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Since 8th edition began, the Primarchs have gone up in points while other super-heavies have gone down, now it seems like they among the more complete choices for filling out a 500 point army list with a single model (knight crusaders are still better). So how would the Primarchs fair in this roll, with none of their sons who usually follow them around, but not facing such an overwhelming level of firepower that they could get shot off the board in one turn like most 2000 point games (I would think); how would they fare as the only unit in a 500 point army?

All you have is a super-heavy auxiliary detachment with the Primarch, he would be your warlord with his warlord trait, you can use stratagems with your standard 3 CP (6 for Gulliman), and if you have any abilities that can add additional units to your army that are unique to the character (i.e. The Blade of Magnus adding Chaos Spawns) you can use those and you must pay points for them, just like in any matched play game. Daemonic ritual summoning is not allowed for Magnus and Morty, though I am not sure it would be too useful. I want this to focus on the innate abilities of the Primarchs, not their daemonic buddies.

Assume you are up against a standard 500 point TAC type list and that your opponent doesn't know they are facing a Primarch ahead of time and so doesn't have a tailored list. Maybe think that they have the kind of army you would get from a box set or start collecting set, a more mixed force and not just spamming one thing.

I've enabled multiple choice answers, so pick any combination of Primarch you like; the ones which you think would make a good, fun, competitive game. If they would all be too good in such a game, pick the "None, they are all too strong" option. If they would all be too bad, such as too weak or not being able to claim objectives or complete missions well enough by themselves, pick "None, they are all too weak".

We have an entire thread of not tailored to this question lists here: https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/787450.page

That said, the list basically doesn't matter. Even in a game on a 4' x 4' table with a single objective in the middle to force a battle, all of these one model wonders lose.

It's too easy for the Primarchs to be outmanoeuvred so that, worst case, they die never having gotten an attack off, or best case dies eating a single unit per turn while the rest of the list pours attacks into you. If you try to hide you lose on points as your opponent just holds the cap.

Any list with scouts is even worse as they can start on the objective. If the table has multi-story ruins you'll never get an assault off. It's just miserable for the Primarch player.

They all lose before the game even starts unless your opponent specifically goes out of their way to play badly.

Then I wonder why I had heard stories of Gulliman taking out 500 point armies by himself back at the beginning of 8th, especially when he is the weakest of the three in a fight. I guess people were just bitter at his release and wanted more ways to call him OP.