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The Primarchs are supposed to be highly intelligent, they have, as Donald Trump says, "Tremendous brains, the best brains, the greatest brains".

However, in the HH series, we mostly see the Primarchs behaving like really immature man-children.


What are some of the best examples of the Primarchs displaying their high intellect in the 40K fluff?

Guilliman organizing Ultramar in general, first off.

I think with regards to the primarchs it's best to look at them as greek gods. the greek gods are greater then mere humans in ALL respects, including their flaws

BrianDavion wrote:
I think with regards to the primarchs it's best to look at them as greek gods. the greek gods are greater then mere humans in ALL respects, including their flaws

The Primarchs do have some mighty flaws, but I was asking about examples when they displayed great intelligence.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Verviedi wrote:
Guilliman organizing Ultramar in general, first off.

Guilliman does appear (or is written) to be one of the smartest Primarchs.

Maximus Bitch wrote:

BrianDavion wrote:
I think with regards to the primarchs it's best to look at them as greek gods. the greek gods are greater then mere humans in ALL respects, including their flaws

The Primarchs do have some mighty flaws, but I was asking about examples when they displayed great intelligence.

off the top of my head here are some examples..


Horus being able to detirmine the sounds eminating from the satilite orbiting murder where in fact communications, the rest of the legion dismissed it as useless noise, having not been able to detirmine any pattern to it.
numerous examples of Primarchs mastering complex subjects very quickly (often noted as outstripping the best teachers on the planet they where on by age ten)
Gulliman's orginization of Ultramar (which was said to be partiuclarly impressive, even by the standards of Primarchs)
Lorgar's publishing of the Lecto Divinticus (writing a bible is a fairly intellectual task and clearly it was convincing given how fast it spread)
Gulliman's reorginization of the IoM after the Heresy.
Dorn's fortification of the Imperial Palace.

Fulgrim runs a corporation so well he ends up buying and controlling the whole planet.

Peturabo invented all sorts of things

Konrad Curse basically kills himself. Geniuses always were prone to suicide.

 Exergy wrote:
Fulgrim runs a corporation so well he ends up buying and controlling the whole planet.

Peturabo invented all sorts of things

Konrad Curse basically kills himself. Geniuses always were prone to suicide.

I don't think killing oneself demonstrates intelligence


Automatically Appended Next Post:

BrianDavion wrote:

Maximus Bitch wrote:

BrianDavion wrote:
I think with regards to the primarchs it's best to look at them as greek gods. the greek gods are greater then mere humans in ALL respects, including their flaws

The Primarchs do have some mighty flaws, but I was asking about examples when they displayed great intelligence.

off the top of my head here are some examples..


Horus being able to detirmine the sounds eminating from the satilite orbiting murder where in fact communications, the rest of the legion dismissed it as useless noise, having not been able to detirmine any pattern to it.
numerous examples of Primarchs mastering complex subjects very quickly (often noted as outstripping the best teachers on the planet they where on by age ten)
Gulliman's orginization of Ultramar (which was said to be partiuclarly impressive, even by the standards of Primarchs)
Lorgar's publishing of the Lecto Divinticus (writing a bible is a fairly intellectual task and clearly it was convincing given how fast it spread)
Gulliman's reorginization of the IoM after the Heresy.
Dorn's fortification of the Imperial Palace.

I guess they are both smart and dumb when GW needs them to be.

Curze, fend off Corax from killing Lorgar, though in hindsight he should have let him die.

Curze fighting both Guilliman and El Johnson to lure them to a trap that nearly killed them both.

Curze knowing the assassin that was assign to kill him long before she attempt the assassination, he let her kill him to end his misery.

All of the primarchs pretty much took over the planet they were scattered on.

That wasn't intelligence on behalf of Curze. That was premonition.

 Big Mac wrote:
Curze, fend off Corax from killing Lorgar, though in hindsight he should have let him die.

why?

 Big Mac wrote:
Curze fighting both Guilliman and El Johnson to lure them to a trap that nearly killed them both.

in which novel?

The one from the HH series obviously!

Maximus Bitch wrote:

 Big Mac wrote:
Curze, fend off Corax from killing Lorgar, though in hindsight he should have let him die.

why?

 Big Mac wrote:
Curze fighting both Guilliman and El Johnson to lure them to a trap that nearly killed them both.

in which novel?

Unremembered Empire

Dorn manages to build and run a star-spanning empire.
Dorn organizes an amazing defense for terra.

Magnus, just in general (outside of the panicked and rushed warning to the Emperor making a mess)
etc. etc. etc.

The Iron Cage was pretty darn cunning as well.

In Deliverance Lost, Corax gets permission to enter the Emperor's old Gene-labs (the ones where he created the Space Marines and the Primarch, IIRC), but the place is sealed up tight by some maze-like contraption filled with automated defences. The wall sections keep moving around as Corax and buddies go through the maze, and the pattern in which the walls move is impossible to figure out as it has something to do with a nearby glacier melting (little fuzzy on this part).

Corax then sends three groups into the maze, coordinating their movements over comms, and has them move in such a way that the walls that are supposed to move get stuck on one another, thus jamming the entire maze.

Also, Corax figuring out not only how to create Space Marines through the research he finds there, but also figuring out how to improve the process so he can produce better Marines faster.