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Searched around the FAQ's and multiple forums, couldn't find a direct answer anywhere, so here goes.

As an example, can you take a Black Legion Speartip as your primary formation/detachment, make a Chaos Lord from this your warlord, then have a Black Legion CAD with just Abaddon and two troop choices, and not have Abaddon be the warlord?

I couldn't figure out how his "You must be the Warlord" rule worked currently, as I'm unable to find mention of how you decide which is your primary detachment (seems a relic from 6e), or how it would interact with multiple detachments.

Any help/advice/evidentiary support appreciated.

Cheers!

You're primary detachment is the detachment your warlord is in...so the one with abaddon in it.

Ok I was a bit hasty there. Let me elobarate. You pick a character as a a warlord. That doesn't have to be abaddon.
That detachment will be your primary detachment. HOWEVER, if abaddon is in the same detachment as your warlord, then you can't make that character your warlord. It has to be Abaddon.
So you can have your normal lord in one detachment and abaddon in a different one and then have the lord be your warlord.
Furthermore, In a decurion like the legion detachments, you would need a separate formation or detachment to make a lord your warlord. since even if abaddon is in the bringers of despair for example and the lord in the houdnsof abaddon, they would both be in the same detachment: the speartip. (which would be your primary detachment)

The way it works with multiple detachments (assuming you mean a decurion) is explained on the top of their page. In that case the entire detachment is considered your primary detachment.

Here's my conundrum:

Rulebook pg117: "...whichever Detachment contains your Warlord (pg124) is your Primary Detachment"

Codex CSM pg57: "If Abaddon is included in your primary detachment, he must be the Warlord"

Now to me, that doesn't sound the same as "If Abaddon is included in any Battle-Forged Army, he must be the Warlord" or "If you take Abaddon in any CSM detachment or formation, he must be the Warlord" or "Whatever detachment Abaddon is included in counts as your Primary Detachment, and he must be the Warlord".

Rulebook pg124: "The model you choose as your Warlord also determines your Primary Detachment (pg117)"

As far as I can tell, that reads in an order of execution that allows the following:

Detachment 1 - Lord (Warlord)
Detachment 1 is now my Primary Detachment
Detachment 2 - Abaddon (Not Warlord)

I have a Primary Detachment, Abaddon isn't in it, and thus he is not required to be the Warlord.

Is there some logical line of thought or rule I have missed?

look at page 124: When choosing your army, you must nominate one model to be your warlord.
Also further down, warlord traits and unique units.

The rules for abaddon are written awkwardly.They require you to determine the primary detachment before the warlord, which isn't how you determine your warlord.
All it means thoguh is that if you include abaddon, no other model inthat same detachment can be made warlord.

QUICK EDIT:

I did mean in the realm of having completely separate detachments (i.e, a CAD (that happens to be Black Legion) and a Black Legion Speartip).

I didn't think I'd be able to place Abaddon in the exact same detachment/formation as something else and claim it was the Warlord instead of him.

Really wish they would just stop making restrictions. Let the cultists lead ffs, it matters not!

To recap: Yes, you don't have to make Abaddon your warlord. Just be sure to have abaddon in a separate detachment from the unit you want to make your warlord.

 Aipoch wrote:
Here's my conundrum:

Rulebook pg117: "...whichever Detachment contains your Warlord (pg124) is your Primary Detachment"

Codex CSM pg57: "If Abaddon is included in your primary detachment, he must be the Warlord"

Now to me, that doesn't sound the same as "If Abaddon is included in any Battle-Forged Army, he must be the Warlord" or "If you take Abaddon in any CSM detachment or formation, he must be the Warlord" or "Whatever detachment Abaddon is included in counts as your Primary Detachment, and he must be the Warlord".

Rulebook pg124: "The model you choose as your Warlord also determines your Primary Detachment (pg117)"

As far as I can tell, that reads in an order of execution that allows the following:

Detachment 1 - Lord (Warlord)
Detachment 1 is now my Primary Detachment
Detachment 2 - Abaddon (Not Warlord)

I have a Primary Detachment, Abaddon isn't in it, and thus he is not required to be the Warlord.

Is there some logical line of thought or rule I have missed?

You're missing Codex Chaos Space Marines is a 6th edition codex.

It is a 6th edition codex, but being an older codex never justifies trying to use rules in any way other than RAW and how they fit into the current edition. Hence, the question to begin with

Thanks for the clarifications all, much appreciated.

 Aipoch wrote:
It is a 6th edition codex, but being an older codex never justifies trying to use rules in any way other than RAW and how they fit into the current edition. Hence, the question to begin with

Thanks for the clarifications all, much appreciated.

And you can't ignore when terms such as 'primary detachment' had different meanings in different editions.

Basically, if you want Abaddon to NOT be your warlord, he has to be in a secondary detachment. IE: You must have at least 2 detachments, and the one without Abaddon in it has to have a model capable of being nominated as the Warlord.

It basically stops you from running just a single formation with both Abaddon and a Chaos Lord and then nominating the Chaos lord as your warlord.