40K: Which Loyalist Primarch is Next?
Which loyal son of the Emperor will be next to make an appearance? Let’s see if we can narrow the field…
When Magnus showed up folks were justifiably excited – he was the first PLASTIC PRIMARCH! On top of that, he was in full Daemon mode – he was a literal game changer. To balance the scales Games Workshop released Roboute Guilliman next as part of a Triumvirate. This was also a milestone release – It showed that GW wasn’t afraid to shake-up the lore and “wake-up” a Loyalist Primarch. Guilliman was never “lost” after-all, he was just napping – the poison didn’t help.
We got a pretty BIG clue as to which Chaos Primarch would be next to show up at Adepticon…
So, in line with what Games Workshop has been doing, let’s see if we can figure out which 40k Loyalist Primarch should come back next.
Leman Russ
Russ is a strong candidate. He’s already got a Forge World Model (just like Guilliman did) and we know he’s technically alive. Space Wolves also have enough character to support their own book independent of the core Space Marine book. But let’s look at this last recorded words:
“In the end I will return. For the final battle. For the Wolf Time.”
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That’s pretty ominous! Games Workshop has already said that it’s not the end times for 40k…No, I think it might be too early for Russ to return.
Vulkan
Vulkan is a Perpetual. He went missing during the War of the Beast as he sacrificed himself to destroy a massive Ork Warboss. The thing is, when you’re a Perpetual a little thing like getting atomized in the destruction of a ships reactor might not be enough to keep you out of the fight forever…He has a Forge World model and the Salamanders are a solid chapter choice for Marines. However, Salamanders could also be considered a bit too “vanilla” as in they are part of the “core” Space Marine book. I’m not ruling out Vulkan, I think he’s totally around the 40k Universe – but I think GW might be saving his return for later.
Corvus Corax
Corax is another Primarch who set a course for the Eye of Terror and disappeared. He could still be alive and biding his time to exit from the warp as well. However, I think he’s a weaker choice to return. He’s not exactly a fan favorite…But he does have a FW model. The Raven Guard do have some cool special rules but don’t have their own codex either. Unfortunately for Corax he seems to suffer from both the Russ and Vulkan problems: MIA in the Warp and too vanilla. My money would not be on Corax if this was a betting pool.
Rogal Dorn
Rogal Dorn has been pronounced dead. After an attack on the Despoiler Class Battleship Sword of Sacrilege Dorn went missing. The only thing that was recovered was his hand. However, during the War of the Beast Vulkan mentioned to Koorland that he would speak well of the Imperial Fists to his brother Primarch. That leaves some room for a return if there ever was one! Personally, I’d like to see him return with some type of fore-arm cannon a la Megaman. That would be awesome…But he also suffers from the “vanilla problem” and there isn’t even a Forge World model for him yet. It’s not looking good for the Primarch of the Imperial Fists.
Jaghatai Khan
KHAAAAAAAN!!! Oh, hmm…sorry. Jaghatai Khan, Primarch of the White Scars is another one of those “Missing in the Warp” stories. According to one story:
“After the Heresy, Khan went on a crusade to rescue warriors captured by the Dark Eldar. During one battle, it was reported that Khan was sucked into a Warp portal to fight for all eternity. This may be true, but it is more likely that his ship was lost in the Warp, as that region of space was known to be dangerous.”
Folks have theorized that he was captured by the Dark Eldar and has been fighting ever since. Or maybe he was caught in the web way and was trying to fight his way out. What ever happened to Khan, I’m sure someone is feeling his wrath…
I’m not hopeful for Khan right now, even thought White Scars have surged in popularity, I don’t think he’s going to make the next cut. No Forge World model, “vanilla” Marine problem, and he doesn’t have a huge fan base – people like the White Scars for the rules and not the lore. It’s a tough situation for The Khan. I’m not ruling him out entirely, but ya – not looking great.
Lion El’Jonson
Lion El’Jonson is actually my top pick to return next. Why? Because we have a BODY! His currently location is currently “hidden deep within The Rock” and he’s just “resting.” I don’t know what the trigger is to wake him up but I’m betting it has something to do with Cypher – who got pretty darn close to the Emperor…And it’s not like he’s going to be the first Primarch to pull a sleeping beauty. The Dark Angels also have their own codex and unique models in their range. Their lore is just as deep as the Space Wolves and they don’t suffer from the vanilla factor. He doesn’t have a FW model however. Still, I think The Lion is a pretty good option overall.
As for the other Loyalist Primarchs…well, those are fellas are (mostly) dead. Sorry Blood Angels and Iron Hands players.
So who do you think will be the next Loyalist Primarch to return?
