Facing a Primarch - How Could They Survive!

[Greyall]

It isn't the best analogy, but Ka'bhanda killed 500 Space Marines while fleeing, wounded. And Sanguinius beat Ka'bhanda - in the end, but he did. Don't interpret it as a direct comparison, it just goes to show that, in 40K, such feats are possible.

 

With Mortarion and Angron on the ground, the traitors only missed to wipe the loyalists completely because they were recalled. They would've done it. Angron was just savouring the slaughter and Mortarion was likely sighing at his brother the whole time.

[kabouri]

Back on the "Surviving a Demigod's Rampage" theme, Horus Heresy novels - with some differences - seem to follow a trend regarding Primarchs: not to make them overpowered.

 

So, they'll get "hurt" (Lorgar takes a bolter shot to the helm, Vulkan get psych-blasted by a Farseer and stumbles back, The Lion is almost overpowered by a tentacled daemonic entity [he seemed too powerless, IMO], Horus is stabbed by a Possessed, Fulgrim gets punched by a Wraithlord and Angron is burried under rubble and presumed dead, even the Emperor was almost throttled by an Ork), which is in tone with one of 40K's rules: "If it bleeds, it can be killed".

 

That being said, those instances are balanced by extraordinary feats that sometimes leave you wondering how the sons of the Emperor were wounded. Lorgar (of all people) beats a Bloodthirster champion, Ferrus Manus drowns what might be a C'Tan, Angron digs through the aforementioned rubble almost unscathed, Horus sustains a shockwave that makes a mess of his marines without flinching. This is the over-the-top side of 40K that makes things like Yarrick beating a greenskin powerhouse believable.

 

Since I want no wall of text, here's what I'm getting at: against 2000 enemies - even Space Marines, one can't outright state a Primarch would [just] lose. Through tactics, guile, psychological warfare or just plain overkilliness, victory is a possibility for the gene-sires. I mean, they're the focus of any battle. Look at Corax, he was piled on for the whole battle of Isstvan V, so overwhelming numbers is nothing new for them.

 

But I doubt you'd ever see a Primarch going alone against 1000 marines in a HH novel. Odds are too overwhelming, and a victory would seem overpowered. Better to just have them beat the enemy leader or monster.

 

 

lol, a simple question and i triggered a debate :) . After reading all the posts here i think that, Angron all alone would not be able ( probably) to kill by himself his enemies. Also it would be quite logical that he would be the Number ONE and only target to be eliminated. But, he was surrounded by thousands of traitor marines, would it be that he could had wreaked havoc to the loyal marines and lead his men to victory in a matter of hours ?. Yes against overwelming numbers but not alone.