Confused about timeline: 8th to 9th

[WrathOfTheLion]

I think the only loyalist Primarch that could conceivably return in the existing setting would be the Lion, and that would be a very big stretch. They could roll it that because the Fallen incursion is in the far eastern fringe of the Imperium Nihilus, RG hasn't heard of it. But that would be playing silly with it, so I think it is safe to conclude of none without moving beyond the plague wars.

 

The traitor primarchs could easily be brought back, especially if they aren't fighting the imperium directly. For example, perhaps Mortarian has to retreat to defend against EC and Fulgrim, or they go off and fight the Eldar.

Edited August 10, 2020 by WrathOfTheLion

[Ascanius]

There were specific hints relating to Fulgrim in the first two Psychic Awakening books. Emphasis mine:

 

+++ Ordovoxian Transmission +++

Emperor’s Day, 12 Post OCM

A strike force of Aeldari clad in black armour emerged from the Perditas Zone just as we engaged the forces of the Screaming Serpent. The xenos used our assault as a distraction, harrying the foe’s flanks as we charged into the killing sonic blasts of the heretics holding the centre. The Aeldari’s cursed xenotech proved effective against the footsoldiers of the Grand Cacophony. Even the hissing streams of discs released from their sidearms somehow cut through the ceramite armour of the traitor host where good honest lasfire had failed us. For a time, we allowed ourselves to believe the Nodum Psykana could be saved.

Then came the Screaming Serpent. Vast it was, its wings blocking out the sky. Its three swords cut men in half with each sweep. Its whip-hand simply beckoned, and I watched in horror as the Storm Troopers engaging it fell to their knees, then toppled face first into the mud. What that hated thing was, I can only guess, but it haunts my every waking moment. Something in my gut tells me I witnessed nothing less than ++ REDACTED+++

 

+++

[Vox Intercept: Yhedaris System]

'Hear this, you simpering lapdogs! You servile, dull creatures. The Illuminator is coming! Yhedaris is but the frst brushstroke upon a grand canvas. He is coming, and with him comes an endless carnival of sensation!'

Addendum: Vox transmission hails from the Cathedrum of the Ashen Heart on Ortus Prime. No response along priority channels. Multiple Heretic warships sighted traversing the Cascar Nebula, on a path towards Black Mantle. Iconography matches that of the Emperor’s Children, Excommunicate Traitoris

+++

 

It's not a guarantee that Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children are coming out in 2021 or anything, but there's nothing equivalent for Angron and the World Eaters in any of the books. The new corebook does set the scene for the possibility that Angron will appear on Armageddon sometime, if I recall correctly, but it seems likelier that Fulgrim will come first.

 

That goes along with other rumours I've seen here, such as when someone commented that they were thinking of buying the Morathi model to kitbash their own Fulgrim, they were told to wait. That was literally 2.5 years ago, of course, so it may have been the usual nonsense.

[Closet Skeleton]

Before 3rd ed brought in timeline advancing campaigns, 2nd ed presented the 41st millenium as more of a setting where you could fight battles at any point on the timeline. There's no need for a wargame setting to have battles be 'modern'. The Tyranid book still has rules for destroyed Hive Fleets.

 

It just makes me think this puts a squash on anymore Primarchs in 9th. Although maybe not, because the Silent King is returning in timeline before the 8th edition boxset happens, and no one seems worried about it.

 

Silent King returned in M41.744 before Gathering Storm, he's just been busy with politics rather than fighting. Major Necron awakenings were impossible without the Silent King back in the galaxy.

 

He's not returning 'now', that's just a bit of hype for his release.

[Karhedron]

The fluff has mentioned several of the Traitor Primarchs being active following the opening of the Great Rift. We don't need a mechanism for their return.

 

The Loyalists are more ambiguous as several of them are simply missing. They could return to the setting at any time and hand-wave the last 9 millennia as just being stuck in the warp due to temporal displacement.

 

Corax was last seen in the Eye kicking Lorgar's golden backside. The Khan vanished into the Maelstrom pursuing Dark Eldar. Russ left on his quest to cure the Emperor but promised to return for the Wolf Time. Dorn and Vulkan are missing presumed dead but could easily return. They never found Dorn's body and Vulkan was a Perpetual so anything is possible.

 

Having said that, I believe one of the designers said they had no plans to bring out another Loyalist Primarch in the near future. The plan was to have Roboute hold the fort alone against the darkness. As a skilled diplomat and ruler (not just a warrior), he is probably the Primarch the Imperium needs most at the moment. Plus it plays into the whole "man out of time" vibe. He is trapped in a nightmare that not even his abilities can really fix and he is alone.