Demigod Sons of the Emperor – A Guide to Playable Primarchs in Warhammer 40k

Hey folks, it‘s Terry here – your resident tech geek and data analyst who just can‘t get enough of gaming and streaming. Today I want to dig into one of my favorite sci-fi universes, Warhammer 40,000, and take an in-depth look at the mighty Primarchs – who are these demigod sons of the Emperor and which ones can you actually play on the tabletop? Strap in, this is going to be an epic ride.

As a passionate 40k lore junkie, I live for details about the Primarchs – their stories are so iconic and metal. Like literally, these dudes have armor made out of metal! Plus their over-the-top Neil Gaiman-esque names are just too good…Rogal Dorn, Perturabo, Jaghatai Khan – say those five times fast.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let‘s start at the beginning – who are the Primarchs exactly?

The Origins of the Primarchs

The twenty Primarchs were created from the genetic material of the Emperor of Mankind himself, intended to be the perfect military commanders. Each Primarch was made to lead one of the 20 Space Marine Legions during the Emperor‘s Great Crusade to unite all human planets.

Here‘s a quick profile on these demigod sons:

• Genetically engineered to be towering transhuman warriors
• Had unique powers and tutelage from the Emperor
• Were scattered across the galaxy through warp accidents
• Rediscovered one-by-one as teens/adults during the Crusade

Unfortunately, the Forces of Chaos corrupted fully half the Primarchs, who then rebelled against the Emperor during the cataclysmic Horus Heresy. But we‘ll get to that mess later.

Now originally, there were 20 Legions and 20 Primarchs. But for reasons unknown, all records of the 2nd and 11th legions were wiped from Imperial archives. Spooky! These two "lost" Primarchs are a huge mystery in the lore. Some say they were killed, others that they turned traitor. But that‘s a topic for another time!

A Demigod Family Divided

You know how most families have that one weird uncle who shows up drunk to holidays? Well for the Emperor‘s gene-forged demigod sons, fully nine of them rebelled and unleashed a galactic civil war that threatened humanity‘s survival. Not exactly Thanksgiving dinner conversation.

Here‘s a handy list showing which Primarchs went traitor and pledged themselves to the dark Chaos Gods:

So fully half of the Emperor‘s sons rebelled and unleashed civil war. It was like the Galaxy‘s worst family reunion – lots of cries of "you‘re not my real dad!" and chainswords and bolters shredding each other to bits. Not exactly a Hallmark Holiday Special.

The Horus Heresy records epic tales of brother against brother – I won‘t rehash it all here, but seriously go read those books they are insane.

Now let‘s move on to the main topic – which of these demigod Primarch sons of the Emperor can you actually play on the tabletop in Warhammer 40k?

The Playable Loyalist Primarch – Roboute Guilliman

Of the loyal Primarchs who stood by the Emperor, only Roboute Guilliman has returned to "living" life and is a playable character on the modern 40k tabletop.

As the super logical Primarch of the Ultramarines, Guilliman was known for his strategic brilliance and administrative skills. And unlike his brothers, Papa Roboute even wrote and distributed a handy dandy rulebook for his Legion called the Codex Astartes – which the wider Imperium actually adopted after the Heresy. What a guy!

But it wasn‘t all Codex writing and bureaucracy for Guilliman. He mortally wounded Fulgrim and the Emperor‘s Children at the Battle of Thessala. And on Terra itself, Guilliman faced Warmaster Horus in single combat before himself falling in battle.

Here‘s where the lore gets wild. Rather than let Guilliman die, the Ultramarines stuck his wounded body in a stasis field for the next 10,000 YEARS. That‘s right, ten millennia on ice – Van Winkle ain‘t got nothing on this nap!

In the 41st millennium, Guilliman miraculously awoke from his power nap and immediately started shaking up the stagnant Imperium. He‘s now a Living Saint blazing with power, leading the new Primaris Space Marines.

On tabletop, Guilliman is an absolute beatstick in combat, while also providing bonus rerolls and morale boosts for Ultramarine units. His revive ability represents him rising again to defend humanity from Chaos.

So in summary, Roboute Guilliman is the one loyalist Primarch back in the game. And based on cryptic Lore about Lion El‘Jonson stirring beneath The Rock, he‘s a top contender for the next live loyalist Primarch to return.

But what about the traitor Primarchs pledged to Chaos – which of those bad boys are tearing it up on the tabletop? Let‘s take a look…

Playable Chaos Primarchs

While only Guilliman has returned for the Imperium, a trifecta of traitor Primarchs have awakened in the Immaterium and march to war as living Daemon Princes. These three are:

Mortarion of the Death Guard
Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons
Angron of the World Eaters

As daemonic servants of Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Khorne respectively, each of these fallen Primarchs are incredibly powerful psykers and melee combatants.

I could honestly geek out for hours about their cursed backstories and villainous deeds, but for now let‘s focus on how they play on tabletop:

• Mortarion spreads plague and tanks damage, hard to kill.
• Magnus smites foes with devastating sorcery and boosts his Thousand Sons.
• Angron shreds enemies in bloody close combat as a whirlwind of gore.

Each has unique mechanics and synergies with their Chaos Space Marine Legion. From Mortarion‘s toxic contagions to Magnus‘ mastery of the warp, these three baddies bring some serious pain and unique playstyles.

So in summary – Guilliman, Mortarion, Magnus the Red, and Angron are the only playable Primarch characters as of early 2023.

More Primarchs Incoming?

Okay, so we‘ve covered the 4 playable Primarchs – but with 18 loyalist and traitor Primarchs still alive, frozen in time, or resurrectable in the Warp, GW has plenty of options for releasing more of these demigod characters.

Now in my opinion, they need to be very selective in rolling out additional Primarchs. These guys are the Space Marine Chapter Masters on steroids – releasing too many could unbalance gameplay and undermine the regular mortal characters we all know and love. Can‘t have Sicarius getting overshadowed now!

Here are some top contenders for potential future Primarchs releases:

Loyalist

• Lion El‘Jonson (Dark Angels)
• Leman Russ (Space Wolves)
• Jaghatai Khan (White Scars)

Chaos

• Fulgrim (Emperor‘s Children)
• Perturabo (Iron Warriors)
• Lorgar (Word Bearers)

Each would introduce new gameplay mechanics and synergies for their Legion while expanding the lore. Personally I‘d love to see Lorgar the zealot or Jaghatai the warrior-poet enter the fray.

But honestly half the fun is just speculating and debating which Primarchs might return next! Let me know which ones you want to see in the comments.

Are The Loyalists Primarchs Incorruptible?

Now for some spicy speculation – could one of the remaining loyalist Primarchs ever turn Traitor and bring their Legion into the service of the Chaos Gods? In a word: unlikely.

Don‘t get me wrong, the lore leaves plenty of wiggle room for epic heel turns. But here‘s some reasons the loyal Primarchs seem destined to stay, well, loyal:

• Created to be genetically predisposed towards loyalty and obedience.

• Powerful psychic protection, wards and runes make corruption extremely difficult.

• From a marketing perspective, fans are heavily invested in their favorite loyalist Legions. Sudden betrayal would seriously upset players.

• Cryptic prophecies foretell the loyal Primarchs have key roles to play in the final apocalyptic battles of 40k. Their fates seem intertwined with Big E‘s.

So while I wouldn‘t say a shocking loyalist Primarch betrayal is impossible, the above factors make it improbable. Although what a twist that would be!

The Wolf King Ragnar Blackmane replace by…Ragnar the Red? Probably not, but fun to imagine!

Closing Thoughts on the Demigod Emperor‘s Sons

Well folks, that wraps up my way-too-detailed primer on the legendary Primarchs and which ones are currently playable on the 40k tabletop. From tragic falls to Chaos to triumphant rebirth as Living Saints, their stories are intricately tied to the sweeping 40k lore.

I hoped you enjoyed geeking out with me on these demigod progeny of the Emperor! Let me know your thoughts, favorite Primarchs, and who you hope returns next. And as always, whether the sons of the golden Throne stand fast against the darkness or are corrupted by brooding Chaos, remember to always play the mission!

This is Terry signing off. Hydrate, get some sun, and thank your Game Master – may the Emperor protect.