After receiving intelligence regarding the Chaos daemon armies, Leman Russ immediately passed it on to every senior human commander participating in the war.
Supreme Commander Lion El'Jonson, Iron Hands Archon Mel Aine, and Rogal Dorn and Perturabo, who were stationed in the rear, all learned that the commander of the Chaos daemon armies was the Daemon Primarch Lorgar Aurelian.
The Lion of Caliban held such an opponent in extreme contempt. Even during the Great Crusade, Lorgar had been one of the Primarchs whom Lion considered beneath notice.
Whether in ability or character, Lorgar had never been taken seriously by Lion.
The Word Bearers Legion was second only to the Ultramarines in size, yet their achievements during the Great Crusade had been utterly unworthy of such immense numbers. Among all the Legions, they could only be considered below average.
The Seventeenth Legion had stubbornly adhered to a strategy of conquest alongside missionary work. Every world they conquered was subjected to religious propaganda, its population forced to accept the theory that the Emperor was a god.
Naturally, this made their progress exceptionally slow, completely wasting their advantages and potential.
As for character, Lorgar had once loudly proclaimed himself the Emperor's absolute believer. Yet after the Perfect City incident, his faith had effectively shattered, bringing doubt and hatred toward the Emperor in its wake.
Such laughable "loyalty" was, in Lion's eyes, nothing less than a desecration of the word itself.
"Since Lorgar is commanding this war, I can understand why those daemon legions fight with such savage stupidity."
"If I were commanding those Chaos daemon armies, their combat strength would be at least twice what it is now."
"In my view, making Lorgar their commander was the most foolish decision the gods could have made. Even Abaddon could have done better than him."