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Some armies have some pretty incredible warlord traits, although some armies have some pretty useless traits. Would love to hear what everyone thinks are the best and worst warlord traits.

Strategic is normally always the best table to roll on. Some Codex specific traits are good but you usually require a named character to guarantee it.

Im not sure, daemons have amazing warlord traits where tyranids can have some pretty terrible rolls

I would say every ork warlord trait is useless except the one where your unit gains fearless during the waaagh. Thats it.

A couple of the Sisters of Battle ones are exceptional.

5++ for the whole Sisters unit the warlord is with? Yes please.

The Tau table is pretty decent, the Daemons table isn't terrible either, but 9/10 you're taking fateweaver and he already has the best warlord trait so it doen't really matter. Virtually everyone else is better off rolling strategic unless you're playing a very small game or have a combat beast or monsterous creature, then the Personal table can really make a difference. The maelstrom table has it's moments if you're playing maelstrom, but even then strategic is often a better option.

Special mention for CSM since they have :
1) Prefered Enemy: Space Marines in 12" bubble
2) Melee weapons have soul blaze
3) D3 infantry units gain infiltrate (doesn't include the warlord)
4) Hatred
5) Fear
6) Re-roll Boons

That has to be in contention for the worst table. For extra lulz, the 3 result is a worse version or the one on strategic. Literally the only thing that isn't junk (2,4,5&6) or better somewhere else (3) is PE: SM. Now while that's pretty decent against marines, it does nothing to help against anyone else and the rest of the table is trash.

 curran12 wrote:
A couple of the Sisters of Battle ones are exceptional.

5++ for the whole Sisters unit the warlord is with? Yes please.

Unfortunately its the only good one (which is why you make Jacobus your Warlord because he comes with it), especially considering the Command table in the BRB straight up offers you better versions of some of the Sister's Warlord Traits. Why would you want the "friendly units within 12" using your Warlord's Ld for Act of Faith tests "when the Command Table gives you a "friendly units within 12" can use your Warlord's Ld for all leadership tests" trait?

Worst warlord trait, by far: the ABG one that makes your warlord a scoring unit. I think this might be the only warlord trait that never, under any circumstances, provides any benefit at all.

Lelith's +1WS trait has got to be the most pointless ever.

 Peregrine wrote:
Worst warlord trait, by far: the ABG one that makes your warlord a scoring unit. I think this might be the only warlord trait that never, under any circumstances, provides any benefit at all.

If you're playing with 6th Edition rules it would? Since only Troop choices were scoring back then.

I think the Harlequins have some pretty good warlord traits, +4 for seize the initiative? Yes please....

 GoonBandito wrote:
If you're playing with 6th Edition rules it would? Since only Troop choices were scoring back then.

Yes, and that's why it exists. But in 7th it's the clear winner for "worst in the game".

MorkorpossiblyGork wrote:
I would say every ork warlord trait is useless except the one where your unit gains fearless during the waaagh. Thats it.

While I do think the ork table isn't great, I think you can get a lot of mileage out of the re-roll morale checks trait. It can limit the amount of orks that get punched to death by your own nobs, and makes anything near your warlord very difficult to break when combined with mob rule.

I think one of the better traits is the tau one that gives you 3d6 jet pack movement, the extra movement is a lifesaver, and since it also applies to the commander's unit, it can make any jetpack unit you need super maneuvrable.

As for the worst...maybe the dark eldar one that gives +1WS, or the ork one that gives +1S. WS doesn't tend to matter much once you are a single point above your opponent, which dark eldar already tend to be, and in the case of the ork one, nearly any character who would benefit from it already has a power klaw and so does not. Oh oh oh! Black Crusader on the chaos table! Obviously has a use if you're fighting space marines, but otherwise...it literally does nothing for your warlord!

Guards are pretty terrible. I haven't played in a while but I remember the game didn't change at all if I forgot to roll for them...

As always, the Eldar get all the nice things. Their warlord traits are pretty solid, like D3 scout moves. Combo that with WKs, and you've got a super heavy on your doorstep.

The single worst one IMO is a Skiitari trait.

It grants Eternal Warrior.

Now that doesn't seem SO bad, until you look at who you can give it to.

Did you (as most skiitari players do) declare one of your W1 Skiitari Alphas the warlord? LOL.

Did you declare a Sicarian? Good job! You got a T3, W2 4+ 35 point warlord with eternal warrior.

Skittari alphas are 2 wounds.
the worst trait is nids No1 turns a piece of jungle terrain within 12" of the warlord into carnivorous jungle for the rest of the game. Now thats just bad.

CSM re-roll the boon table

by far the worst and best at the same time

Woo I won my Challenge! omg why deamon prince?

re-roll for any thing else

Chaos Spawn....

 tau tse tung wrote:
Guards are pretty terrible. I haven't played in a while but I remember the game didn't change at all if I forgot to roll for them...

take creed. take 2 rolls on strategic.

Depending on your army, the one from Tactical (I think) that allows rerolls of all 1s to hit when shooting within 12" of your warlord is great.

 GoonBandito wrote:

 curran12 wrote:
A couple of the Sisters of Battle ones are exceptional.

5++ for the whole Sisters unit the warlord is with? Yes please.

Unfortunately its the only good one (which is why you make Jacobus your Warlord because he comes with it), especially considering the Command table in the BRB straight up offers you better versions of some of the Sister's Warlord Traits. Why would you want the "friendly units within 12" using your Warlord's Ld for Act of Faith tests "when the Command Table gives you a "friendly units within 12" can use your Warlord's Ld for all leadership tests" trait?

For the most part, I agree with you, but I like using a Canoness as my Warlord, and some of the others can provide some situational use. Re-rolling failed DTW is nice in a unit that can get DTW on a 4+ (Adamantium Will + Inquisitor psyker) at least for a one-time thing, as most are not expecting it. Also, I am fond of the Rage one as well, as it amuses me greatly to bring down haughty fighty characters with my Canoness and her beatstick axe. Not the best, to be sure, but entertaining.

The worst one straight up is from CSM's that provides Fear or the PE bubble.

Why do people keep suggesting worst traits that are not the worst trait? I've already posted which one it is, so unless you've found another one that does literally nothing it isn't the worst trait. Even a trait that gives a very small and rarely-relevant bonus is still better than nothing.

 Peregrine wrote:
Worst warlord trait, by far: the ABG one that makes your warlord a scoring unit. I think this might be the only warlord trait that never, under any circumstances, provides any benefit at all.

Just realised that there's a Harlequin Warlord Trait which gives you +4 to any Seize roll. Thats a lot.

 Peregrine wrote:
Why do people keep suggesting worst traits that are not the worst trait? I've already posted which one it is, so unless you've found another one that does literally nothing it isn't the worst trait. Even a trait that gives a very small and rarely-relevant bonus is still better than nothing.

 Peregrine wrote:
Worst warlord trait, by far: the ABG one that makes your warlord a scoring unit. I think this might be the only warlord trait that never, under any circumstances, provides any benefit at all.

Be nice if they updated it via a FAQ download to give the "objective secured" special rule. At least then it would do more than literally nothing!

 Peregrine wrote:
Why do people keep suggesting worst traits that are not the worst trait? I've already posted which one it is, so unless you've found another one that does literally nothing it isn't the worst trait. Even a trait that gives a very small and rarely-relevant bonus is still better than nothing.

 Peregrine wrote:
Worst warlord trait, by far: the ABG one that makes your warlord a scoring unit. I think this might be the only warlord trait that never, under any circumstances, provides any benefit at all.

I think what people are doing now is discussing the worst trait that actually does something for the army. They have recognized that you found the worst one by virtue of being outdated, and so are trying to find the worst that still technically gives a benefit. They aren't ignoring you. Here's your gold star. *simulate sticking you with a gold star*

I think Sammael's +3" to run, turbo boost, and charge range is pretty good. On a Black Knight squad that gives a charge range of 5"-15" which is helpful for being reliable.

 tau tse tung wrote:
Guards are pretty terrible. I haven't played in a while but I remember the game didn't change at all if I forgot to roll for them...

You sound like you didn't even read them even that while ago when you actually played.

Preferred Enemy to your Warlords Units =/= terrible

Outflanking multiple units =/= terrible

Being able to give +1 orders =/= terrible

Being able to give orders from further away =/= terrible

Giving a bubble that makes every single unit immune to morale test from taking 25% casualties =/= terrible

Sure, there're better options and some are rather optional but saying that the traits are terrible, as if they were even remotely near as bad as Tyranids, Orks, BA, DE and so on, is a straight up lie.

I think the worst trait is "The Way of the Short Blade", like woohoo my Mark'O or whatever has WS5, now I can run him in solo to combat and give up Warlord points! I mean that ability is excessively bad in my opinion, to the point that it's only useful when you play incorrectly. I guess if you take the overpriced melta sword it's ok then for taking out vehicles, but that thing is already overpriced and pretty bad.

The stronger Tau trait in my opinion is probably "A Ghost Who Walks Among Us" since it gives your commander unit just that much more mobility which is nice.

The Eldar one that stops Deep Strikers from scattering if they land within 12" of the Warlord is pretty bad, since the units most likely to Deep Strike (Swooping Hawks, Falcon Squadrons) already don't scatter when they come in due to their innate special rules. That means the trait will help... Warp Spiders and Wraithknights? I think that's all.

When I use the Crimson Fist-specific table I rather like getting Eternal Warrior or Feel No Pain. Not game-changing or anything, but they let my Captain take some punches on the face. The trait that grants Stubborn and Counter-attack while within 3" of an objective can be really good in Maelstrom Missions, too.

Most of the ones on the Khorne Daemonkin table are good:
1) Reroll charge distances when within 12" of the Warlord
2) Warlord gains Zealot
3) Warlord gains +1 Attack
4) Warlord gets +1 Blood Tithe when he kills a character in a challenge
5) Warlord gains Preferred Enemy
6) Automatically pass leadership check when turning warlord into a Prince or Bloodthirster
Whenever I play Daemonkin I roll on their own table. It's fun getting #3 on a Juggerlord (8 attacks on the charge, or 9 if the +1 Attack blood tithe reward is active).