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I have always wanted to make an Adeptus Mechanicus army and I believe that the current edition is the edition that will let me do that best. However I have a few questions as what I've been reading is kind of conflicting.

My general game plan is to have several detachments each of which will represent a different units generally found in a Forge Worlds armed forces. As an example I'm going to represent my Arch Magos Veneratus with a Ordos Xenos Inquisitor Lord, my Myrmidon as a Space Marine Chapter Master, my Thallax cohort as Space Marines, my Skitarii as IG veterans etc etc. This is going to be a very large army not exactly intended for normal games since I will mainly be using it against my friends Tyranid horde (we are doing a narrative campaign where the battles get larger and larger). I've realized that taking an unbound list would probably solve all my questions (as me and my friend are fine with them within reason) but if I can I would like to keep my force battle forged.

Primary/Inquisitorial detachment
OX Inquisitor Lord (Warlord)

Henchmen

CAD Space Marines
Chapter Master

Required units

CAD detachment
IG HQ

Required units

CAD detachment
Imperial Knights

Now I know that as long as I take the units you have to have for each detachment (1 HQ and 2 troops normally) and pay the points required I can take as many detachments as I like, my big question is can I still have my Inquisitor be my Warlord even if his detachment isn't the primary? Do I have to have 1 primary detachment for every CAD that I have? Also what classifies as a faction? for instance are all Imperial forces considered a faction (I know that they're battle brothers with the exception of the GK) while Tau are a separate faction or is each codex considered a separate faction?

Thanks for the help guys the whole CAD/AD thing has me slightly confused

No, the Detachment that includes your Warlord automatically becomes your Primary Detachment.
But why does it matter as long as you don't take an Allied Detachment?

Factions are stuff like "Astra Militarum" or Orks, or Space Marines or Blood Angels.
I wouldn't say "each codex" because that would exclude data sheets, supplements and FW.

Doesn't the Inquisition have a rule though that makes it so that you can have an Inquisitor be your warlord without having it be your primary detachment or did 7th overrule that? Though what detachment my warlord is in doesn't really matter it's just a curiosity.

And I don't know if it matters hence why I am asking, also can you be a little more clear as "no" doesn't really cover all of the questions I asked.

An army consists of multiple Detachments.
In your case four! Probably three CAD's and I'm not sure on the Imperial Knight atm, don't have that book in the train.

My no covered it quite well.
You pick a warlord. His detachment automatically becomes the primary detachment according to 7th.

Why would you need a primary detachment for each CAD?
You need one Primary Detachment in each army (everything you field).

Edit: seems that 7th changed it, not that it really matters.
Your primary limits the 'Allied Detachments ' you can take and you're not taking any.

Kangodo wrote:
An army consists of multiple Detachments.
In your case four! Probably three CAD's and I'm not sure on the Imperial Knight atm, don't have that book in the train.

This I know, which is why none of my questions focused on this.

My no covered it quite well.

maybe giving a broader answer with a little more detail would be better instead of just saying "no" which for all I knew was a response to just one of my questions.

Why would you need a primary detachment for each CAD?

Again I don't know hence why I was asking.

I appreciate you trying to help but you really aren't, in fact your responses are coming across kind of ish. I don't have the main rulebook and wont until I get Stormclaw, the questions I've asked are not unreasonable so I'm sorry I don't know the answers to my own questions.

 Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:
Doesn't the Inquisition have a rule though that makes it so that you can have an Inquisitor be your warlord without having it be your primary detachment or did 7th overrule that? Though what detachment my warlord is in doesn't really matter it's just a curiosity.

No, that got removed in the Codex: Inquisition update for 7th Edition. Whichever detachment has your Warlord is considered your primary detachment (assuming you have a Battle Forged Army).

An Army can either be Battle Forged or Unbound. A Battle Forged Army must be organised into Detachments, and you might gain additional Command Benefits in some or all of those Detachments. An Unbound Army can be made up of any number of models in your army, though Ally and Army List Entry restrictions still apply to each Unit.

Factions are basically determined by what Codex the model is from. If you remember Faction = Codex, you'll be pretty much right. Models from a Supplement are considered part of the same Faction as the Codex the Supplement is for. e.g. A Tactical Squad belongs to the Space Marine Faction, a Leman Russ Battle Tank belongs to the Astra Militarum faction and a Demon Prince from Codex: Chaos Demons belongs to the Chaos Demons faction. That last example is important because Demon Princes are also found in Codex: Chaos Space Marines, and if your Demon Prince came from that codex it would belong to the Chaos Space Marine Faction instead. Generally speaking you will find that a Detachment will require all it's Units to be from the same Faction.

A Battle Forged Army can have as many detachments as you like*, but every model must belong to one and only one detachment. One Detachment, which is also the Detachment the Warlord belongs to, must be nominated as your Primary Detachment. Detachments have specific requirements and restrictions that apply, which you can find in the details for that specific detachment. A Combined Arms Detachment is an example of a Detachment. Other types of Detachments include Allied Detachments, Inquisitorial Detachments, Imperial Knight Detachments or Formations.

*Keep in mind that tournaments and local gaming scenes might have house-rules in place that limit the amount of detachments you can take, eg limiting you to 1 CAD + 1 Formation or Allied Detachment.

GoonBandito wrote:

 Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:
Doesn't the Inquisition have a rule though that makes it so that you can have an Inquisitor be your warlord without having it be your primary detachment or did 7th overrule that? Though what detachment my warlord is in doesn't really matter it's just a curiosity.

No, that got removed in the Codex: Inquisition update for 7th Edition. Whichever detachment has your Warlord is considered your primary detachment (assuming you have a Battle Forged Army).

An Army can either be Battle Forged or Unbound. A Battle Forged Army must be organised into Detachments, and you might gain additional Command Benefits in some or all of those Detachments. An Unbound Army can be made up of any number of models in your army, though Ally and Army List Entry restrictions still apply to each Unit.

Factions are basically determined by what Codex the model is from. If you remember Faction = Codex, you'll be pretty much right. Models from a Supplement are considered part of the same Faction as the Codex the Supplement is for. e.g. A Tactical Squad belongs to the Space Marine Faction, a Leman Russ Battle Tank belongs to the Astra Militarum faction and a Demon Prince from Codex: Chaos Demons belongs to the Chaos Demons faction. That last example is important because Demon Princes are also found in Codex: Chaos Space Marines, and if your Demon Prince came from that codex it would belong to the Chaos Space Marine Faction instead. Generally speaking you will find that a Detachment will require all it's Units to be from the same Faction.

A Battle Forged Army can have as many detachments as you like*, but every model must belong to one and only one detachment. One Detachment, which is also the Detachment the Warlord belongs to, must be nominated as your Primary Detachment. Detachments have specific requirements and restrictions that apply, which you can find in the details for that specific detachment. A Combined Arms Detachment is an example of a Detachment. Other types of Detachments include Allied Detachments, Inquisitorial Detachments, Imperial Knight Detachments or Formations.

*Keep in mind that tournaments and local gaming scenes might have house-rules in place that limit the amount of detachments you can take, eg limiting you to 1 CAD + 1 Formation or Allied Detachment.

Ok cool thank you very much! so just to clarify with the exception of having my Inquisitorial detachment be my primary detachment (since my Inquisitor will be my Warlord) the rest of what I outlined in my OP is legal and would count as a Battle Forged army correct?