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Warhammer 40K: Traitor Primarch Role-Call – Bring On The Bad Guys

7 Minute Read
Oct 16 2021

We’ve got two traitor Primarch models in 40k and who wouldn’t want a couple more? Here’s where the Traitor Primarchs are currently hiding.

Daemonhood seemed pretty likely for the majority of the Traitor Primarchs. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a new one as well. So who’s around and still kicking? They are in a better state…if Daemonhood is what you’d consider “better” that is. Anyhow, It’s time to do a Traitor Primarch check-in.

Mortarion – Daemon Prince of Nurgle

He’s got a model and is currently active in the 40k storyline. See: Plague Wars.

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Magnus the Red – Daemon Prince of Tzeentch

Magnus also has a model for 40k and is currently active in the 40k storyline. See: Great Rift.

Fulgrim – Daemon Prince of Slaanesh

Currently a Daemon Primarch, Fulgrim was possessed by a daemon during the Drop Site Massacre. However, he was able to regain control of himself by unknown means later. He later completed a ritual to become a true Daemon Prince of Slaanesh:

“…Just as Fulgrim was about to complete his ritual and achieve Daemonhood, Perturabo gathered enough strength to charge at his brother but were interrupted by an ambush of SalamandersIron Hands, and Raven Guard who had been stalking the traitor fleet in search of vengeance since the Drop Site Massacre. One of the loyalist Astartes during the battle shattered the Maugetar stone, freeing some of Perturabo’s energy and giving him the ability to strike down Fulgrim with his Thunder Hammer. However Perturabo only managed to destroy the Primarchs mortal skin and was reborn as a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh. Now a massive but elegant serpentine creature, Fulgrim told his brother that they would meet again then vanished in a burst of Warp energy along with his Emperor’s Children.”

The last time Fulgrim had a model was in EPIC:

And he is alive and kicking in the 41st Millennium as well:

“Fulgrim made another appearance at the conclusion of the Ultramar Campaign in the closing days of M41. Through the efforts of the Mechanicum and Eldar Roboute Guilliman was healed from the wounds inflicted by Fulgrim. Fulgrim sensed his brother’s revival and took the time to possess the Arch-Consul of Macragge in order to gloat to Guilliman during his first public appearance in ten thousand years. Through the body of the Arch-Consul, Fulgrim announces that Guilliman would have many temptations to resist and that any feeling of self-satisfaction would be his doom.”

 

Perturabo – Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided

Elevated to the status of a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided after the events of the Iron Cage, Perturabo is still around. He’s been somewhat quite as the last big event he took place in was off-screen – it was a battle between his forces and Mortarion in the War of Rust and Ruin.

“The War of Rust and Ruin began in the aftermath of the Great Rift‘s creation, when the Daemon Primarch Mortarion led the Death Guard in invading the world Dysactis to find the Temple of Ascension.

However they were soon confronted by his Brother Perturabo and a vast host of Iron Warriors and Chaos Titans from the Legio Abhorrax. The confrontation quickly descends into open warfare, as the Daemon Primarchs lead their forces against each other and both sides summon Daemons to aid them. Though the Iron Warriors and Legio Abhorrax inflicted horrible casualties amongst the Death Guard, the longer the fighting raged, the more the Death Guard’s contagions and metaliphage poxes spread throughout Perturabo’s forces. The tide of the battle then turned, as Iron Warriors began to collapse and both their war engines and the Chaos Titan’s of Legio Abhorrax, start to shut down; due to rust and the uncontrollable corruption of their machine spirits. Mortarion then seized the opening this gave his warriors and Perturabo was soon forced to flee, as the Death Guard’s contagions had left his forces in tatters. Badly mauled but triumphant, Mortarion and his Death Guard were now finally able to lay claim to the heathen temple they fought so hard for and the ancient secrets that lay at its heart.”

 

Konrad Curze – KIA

Really, he was Killed in inaction. Or was he? That’s kind of the question. After going off the deep end, Konrad Curze waited for his demize at the hand of an Imperial Assassin.

“Konrad Curze was eventually killed, assassinated by the Callidus M’Shen. He fully knew when he would be slain down to the annointed hour, and in the time before his death he conversed with a corpse-statue that he addressed as the Emperor. Suprisingly the corpse spoke back, and the Emperor apparently assured Curze that his insanity was never his fault and he had acted as intended until Chaos interferred. Curze broke down when the Emperor questioned his belief that fate was predetermined, stating that he himself had chosen this path. He tore the corpse-puppet to pieces, and it’s unclear if it was actually the Emperor speaking or a mere hallucination. Thereafter he completed his memoirs, known as The Dark, hiding the book away within his fortress. Later that night it is believed the Assassin M’Shen was allowed to infiltrate his palace on Tsagualsa, as she encountered no guards between herself and his throne room. Confronted with her, he simply said:”

“Your presence does not surprise me, Assassin. I have known of you ever since your craft entered the Eastern Fringes. Why did I not have you killed? Because your mission and the act you are about to commit proves the truth of all I have ever said or done. I merely punished those who had wronged, just as your false Emperor now seeks to punish me. Death is nothing compared to vindication.”

“The vid-log then shows M’Shen leaping forward, although the kill was never confirmed, as the video feed cuts out right before they fight. It is believed that Night Haunter allowed himself to be killed: he saw himself as a murderous and corrupt villain, the very thing he sought to destroy. Regardless, his final words are considered one of the great enigmas to the Imperium’s history.”

 

Angron – Daemon Prince of Khorne

The timing on his Daemonhood is a little convoluted. In the original lore, he had become a Daemon Prince after the Horus Heresy. But in the novel Betrayer, he ascended during the Heresy. Either way, he’s a full blown Daemon Prince of Khorne now. He’s responsible for the First War for Armageddon and there was an attempt to summon him after the formation of the Great Rift.

His old EPIC model had him looking very much like a larger Bloodthirster with the Daemon Weapon – the Black Blade:

 

Horus – KIA

Horus is dead. Not just dead-dead, but his soul has been obliterated and his body destroyed. There was a clone made by the Emperor’s Children but that was also destroyed by Abaddon as well. He’s definitely not coming back.

LorgarDaemon Prince (of Chaos Undivided?)

“Eventually, the atrocities committed by the Word Bearers allowed for Lorgar’s ascension to Daemonhood, becoming the equal of a god in the eyes of his Legion. It is said his birth scream echoed across the Immaterium with triumphant vindication, his faith and devotion rewarded with immortality and unbridled power.”

It’s unclear if he pledged his loyalty to any one particular Chaos God, but based on Lorgar and Word Bearer’s history, it’s probably a safe bet that he’s Undivided. That said, he’s been active in the background in the current storyline – but he’s been pretty low-key.

“After ten thousand years of seclusion into the Warp, Lorgar is finally rumored to have returned at the close of the 41st Millennium and formation of the Great Rift. It is said that he has been seen walking mortal realms in terrible splendor, preaching the word of Chaos at the head of a massive Word Bearers force.”

 

Alpharius Omegon – ???

Look, it’s Alpharius/Omegon. He could be dead. He could be alive. He could be a twin. He could be a Daemon Prince. He could be a Loyalist Primarch. He could be hanging out on Terra with the Emperor. He could be right behind you. We really don’t know and that’s just how he likes it.

 

 If you could pick a traitor Primarch to come back, who would you choose?

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Author: Adam Harrison
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