Sanguinius

With 10th edition right around the corner and with its focus on the Nids. I thought it be fun to showcase the Swarmlords various battles and try and get a good idea where he should stand as threat. Since he can comeback stronger every time, I hope we get to see him fight someone like Trajann Valoris. If the nid are going to invade Terra that is.
BATTLES:

• Vs Calgar: Couldn't find a quote, however it comes from "Codex Tyranid (5th & 6th edition)". At "the Battle of Cold Steel Ridge" on Macragge the Swarmlord directed Hive Fleet Behemoth to defeat every one of Marneus Calgar's tactics. Calgar himself was almost killed by the Swarmlord, but managed to escape alive with the help of his Honour Guard while Swarmy killed the Commander of the Guard Aloyseus. The Swarmlord led the attack on the polar fortresses of Macragge defended by Captain Invictus of the Ultramarines' elite 1st Company. In the end, the entire 1st Company was killed and official Imperial reports listed the Swarmlord as slain at that time. Calgar has a rematch with Swarmy in Ichar IV. With Calgar evening the score by killing the Hive Tyrant.

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• Vs Ortan Cassius: Couldn't find a quote, however it comes from "Space Marine Legends: Cassius". He killed the Swarmlord & his Tyrant guard with the assistance of a squad of like 10 marines. However, the only reason he managed to pull it off is because, the Swarmlord wanted to end the fight quickly. So, he resorted to a psychic attack. Unfortunately for Swarmy Cassius had been training with Tigurius on his psychic resistance. So, while the Swarmlord had his back on him. Cassius manage to recover quickly, and surprise attack Swarmy. He hit Swarmy's head with a powered crozius. The Swarmlord's head was then doused with fire from Cassius' combi-bolter's flamer and was forced onto its knees. There Cassius' squadmates pumped its vital organs full of Hellfire rounds while the Chaplain repeatedly beat its head with his powered Crozius. This continued for a few minutes until Swarmy died.

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• Vs Prince Yriel: to be honest not much of a fight. Swarmy kinda just gets one-shot by Yriel using a Crone-Sword. - (Valedor):

”He landed lightly upon the gory corpse of a fallen giant. Before him the swarmlord loomed, taller than a wraithknight and greatly more massive. Its eyes glittered at him with malign intelligence.
‘Great Dragon!’ Yriel called, holding aloft the Spear of Twilight. ‘I come to slay you, as my forefather Ulthanash slew the wyrm Draoch-var with this very blade!’
Three huge creatures lumbered at Yriel, directed by the psychic command of the leader-beast, but he leapt aside from their swipes, the spear granting him unparalleled reflexes. One and then another fell, pierced by the pin point lance beams of the prince’s followers as he bounded closer to his prey. Roaring, the swarmlord attacked, driving down a claw twelve paces long at Yriel. He back-flipped, the wind of its passing stirring his hair. The tip of the claw slammed down into a carcass, slowing the hive tyrant for the merest heartbeat as it tugged it free, but it was enough. The prince landed on his feet. Smoothly he drew back his arm and cast the spear of Ulthanash at the creature. The spear screamed a polyphonic wrath-song as it hurtled through the air, passing in an eyeblink to pierce the jaw of the swarmlord, drive up through the soft mouth into the swollen brain case, and emerge, gleaming, from the top of the armoured skull.
The swarmlord toppled, lifeless. Yriel yelled in exultation, feeling more alive than he had in many cycles. He had become jaded by his life as a corsair. But this! This was the theatre of life full in the round!

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• Vs 3 Custodes: Fought three Custodians, killing two and was fighting on par with their Shield Captain. - (Duty Unto Death):

”A single pod cut through the toxic fumes and the burning sky, hammering into the centre of the plain and the milling confusion of the alien horde. There was an instant realignment, like constellations suddenly clarified in the heavens. The army turned as one, unified by singular purpose once more. The thing which tore itself free from the spore-pod was immense, the pinnacle of genetic mastery and a paragon of inhuman might. The greatest bio-scholars of Terra could not decide whether it was a consciousness in its own right, or an immune response of the hive mind – brought into being when the tide was set against it.
The swarmlord raised its head and bellowed as it rushed forward to meet them.
iIt closed the distance in what seemed like moments. A blur, the storm given form. Blades scissored down against the Custodians. They blocked, even their movements too slow. Bio-electric fields warred with the power fields of their weapons in a whine of feedback and a shower of sparks. It forced Varamach to his knees, and the great cleaver blade descended, burying itself in the armour of his neck. There was a spasm and a gout of blood, and he had only a moment to drive his spear up and into its flesh before he fell. Another loss, too massive to countenance. Natreus ducked under its guard and slashed across its chest, but the swarmlord brought all four of its blades to bear. It pinned Natreus, blades barely containing him as he struggled, blood coating them in furious smears. The Custodian’s spear fell from his grasp, and the swarmlord cast him to the dust.*
Only Tamerlain remained. He broke into a run, swinging his axe as he advanced. The heavy castellan blade impacted against one of the boneswords, chipping it. There was no surprise in its dead eyes, only a snarl of alien hate.
‘This is His domain,’ Tamerlain said, not caring whether or not it could hear or understand. ‘I am His servant, and you shall not end me with my duty yet undone.’ He moved beneath its dance of blades, feeling them scrape against his armour – turned aside by angle, speed and the armour’s inherent strength. It snarled, dripping venom as it stabbed down at him. He dropped to his knees, his hand finding Natreus’ spear. ‘Forgive me,’ he whispered, and drove the unpowered blade up with such force that it cracked the monster’s armoured sternum. It slammed one of its blade limbs into his side, and he brought his axe up again. An arm flew free in a gush of sour fluid, and it batted him aside with the flat of another blade.
They were evenly matched. Opposites. Mirrors. One the pinnacle of human genetic mastery, the other a crescendo of accelerated hyper-evolution. One was golden, the other base.
They fought down the burning slopes, even as the tyranid swarm wove around them in a tightening noose. By-blows obliterated swathes of brood organisms. The swarmlord did not care as it scythed through its own, as it drove Tamerlain back. He fought with every century of his experience behind him. He could feel the names carved into his armour, pressed against his flesh. Each carried a burden.
He moved as fast as he was able, raising his axe to block and parry or to cut and slash. Their melee devolved into a grinding brawl, drawn out and bitter. He tensed as he fought, feeling the dull ache of fatigue. He struck for its thorax, cleaving it open even as it brought two of its blades round.
It pincered him in place. He felt something break in his armour’s systems, his gauntlet clenching in palsy. He closed his eyes and focused. It was more gruelling and more intense than any Blood Game he had run in the service of the Throne, more pressing than any battle of his long years. He felt his fingers close, finally, around the hilt of his misericordia dagger, and pulled it free. He pushed it up and drove it into the thing’s snarling visage. Dissonator spirits engaged with a flare and the blade blazed golden for a glor­ious instant as it sank through flesh and chitin. The beasts screamed, every last one of them howling in animal agony.
Tamerlain kicked out his leg and drove the dying monster back. Behind him, the world roared again – in sympathetic victory.

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• Vs Dante: - (Devastation of Baal):

" Fifty yards away was the largest hive tyrant Dante had ever seen. Upon backward-hinged legs it stood taller than a Dreadnought. Red spore clouds pumped from the chimneys on its high back. Bonded to its fists were four matched boneswords, with heavy ends as square and brutal as cleavers. He had heard of this thing, the galaxy’s bane, the hive mind personified.
Commander Dante faced the Swarm Lord.
His perception coalesced around the monster. Reality reasserted itself, his visions driven off by the sheer physicality of the hive mind. The past gave way to the present. The sounds of battle returned, albeit muted. The horde was broken into pieces. The howling of his blood-mad warriors was scattered, so isolated there could only have been a few of them left.
In the monster’s eyes glimmered an ancient and powerful intellect. As old as he was, Dante felt like a newborn babe compared to the intelligence staring at him through that unblinking gaze. He sensed that there were two beings looking at him. The monster, and the being that controlled it. They were separate, yet one. A sense of crushing psychic might emanated from it, so great its grasp encompassed galaxies. There was sophistication there, and terrifying intelligence, but all were outweighed by its bottomless, eternal hunger.
For the moment that the man and the monster stared into one another’s souls, Dante pitied it. The hunger of the hive mind made the Red Thirst trivial by comparison.
A rumble sounded in the monster’s throat. Muscle fibres exposed by gaps in its chitinous armour contracted; that was all the warning Dante received. There was no threat display, no roar to intimidate, it simply hurled itself into the attack. The hive mind was nothing if not efficient.
Despite its size, the Swarm Lord moved with staggering speed. Its alien anatomy made its attacks difficult to predict, and Dante found himself fending off a blur of jagged bone. Crystal veins glittered in the blades, generating a shimmering energy field like none Dante was familiar with.
The Swarm Lord’s weapons met the Axe Mortalis with a thunderous boom. Dante reeled back from the blow, letting out a brief blast from his jump pack to steady himself, dodging narrowly to the right to avoid a return strike from the Swarm Lord’s two left-hand swords. He ignited his jump pack fully, making a short leap backwards as the swords from the right smashed into the desert where he had been standing. The energy field encasing the blade exploded the sand.
As the beast slammed down its weapons he snapped off a quick shot with the perdition pistol. His aim was honed by centuries of practice. The meltabeam cut a roiling line through the air, connecting with the Swarm Lord’s lower left elbow joint. An explosion of steam carried the smell of broiled meat out towards Dante, and the thing’s arm went limp.
It made no cry of pain. As it moved forward, its useless arm snagged on the ground. With an total lack of human emotion, it severed the crippled limb with a sword blow and moved in to re-engage. Dante leapt again, jets on full burn. He swooped low, darting in to strike and withdraw. His fuel indicators plummeted, but Dante remained aloft, soaring away from bonesword strikes with expertly timed exhaust bursts. His blows left a dozen smoking scars in the Swarm Lord’s carapace. It responded with a buffeting storm of psychically generated terror that had no effect on the Space Marine lord, so deep in the thirst was he. The thirst grew in Dante until he stood on the brink of the Black Rage, a pit he could never climb from. He resisted the urge to finally throw himself in. The strength this last surrender would grant him would be formidable, but his mind would be gone for good, and so he would perish. Not until this thing was slain would he abandon his last shreds of self-control. He had to know that it was dead.
He focused on his hate, on his desire to kill, on his need to rip this interloper’s head from its shoulders and cast it to the sand.
The Swarm Lord’s armour was thickest on its shoulders, head and back. They duelled for long minutes, Dante landing so many blows that the edge of his fabled axe dulled, and its power unit vented black smoke. All his skill could draw but a little blood. The Swarm Lord snapped and swung at him with undiminished might.
Dante needed a decisive blow soon. The Swarm Lord’s endurance would outlast his own, and one lucky strike from the beast’s weapons could end the fight long before exhaustion set in. So Dante dived in again, axe held low in the manner of a cavalryman stooping in the saddle to strike with his sabre. Jinking through swinging boneswords and into the spore cloud issuing from the Swarm Lord’s chimneys, he raked the blade of his weapon across the leader beast’s face, catching it across one eye. He was momentarily blinded by the swirl of red microorganisms belching from its back, and forced to touch down.
The two combatants wheeled to face each other. The chitin around the Swarm Lord’s right eye was cut down to a gleam of bone. Ichor and humours from its ravaged eye wet its cheek.
Dante smiled coldly. ‘I shall take your other eye, and then I shall kill you.’ In return the leader beast shrieked, a psychic assault that channelled the polyphonous voice of the hive mind into a concentrated mental blow. Dante reeled under the combined sonic-psionic blast. Something gave inside him. He tasted blood at the back of his throat. His mind suffered more than his body, and he staggered back, dazed, his axe dragging through the sand.
The Swarm Lord seized the opportunity and ran at the commander again. Dante blasted backwards, but even as it charged the Swarm Lord assailed Dante with fresh psychic attacks, sending out a lance of psionic energy that cut through his armour into his leg and knocked Dante wheeling from the air. He slammed into the ground with bone-jarring force. His face slammed into his helm, breaking his nose. The terror field halo around Sanguinius’ golden mask buckled and gave out in a skittering crawl of psychic energy. His iron halo’s energy field failed with a bang.
The thing screamed again. Dante’s being was deadened from the soul outward. His vision swam. The energy his thirst gave him was stolen away. The Swarm Lord thundered at him, head down, three swords back, ready to strike. Dante regained enough of his wits just in time, activating his jump pack while he was still on his back. The jets sent him scraping across the ancient rockcrete and sand of the landing fields at high speed, drawing a shower of sparks from his armour. Alarms wailed from every system of his battleplate.
A second, brain-rattling impact shook him as he connected with the wreck of a Land Raider. The systems diagnostics for his jump pack wailed at high alert, red danger runes blinking all over his helmplate. With a thought, he jettisoned his jump pack, rolling free of the stuttering jump unit as the Swarm Lord barrelled into the tank wreck with such force it lifted from the ground. The Swarm Lord turned on him quickly, grinding Dante’s jump pack into a pool of fire and sundered metal under its broad hooves. The Land Raider slammed back down.
More alarms rang in Dante’s helm. On standard battleplate, a jump pack took the place of a Space Marine’s reactor pack, replicating most of its functions as well as providing limited flight capability. Without it, Dante was left in a suit of armour with only residual power.
He had seconds left of combat effectiveness at the most. Emergency battery icons clamoured for his attention, bars sliding quickly down to red emptiness.
The Swarm Lord screamed. Psychically induced horror buffeted Dante’s mind, tormenting him with dread. Dante roared back, unafraid.
‘I am of the Lord of the Blood,’ he said, as he broke into a run, the alarms of his dying armour wailing in his ears. ‘What I do, I do for he who made me. No personal ambition is mine. No glory do I seek. No salvation for my soul or comfort for my body. No fear do I feel.’ The Swarm Lord swung at Dante hard. Dante retaliated with a counter blow, shattering the bone sabre. Thick alien fluids pumped from the broken blade. The eye set into its hilt rolled madly, and it began to shrill. ‘By his Blood was I saved from the selfishness of flesh.’
The Swarm Lord was unmoved by the death of its symbiotic blade. The stroke continued downward, the remains of the sword catching Dante below his breastplate and penetrating his plastron. A combination of Dante’s impetus and the Swarm Lord’s immense strength punched the bone fragment deep into his body, penetrating his secondary heart, scraping on his spine, and exiting the other side of his torso.
The creature snarled in what would have been triumph in any other species. Dante’s formidable progress was arrested. Hissing deeply, the Swarm Lord lifted Commander Dante off the ground, armour and all. Warm blood ran down inside Dante’s bodyglove. Toxins leaked from the Swarm Lord’s weapon, sending spiders of agony crawling along his nerves.
‘By his Blood was I elevated.’ It was over. He began the Mors Votum. The Swarm Lord lifted him high, screaming in victory, and swung its arm down to flick Dante from the blade’s shard so it might finish him on the sand.
Reactive foams bubbled from Dante’s armour, bonding him firmly to the remnants of the Swarm Lord’s blade.
‘By his Blood do I serve.’
The beast hesitated, only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. As it was raising its remaining two blades to cut Dante in two, the commander raised the perdition pistol. His armour died on him, its systems starved of power, growing heavier with every second as his life ran from his body. His aim did not waver.
‘My life I give to the Emperor, to Sanguinius, and to mankind,’ he intoned. The Swarm Lord’s face was reflected in the dulled metal of Dante’s mask.
Sanguinius’ face shouted silently at the hive mind.
Dante disengaged the weapon’s failsafes with a flick of his thumb.
‘My service is done. I give thanks. My life is finished. I give thanks. Blood returns to blood. Another will take up my burden in my stead. I give thanks.’
He fired the perdition pistol at point-blank range into the Swarm Lord’s face. Its flesh liquefied and boiled off as superheated steam. Its first bonesword bounced from Dante’s armour, ripping long scratches into its decoration. Bloodstones fell from their mounts. Still Dante held his aim true. The pistol’s power pack grew so hot with thermal feedback it blistered his skin through his ceramite. Still he did not relent. The fusion beam bored through the creature’s organic armour. Thermic biogels bled from cavities in the chitin, but they could not stay the perdition pistol’s beam. The weapon glowed with white heat. The Swarm Lord reared backwards. Its cries became gurgles as its tongue cooked in its head. Desperate to be free of Dante, it severed its own wrist with a clumsy strike. Dante blacked out for a moment from the pain of the bone shard jarring his organs as he hit the floor. When he came to he was lying on the ground. The Swarm Lord slumped to its knees alongside him. Its movements were feeble. Keening quietly, it fell forward, chest heaving. Air whistled through its breathing spiracles, then ceased. Dante rolled his head to one side. One of the boneswords lay close to his face. The eye set into its hilt stared hatred at him before dimming. The pupil dilated. The sword, too, was dead.
Dante took a painful breath. Fluid bubbled in his lungs. His body ached all over from the tyranid’s poison.
He was dying."

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• Vs the Overfiend: Couldn't find a quote, however it comes from "War Zone Octarius, Book 2: Critical Mass". The Swarmlord face the second largest ork in the galaxy twice. The first time he charged at the Overfiend, battleling for hours nonstop. However, the Overfiend after getting a shot off at the Swarmlord's midriff, decapitated swarmy. Swarmy angrily was rebirth in a bioship ready for round 2. In said round the Swarmlord bid his time. Only jumping into the fight after the Overfiend had been wounded by a carnifex. He then uses his agility to evade the Overfiend's attacks, in an attempt to tire him. The Overfiend however never relented nor slowed down yet in the midst of a swing the Swamrlord found an opening. Which he use to cut the cable of the Overfiends power-claw. With his power-claw now slowing him down the Swarmlord made quick work out of him. Eating his brains in the process.

Hey guys, I want to get the leviathan box as do most of us, and I'm deciding on a chapter to use, my favourites are Space Wolves, Blood Angels and Dark Angels, with space wolves the problem being the fact that you cant use like 6 minis from the box without converting, which i would like to try at some point but not right now with something as expensive for me as Leviathan, so the other options are DA and BA and I want you guys to sell me on blood angels, with dark angels i like their secrets and artefacts they have on the Rock and also i love green and their paint schemes in general, I also love the knight aesthetic, the thing I'm not sure about is their "personality". With blood angels I really like the fact that they are noble artists with quite deep emotional side with their whole connection to sanguinius, also vampires are cool, but I'm not too sure about the red paint scheme. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions and tell me why you like them and why should i choose them over the others. I also really like the BA community as you guys really seem proud of your chapter choice but are really nice aswell. Thank yall for your answers!

Hello everyone, I have a request for you, could you try and sell me on Dark Angels? I'm planning on getting Leviathan hopefully and I can't decide between Blood Angels and Dark Angels as a chapter to paint the SM in the box. In Blood Angels I like their nobility and quite emotional side with their deep connection to Sanguinius. Also I think SM vampires are rad. With Dark angels I enjoy the secrets and artifacts they possess, I also adore green colour and medieval themes as I'm actually getting a sword irl soon. So sell me on Dark Angels, tell me why you enjoy them.

Hello all.
Well, I just read Unremembered Empire and my oh my is Konrad a beast! The guy takes on a small battalion of Ultramarines in 80seconds. And after being injured by Polux a number of times, he faces of the Lion and Guilliman single-handedly and manages to wound them both before blowing up the place and escaping(coz he obviously couldn't beat them both). But boy oh boy, he really messed up Macragge. Then he faces of with Vulkan and manages to kill him but Vulkan, you know, is Vulkan and comes back. But the writer of Unremembered Empire, really did justice to Konrad as a warrior primarch. I think the only person who has a chance against him on a one-on-one is Sanguinius and Magnus(maybe). But anyway, this is like my 6th Horus heresy book. I have read Horus Rising, Galaxy in Flames, Fulgrim, the Primarchs, Scars, Dorn, Master of Mankind, Flight of the Einstein and The First Heretic. In all these, there hasn't been a point where a primarch goes against 2 primarchs. But Curze did it and survived. Actually Guilliman and the Lion were dead if not for Dantioch. But then that was a trap and not close quarters combat. And of course, this is about the best warrior primarch in 40k. I am a loyalist fan. I don't like Konrad. I really love Dorn and Sanguiniusm my fav being Dorn. What do you guys think about Konrad? I was terrified of him just from the writing.
Here is an excerpt: The Night Haunter stood up, proud and tall, and opened his wings and his dreadful claws.‘Death,’ he murmured, as a sentence.Eighty-eight seconds later, Sergeant Menius and his entire squad were dead and the Land Raider was on its side and burning.Konrad Curze had come to Macragge.

Hey guys, Fairly new to 40K and most of my knowledge is spread on Salamanders and Orkz hahahah.
Guilliman was dead for thousands of years right? And he was revived using his Armour.
Why doesn't he just give his armour to all his fallen Primarch brothers such as Sanguinius.
Surely he is not bound to this armour forever, Is there a lore reason for why he hasn't done this, or could this just be a simple oversight that would have made the story boring.
Any answer or conversation is appreciated. Thanks!

This post is just for fun and I tried to only find quotes about their opinions on Big E before the Heresy also after reading some of these quotes you can tell some Primarchs are more direct towards the feelings toward the Emperor compared to others also feel free to post any quotes I missed I know for a fact I missed some.
Lion El Jonson
1.) "There will be no new Emperor, only a lifetime of war. My brothers will bleed each other dry, contesting for eternity until there can be no victor. No, not even him. There is only the Emperor, none is worthy of inheriting that mantle. I will ensure the Legiones Astartes destroy themselves before another matches the power upon Terra." - The Primarchs
Fulgrim
2.) "Even in my moments of blackest doubt, all that sustained me was the utter certainty of my ultimate achievement of perfection The Emperor was the shining paragon of that dream’s attainment.
"I dreamed of one day being like him of standing at his shoulder and feeling his pride and love for me." - Fulgrim
Perturabo
3.) "Our father knows more than us. He has seen further than us. If He tells us there are regions of the warp into which even He does not dare look, then we are beholden to accept that." - Magnus the Red: Master of Prospero
4.) "The Emperor uses me for the most thankless tasks. My men are thrown against the worst of horrors, given the most gruelling roles. We are divided, our talents ignored, our might reduced to splitting rock. My father ignores me." - Perturabo: Hammer of Olympia
Jaghatai Khan
5.) "My Father was neither a monster nor a simpleton. He did a thing only because it had to be done. Perhaps He could have explained more, but I will not believe, even now, that there was not a reason for His choices." - Path of Heaven
6.) "So I fight for a Father who I never loved, against a brother that I did." - Path of Heaven
Leman Russ
7.) “I fought the Allfather, that is true, and He bested me, for the gods themselves fear Him, mightiest of men." - Leman Russ: The Great Wolf
8.) "Sometimes I think the emperor isn’t half as clever as he thinks he is." - Wolfsbane
Rogal Dorn
9.) "We must forever hold the Emperor’s judgement as the highest there is, or we must wonder if we are nothing more than creations of vanity. He is the Master of Mankind, and he will steer us to Enlightenment." - Deliverance Lost
10.) "I trust the Emperor to know best." - Deliverance Lost
Konrad Cruze
11.) "'You made me as your judge. It is my purpose. I am the weigher of souls. Do you wish to know, father, how I judge you?’
He leaned so close to the effigy that his nose brushed the slippery meat of it.
‘Guilty,’ he whispered." - Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter
12.) (Sanguinius speaking) - "He wants to believe the Emperor made him a broken puppet so that he can convince himself he was right all along." - Angels of Caliban
Sanguinius
13.) "The Emperor has concerns that go far beyond the needs of his individual sons. You know that is so. We all know that is so." - Fear to Thread
14.) "Fathers lie to their sons to protect them, to save them. Our father hid Himself for untold millennia among mankind, revealing Himself only when He deemed the time right. The story of our scattering was a necessary lie, if indeed it is a lie." - Pharos
Ferrus Manus
15.) "On Medusa, he had battled the giant elementals that dwelled within its mountains, conversed with ancient spirits that spoke in magmic eructation and the shaking of the earth, aided an Iron Father in the exorcism of an enraged machine, and he knew the Emperor’s ‘Truth’ for a useful lie." - A lesson in Iron
Angron
16.) "We fight because the Emperor wants every world in his hands. All he knows is slavery, painted in the inoffensive cloak of compliance. The very notion of freedom is a horror to him." - Betrayer
Roboute Guilliman
17.)"He is not my father, he created me, but I assure you, priest, that he was no father. King Konor of Macragge was my father." (This after the Heresy)
Mortarion
18.) "The first time I met Him He stole from me my life’s struggle. It was nothing to Him, a bump in His smooth road to godhood. He took what I had worked and suffered for and He did not care! He called Himself the Emperor! What kind of being has the presumption to claim such a title? Who takes and takes the affections of His sons and gives so little in return? He would not even deign to tell us His name!" - Dark Imperium: Plague War
Magnus
19.)"Under the Emperor, we have perpetuated a holy war that has sucked worlds dry of resources and cost billions upon billions of lives. We have spent life like meaningless currency, all because one man said we must. How many cultures have we annihilated, Vulkan? How many have we assimilated and robbed of their vitality, replacing innovation with conformity? How much knowledge have we destroyed because father decided no one was allowed to learn it?" - Echoes of Eternity(During the Heresy)
Horus
20.) "He trusts me to make the decisions he would make. He trusts me to make no mistakes. I must be allowed the freedom to interpret policy on his behalf." (Before the Heresy)
Lorgar
21.) "You are immortal, undying, seeing all and knowing all that transpires across creation. Father, you are a god in all but name." - The First Heretic (Before the Heresy)
Vulkan
22.) Emperor - "I am a singular being, Vulkan. I am a man, and also more than man. I sometimes think of myself as a creator, much as you think of yourself. A maker. At other times, a father. Yet, I find I am... removed. My concerns are of a lofty nature.'
Vulkan "You cannot relate to them, to mankind, even though you claim to be one of them. You made sons so that you would not be alone, so that you could share company with like minds, if not equal minds." - Mercy of the dragon
Corvus Corax
23.) "The Emperor is all the things he wishes to be. He has been both tyrannical and compassionate, merciless and merciful. But I have seen into him, and I have touched minds with him in a way no other can. And at the core of what others see is a man of humility and wisdom and learning. He is a man driven by the rational. A tyrant craves domination, but the Emperor carries his power like a burden, the responsibility for all of humanity on his shoulders. He is everything he must be, not out of desire, but from duty and necessity." - Corax Soulforge
Alpharius Omegon
24.) "He has many great ambitions, and the noblest of intentions, but I know that above all else, He is determined to stand firm against the rise of Chaos. He has always known the truth of it. The overthrow of the Primordial Annihilator is His greatest wish. So what I do, autarch, from this moment on, I will do for the Emperor." - Legion
Bonus
Malcador
"He has sacrificed more than any of us, and He does not use it for Himself. A man may pursue a single goal and become the master of that endeavour, only to find himself weakened in all other pursuits. The Emperor battles daily with forces beyond understanding, yet you expect Him to retain a mortal sympathy." - Jaghatai Khan - Warhawk of Chogoris

So as a preparation for The End and the Death: Volume II, I decided to re-read the Siege of Terra series and I totally forgot how amazing is this conversation between Malcador, Valdor, Sanguinius, Khan and Dorn. I think it contains point of view answers to some of the lore questions - some quite major - that regularly pop up in this subreddit. Excerpts from The Lost and the Damned by Guy Haley.
On the size of Horus's army.

‘They are almost incalculable in size. There are representatives from every Traitor Legion within the Solar System. He commands thousands of regiments of traitor soldiery, hundreds of Knightly houses, dozens of Titan Legios, which though they were diminished at Beta-Garmon,’ he indicated Sanguinius, ‘still outnumber our own. Now the innersystem blockade has been swept aside, the unified forces of the Dark Mechanicum are heading for Terra from Mars. We are beset on all sides.’

On the size of incoming Guilliman's army.

‘Horus brought most of his armies here. Roboute’s forces are formidable. When I left him, he was busy sending orders that Ultramar and all the Ultima Segmentum be emptied of men. More forces flock to him on the way, including elements of Vulkan’s and Corax’s Legions we thought lost. When he arrives, it will be at the head of a force the near match of Horus’ said Sanguinius.

Malcador explains why the Primarchs - except one - were not briefed about Warp. Which one was it? The book does not say. I think it was either Lion, Russ or Corvus.

‘My boy,’ said Malcador wearily, ‘you cannot understand because matters of the spirit were not given you to understand by your father. I could explain them at length and you most of all would never comprehend. Do you not think if it were possible that I or your father could have explained them already, that you would have been told of the threat in the warp from the very beginning?’
‘I deeply regret that it was not done,’said Dorn.
‘The results would have been disastrous, believe me,’said Malcador.
‘Not telling us was arguably worse,’said Dorn.
‘Was it?’ said Malcador softly. ‘Very well. Let us take you, Dorn. You were made to command the material realm. Nothing in this world is beyond your grasp. But understanding of the warp would have eluded you. Being a man who desires mastery of all things, you would have been drawn to study it, and in doing so, you would have fallen. You are resistant to the dangers in the dark, but no one is immune.’ He paused. ‘Only one of you had the mettle to resist the whispers of the gods at the start. He was told.’
(...)
‘Who the Emperor told is not important. Even now it is better that you do not know,’ said Malcador. ‘To name the powers in the empyrean is to invite their attention. The knowledge alone is corrupting – that is all you need to know now, and far more than you needed to know then.’

Seems like Malcador knew Sanguinius will die in Siege of Terra.

‘You must perform your part. I shall perform mine when the time comes.’ As one of the few men in all existence who could look into a primarch’s eye without flinching, Malcador met the gaze of each of the three loyal sons in turn. ‘All of you have your parts to play in this struggle.’ He smiled sadly at Sanguinius, and the Angel looked aside.

The Phalanx was not a part of Siege of Terra, because Dorn wanted to use it for the evacuation of the Emperor.

‘If Terra falls, the Emperor must survive,’ said Dorn. ‘We all agree that the Emperor, not Terra, is Horus’ objective. The Phalanx represents our best chance of effecting His escape. Only my flagship has any chance of fighting in and out of the system to carry Him away. In all other cases, the perimeter ships will remain out of engagement range until Roboute approaches,’ said Dorn.

Dorn admits that Alpharius was not entirely pro-Horus. This ties to my theory that Alpharius was running the Orpheus protocol for a long time - https://www.reddit.com/40kLore/comments/13xz11w/another_alpha_legion_theory_spoilers/ .

‘Could Mortarion have had a change of heart?’ wondered Sanguinius aloud. ‘I am certain few of our brothers expected to find themselves allied with daemons. Mortarion least of all – you know how much he hates the warp.’
Dorn’s eyes narrowed. He thought momentarily of Alpharius. When the twentieth primarch infiltrated the Solar System, he had spoken with Dorn, and what he said could have been interpreted as contrition. Dorn had not listened, and had slain Alpharius at Pluto, a fact he still kept from his brothers.

The Primarchs did not know that Vulkan is perpetual. Kurze has definitely found out the wrong way - hammertime.

A sly look crept across Malcador’s face.
‘Vulkan lives,’ he said.
The shock visible on Sanguinius, Dorn and the Khan’s faces gratified the Sigillite, and he smiled like a conjuror pleased with the effects of a trick.
‘I’m sorry?’ said Dorn.
‘What do you mean, Malcador?’ said Sanguinius. ‘I saw him dead upon Macragge. I witnessed his corpse borne away by his sons myself!’
‘Vulkan’s corpse is not like other corpses. The Salamanders took him back to Nocturne, where they were successful in restoring him to life. Vulkan has… certain abilities, as you all do,’ said Malcador.

The Emperor was apparently close to completing the Webway gate on Terra.

‘Disaster struck when He was close to completion. Your brother Magnus, my lords, was loyal, but arrogant. In his hubris, he used sorcery to warn the Emperor of Horus’ treachery. The sorcery he employed, that he had been forbidden from, destroyed the wards around the bridge, and all the foes of men came rushing in.’
‘That is where Valdor’s men were for so long when you returned, my brothers,’ Dorn said to Jaghatai and Sanguinius.

This one is very hotly debated topic in this subreddit, but Malcador clearly says (could be lying though) that Horus pushed Russ to kill Magnus.

‘So Russ was sent to punish Magnus without reason,’said Sanguinius.
‘Not without reason,’ said Malcador. ‘But the chastisement was never meant to be so harsh. We determined to despatch the Wolf King to bring Magnus back to Terra for censure for defying the judgement of the Council of Nikaea. Horus manipulated the order.’

In 40k the Emperor cannot leave the Golden Throne or be externally killed, because he is holding the warpgate on Terra closed.

‘Let me explain, Constantin,’ Malcador said. He paused to gather his thoughts before he went on. ‘What none of you know is that your father is trapped upon the device He created to keep the bridge to the webway open. It was intended to be a temporary measure, until the Mechanicum could stabilise the conduit. But all their work was destroyed. If He leaves the Throne now, the doors into the warp will open, and Terra will drown under a tide of Neverborn and all their infinite malice.’

Hey guys! I already have a cool, metal Furioso and got the plastic kit to build. I was dead serious on building the Librarian variant, but seeing what’s being done with psychic powers I’m not sure anymore.
I know we don’t have the datasheets yet, but what would you build? People are already thinking about twin-linked Talons with hit rerolls on the DC Dread, so I think it might be the better option. I already have Mephiston, pre-Mephiston (Calistarius Termie Lib from Space Hulk), the old BA Termie Lib and will have the new Lib from Leviathan, so I think I have the psychic field covered 😂
With powers gone, the Wings of Sanguinius flying cannonball Dread will propably be gone. What’s your thoughts?

I have another credit on Audible. Should I use it on the Sanguinius book, Fulgrim (next up foe me in the Horus Heresy series), Mortarion: The Pale King, or Dark Imperium?

I have another credit on Audible. Should I use it on the Sanguinius book, Fulgrim (next up foe me in the Horus Heresy series), Mortarion: The Pale King, or Dark Imperium?

Spoiler alert: this is not canon. However, this is a subject where "canon" is so damn vague and confusing that if we ever got an official answer it would probably be pants-on-head stupid - I'm talking "give your least experienced warriors the hardest to replace gear and put them in the most dangerous role" levels of stupid. Aka: Space Wolf levels of stupid.
But the purpose of this topic isn't just to insult Space Wolf players - Blood Angels are also dumb. I see your newly-minted Initiates donning Jump Packs and charging that Bloodthirster, sons of Sanguinius!
Okay, Furries and Emos insulted. Let's talk how the sane Chapters do things.
The Old Days - (aka: "Back When 40K Was Good And Made Sense, And You Could Buy 20 Pewter Space Marines for Sixpence!")
The traditional progression through a Space Marine Chapter is delightfully simple: you start as a Scout in the 10th, progress to a Devastator in the 9th, an Assault Marine in the 8th, a Tactical Marine in the 7th, a Tactical again in the 6th (where you learn how to use Bikes and Land Speeders), and finally you enter a Battle Company - the 2nd to 5th inclusive. Here, you would fill whatever role you excelled at most, with the bulk being Tactical Marines. Veterans were either "Veterans", or "Veterans in Terminator Armour". There were also 'officers', but we'll not worry about them just yet.
This simple structure is still used as, if not a template, at least a vague outline; a Primaris Chapter's 9th Company is entirely comprised of "Fire Support" Squads, for example, which can include Devastators. However, the rest is... messy. Let's just lay it out.
The New Structure (AKA: "What The Intern Came Up With On A Coffee Break")
The newest sources I have are from 9th Edition, and they are extremely unhelpful. Far too vague, and extremely cluttered; the simple answer is that units go where their Force Org chart puts them - if the unit is Heavy Support on the table, they are a "Fire Support" squad. If they're Troops, they are "Battleline", etc.
Now as I hinted, this runs afoul of some logical issues. The entire reason new Marines started as Devastators was to keep them as safe as possible, letting them master long-range warfare before being thrust into more dangerous roles. However, many Fire Support units are close-quarters orientated, from the Aggressors from the Primaris reveal to the soon-to-be-released Infernus Squad.
I don't like that. What? Oi! Stop looking into my Chapter right now! Rules for thee, not for me! My Chapter does it right!
So this is something I want to fix. Thus, I'm going to pitch my own idea for how a "Primaris" Chapter should be organised. I will not reference any Firstborn units, and I will try whenever possible to either stick to traditional Chapter structures or, where I deviate, I will try to stick with the themes and flavours of the old lore.
The Biggest Change:
One thing I am going to change right off the bat is the size of your Chapter - it should consist of 1,100 'Space Marines' on paper. I know, that sounds wrong, but I will justify this: the extra 100 are in the 10th Company, which is a double-strength Company. It is effectively two Companies mashed together - the Scout Company, and the Vanguard Company. There is no overlap between these two. The Scouts are neophytes still learning the art of war while still developing (aka: growing up) into true Astartes. The Vanguard are, in my opinion, veterans. As in "First Company material".
The reason I am making this assertion is because of the vast gulf between these guys and regular Battleline units. They possess vastly superior equipment to everyone else, which is simply stupid for fresh-faced cadets! Yes, Scouts have unique weapons in the form of Sniper Rifles, but a Sniper Rifle isn't any more sophisticated than a regular infantry weapon - it's just a weapon with a good scope, a long barrel, and a large cartridge to give the bullet lots of kick. These changes make it inferior to regular infantry rifles in the kinds of close-in skirmishing infantry squads typically have to do. But an Infiltrator? Or an Incursor? Those are infantry rifles blinged with super-tech.
So here is the first huge departure from "canon". Vanguard Squads are Veterans. They are not Vanguard Veterans, but they are Veterans in the Vanguard Company.
If you made it this far... good news! The massive rambling blocks of text over at last!
PRIMARIS CHAPTER FORCE ORGANISATION:
1st Company:

• 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants.
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient, 0+ Dreadnoughts.
• 100 Veterans.

Veterans are organised into the following squads on an ad-hoc basis as the mission requires: Veteran Intercessor Squads, Sternguard Veteran Squads, Bladeguard Veteran Squads, Terminator Squads, Terminator Assault Squads.
Battle Companies - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Company:

• 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants.
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient, 0+ Dreadnoughts.
• 6x Battleline Squads.
• 2x Close Support Squads
• 2x Fire Support Squads

A 'Battleline' Squad comprises one of the following: 1x 10-strong Intercessor Squad; 1x 10-strong Heavy Intercessor Squad.
A 'Close Support' squad comprises one of the following: 1x 10-strong Assault Intercessor Squad; 2x 5-strong Inceptor Squad; 2x 5-strong Aggressor Squad.
A 'Fire Support' squad comprises one of the following: 1x 10-strong Hellblaster squad; 1x 10-strong Infernus Squad; 2x 5-strong Eradicator Squad.
6th Company:

• 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient, 0+ Dreadnoughts.
• 10x 10-strong Intercessor Squads*.

* 6th Company Intercessor Squads may instead be deployed as Outrider Squads, Invader ATV Crews, or Storm Speeder crews.
7th Company:

• 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient, 0+ Dreadnoughts.
• 10x 10-strong Intercessor Squads*.

* 7th Company Intercessor Squads may instead be deployed as Heavy Intercessor Squads.
8th Company:

• 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants.
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient, 0+ Dreadnoughts.
• 10 'Close Support' Squads.

9th Company:

• 1 Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants.
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient, 0+ Dreadnoughts.
• 10 'Fire Support' Squads.

10th "Scout" Company:

• 1 Captain ("Master of Recruits"), 2 Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants.
• 1 Chaplain, 1 Apothecary, 1 Champion, 1 Ancient.
• 10x 10-strong Scout Squads.
• 'Recruiting Sergeants' + Neophytes.

10th "Vanguard" Company:

• 1 Vanguard Captain ("Master of Reconnaissance"), 2 Vanguard Lieutenants, 0+ Veteran Sergeants.
• 1 Vanguard Librarian.
• 3x 10-strong Infiltrator Squads*.
• 3x 10-strong Inceptor Squads*.
• 2x 10-strong Reiver Squads*.
• 2x 5-strong Eliminator Squads*.
• 2x 5-strong Suppressor Squads*
• Tactical Warsuits**

* Sample composition only. Vanguard Space Marines can be reorganised however the mission structure requires.
** Tactical Warsuits are crewed by members of the Vanguard Squads above.
PRIMARIS CAREER PROGRESSION:
You begin your life as a Scout in the Scout Company, just like Firstborn. Once you have matured into your new super-human physique, you join the 9th Company. Your first deployment? Hellblaster Squad. Yes, that sounds dangerous... but honestly, being a Hellblaster is probably the best way to keep a new Primaris out of trouble. If it helps, think of it this way: if your new recruit can't learn trigger discipline, he's no good to you - and no gun teaches discipline like a plasma gun!
Upon mastering the art of throwing miniature suns at people, it's time to learn two other noble arts of war: slagging tanks, and burning down orphanages. Thus you will spend time as an Eliminator and an Infernus Marine. Both of these are quite dangerous roles, but in theory you should have enough basic understanding of core battle tactics after some time as a Hellblaster that casualties will be acceptable.
Once you've served in all three of these roles, your next destination is the 8th Company. Here, you will master the arts of close combat. Assault Intercessor will be your primary role, but you will also learn the art of high-mobility fire support as an Inceptor, and as a heavy close-combatant in the Aggressor role. Serving in the 8th is easily one of the most dangerous times for a Primaris Marine; you will be vanguard of boarding actions, the tip of the spear in lightning assaults. Casualties in these squads are often high - an unfortunate reality of war for Astartes.
The 7th is focused on the core duties of a Space Marine - annihilation of the foe with boltguns. These squads deploy in Tacticus and Gravis armour exclusively to give the Chapter access to a broad base of core infantry. After the 7th comes the 6th, where again the Intercessors serve as Tacticus line infantry... but also provide the rapid-strike forces in the form of bikes and other light vehicles.
Throughout their time in Reserve Companies, the Primaris will mostly serve attached to a Battle Company. When seconded to a Battle Company, the squad temporarily adopts the numbers and colours of the primary force. For example: if the 1st Squad of the 7th Company is assigned to the 2nd Company, they will adopt the yellow/gold of the 2nd Company and become "11th Squad, 2nd Company". Upon completion of the deployment, the squad will revert to using the purple company colour and become "1st Squad, 7th Company" again.
Upon completing their tour in all of the Reserve Companies, a Primaris enters the Battle Companies. This is not a direct progression - a Marine can jump straight from 7th Company to 2nd, for example. In effect, all Battle Companies are of equal station.
The alternative progression route emerges here: the Vanguard Company. Marines who have shown an especial talent for infiltration operations will be returned to the 10th Company to serve as a Vanguard.
You will notice there are some elements missing here - tanks, Chaplains, etc. This is because these lie outside of the core structure; all Techmarines are found within the Armoury / Forge, along with all the Chapter's tanks. Likewise, all remaining Apothecaries are within the Apothecarian, all Librarians are within the Librarius, and all remaining Chaplains are within the Reclusium. The Chapter Master may have his own Honour Guard, and these will be Bladeguard or Terminators depending on your Chapter.
Except there is one Librarian in the Vanguard, isn't there? Yes! This is because the Librarian in Phobos Armour has a unique psionic discipline that is built around the Vanguard Company fighting style - thus, it makes sense to me that he is permanently attached to this formation.
MAKING IT YOUR OWN:
The Codex Astartes is more like... 'guidelines' than actual rules. Here are a few ideas you can use to tweak this structure:

• If you don't like Scouts, remove the Scout Company! Your Neophytes instead begin their career within the 9th Company, having been kept entirely off the battlefield until they are fully developed!
• Add more specialists to Company Command! Feel free to have a dedicated Company Librarian in every Company, or give them a Company Techmarine.
• I am not a fan of "Veteran Intercessors" as 1st Company squads as of the launch of Primaris Sternguard, but I kept them in because GW has shown Ultramarine Intercessors in 1st Company colours. If you agree with me, feel free to remove them - instead, any Intercessor squad in the Battle Company can instead be a 'Veteran Intercessor'. I recommend you keep their numbers low; maybe one squad per Company to give you a veteran core.
• Swap Companies around! Blood Angels start as Assault Marines, then become Devastators, then Tactical Marines - feel free to do something similar! If you want an alternate progression, consider having the Intercessors as your entry level position.

I hope this long, often rambling post gives Primaris players some idea of how to improve their Chapters... without resorting to the more obvious solutions, like "play Firstborn" or "go back to 2nd Edition - the last real Edition of 40K!"
For anyone still reading, I look forward to your feedback, questions, etc.