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Very often I see statements that Horus was the strongest primarch and could defeat anyone else in melee 1x1, and that he was the only one except Angron who could defeat Sanguinius. But is it really true? Wasn't Horus just the most balanced? Angron spent a lot of time in battles and it is clear why Lorgar thought that only he could defeat Sanguinius, but why did he think so about Horus? Where did Horus demonstrate his duel skills?

Most of them saw Horus as the best of them, very charismatic and was the Emperor's favoured.

It's no wonder someone who was ranked at the bottom would look up to someone like Horus!

I think it's murkier than that. Russ nearly managed to kill Horus in Wolfsbane and that was with Horus hopped up on that sweet, sweet chaos magic.

Horus even admitted that he wasn't dead because Russ chose not to kill him IIRC. But I think a lot of it was to do with the weird Emperor made spear he was carrying at the time.

Horus' power level? 9001?

Russ:"ROBOUTE! WHAT DOES THE SCOUTAH SAY ABOUT HIS POWAH LEVEL!?"

Guiliman: "It's over NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
*smashes scouter in power-fist*

Sorry, it had to be done.

Horus wasn't made war master because he was the most powerful it was largely that almost everyone liked him. He had charisma and the emperors favor making him the obvious choice.

In terms of power pre-chaos he was likely one of the strongest of the primarchs in battle and was definitely one of the best strategists. So you have a great fighter, great strategist and charismatic leader...you can see why he was left in charge of the crusade.

However they never really make him out to be superior to the other primarchs. So if he was, it wasn't by much IMO.

I know why Horus was chosen the warmaster.
I ask why Lorgar thought that Horus is the only one who, apart from Agron, can defeat Sanguinius?
Where did Horus demonstrate his 1x1 battle skill?

In two words? He doesn't.

At no point does Horus demonstrate personal prowess above any of his brothers. There's no good reason to say he is clearly above Angron, Sanguinius, Fulgrim, Perturabo, Leman Russ, Lion El'Jonson, or Konrad Curze, all among the stronger Primarchs in terms of martial prowess IMO (Curze albeit mostly in a brawl).

And there are many reasons to think he is outright inferior to Lorgar and especially Magnus, albeit not because of either's martial prowess and largely due to their psychic powers of which he and all other Primarchs save Leman Russ have shown astonishingly little defense.

Now, in-game, Horus dominates every Primarch in 30k rules with the exception of Leman Russ and a Magnus who has psychically buffed himself.

A bit off topic but is there any in universe source for Russ being particularly resistant to psychic powers. He clearly can tank them better than any of his brothers save Magnus and he himself displays several things that seem like psychic like traits but they are never exactly called that.

I don't remember reading anything in the HH series that explains that particular trait though despite basically being able to take a some hard hits from magnus that would have melted a battleship.

HoundsofDemos wrote:
A bit off topic but is there any in universe source for Russ being particularly resistant to psychic powers. He clearly can tank them better than any of his brothers save Magnus and he himself displays several things that seem like psychic like traits but they are never exactly called that.

I don't remember reading anything in the HH series that explains that particular trait though despite basically being able to take a some hard hits from magnus that would have melted a battleship.

Leman Russ comments on it in the Wolf King novella.