Which primarch is the best fighter

[Durendin]

Some kind soul can remind us which Heresy novel it was mentioned (probably A Thousand Sons) though not in any detail that the Space Wolves and Russ dispatched the two missing Legions and their Primarchs. If that's true then Russ has two already under his belt which makes the Wolf "King!"

[Kyban]

Some kind soul can remind us which Heresy novel it was mentioned (probably A Thousand Sons) though not in any detail that the Space Wolves and Russ dispatched the two missing Legions and their Primarchs. If that's true then Russ has two already under his belt which makes the Wolf "King!"

It was referenced that the wolves had been unleashed on a legion in the past but that was all as far as I'm aware.

[Learn2Eel]

It is also stated in the HH novels that Russ and the Space Wolves are "unleashed". I have to think that this means that Russ is a better fighter then his brothers. Yes he is not the most skill full in tactics or defensive strategy but in a one on one fight I have to say Russ will win over them all because he beat Magnus hand to hand even with Magnus being Demonically powered.

When did Leman Russ defeat a demonically powered Magnus? Magnus didn't become a daemon primarch until after Prospero burned.
And plus, saying a Primarch is powerful because he beat Magnus in hand to hand combat is silly. Magnus is the second most powerful psyker in the galaxy, not someone adept in physical combat like Russ or Angron.

Russ actually isn't a better fighter than his brothers I would say. He is ferocious, but he has more cunning and restraint than someone like Angron. Whilst Angron would be the better fighter, Russ can keep some modicum of control in combat. I would also place Sanguinius above him in terms of martial prowess, but Russ has other qualities - much like any Primarch. The Space Wolves being the apparent 'executioners' probably refers to the single-minded ferocity of the legion, they are essentially attack dogs. Whether or not another Legion would have done a better job in this role is up for debate.

[Learn2Eel]

Russ was the one who was the executioner of Primarchs...... DONE

How many Primarchs do we know he killed? As it stands, Fulgrim has killed more Primarchs than anyone else, and he gets his butt kicked by Angron all the time.

[Learn2Eel]

No the emperor let the heresy happen, the wolves are meant to fix the mess, I don't think killing greater daemons count towards a primarch's skill really as even logar beats the crap out of a bloodthrister (the bloodthrister I believe)

To a certain degree the one who needs to win to drive the story forward will win, but it's still fun to debate

I believe it states in know no fear that the head smurf is considered to be in the top 5 when it comes to an out and out fight,

I would suggest though that Russ and Angron would be at the top of the food chain before people start becoming empowered by the warp, Russ because it is his job and Angron because he loves it a little to much, though I would back the wolf king ever time

The Bloodthirster Sanguinius fought was apparently three times as powerful as an average Bloodthirster, depending on what you read. And after that, he still put up a fight against Horus, and some might even say he was killed only because he could not believe his closest friends' corruption.
Magnus also demolished a titan with his psychic powers - how many Primarchs can do that single-handedly?

Ultimately, as previous posters have said, all the Primarchs have their individual talents. Combat isn't always the greatest measure. Still though, I would say Sanguinius - not from any real knowledge but moreso because he appears to be the common choice.

[Grovel]

As a minor aside - didn't they go to great lengths in the HH novels to say that Russ was NOT a savage, he just played the part of the savage because the reputation was advantageous?

The novels seem to depict him as cunning rather than ferocious...

Back on topic though, I would put my money on Sanguinius or Angron - not because of anecdotal evidence, but because of the old adage "practice makes perfect". The primarchs were all created more or less equal overall, but those two spend a lot more time actually fighting than their brothers, and among equals experience would likely be the deciding factor.

[Wildcard]

There are more factors in fighting than just the ability to dish out damage. One being your pure physical mass, which correlates among other thing to the fact how well you can take beating.

Each of the primarchs were designed to be super fast and super strong, with the learning capacity to master melee weapons (of their choise). What they weren't designed to do, was to take the punishment one like them could dish out when being serious..

Except for Leman Russ.. He was to be a brawler, one that most definately can strike blows, yet have enough stamina, strenght, perseverance and simply put: the body crafted to take the incoming beating from equals like no other primarch.

Also, remember that Fulgrim already had his Laer-daemon blade when he killed Manus.

And about the Sanquinius versus Horus: Horus indeed was high on deamon dope at that point, but more relevant is the condition of the Angel at in which he had to fight: If i remember right, hes body was almost devastated, as in not many unbroken bones, and most likely his other arm was snapped from the fight at the emperors palace gates (The fight where he single handedly fought that bloodthirster-lord and kept the traitors at bay so that the loyalists could retreat and regroup behind the walls)

All this said, i would go for either russ or sanquinius, although we haven't even touched khan or vulkan yet

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Still not as cool as me. Close though.

[sangrail777]

I gotta go with Sanguinius, hands down.
With that said doesn't it say in some of the HH books that the Primarchs would duel each other or have fighting contest amongst each other. Be cool it they wrote some short stories on that. I'd like to see how the Primarchs would interact with eachother both verbally and physically.

[daboarder]

Sanguinius, dudes an angel nuff said.

but if you require more.

And so it was they fought- the Angel and the Beast. Titanic must have been that struggle, between those two gods amongst men. Long must they have rained blows upon one another, until it seemed the life of the universe itself hung in the balance. And yet, for al his glorious might at arms, and his noble and pure mind, Sanguinius was bested. The despicable trickeries of chaos were his undoing. But at that last moment, even as the of death waited to strike him, Sanguinius would not turn from the path of light. Thus it was that the noble Sanguinius, Lord of the Blood Angels passed from this world. He who was everything a man should be was taken from us by the darkness. A thousand times a thousand years f lamenting will never atone for our loss