Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-58.179.157.107-20140511083958/@comment-210.50.232.22-20140511234955

Actually I believe it came down to the fact that the primarchs were created with TWO purposes. One was as generals of the Emperors forces in the crusade. The second was to be their role after the crusade was completed.

Some of the primarchs dual roles are obvious - Kurze was to head the arbites, Guilliman to be the imperial prime minister, Fulgrim to spread imperial culture and art, Alpharius to be the spymaster etc.

Horus was always meant to be the over general - the warmaster. But not to be the Emperors heir - that was to be Sanguinious.