanted the Space Marines to be. The Legion he forged in his image is the one that plays to the best aspects of the chivalric warrior nobles that inform the Space Marines thematically. That's just my opinion of course, and I like several others enough that if you caught me in a different mood, I might give you a different answer.

Well I dont like the HH interpretation of any of them, they're like spoiled children there. I'd say Martarion the whole taking down the demonic overlord and then finally becoming just like him is such a great tragedy, pity gw's storytelling have slipped so much.

I used to love the lion, the military mastermind/king arthur who was brilliant but brooding. But they screwed up doing him in HH. They dont make it believable that no other chapter hold their primarch in such regard as the unforgiven does the lion. He should be marked by early exposure to chaos and issues relating to his harsh childhood not just "born crazy". The HH books put waa(aaa)Y to much down to genetics so they can avoid making any real effort at character development. Hey let snot say that Curze and the lion are damaged because they gre up on their own, lets say there were always meant to be that way because of genetics and then just happened to have the hardest childhoods of the lot.

They seem to be afraid to make the primarchs larger than life characters, while far too willing to give them way larger than life abilities (sure they should be powerful but some of the stuff is just ridiculous)

Have to say Mortarion as well. (I didn't know he had so many fans). After looking in to all the Primarchs, it was him that led me on my journey in to Death Guard lore, and got me collecting them today!

It's a tough call. But Kurze. Kurze isn't afraid to take what is his, nor does he have and ambition to take on more than he needs to. Yet he suffered in silence.

I know he's not the "best" primarch but my favourite is Angron. Mainly because he's the primarch of my favourite legion.

Im torn on this one, Corax and Vulkan are definatley there. Though I would have to say Horus. After reading and re reading the first 4 HH novels i can say that black library nailed his character and his fall to chaos.

My fav is Angron, a frothing lunatic that still has some honour hidden somewhere in that twisted brain, certainly appeals to me

Hmm, that's a good one. It'd have to be a toss up between Rogal Dorn, Konrad Curze, Sanguinius, Ferrus Manus and Horus for me.

The best Spess Mehreen is dead Spess Mehreen.

I have to say Sanguinius, Becouse he he always tryed to be noble even tho his flaw ate at him and his legion, and becouse even knowing he would fall he took on the Arch traitor in combat just to the Emperor could strike him down.

Leman Russ.
I love his loyalty to the Big E., I love the fact that he kicked Morkai's arse, I love the fact that is a great tactician but he hide that behind the façade of a brutal warrior.
And, in the end, 'cause I love everything SW related.

Yeah, quite fanboy-ish; still don't give a feth.

Kurze. Just a badass. Can see the future and knows it's not for him. Dies to prove a point. Batman. Claws.

Sanguinus and Corax are the coolest Loyalist ones though.

I like Guilliman the best. The guy decided that since Daddy was leaving the Crusade to manage his Imperium, he'd do the same. It wasn'y like he didn't deserve the break, he had been (arguably) the most successful to that point, and he was trying to create a Utopia for his people. Now let's add in that he's actually a pretty good warrior, makes Horus nervous, he's a TACTICAL GENIUS, and he doesn't afraid of anything.

On the flip side, I'm also a fan of Lorgar. He goes from the runt of the litter, to black and white movie villain with a twist of Sauron.

Horus had the best win/loss ratio (infinite), The lion had the most victories over all. So What made Guilliman the most successful?

Alpharius Omegon.
Or Sanguinius.
They're all so cool! :(

 TheDungen wrote:
Horus had the best win/loss ratio (infinite), The lion had the most victories over all. So What made Guilliman the most successful?

He conquered more worlds than most, if not all, of his brothers, and he did it in the most efficient manner. Worlds conquered by Guilliman were left far better off and with minimum collateral, he didn't destroy to rebuild, he built upon what was there, improved the world, then moved on. He had his own Empire of 500 worlds, he had entire planets dedicated to production for the XIII Legion in terms of troops, training and supplies. Guilliman might not have won the most battles, or conquered the most worlds, but he built an Empire, which was what the Crusade was for, then he held the Imperium together and left it in what he thought were capable hands. He was the ideal Primarch, not just a fighter, but a politician, soldier, General, Admiral, Monarch, leader, conqueror, loyal son and more analytic than most computers. That's how he was the most successful.

EDIT: And not to mention brawling with Angron and Lorgar, possibly killing Alpharius, inspiring extreme courage in all around him, and making Horus send two Primarchs to take him out the way so that he didn't stop the invasion of Terra.

Russ because Russ.
The only Primarch badass enough to have a tank named after him.

 Sir Samuel Buca wrote:

 TheDungen wrote:
Horus had the best win/loss ratio (infinite), The lion had the most victories over all. So What made Guilliman the most successful?

He conquered more worlds than most, if not all, of his brothers, and he did it in the most efficient manner. Worlds conquered by Guilliman were left far better off and with minimum collateral, he didn't destroy to rebuild, he built upon what was there, improved the world, then moved on. He had his own Empire of 500 worlds, he had entire planets dedicated to production for the XIII Legion in terms of troops, training and supplies. Guilliman might not have won the most battles, or conquered the most worlds, but he built an Empire, which was what the Crusade was for, then he held the Imperium together and left it in what he thought were capable hands. He was the ideal Primarch, not just a fighter, but a politician, soldier, General, Admiral, Monarch, leader, conqueror, loyal son and more analytic than most computers. That's how he was the most successful.

He was also "found" a fair while after Horus but had the 2nd(?) highest number of worlds conquered; it'd be reasonable to assume he would've overtaken him if given the time IMHO.
Personally, I feel Guilliman was the "best" Primarch, although not my favourite.

As for my favourite, I go over it in depth here (http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Just%20Dave%20Ranks%20The%20Primarchs). The order will have changed somewhat as I've read more (Guilliman and the Lion would be better ranked), but the top 2 at least are almost certainly the same now as when I wrote it.

The 'Guilliman Battle Tank' sounds way cooler, though.

 Griddlelol wrote:
Russ because Russ.
The only Primarch badass enough to have a tank named after him.

I really wish there would be some sort of explanation as to why they named the tank after him. lol. Did he just do soemthing so incredible the a commander said "That man i sbad ass... we need to name a tank after him" Or did he find the plans for the tank... so many questions.

 HeraldofDisease wrote:

 Griddlelol wrote:
Russ because Russ.
The only Primarch badass enough to have a tank named after him.

I really wish there would be some sort of explanation as to why they named the tank after him. lol. Did he just do soemthing so incredible the a commander said "That man i sbad ass... we need to name a tank after him" Or did he find the plans for the tank... so many questions.

He saved the FW that first produced them, so they startedn aming their tanks after him.