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From what I understand, Ferrus was appointed "supreme commander" of the assault on Istvaan V, so it's not as if one of the traitor primarchs was in the position to orchestrate the invasion in a way that best suited Horus' game plan.

What if Ferrus had instead decided that sending the WB, NL, AL and IW as the first wave was the best course of action? That would have certainly been awkward.

Is there something that I'm missing or is this simply an instance of plot induced coincidence?

The WB, AL, NL and IW Fleets intentionally delayed their arrival.

Horus was counting on Ferrus' anger / hubris to make planet fall before the former arrived.

It was a subtle gamble on the traitor's part. They'd send down the loyal parts of their legions first(something they could arrange) and then they'd hope that Ferrus went in first, which could be made more likely by delaying an hour or so and give him time to make landfall.

It makes you wonder how things would have gone down if Fulgrim had managed to turn Ferrus.

"Hey, Vulkan, Corax, I'm gonna need you two to go on ahead. You might be out-numbered two to one but don't worry, we've got your backs."

I guess it's like trying to ring that friend who said they were coming to <insert social thing here>, but it's 30 minutes after they said they'd meet you...so you go and do what you were going to do anyway. If they show up, then fine, whatever. The four supposedly loyal legions didn't turn up in time for the initial assault but turned up "just in time" when all the loyalists had made planetfall.

 Blackhair Duckshape wrote:
It makes you wonder how things would have gone down if Fulgrim had managed to turn Ferrus.

"Hey, Vulkan, Corax, I'm gonna need you two to go on ahead. You might be out-numbered two to one but don't worry, we've got your backs."

Pretty sure Ferrus wouldn't have even been there if Fulgrim had turned him, or he would've been on the ground with the other Traitor Legions. At the least the Iron Hands would've likely pulled the same stunt the NLs, etc. did and "been delayed."

They rolled ones on their reserves rolls....