Sanguinius

This article is awesome. Do not fuck it up.

Papa Sang, as drawn by a Remembrancer during the Great Crusade. Looking 100% FABULOUS.

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."

– Joseph Campbell

"Was there ever another Guardian so beloved by the people?"

– Paean to Saint-14, Destiny

"My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure."

– Sir Galahad, Tennyson

Sanguinius, The Great Angel, The Brightest One, Lord of Baal, The Master of Hosts, (also known as Papa Sang, Fabulous Fucking Hawk-Boy, Space Jesus, Definitely Not Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Primarch Fabulous to the people of /tg/), Sanguinius, Beloved by All was (and that 'was' is quite significant) the Primarch of the Blood Angels Chapter (formerly legion) of Space Marines. He was notable for the fuckhueg angel-like wings (not to be confused with the actual Angel) that "mutated" out of his back during his childhood on his home planet, Baal, as well as his heroic deeds during the Great Crusade. Unfortunately, Sanguinius was slain by Horus during his eponymous Heresy, though it is widely believed that it was Sanguinius' weakening of the Arch-Traitor which made it possible for the Emperor to shut Horus's big, stupid, heresy-spewing mouth once and for all, and thus save mankind from the clutches of Chaos.

And for some reason the Black Library likes drawing him with silly hair rolls. Though at least his model accurately depicts his FABULOUS flowing hair, second only to the Emperor himself. Cry me a river Fulgrim.

Origins

A young Sangi rolelplaying his way through Jesus.

Like the rest of the Primarchs, Sanguinius was bio-engineered on Terra to serve as a general in the Emperor's armies, and was stolen in his infancy and carried away across the galaxy by daemonic agents of Chaos in an attempt to foil the Emperor's efforts to unite humanity. Landing on Baal, he was found by the Folk of the Blood, a local tribe who raised him to manhood. They were going to kill him for being a mutant, but when it became clear that Sanguinius was a badass warrior-prodigy the likes of which they'd never seen, they decided he was worth keeping. After all, Sanguinius was actually a pretty nice guy for 40k, and he was pretty handy at fighting off those other mutants that kept attacking them from Baal's radioactive deserts, which he could walk through without any protection. As such, Sanguinius quickly ascended as a leader among the tribes of Baal and drove back the hordes of mutants threatening their hold on the world, eventually attaining a near god-like status among the planet's denizens.

After the Emperor found Baal and bade Sanguinius to assume his rightful place among his armies. After a back-and-forth discussion with the Emprah, Sanguinius pledged his loyalty in exchange for the Emperor leaving Baal alone. This was both because he wanted to keep the planet as it was for the sake of developing Legion recruits, and because most of the population had insisted on worshiping him. Sanguinius had never encouraged this practice but had known that, as a 10 foot tall Giga-chad with angel wings, the stunted, heavily mutated inhabitants of Baal were going to worship him whether he liked it or not. Obviously Big E frowned rather lethally upon worship, and Sanguinius did not want his people to come to harm. The Emperor agreed, the greatest of Sanguinius' tribal warriors were extended the honor of joining the Adeptus Astartes, and were thereafter implanted with the gene-seed drawn from Sanguinius' genome. These men became the first members of the ninth Space Marine legion to be founded, and the Blood Angels were born (not from Terra at least).

The Great Crusade

Sanguinius (left) and Horus whooping some ass together before SOMEBODY had to go and damn the Imperium to an eternity of war, cultural stagnation, paranoia and self destructive behaviour.

Joining the Great Crusade, Sanguinius became best buds with fellow Primarchs Horus, Roboute Guilliman, Magnus the Red, Jaghatai Khan and Rogal Dorn. Ironically (and later, tragically), his friendship with Horus is said to have been closer than that of any of the other Primarchs. Which, this being Warhammer, went straight to hell when the Horus Heresy started. He was easily the most fabulous of all the Emperor's generals (SUCK IT FULGRIM); he wore a glowing, ornate set of golden artificer armor adorned with huge rubies which represented Terra, Baal, and Baal's moons, and his magnificent white wings would spread behind him as he took to the skies of the battlefield. But Sanguinius's beauty was not merely skin deep, as Fulgrim's often was. For instance, the Khan noted during a small family chat that while Sanguinius and Fulgrim were similarly resplendent, Sanguinius was completely at ease in his aspect, where Fulgrim seemed a bit brittle. At the same time, the Great Angel gave the impression that he'd be perfectly willing to cast off his finery, whereas Fulgrim gave the impression that he would rather die. Basically, in Sanguinius' case, Geedubs abandoned all pretense of being subtle about the whole "the Emperor is God, the primarchs are the archangels, and Horus is Lucifer" thing—like, to the point that Sanguinius became known simply as "The Angel" among the armies of mankind.

After a short stint on Terra and a quick tour with Horus, Sang' got reunited with his Legion, which up to that point... kind of had a nasty reputation as being the ones to take on foul jobs and getting them done no matter how hostile the warzone and laden with rumours of... just as foul behaviour (they weren't known as The Eaters of the Dead for no reason.) Being the bro'est of the bro's, Sanguinius didn't go all preachy, vindictive or homicidally insane on them; he merely told them: "Guys, show me what you've got." He came, saw and what he liked (like their tenacity and valor at arms) he promoted. What he didn't like (like the charnel rites of succession) he worked to contain and minimize, but without punishment or chastisement. What they lacked (like an appreciation of anything beside war) he endeavored to teach them. It is telling that, in a record amount of time, the newly christened (hah!) "Blood Angels" went from one of the most reviled to one of the most beloved Legions under his guidance.

He did some pretty cool shit during the Crusade too, at one point taking on an entire blood-mad Eldar Craftworld with a third of his Legion. Admittedly it was a struggle - the Craftworld fielded Wraiths in large numbers - and had to deploy the Ordo Sinister psy-Titans after massive Eldar Wraith machines destroyed his Legio Fureans allies, but still, Sanguinius managed to tear the head off one of the walkers. Not a sparkly, feathery man to fuck with.

Though not first in favor among the Emprah's Primarchs (that position belonged to Horus, pre-heresy), or the biggest psychic powerhouse, or the best at empire-building, or even the one who looked most like Dad, Sanguinius was said to have the best blend of the Big E's attributes (which, considering the fact that space marines are a toned-down version of their primarchs, may imply the Blood Angels are the most similar to the Emperor). While a lot of the Space Marine legions and their generals fought in the Great Crusade just for the sake of glory and a good battle, Sanguinius and his Blood Angels fought for what the Emperor himself did: a better galaxy, a peaceful galaxy, one where humanity would be united, happy, and prosperous. During the Crusade, the Blood Angels formed a friendly rivalry with the World Eaters legion (yet another relationship the Horus Heresy would royally buttfuck), because both were noted for being assault-oriented shock troops; however, while they were pretty evenly matched in their level of prowess, saddled with the Butcher's Nails, the World Eaters were straight-up lunatics in combat, whereas the Blood Angels' ferocity was channeled and refined when it needed to be by Sanguinius' wisdom. The World Eaters fury ran hot, where the Blood Angels ran cold.

Also, everyone loved the guy. Even at the depths of his heresy, even Horus wished Sanguinius was one of his generals. And he was a good guy who doesn't afraid of anything.

Signus Prime and Ka'Bandha

"If you truly do hail from the realm that men once called hell, when you return there, tell your kindred it was Sanguinius who threw you back." —Sanguinius, taking a small moment to deliver this line after decapitating a Keeper of Secrets and "relieving" Khorne's mightiest servant of his wings, and just generally setting the stage for Ka'Bandha's future butthurt.

At one point during the Great Crusade, Sanguinius and the Blood Angels were tasked by Warmaster Horus with reclaiming the Signus Cluster from a supposed xenos infestation and liberating the humans there from their oppressors. However, when they arrived, they found that the entire system had been consumed by the evil influence of the Chaos Gods, and specifically a Keeper of Secrets calling itself Kyriss the Perverse. This was actually a trap set by Horus in an attempt to eliminate Sanguinius early on, because he feared him more than any of his other fellow Primarchs as he was nearly his equal in both combat and commanding. In fact, at one point right before his fall to Chaos, Horus actually admitted to a Remembrancer that he thought that Sanguinius should have been named Warmaster instead of him. Also this was after Horus's corruption and Sanguinius was not aware of the Isstvan conflicts at the time. Long story short, the Blood Angels were stranded in-system, caught off guard, and lost a lot of Marines, ships, and crew, but eventually regrouped and conquered the armies of cultists and Chaos daemons in the Signus system. Kyriss even manifested on the bridge of the Red Tear, the Blood Angels flagship, from the frames of eight servitors, to taunt Sanguinius. This was also Horus's first true defeat, as there was no benefit gained from the campaign.

But a greater threat soon emerged: Ka'bandha, a powerful Bloodthirster and one of Khorne's greatest servants. He attacked the Blood Angels while taunting Sanguinius in the middle of the battle and claimed that Horus had betrayed him. Refusing to believe this, Sanguinius attacked in rage, and managed to stab his sword right into the daemon's chest and wound him severely. Ka'bandha, almost beaten, distracted the primarch with the truth of horus’s betrayal. Ka'bandha then lashed out with his whip, ensnaring Sanguinius' legs and crushing them. Then, leaving Sanguinius alive for some reason (perhaps fearful Sanguinius really would become an angel if he died), then charged off to slay a few hundred Blood Angels. The Red Thirst, already a problem for the Blood Angels, was exacerbated by the psychic shockwaves of each of his sons dying, and Sanguinius vowed that he would take vengeance on Ka'bandha for this atrocity. In the Chaos temple at the centre of the battle, Sanguinius duelled Ka'Bandha again, ripping off a wing and then throwing him off a platform and back through a portal into the realm of Chaos. To top it off, Sanguinius then faced Kyriss and beheaded that sick fuck, promptly ending his rule and Chaos' hold on the system.

In a moment of hesitation, Sanguinius was tempted by the offer of becoming a Chaos Champion in exchange for curing the Red Thirst and Black Rage. Seeing this, Meros jumped straight into the portal, telling his Primarch not to give up hope, turning into the Daemon known as the Red Angel (Meros' geneseed would later be transplanted onto Rafen)

Inspired by his sacrifice Sanguinius was able to say no to the Daemons. This gave him the courage to resist the temptation of Chaos later on when Madai offered the same deal

Later in the Horus Heresy

"Blade with whom I have lived, blade with whom I now die,
serve right and justice one last time, seek one last heart of evil,
still one last life of pain. Cut well, old friend, and then farewell."

– Sir Orin Neville Smythe

After Signus Prime, the majority of the Blood Angels found themselves on the wrong side of the Ruinstorm. Drawn to Macragge by the Pharos, Sanguinius learned that his brothers Guilliman and the Lion were trying to set the beginnings of a second Imperium. Sanguinius reluctantly accepted the premise, and was instated as the Emperor of the Imperium Secundus. Being Emperor didn't sit easily with him, and much of the day-to-day ruling was done by Guilliman and the Lion. After Curze paid him a nasty visit / scrying competition, the Angel demanded more oversight into the affairs of the new Empire. When Curze was finally captured, all three members of the Imperial Triumvirate realised that Terra had not yet fallen, but that Sanguinius would be doomed to die by Horus's hand.

The Angel had in truth already foreseen his death at the hands of Horus, and knew what it would mean for his sons. However, he accepted that his sacrifice was necessary to preserve his father's works in the long run and took solace in the fact that the Blood Angels would continue to follow in his footsteps even as they grappled with the Black Rage. Moreover, via the temptations of chaos he endured with his brothers in the Ruinstorm--he found that the false hope he had been given, namely that he could survive the end of the Horus Heresy and even triumph, but learned it would come with a terrible cost. He would gain power from Chaos and slay Horus and save his sons from the curse to come--as a Greater Daemon of Chaos Undivided made mention that Horus had become an imperfect vessel and that papa-Sang was to take his place as the Angel of Ruin. So in a nutshell it's The Last Temptation of Sanguinius, but with less Willem Dafoe. Naturally space vampire Jesus didn't take the daemon up on the offer and fought his way through a daemon throng until he pinned the daemon halfway through the materium and the warp. In his mind a last defiant act, choosing to neither be slain by Horus or choose chaos, but to die holding the daemon in between the rift to the warp so his Brother-Primarchs could Orbitally Bombard Davin into dust. Unfortunately through vision he realized that the Black Rage would be inevitable, as the proto-rage had filled him by that point, its origins being explained as the violent hatred and rage at the Betrayal of Horus against him and the Emprah, and the sheer pain of his death, existing in the past and future as it resonated through time--and the grief of the death he hadn't experienced yet. Timey Wimey bullshit shenanigans aside, if the Jesus metaphors weren't strong enough, Sanguinius' Herald stepped up to the plate and planted his sword in the Daemon's spine and held it there so Sanguinius wouldn't have to die there. And with that last act the flickers of hope that had died in Sanguinius rekindled and witnessed the miracle of a new Angel coming into being. The Herald was empowered by the warp, glowing a radiant gold with the outline of wings springing from his shoulders as he became in the Primarch's own words the "Son of my hope". Explaining the origins of one of the Blood Angel's specialest of snowflakes, making him a Draigo/Celestine-esque Daemon Prince of Sanguinius. That sound you're hearing is the noise of every Puritan Inquisitor's blood-vessels bursting in their eyes.

On a positive, because of the Triumvirate of Primarch's success on Davin the Ruinstorm abated revealing a straight shot to Terra, on a negative, Horus had left a massive fleet to protect the way there (how he knew that THAT place would be the way that opened for them is a bit of a mystery) and all tactical scenarios concluded that if they tried to engage them simultaneously they would only be mired down so that none of them could reach Terra. So the Primarchs decided to split up, taking a page out of the Codex of Brother Vincentius Lombardius, they would split the defense and rush the goal: Guilliman using the sheer bulk of his larger fleet to engage the traitors while the Lion fell back and attacked the traitor Legion's homeworlds, burning them with extreme prejudice, while the Blood Angels hung back long enough for Guilliman to break the bulk of the armada and the Lion to draw away and contend with the forces that splintered away as he burnt their homes, giving us a nice tidy bow of exactly where the hell the other primarchs were when shit happened. As Sanguinius corroborated his visions with Curze, he felt that he had come across a revelation - hence the need for his Legion to be the ones to reach Terra. He may have been fated to perish at the hands of Horus, but even if destiny was set, the consequence could be altered. He would fight and die, but his sacrifice would allow the Imperium to persist. He let Curze in on this, letting him in on the razor-thin hope of the future's mutability; he said he could take the Night Haunter to the Emperor, and that the Big-E could do something Konrad had never thought of exploring: he could forgive him. Just as a spark of hope entered his eyes, Sanguinius promised that he wouldn't allow that for Curze, that he would freeze Curze in stasis and jettison the pod, preserving him for millennia if necessary, and that Konrad Curze had no fucking chance of outrunning or changing his future death, terrifying 40k batman so hard he'd probably be locked in an eternity of despair as he's frozen in stasis.

Good is not nice, indeed.

Unfortunately, this is the image most people know Sanguinius from. (He's the fabulous dead guy lying on the floor.) This also is the least fabulous image of him.

With the help of the Dark Angels and the Ultramarines, the Blood Angels were able to make it back to Terra in the closing days of the Horus Heresy to defend it from the traitor legions and their daemonic allies. Sanguinius and his legion led the defense of the Imperial Palace itself when the forces of Chaos closed in around it, and the Primarch slew innumerable daemons, traitors and other assorted scum in the process. Oh, and he also soloed a Warlord TITAN and then scared off its Warhound escorts by glaring at them too hard. A little while later, while singlehandedly defending the Eternity Gate from the entire Chaos force, Ka'Bandha turned up. The two went at it again rather majestically atop the Eternity Gate to the Emperor's throne room, and Sanguinius managed to SNAP KA'BANDHA'S SPINE OVER HIS MOTHERFUCKING KNEE. He then hurled the bastard's corpse back into the throng of Chaos filth below, and the Blood Angels who had died by the Bloodthirster's hand were thus avenged in the most spectacularly badass of ways. As of Echoes Of Eternity, the badassery of this already iconic moment was elevated to new heights. The fight between Sanguinius and Ka'Bandha at the time of the siege was a fight in the same way Kharn obliterating Erebus in the Conqueror's gladiator pits that one time was also technically a fight (fitting since both books were written by ADB). At this point in the war, Sanguinius' skill and prowess was such that Ka'Bandha could at best be called an annoyance, much in the way that a maybe-rabid raccoon getting into your trash could be described as an annoyance; loud, erratic, not entirely without risk, and it makes a big mess of the surroundings, but that's about it. Suffice it to say though that Ka'Bandha was now orders of magnitude beneath Sanguinius, and that showed in the brevity of their fight. This was subsequently made even more apparent however, because maybe 5 in-plot minutes after dispatching Ka'Bandha, Sanguinius was dueling his brother Angron. That proved to be a challenge actually worthy of the Great Angel's time... sort of, but it ended much the same way. We say "sort of" because despite Angron putting up a far better fight than Ka'Bandha had, Sanguinius, in order and at separate times during the duel: destroyed Angron's face/eyes, vaporized one of his arms, stabbed him through the heart, stabbed him through the brainstem, stabbed him through the heart again, and then tore the Butcher's Nails, complete with brains and eyes, right out of his skull with his bare hands. So he killed or crippled Angron a good 6 times over. Had it not been for Angron's Khorne-given ability to draw power from carnage to regenerate himself, he'd have had nearly as brief a fight with Sanguinius as Ka'Bandha had. This level of ass-kicking would be well within Mary Sue territory for practically anyone else, but Sanguinius is the one Primarch who could both realistically pull it off due to his skill and the fact that he's got the Red (Thirst) Hulk mode, which he ultimately utilized while ripping Angron's head apart. He's also the one top-tier loyalist Primarch who isn't a douche (aka he's not Russ or the Lion), which also helps. Having seen this, the rest of the Chaos force went fuck this shit I'm out and ran, while the Loyalists were able to safely close the Eternity Gate.

But this is Warhammer 40,000, so by its very nature, noblebright is always surrounded by a sea of grimdark, even when it's badass noblebright, and the Siege of Terra ranks up there as among the most grimdark events of the entire franchise. Eventually, Big-E himself, Sanguinius, Rogal Dorn, Rogal Dorn's mustache, and a contingent of their respective Marines and Custodes launched a last-ditch assault against Horus, teleporting aboard his flagship and taking the fight to the Warmaster himself. As fighting broke out across the capital ship, Sanguinius got cut off from the rest of the assault party, and when he found Horus, he was alone. Horus, perhaps out of some small, lingering sense of affection for Sanguinius, offered his once most beloved brother, for the final time, a chance to turn to Chaos. But Sanguinius said "NEVAH!" and the two Primarchs proceeded to battle for the fate of mankind. Though Sanguinius was one of the most powerful of the Primarchs, he was wounded and wearied from the fight on Terra and already at a disadvantage, and Horus had been granted terrible power by the gods of Chaos to boot (terrible indeed, because he apparently wasn't as good at warp poker as the EMPRAH and batshit insane by then. He even called one of his sons Maloghurst at some point as recently revealed in "Saturnine"). Horus therefore slew Sanguinius so hard that it psychically traumatized the Blood Angels for ages to come, and the Black Rage became the (almost) inescapable mental scourge it is on the chapter today.

After Death

Iskandar Khayon revealed an interesting fact about the Vengeful Spirit, after letting himself be captured. Apparently, those who died aboard it had echoes of themselves bound to the ship, manifesting as crystal statues that let you experience a part of their death if you touched them.

Sanguinius's statue is the most talked-about in both Black Legion books. It seems to move around and regenerate somehow when no one notices. Khayon uses shards of Sanguinius's crystalline ghost along with shards of his sword to create Khayon's excellent force sword, which is probably equal to a master-crafted one if not even better. Doing this with a piece of Sanguinius’s couldn’t possibly end badly for a Chaos Sorcerer.

Interestingly this might mean Sanguinius could eventually be resurrected should the statue be captured. No statue of Horus exists on the Vengeful Spirit, so this might be the ghost of the Angel, trapped forever in his final moments. The fact that the Black Rage traps his sons in the exact same state may imply that the Rage is not the backlash of Sanguinius's death, but rather the echoes of his current statuesque existence.

Of course that would require ACTUAL PLOT, so it probably won't happen. It could ruin Girlyman's date night. This is also Khayon we're talking about, so it's also likely he's full of shit, as this phenomenon would've flooded every possible inch on the ship with crystallized corpses given how short the lifespans are for the Slaves working on it. (Because dying of natural causes in the Warp must happen all the time. Discounting possible Nurgle-entropy related stuff.)

During the Devastation of Baal, after being introed by the Sanguinor, the spirit of Sanguinius appeared before Dante when the latter was in a near-death state after killing the Swarmlord and proudly declared Dante his greatest son. After Dante expresses a desire to join his Primarch in death, Sanguinius sadly informs his long-suffering son that his duty has not yet ended, and uses his warp powers to heal and reinvigorate Dante, before he is painfully yanked back into the world of the living. Subsequently, in the time not long after Dante's appointment as Regent of Imperium Nihilus by Guilliman, Mephiston underwent the Rubicon Primaris, turning him into a Primaris Marine. During the procedure, he too was visited by Sanguinius in the spirit realm, which brought Mephiston to tears. Yes, you read that correctly; Mephiston, The Lord of Death him-motherfucking-self, literally (not figuratively) fell to his knees and began to weep when greeted by Sanguinius, and immediately addressed him as "my father". Just let that sink in. Interestingly, during his convalescence, in a conversation with Dante, Mephiston was able to recognize that Dante too had been visited by and conversed with their father. Though Mephiston expressed some uncertainty as to whether or not it had actually been Sanguinius whom they had spoken with, not wishing to be disappointed, Dante on the other hand knew better and was adamant.

Legacy

Although Sanguinius lost to Horus, it is widely believed that the Emperor would not have been able to destroy Horus afterwards were it not for the chink that Sanguinius put in Horus' armour. Second, it is also widely agreed that if Horus hadn't come to save his legion's ass that day on Terra, it would have been ground out of existence by Sanguinius and the Blood Angels. Lastly, it is also agreed that Sanguinius was tired after several days of fighting (he defied the likes of Ka'bandha and crushed Daemon primarch Angron on the battlements!), is already bleeding and wounded (as shown by Ruinstorm) and if he had been totally refreshed, Horus would have had a lot more than just a chink in his armour. However, in the Horus Heresy Collected Visions, it details the battle between the Emperor and Horus, and makes it clear that the main reason Big-E didn't kill him immediately is because he thought he might be able to save him… A sentiment that seems to be inching further and further to the fore as The Siege Of Terra series progresses, incidentally. Though it was a hope which was dashed as soon as The Emperor saw Sanguinius' body. However, in Visions of Heresy, Big-E still held back, even after seeing Sanguinius' body. It wasn't until the Emperor was mortally wounded on the floor that this changed. It says that as he's lying, waiting for the final blow, a certain adamantium-balled Imperial Guardsman (exemplifying everything it means to be one) appears and rushes toward him, Horus contemptuously kills the Guardsman without barely an effort, laughing maniacally as he did so. It was this utter contempt for taking a life which FINALLY made the Emperor realise there was no saving his son.

Look, if I HAD to bang a dude... just sayin'.

In short, if Horus is Lucifer and The Emprah is God, then Sanguinius is Jesus. Sanguinius died for your sins…just like Optimus Prime does on a daily basis.

Alongside Perturabo and Lion El'Jonson, Sanguinius has beaten Angron in a 1v1 duel (especially impressive since Angron was buffed by demonhood at that point). Horus, Ferrus Manus, and Roboute Guilliman are capable of at least holding their own for a while, and Leman Russ would certainly have done better if he was fighting to kill rather than teach Angron a lesson. Just ask Magnus The Red (and MAYBE the lost Primarchs). It should also be noted that, unlike his brothers, who each embodied one of the Emperor's traits (Roboute Guilliman was his strategy, Angron was his ferocity, etc.), Sanguinius was the embodiment of the Emperor as a whole. So, you could argue that the Blood Angels are the Astartes closest to the Emperor (suck it, Ward).

In the 41st millennium, Sanguinius is the Primarch most beloved by the Imperium for his heroic sacrifice (despite what he who shall not be named would say about our Spiritual Liege), and is a hero of the Imperial Cult. Across the Imperium a celebration called the Sanguinala is held in his honor, where adepts wear the iconography of the Blood Angels. A festival dedicated to Leman Russ would have been a better party, but would also have involved more property damage and alcohol-related deaths. Also, apparently, Reclusiarch Grimaldus is not a huge fan of it.

The mysterious entity known as the Sanguinor is believed to be the incarnation of Sanguinius' better nature, or the first Sanguinary Guard Herald Azkaellon, miraculously preserved through time. Its actual origin, though, is far more mundane: when Sanguinius was named Emperor of Guilliman's Imperium Secundus, he and Azkaellon invented the figure by sealing one of the Sanguinary Guard into his own armour, erasing his identity and allowing him to act as Sanguinius' public face and deal with petitioners, whilst Sanguinius himself could be elsewhere, you know...dealing with stuff. By the end of the Horus Heresy, Sanguinius' herald went through some kind of apotheosis on Davin while taking his Primarch's place in the opening of a warp portal, and Azkaellon would be the only member of the Sanguinary Guard to actually survive the Horus Heresy, so most people think the current incarnation is him. In modern 40k, outside of perhaps the Sanguinary Guard themselves, the only "living" people who know the truth of the Sanguinor's origin is the Lion, but he's in no position to tell anyone, and Roboute Guilliman, who cannot provide the origin of the Sanguinor without having to explain why the "Emperor" needed a proxy. Since nobody else in the 42nd millennium is entirely certain of the truth, it's getting the Inquisition's panties in a bunch. But whether or not the modern and original Sanguinor are the same person, something warpy had to happen since then, since the Sanguinor pops in and out of the immaterium, Legion of the Damned style.

It is a well-known fact that every female (human, xenos, and daemonette) in the the whole grimdark galaxy wants Sanguinius sexually, as well as most males, including Khorne WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT?! and Slaanesh (though that's about the lowest bar possible there). Many Sororitas (and some Astartes) cry themselves to sleep at the knowledge that they won't ever be able to hold his beautiful golden mane as he slays their quivering love pudding with his mighty, throbbing, enormous power spear.

A recent flub on Twitch TV has revealed that Sanguinius may actually not be dead after all, but rather in Stasis... God damn it GW!! Actually they meant to say his model would be released for Horus Heresy along with the rest of the Primarchs who still don't have models. Thank god for small miracles.

Take note, this article contains a considerably smaller amount of the usual humor found on this wiki. That's just how revered Sanguinius is. People don't like joking about him.

As is the nature of the shifting turbulent cluster-fuckery that is Warhammer 40k lore, in a strange turn of events, Primarch Sanguinius is also the only Primarch Human being? that has garnered the respect of Szarekh, the Silent King of the Necrons. That's right, the King of a 60-million-year-old race, of space zombie-robot Egyptians that hates all life and views all other civilizations as inferior beings to be completely wiped out and almost harvested the entire galaxy seems to regard Sanguinius in significant esteem. When he met with Dante, he was wearing a freaking gold Sanguinius mask out of respect for the Great Angel. In fact, one of Szarekh's own heralds says to Dante of Sanguinius that "if there was ever a human to be mourned, noble Szarekh would say it was him." Holy crap. The single oldest material being in the entire setting outside of the C'tan seems actually to regret Sanguinius being dead. Revered indeed.

Tabletop

HH 1.0

The angel himself, modeled here trying desperately to free his cape from the rock it's stuck on, however, even here his fabulousness doesn't let him down, as he strikes a pose similar to Archangel Michael. Not shown: the deluxe base featuring a daemon taking the place of Satan in that same painting.

Oh hell yes

Pts	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
485	9	5	6	6	6	7	6	10	2+/4++

The Archangel makes his appearance on the table at last! Sanguinius is a pretty mobile Primarch, as he can use his Jump Pack Great Wings in both the movement and assault phase, which would be impressive if he didn't have fleet and could therefore do that anyway, still he allows all Blood Angels with Jump Packs to do so as well, and also prevents his unit from scattering when he deep strikes. Speaking of buffing nearby squads his sons are so inspired by his Angelic Presence that if they are within 3" they add +d3 wounds to combat resolution. While you're flying about into combat, you can Sky Strike a unit you moved over, which is a single S6 AP2 vector strike that causes D3 hits on Zooming Flyers and Swooping MCs, making him the only Primarch that can reliably take down a flyer. He rounds out these buffs by making Dawnbreaker Cohorts into troops.

As Raven Guard and Night Lord players are well aware, Primarchs with Jump Packs are very very good at getting the charge, and Sanguinius comes with a host of buffs to make the most of it with a S10 AP2 HoW attack, his Regalia Resplendent providing the 2+/4++ saves that are standard for Primarchs and lets him reroll that Invuln on the charge, being the Sire of the Blood Angels gives him +1 I (to a Fulgrim-tier 8) and A on the first turn of combat (so he has Rage and Counter-Attack basically). Not enough for you? Good, you greedy bastard, because if you equip him with the Spear of Telesto he gets +3S on the charge with Master-Crafted Instant Death AP1 attacks that double if you roll a 6 to wound, alternatively, if you're an idiot, you can throw it away for ONE SINGLE S7 AP1 armourbane instant death attack at 12". Sure, if you take the Spear you have a backup MC Duelist Edge (I9 on the charge!) Blinding sword that scores double hits against daemons and psykers, but it's AP3, do you really want to leave Papa Sang bouncing off an artificer sergeant?

Alternatively, you could equip him with the Blade Encarmine replacing both Telesto and Moonsilver with a S+1 AP2 Shredding sword that also grants Rampage for a possible maximum of 11 attacks on the charge, putting him on par with Angron with his Butcher's Nails attacks maxed out. This will likely be slightly overkill most of the time against baseline infantry, while the lack of potential S9 and Instant Death is a huge drawback against both vehicles, monsters and multi-wounded units. Take it if you want Papa Sang to butcher one of his brothers and any cocky motherfuckers with Eternal Warrior, or annihilate anything with a single Wound. Otherwise, go for the Spear of Telesto instead.

As for guns, he's got that attack with the Spear, frag grenades and a one-shot meltagun that's assault 2, one that doesn't even have the Melta rule. That's it. So make sure he gets stuck in, will you? Also make sure it's where you want him because he lacks the Hit and Run rule for some reason.

Sanguinius VS Other Primarchs

Primarch fighting, while fun to see, isn't a very competitive thing to do as it'll usually tie up both Primarchs for the entire game without either of them dying. With that in mind this section is all about how Sanguinius fares against other Primarchs mathhammer wise. Please note that all the various abilities, with the exception of Blind, are taken into account (Blind is ignored because it is just too random and unreliable to come into play) and the match-ups assume the Primarchs are the only ones involved in the fighting, so various abilities like Angron's "The Butcher's Nails" and Rampage do not provide any bonuses. Also all of the Primarch use their most powerful weapons (because why have a contest if you don't do your best?), so Sanguinius will use the Blade Encarmine except against Angron. Furthermore the math is based on a standing start, which severely gimps Sanguinius as many of his buffs are on the charge.

• Sanguinius VS Horus
  • Horus hits 3 times (Talon), wounds 2.667 times, 1.33 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 1.383 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.049 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.574 times (including HoW), 1.858 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.525 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.185 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.852 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Horus wins. Even if Sanguinius gets the charge, the Talon will cripple him in a couple of turns.

• Sanguinius VS Angron
  • Angron Round 1: hits 4.5 times, wounds 3.75 times, 1.875 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.54 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Angron Round 2: hits 3 times, wounds 2.5 times, 1.25 times after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.917 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4 times (Spear), wounds 2.667 times, 1.333 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1 wound at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 4.5 times, wounds 5.333 times (including HoW), 2.528 after saves and FNP (HoW affected) and IWND will take that down to 2.194 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: 3.5 times, wounds 2.333 times, 1.167 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.833 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • They kill each other. Well well!
  • Note: On the charge Sanguinius wins with the Spear while achieving a mutual kill with the Blade. Negating Angron's FNP makes the Spear the better weapon.

• Sanguinius VS Mortarion
  • Mortarion hits 2.5 times, wounds 1.667 times, 0.833 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 3.5 times, 1.75 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.194 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 4.833 times (including HoW), 2.417 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.861 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3 times, 1.5 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.944 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins.

• Sanguinius VS Fulgrim
  • Fulgrim Round 1: hits 3 times (Fireblade), wounds 2.333 times (Child of Terra), 1.167 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.833 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Fulgrim Round 2: hits 3.5 times, wounds 2.722 times, 1.361 times after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.028 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 1.383 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.049 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.574 times (including HoW), 1.859 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.525 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.185 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.852 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius loses (!) as Fulgrim has a chance of killing him in round 5 (5.94 wounds average), and even if not Fulgrim has the higher initiative in round 6.
  • Note: On the charge Sanguinius can beat Fulgrim by round 5 (5.93 wounds average) while lowering Fulgrim's own chances, but if he doesn't Fulgrim wins.

• Sanguinius VS Ferrus Manus
  • Ferrus hits 2.5 times, wounds 2.083 times, 1.042 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.708 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 3.5 times, 1.167 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.833 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 4.833 times (including HoW), 1.611 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.278 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3 times, 1 wound after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.667 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius loses, needing 8 rounds whereas Ferrus needs 7.
  • Note: On Sanguinius' charge the odds are reversed, with Sanguinius needing 7 rounds whereas Ferrus needs 8.

• Sanguinius VS Curze
  • Curze hits 3 times, wounds 2.25 times, 1.125 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.792 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 2.074 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.741 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.574 times (including HoW), 2.787 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.454 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.778 wound after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.444 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins.
  • Note: With the first turn charge, Widowmakers and H&R Curze can achieve a mutual kill in Round 4, however Sanguinius regaining +1I and +1A in Round 3 lets him do 5.89 wounds average before Curze attacks, so things could go badly for the Batman.

• Sanguinius VS Vulkan
  • Vulkan hits 2 times, wounds 1.667 times, 0.833 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 3.5 times, 1.167 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.611 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 4.833 times (including HoW), 1.611 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.056 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3 times, 1 wound after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.444 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius loses.
  • Note: As with Ferrus, Sanguinius wins on the charge.

• Sanguinius VS Lorgar
  • Lorgar hits 3 times, wounds 2.5 times, 1.25 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.917 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 3.889 times (assuming Lorgar uses Dark Fortune), wounds 2.881 times, 1.44 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.107 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 4.444 times (assuming Lorgar uses Dark Fortune), wounds 3.959 times (including HoW), 1.979 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.646 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.778 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.444 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins.
  • Note: As usual, psychic powers not included. You know how it would end anyway...

• Sanguinius VS Perturabo
  • Perturabo hits 2 times, wounds 1.667 times (Forgebreaker), 0.833 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Perturabo (with Sanguinius blinded) hits 2.667 times, wounds 2.222 times (Forgebreaker), 1.111 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 1.383 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.049 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 4.833 times (including HoW), 1.611 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.056 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.185 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.852 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius (blinded): hits 2 times, wounds 1.778 times, 0.593 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.259 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius loses depending if/when he fails blind checks, even on the charge. He needs to not be Blinded for 2-3 rounds excluding the first to win.

• Sanguinius VS Rogal Dorn
  • Dorn hits 2 times, wounds 1.5 times, 0.75 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.417 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 2.074 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.741 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.407 times (HoW affected by Auric Armour), 2.704 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.37 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.778 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.444 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins.

• Sanguinius VS Corvus Corax
  • Corax hits 4 times (Scourge)/3 times (Shadow-walk), wounds 3/2.25 times, 1.5/1.125 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.167/0.792 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Scourge)/3.5 times (Shadow-walk), wounds 4.148/3.111 times, 2.765/2.074 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.432/1.741 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 4.667 times (Scourge)/3.5 times (Shadow-walk), wounds 4.981 times/3.944 times (including HoW), 3.321/2.63 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.988/2.296 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times (Scourge)/3 times (Shadow-walk), wounds 3.556/2.667 times, 2.37/1.778 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.037/1.444 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins, even if Corax Hit & Runs.

• Sanguinius VS Alpharius
  • Alpharius hits 2.667 times, wounds 1.701 times, 0.851 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.517 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 2.074 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.741 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.574 times (including HoW), 2.788 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.454 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.778 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.444 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins.

• Sanguinius VS Roboute Guilliman
  • Guilliman Rounds 1-3: hits 2.5 times, wounds 2.222 times (Gladius), 1.111 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Guilliman Round 4: hits 3.333 times, wounds 2.963 times (Gladius)/2.778 times (Hand), 1.481/1.389 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.148/1.056 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 1.824 wounds after saves (including AoR) and IWND will take that down to 1.491 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.574 times (including HoW), 2.537 wounds after saves (including AoR) and IWND will take that down to 2.204 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2: hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.528 wounds after saves (including AoR) and IWND will take that down to 1.194 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 3+: hits 3 times, wounds 2.667 times, 1.083 wounds after saves (including AoR) and IWND will take that down to 0.75 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins.

• Sanguinius VS Magnus the Red
  • Magnus hits 2 times, wounds 1.667 times, 0.833 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 3.5 times (Blade), wounds 3.111 times, 1.556 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.222 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 4 times, wounds 4.389 times (including HoW), 2.194 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.861 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 3 times, wounds 2.667 times, 1.333 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1 wound at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius wins, psychic powers not included.

• Sanguinius VS Leman Russ
  • Russ (Axe): hits 3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 1.458 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.125 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 2.333 times (Blade), wounds 1.778 times, 1.037 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.703 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 2.667 times, wounds 3.204 times (including HoW), 1.602 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.269 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 2 times, wounds 1.778 times, 0.889 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.556 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius loses. Even if he charges, he's gimped badly in the later rounds by the -1 to hit.

• Sanguinius VS Jaghatai Khan
  • Khan hits 4 times, wounds 2 times, 1 wound after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.667 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 1: hits 4.667 times (Blade), wounds 3.5 times, 1.167 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.833 wounds at the start of the next turn.
    • Sanguinius on the charge: hits 5.333 times, wounds 4.833 times (including HoW), 1.611 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.278 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius Round 2+: hits 4 times, wounds 3 times, 1 wound after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.667 wounds at the start of the next turn.
  • Sanguinius narrowly loses due to the Khan striking first.
  • With the charge Sanguinius will beat the Khan even if he Hit & Runs.

• TL;DR version: Sanguinius is (un?)surprisingly middling in the duels, the main reason being his bonuses requiring the charge. In fairness, he is mobile enough to get it. His various charge bonuses significantly improve his damage, but more importantly rerolling his saves just once boosts his average (for a Primarch) defense, which is why he distinctly has the charge situation crunched.
• On the choice of weapons: The Spear of Telesto's damage skyrockets on the charge, but due to the length of primarch duels the Blade Encarmine overtakes it in a few rounds, especially against 3++. The exception is Angron who is really hurt by Instant Death.
• Note: The Angel's Wrath Rite of War gives Sanguinius Hit & Run. With that and the Spear of Telesto, Sanguinius should be able to beat most primarchs. The exceptions are Precog Lorgar and Horus, with Ferrus, Perturabo and Lion close (good defense and varying abilities to neuter H&R).

HH 2.0

Pts	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Sv
485	8	8	6	6	6	6	6	6	10	2+/4++

As a Primarch, Sanguinius gets quite a lot before even accounting for his gear (Bulky (4 6 on account of his wings), Eternal Warrior, Fearless, Independent Character, It Will Not Die (5+), Relentless and immunity to any stat modifiers aside from Wounds, plus all hits made can be allocated as the player wishes). Note that even though he's at WS 8, the way WS works nowadays means that he will overwhelm most praetors and even some of his own brothers quite easily. While he lost Fleet, he starts off with a respectable 8" movement and his Great Wings remain capable of acting like a jump pack, allowing him to Deep Strike where he wishes and also lets him change his movement to a blistering 14", all capable of bypassing any terrain and with the added advantage of being able to run while flying.

His support remains viable, as his Angelic Presence lets his sons in combat within 6" of him add an additional wound to combat resolution scores while his Sire of the Blood Angels Warlord Trait allows all units who either have jump packs or deep strikes gain +1 WS when they charge. This all comes with an extra reaction in the Movement phase while he is alive. This WT also stacks with his Regalia Resplendent, which not only provides him with a 2+/4++ save but also lets his invuln be re-rolled when he charges.

Now we jump to his weapons. Regardless of loadout, he still retains Infernus, a single-use inferno pistol with S8 AP1 and Armourbane (Melta). However, as he can only use this once and his frag grenades are no longer explicitly considered weapons, he'll need to be in combat more than ever. There, he has two choices of loadout...

• The Blade Encarmine remains a ferocious weapon, being a Master-Crafted S+1 AP2 power sword with a bundle of rules, with Rage (2), Rampage (2), Murderous Strike (5+) and Shred. This gives him a decent all-rounder blade that gives an advantage against crowds, although keep in mind that he is Bulky (6), meaning it can be quite difficult for him to outnumber his enemies if he has a squad with him.
• The Moonsliver Blade is considerably weaker, being only a Master-Crafted AP2 power sword, though it does have Blind and Duellist's Edge (1) to get to the punch before other enemies. On top of that, this sword also counts every unsaved wound it deals to daemons and psykers as doubled, turning Sanguinius into a nightmare against the Thousand Sons and any daemons he faces. Accompanying this is the Spear of Telesto, a Master-Crafted S10 AP1 spear with Lance, Two-Handed and Exo-Shock (4+), meaning it can deal serious damage to tanks. The spear can also be thrown, making it deal Instant Death, but doing so will also mean losing it for the rest of the game, which is troublesome when dealing with high-toughness foes and tanks.

30k Sanguinius Vs other Primarchs: Heresy 2.0

Primarch fighting has significantly changed in the new edition. The sweeping changes to the Weapon Skill system really put those with lower scores at a huge disadvantage. While the changes to universal special rules mean that characters can often bring more attacks (like with Rage and Rampage) or newer tricks (Brutal) to the table that they never could before.

This means that Primarch vs Primarch fighting is more likely to actually resolve itself within the duration of the game, rather than taking turns whittling off small numbers from each other.

Also, because Overwatch Reactions are now done at full ballistic skill, shooting will likely play a more significant role. However, for the sake of brevity, there should be no need to include them unless they make a meaningful difference to the outcome.

Sanguinius himself isn't great, and has definitely taken a hit since last edition-- his main gimmick is dealing high damage on the charge, and he doesn't have Hit & Run to charge in every turn. Regardless, he's still quite good, and shouldn't be underestimated.

Sanguinius vs Lion:

• Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype (hits on MC3+): 4.88 hits, 4.07 wounds, 2.03 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.70 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
  • Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype, Sanguinius charged from Deep Strike (hits on MC 4+, Sanguinius rerolls failed saves): 3.75 hits, 3.125 wounds, 0.78 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.45 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
• Sanguinius with Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 3.25 hits, 2.88 wounds, 0.94 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.61 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
  • Sanguinius charging from Deep Strike with Blade Encarmine (9 attacks on MC3+): 6.22 hits, 5.53 wounds, 2.26 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.931 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Lion wins- though a few assumptions have to be made here.

Despite being S7, the shredding Blade Encarmine is more likely to wound against T6 (88%) than the S10 Spear of Telesto (83%) and is even more likely to wound when gaining the +1 to-Wound from his Legion trait. Also Sanguinius only gets his +1WS when charging from Deep Strike, as his wings do not count as a Legion Warhawk Jump Pack. So if he charges normally, he should only hit at WS8 (4+).

Sanguinius hits hard in the first round and due to being able to re-roll all failed INV saves will take little damage in return. After the first round however the Lion starts hitting back faster, with more attacks, and with greater accuracy.

Sanguinius vs. Fulgrim

• Fulgrim with the Laer Blade (Initiative 9, +3 attacks, Hits on MC 4+): 4.75 hits, 3.98 wounds, 1.99 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.65 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Fulgrim vs. Charging Sanguinius: 4.75 hits, 3.98 wounds, 1 unsaved wound, which is reduced to 0.64 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 3.25 hits, 2.89 wounds, 0.96 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.6 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 4.25 hits, 4.13 wounds, 1.38 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.04 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Fulgrim wins, simply due to Sublime Swordsman.

Sanguinius vs. Perturabo

• Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 1.39 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.06 after IWND.
• Perturabo with Forgebreaker Desecrated (Hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 0.925 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.595 after IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.17 wounds, 1.06 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.73 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Perturabo with Forgebreaker Desecrated (Hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 1.85 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.52 after IWND.

Perturabo wins. While Sanguinius wins on the first round of combat, losing his re-rollable invulnerable save in round 2 and onward tanks his durability.

Sanguinius vs. Jaghatai Khan

• Jaghatai Khan with the White Tiger Dao (Hits on MC 5+): 2.56 hits, 1.71 wounds, 0.86 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.53 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Jaghatai Khan charging with the White Tiger Dao (Hits on MC 5+): 2.89 hits, 2.41 wounds, 1.21 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.88 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 2.81 wounds, 0.94 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.61 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

The Khan wins due to Hit & Run. With his 18" movement, he's far more likely to get a charge than Sanguinius, completely ruining Sanguinius's devastating first round of combat.

Sanguinius vs. Leman Russ

• Leman Russ with the Sword of Balenight (Hits on MC 4+): 4.25 hits, 3.54 wounds, 3.54 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 3.21 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Leman Russ charging with the Sword of Balenight (Hits on MC 3+): 6.22 hits, 5.18 wounds, 5.18 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 4.85 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Leman russ using Counter-Attack with the Sword of Balenight (Hits on MC 4+): 5.25 hits, 4.38 wounds, 2.19 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.86 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 3.25 hits, 2.89 wounds, 1.45 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.12 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 4.25 hits, 3.78 wounds, 1.89 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.56 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Russ wins.

Sanguinius vs. Rogal Dorn

• Rogal Dorn with Storm’s Teeth (Hits on 4+): 3 hits, 2.91 wounds, 1.45 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.11 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Rogal Dorn with Storm’s Teeth when charged (Hits on 4+): 3 hits, 2.91 wounds, 0.728 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.39 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 3.33 hits, 2.96 wounds, 1.48 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.14 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Rogal Dorn wins, though if Sanguinius charges, it's a tie.

Sanguinius vs. Konrad Curze

• Curze with Mercy and Forgiveness (Hits on 4+): 4 hits, 3 wounds, 1.5 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.16 wounds at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Curze charging: 4.5 hits, 3.38 wounds, 1.69 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.36 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Curze vs. Sanguinius charging: 4 hits, 3 wounds, 0.75 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.42 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 3.25 hits, 2.89 wounds, 1.45 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.12 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 4.25 hits, 3.78 wounds, 1.89 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.56 at the end of the turn due to IWND.

Curze wins with Hit & Run.

Sanguinius vs. Ferrus Manus

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.16 wounds, 1.05 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.72 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 1.39 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.06 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Ferrus Manus with Forgebreaker (Hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 2.78 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 2.45 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Ferrus Manus with Forgebreaker (vs. charging Sanguinius, hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 1.38 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.05 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Ferrus Manus wins.

Sanguinius vs. Angron

• Angron with Gorefather and Gorechild (Turn 3, +3 Attacks, Hits on 4+): 8.25 hits, 6.19 wounds, 3.10 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 2.77 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Angron charging with Gorefather and Gorechild (Turn 3, +3 Attacks, Hits on 4+): 9 hits, 8 wounds, 4 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 3.67 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Angron with Gorefather and Gorechild (vs. charging Sanguinius, Turn 3, +3 attacks, Hits on 4+): 8.25 hits, 6.19 wounds, 1.55 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.22 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 2+): 5.25 hits. 4.67 wounds, 2.33 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 2 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 2+): 6.81 hits, 6.05 wounds, 3.03 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 2.70 at the end of the turn due to IWND.

Whoever charges wins, so it's more in favor of Sanguinius since he's got a longer movement from his Great Wings. However, if Angron charges, Sanguinius is royally fucked.

One interesting interaction is that Sanguinius has Bulky (6), which actually triggers Angron's Rampage (2).

Sanguinius vs. Roboute Guilliman

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.75 wounds, 1.63 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.30 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.94 wounds, 2.22 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.89 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Guilliman with the Hand of Dominion (Hits on MC 5+): 2.56 hits, 2.13 wounds, 2.13 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.80 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Guilliman with the Hand of Dominion (vs. Charging Sanguinius, hits on MC 5+): 2.56 hits, 2.13 wounds, 1.07 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.74 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Guilliman wins, even if Sanguinius charges him.

Sanguinius vs. Mortarion

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.16 wounds, 1.58 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.08 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 2.09 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.59 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Mortarion with Silence (Hits on 5+): 2 hits, 1.85 wounds, 0.93 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.60 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Mortarion with Silence (vs. Charging Sanguinius, hits on 5+): 2 hits, 1.85 wounds, 0.46 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.13 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Sanguinus wins.

Sanguinius vs. Magnus the Red

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.16 wounds, 1.58 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.25 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 2.09 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.76 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Moonsilver Blade (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 2.11 wounds, 2.11 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.78 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Moonsilver Blade (Hits on MC 3+): 4.88 hits, 2.44 wounds, 2.44 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 2.11 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Magnus with Ahn-Nunurta (Hits on 5+): 2 hits, 1.67 wounds, 0.83 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.50 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Magnus with Ahn-Nunurta (vs. Charging Sanguinius, hits on 5+): 2 hits, 1.67 wounds, 0.42 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.09 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Sanguinius wins.

Sanguinius vs. Horus

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 4+): 3.25 hits, 2.44 wounds, 0.81 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.48 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine: 4.25 hits, 3.19 wounds, 1.07 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.74 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Horus with Worldbreaker (Hits on MC 4+): 3.75 hits, 3.13 wounds, 3.13 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 2.80 at the end of the turn with IWND.
  • Horus with Worldbreaker (Against charging Sanguinius, hits on MC 4+): 3.75 hits, 3.13 wounds, 1.57 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.24 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Horus wins. Even when Sanguinius charges, Horus still manages to outdamage him while taking hardly any damage in return.

Sanguinius vs. Lorgar

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.75 wounds, 1.88 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.38 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.94 wounds, 2.47 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.97 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
• Sanguinius with the Moonsilver Blade (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 2.11 wounds, 2.11 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.61 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Moonsilver Blade (Hits on MC 3+): 4.88 hits, 2.44 wounds, 2.44 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.94 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Lorgar with Illuminarum (Hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 1.85 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.52 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Lorgar with Illuminarum (vs Charging Sanguinius, hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 0.93 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.60 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Sanguinius wins.

Interestingly, since Lorgar has the Psyker Sub-Type, the Moonsilver blade is the better pick against him, not even needing to charge first, since it has Brutal (2) against Psykers and Daemons.

If Lorgar charges, and Sanguinius has the Blade Encarmine, Lorgar wins.

Sanguinius vs. Vulkan

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.16 wounds, 1.05 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.55 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 1.39 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.89 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Vulkan with Dawnbringer (Hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 0.93 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.60 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Vulkan with Dawnbringer (vs. Charging Sanguinius, hits on MC 5+): 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, 0.46 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.13 at the end of the turn due to IWND.

Sanguinius wins if he charges.

Under normal circumstances, Sanguinius loses. However, since somebody has to charge, and it's vastly more likely to be Sanguinius, it's probably more likely for Sanguinius to win this one.

Sanguinius vs. Corax

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.16 wounds, 1.58 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.25 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 2.09 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.76 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Corax with the Panoply of the Raven Lord (Hits on 5+): 2.33 hits, 1.75 wounds, 0.88 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.55 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Corax charging with the Panoply of the Raven Lord (Hits on 5+): 3.67 hits, 2.75 wounds, 1.38 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.05 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Corax with the Panoply of the Raven Lord (vs. Charging Sanguinius, hits on 5+): 2.33 hits, 1.75 wounds, 0.44 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.11 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Sanguinius wins.

Sanguinius vs. Alpharius

• Sanguinius with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 4.22 hits, 3.16 wounds, 1.58 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.25 at the end of the turn due to IWND.
  • Sanguinius charging with the Blade Encarmine (Hits on MC 3+): 5.56 hits, 4.17 wounds, 2.09 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 1.76 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
• Alpharius with the Pale Spear (Hits on 5+): 2 hits, 1 wound, 0.5 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0.17 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
  • Alpharius with the Pale Spear (vs. Charging Sanguinius, hits on 5+): 2 hits, 1 wound, 0.25 unsaved wounds, which is reduced to 0 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

Sanguinius wins.

Gallery

This article contains PROMOTIONS! Don't say we didn't warn you.

• 

  Alternative model of Papa Sang posing for a Renaissance Art Fair.

• 

  Sanguinius gets the bitches. All of 'em. Every last one.

• 

  Is it time for Sanguinius to choke some bitches again? Hell yes, baby.

• 

  Sanguinius: The most bishie of bishies.

• 

  Don't you wish your Primarch was hot like me?

• 

  Sanguinius, only slightly less fabulous than usual.

• 

  He's fabulous. Fulgrim wishes he could be that fabulous.

• 

  This counts as Extra Heresy.

• 

  Spear or sword? Pick one or he gives you both.

• 

  It's not gay if it's Sanguinius.

The Primarchs of the Space Marine Legions
Loyalist Corvus Corax - Ferrus Manus - Jaghatai Khan Leman Russ - Lion El'Jonson - Roboute Guilliman Rogal Dorn - Sanguinius - Vulkan
Traitor Alpharius/Omegon - Angron - Fulgrim Horus - Konrad Curze/Night Haunter - Lorgar Magnus the Red - Mortarion - Perturabo