Based on all of the colors around him, I'm thinking the archmage might be trained in multiple schools of magic/all of them.  Imagine the ability to put anything in your book!

ringkichard I really like the model that you put forward there.  The amount of damage in the last 3 rounds when players are "forced" to act does show where the momentum of the game is going.

Sorry I had to work and couldn't make it tonight.  I hope to get up there more regularly once my job schedule settles down.

Here are what I see the strengths of the warlord as and things that I've had some success with. 

Grimson with an archer tower and walls.  He can dish out quite a bit of damage. 

Dwarf Panzergardes in guard mode and the warlord. He can cast the On Guard special ability to give them +1 attack and defense making them even beefier if they don't dodge the attack.

Fortified Position: It's amazing how much that 2 armor can help your soldiers.

Battle Standard: Again adding more armor and melee. Early on he's a good deterrent or they will focus on getting rid of him and you can pop some   

Ring of Command: Makes the base warlord cries cost 0 mana.  Good for saving up on other things.

The way I play the Warlord is play defense until I get up some veterans tokens.  Have grimson out to deter wizards towers or cheap infrastructure on the part of my opponent.  Usually give him hawkeye and archer tower and occasionally ranged +1 from Warlord.  Get 2 panzergardes out and give one the battle standard.  Start spawning butchers and heal the panzergardes with group healso they can keep taking the hits if they get too low.   Once I feel I've got critical mass I swing on the offensive. 

If they send no creatures my way I ping them with grimson and build up my army.  I keep eagleclaw boots so they can't push me out of zone and I do run an emergency teleport.

I'll let you know.  I might not be able to make it back up that way until May.  Unless I have a weekday evening free.

As warlord I generally start with the sniper and an Archer tower.  It allows you to put out a lot of damage at a great range.  Anything coming at you is usually looking at 5-7 damage dice and you'll generally get two shots before they get to your sniper.  Then I go mana flower save the 5 mana the following turn for a barracks.  Put the barracks out and start pumping out soldiers (orc butchers are one of my favorites).  After you've got a bunch of creatures your sniper is still wailing on guys from the back and your melee guys are getting veterancy by finishing them off.  Andramalach and maybe the angels might be a problem for that but I run maim wings and quicksand for such occasions.

But to tell you the truth i had the same reaction to the warlord at first.  He is all about the barracks and pumping out the melee swarm.  Fortified position is amazing if there is a fight and definately get the battle standard out there as it makes everything better.  I believe a ranged warlord might work, but you'd have to have some conjurations to buy you time and it seems slow to me.

I'm up in Rochester, Indiana a little ways away, but I'm looking to get a group going around the central Indiana.  Let me know when your next meeting is and i'll try to stop in.  My schedule is a little irregular with work sometimes working odd hours, but always glad to meet fellow Mage Wars players.