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I have done a lot of reading and even dabbled in 40k a few times but have never actually committed to the game. I have narrowed my search down to a few primarchs and their legions, I want a legion that has good rules but is also based on how their primarch was. I am just looking for advice I realize a lot of this will be subjective.

Ultramarines- I am unsure about this one, on one hand I feel their chapter did very well and they have good rules but Guilliman seems like a let down from fluff perspective to me. He seems like he wasn't great in combat and while he could organize he wasn't an amazing tactician either.

Imperial Fists- IF and Dorn are what I think of when I think of a primarch. They seem tough, stubborn, and will hold until the last man. I don't think Dorn was the best in combat but you could bet he could hold his own.

Fulgrim- I want to be the good guys so I would play these as pre heresy. Again, Fulgrim is more my style pursues perfection in everything, awesome warrior, and expects the same from his legion.

Khan- Not as high on my list but I love the speed tactics.

Runner Up
Horus- Known as a great tactician and assaults but is the big bad guy, even if I played them as pre heresy not sure I would be happy. On a side not his FW model is amazing.

If you want to represent Legions and Primarchs then you might be more interested in the Horus Heresy (aka Warhammer 30k) game. In 40k most of the Primarchs are dead, missing, turncoats or a combination of these while the remaining Legions have been fragmented into smaller Chapters. 30k has different (and fantastic) models and a slightly different rule set and style of gameplay, but most of the models are probably useable in 40k as well.

As far as picking a 40k Chapter or 30k Legion goes just go with whichever one you prefer the aesthetic, play style and fiction of. From what I've read of 30k the Legions are fairly well balanced compared to one another and the 40k Chapter Tactics all seem useful in their own ways and reflect their corresponding Chapters well enough. If it has any bearing on your decision Ultramarines are surely the most popular and common of the armies you've got an interest in, but also up there with the best supported factions in 40k in terms of rules and models.

I want to play 40k I am just basing my choice based on the Primarchs and who I think are neat fluff wise. Does anyone know of any evidence that Guilleman wasn't just a behind the scenes guy? He just seems meh primarch wise and I feel like it should be between pre heresy emp children or IF.

Forgive me if I sound obtuse; but why does it matter what the Primarchs were like if you are playing 40k? The Primarchs have been dead or missing for millennia, the legions have long been broken up and their old traditions have disappeared and replaced by new ones. Half the Chapters of the Space Marines have roots in the Ultramarines Legion but vary wildly on how much reverence to Guilliman they would now display.

No Loyalist Emperor's Children would be around in 40k unless they were lost in the warp, in which case 30k style lists would still be more appropriate.

I'm not trying to tell you how to play. I just can't see why it matters, who hypothetically was the best Primarch if you aren't playing 30k and therefore won't field them. And to reiterate, some chapters are nothing like their parent legions were.

For a purely fluff opinion to your original post though, Guilliman was the greatest tactical mind of the great crusade. The Ultras had the longest honour roll of any legion, rarely lost unnecessary numbers to attrition, were extremely flexible on attack and defence. Their only weaker aspect being void war as they had a relatively small fleet for a legion of their size (HH book 5). As for combat ability. Guilliman managed to take on both Angron and Lorgar at the same time, chased off Curze and managed to fight his way back to his ship at Calth after 2 hours in hard void with no helmet.

I like that sense of brotherhood, and I like the history of things. (IMO IF do this best of the legions I like, they still inscribe things on bones) It also makes me more interested/excited to play a particular army. In a lot of opinions marines are bland but IMO the primarchs gave the legions their flavor or uniqueness they were the ones that developed the fighting style for the legion. Lastly, I will most likely buy the FW model if nothing else just to display with my army. In relevance to 40k I understand its not current but it is part of their history.