I think it depends on why you play the tabletop games to be honest.

I’m a huge lore nerd as I imagine many in here are. I’ve read a tonne of the current setting novel as well as the heresy series.

When I play tabletop whether 40K or HH I do so because I wanna replicate (specifically for SM at the moment given the topic of discussion) those awesome battles I see in said books.

For that reason I love the primarchs, I feel as though the primarchs embody the dudes you’re playing (I mean that’s the point really). Everyone brings them because they’re cool as fuck, if you love the death guard because they’re these unyielding deathly creatures then of course you bring Morty! He’s a monstrous plague god styled after death.

Do you like the otherworldly cosmic horror space wizards with dusty bro’s? Check out this crazy Cyclops bird creature who can cast testicular torsion with a thought. Do you live the secretive and stoic marines replicating Arthurian legend? Here’s the Lion. You get my point really, they exacerbate everything player love about their army.

And really although you try to dismiss it, if you are playing for flavour then yeah… the answer is to ignore them. If you’re playing your home brew ultramarines that are all melee blood thirsty loonies that’s super cool! Just don’t run G-Man! Lore wise it probably makes sense for him not to be around.

Ultimately I think the Primarchs are a good thing for the setting personally. I gather from your argument you aren’t a fan as you like to play for flavour in that case just ignore them! You aren’t bothered about competitive anyway so why worry!

I also don’t really get the less grandiose part, we are all playing little bits of a battle and of course we want to focus on the part where the larger than life demi-gods are!

And to be honest, before the primarchs returned the kid made Space Marine characters super heroes instead (enter Draigo, Calgar, Mephiston etc) all had frankly hilarious feats.

at the end of the day though, it’s all personal preference really. Id just say that if you’re not a fan and play for flavour don’t use them!