What warlord do you use with you guard (AM)?

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**zoat**

I am dusting off my guardsmen after a year or so of worshipping the ruinous powers and I am trying to settle for a warlord. If I read the rules correctly you can name any "character" your warlord in 7th, which opens up a lot of possibilities.

Before, my default was a CCS warlord, but it was always painful to realize how fragile the company commander is. A Chimera is almost mandatory and even then it is a pretty fragile unit that clocks in at 150ish points, if kitted out properly, and has a big "hit me" sign attached.

Looking at the codex with fresh eyes the Primaris seems like a hot warlord candidate for a list like mine (plenty of foot with tank support), yet I find very few lists using it. Provided you have a blob or two in your army, as an Independant Character, he can hide out quite reliably, providing Divination and psychic protection for the blob. As a bonus all the AM warlord traits works quite well for this combination. Am I missing something?

The Lord Commissar could work the same way a Primaris does, but if you want to take the commissar you can't have any CCS. This is real deal breaker for me as I find the Senior Officer's orders extremely valuable.

The tank commander also feels like a solid choice of course. Hard as nails and also gets a good selection of warlord traits (thanks to only rolling a d3). If you go with Pask he seems downright nasty. The downside is the need of a squadron buddy, which ties up a lot of points and limits the shooting of both tanks to some effect. I guess it makes more sense if your heavy support is crowded, but mine isn't at the moment. Three russes. Done!

Are there any other warlord candidates I should consider?

**carldooley**

Creed in a Flyer was a preferred favorite of mine. The ability to have carry 2 traits, as well as rerolling for preferred ones are icing on the cake. Just the ability to carry a bubble ability and the utility of the flyer to get it where it is needed is a winner in my book. add to that, that your opponent has to kill the flyer to Slay the Warlord, and you are piling bonuses on top of other bonuses.

**zoat**

Interesting!

Unless there is a flying command vehicle I have missed you wouldn' t get to issue orders though....

**kodi**

You can legally make a veteran squad sergeant your warlord and just keep him in reserves so he can't die first turn at least. And there's more ablative wounds than in a CCS.

Yarrick is the favorite of many since he's overall good in a horde and incredibly tough to kill and can issue orders.

There's also the possibility to use an allied inquisitor as your warlord due to a special rule they have. Inquisitor detachments by the way get 10pt cheaper chimeras whose heavy bolters can be upgraded to S6 for the price of a meltabomb.

**carldooley**

kodi wrote:
There's also the possibility to use an allied inquisitor as your warlord due to a special rule they have. Inquisitor detachments by the way get 10pt cheaper chimeras whose heavy bolters can be upgraded to S6 for the price of a meltabomb.

actually, with ally rules now, the Inquisitorial Chimeras are the way to go. with 5 fire points and the previous codex's options, they are superior in just about every way to AM chimeras.

**zoat**

Thanks guys! I have always liked inquisitors as a concept and I have that codex in digital someplace. (Funny how it is much easier to find analog media than digital... Which device did I put that old codex on?). Inquisitors do what the Psyker does only better and I had forgot about that rule that allows the Inquisitor to be Warlord regardless of Primary.

Good point also on the Chimeras! So if you ally with Inquisition you can in fact have identical Chimeras operating under different rules. How weird is that?

**koooaei**

It's most likely not going to last long. However, chimeras will still be useful when stuff changes.

Many people run Pask as a warlord.

**CREEEEEEEEED**

I often run a Lord commissar as warlord and stick him in a CCS with the standard medkit, vox caster heavy flamer loadout, as well as some upgrades for the LC and CC. Then I stick it in a chimera.

**AnomanderRake**

An Inquisitor, most of the time. This is for character more than effectiveness, my Guard army started life as Inquisitorial Stormtroopers.

**CREEEEEEEEED**

kodi wrote:
You can legally make a veteran squad sergeant your warlord

Where does it say this? NOWHERE!!!

*pulls out rulebook for extra proof*

Oh, gak, I'm sorry, nvm.

**zoat**

I often run a Lord commissar as warlord and stick him in a CCS...

Yarrick is the favorite of many since he's overall good in a horde and incredibly tough to kill and can issue orders.

How do you work around the "Chain of Command" rule of the Lord Commisar/Yarrick? I'd love to run a Lord Commisar as warlord, but missing out on those Senior Officer orders seems crazy if you are investing in infantry.

You can legally make a veteran squad sergeant your warlord and just keep him in reserves so he can't die first turn at least

Good thinking! How about a Bullgryn Bone 'ead? Sure would be nice to have a warlord that doesn't get instagibbed by everyone and his grandma!

Right now I'm leaning towards an Inquisitor divination psyker with rad grenades as he brings so many things useful to the blob(s).

**SYKOJAK**

Are you folks not taking the mandatory HQ choices? That is the only way that I can see a normal Sgt. being selected as the warlord, as in an unbound list. The same with a Primarus Psyker.

**carldooley**

SYKOJAK wrote:
Are you folks not taking the mandatory HQ choices? That is the only way that I can see a normal Sgt. being selected as the warlord, as in an unbound list. The same with a Primarus Psyker.

You may want to review the Warlord Selection Criteria on P. 124 of the rulebook. The warlord must be a character model, unless you don't have one, in which case it can be anyone. Generally speaking, normal Sergeants are characters and fulfill the requirement to be the Warlord. Personally, I see good reasons to separate the warlord and my commanding officer. That way, it isn't a no brainer choice to go after him. By separating the two, my opponent has to make the conscious decision to go after a single unit that buffs the rest of my force, but doesn't get bonuses for things like 'Slay the Warlord' as well.

**zoat**

Agreed. That is exactly what I'm trying to work around.

In particular the CCS warlord has let me down as it is super important for buffing the infantry, carries a potentially useful Warlord Trait and offers "Slay the warlord". Like you said going after it is a nobrainer!

The problem I see with a sergeant is that it is only a 'character' meaning only 4+ look out sir and has only one wound. Shouldn't be too hard to take out with various sniping techniques. An 'independant character' gets 2+ (and also 'heroic morale') and in the case of an inquisitor has no less than 3 wounds and possibly better armor.

**vipoid**

I've often used a Lord Commissar, and recently have been using Yarrick instead.

Ironically, despite doing this because of Yarrick's survivability, he's died twice so far. My old Lord Commissar never once died - despite being involved in many dicey situations.

zoat wrote:

How do you work around the "Chain of Command" rule of the Lord Commisar/Yarrick? I'd love to run a Lord Commisar as warlord, but missing out on those Senior Officer orders seems crazy if you are investing in infantry.

I asked my friends about it, and we just agreed that the designers were pillocks and moved on.

EDIT: Also, Senior Officer is why I moved to Yarrick. Without it, Lord Commissars just feel overcosted - and also pay about twice as much as they should for their gear.

**Trueknight803**

Honestly Ive had good success running Pask in a punisher w/ 2 exterminators as squadron buddies, have also seen plasmacutioners work successfully in his squadron thanks to preferred enemy.

Also, Yarrick is clutch if you have a blob, and aren't planning on using psykers in it.

Primaris can be your warlord, however they dont fill the requisite HQ spot anymore. So maybe take a primaris as your warlord and stick him in a big blob (w a priest too) and then a kitted ccs for orders/kill things

**carldooley**

A question. How do you folks build your lists? do you decide who is going to be your warlord during list construction or when you deploy your army on the table. I will readily admit that there are some builds where you have to use the same warlord every time (to unlock something like Farsight's Eight), but I am curious none the less.

**tankboy145**

I'm a tread head and love leman russes as well so I honestly have pretty much only used tank commanders as warlords since the new codex. Maybe tried creed, yarrick and a standard ccs at some point but I always seem to go back to the tank commanders.

**vipoid**

carldooley wrote:
A question. How do you folks build your lists? do you decide who is going to be your warlord during list construction or when you deploy your army on the table. I will readily admit that there are some builds where you have to use the same warlord every time (to unlock something like Farsight's Eight), but I am curious none the less.

I generally know who my warlord will be when I build my army.

But, my lists are built around a particular theme/character, so I basically tie myself down in that regard.

**Zoidbergz**

I LOVE pask! Hes great and his warlord trait really helps that expensive squad out.

**zoat**

I generally have a specific warlord (and warlord trait table) in mind when I build the list, but you are right, that decision could be taken later.

So many votes for Pask! I guess I will have to try him out sooner or later. How do you Pask supporters play him? I usually take long range Russes to keep them out of harms way, but with a Punisher I guess you have to be quite aggressive.