Great write up. A few additional thoughts:
I think Gurmash is actually a big deal, mostly because Command spells are good but rarely worth burning a Warlord action to play. He's robust enough compared to other familiars for the cost and has quite a few options at his disposal. Well suited to the Thorgg and friends strategy now, but possibly also a player if some sort of effective weenie rush strategy emerges.
General's Signet Ring is hardly flashy, but it was a key piece of the puzzle that was sorely missing from the Warlord's arsenal. One of his few ways to gain some incremental mana advantage over the long term.
Akiro's Favor is significant because it is the only card out there (I believe) that allows re-rolls. How many times in this game do you come within 1 damage of killing something, only to have to pass the initiative and have that creature clock you for 4-5 dice despite its 1 health and be healed in the process. And then you have to waste an action to finish it off next turn, if that is even still viable. Sure, you might whiff again or you might roll awesome and never invoke it's ability, but the tempo gained and damage saved by winning an "almost, but not quite" situation is enormous. On a creature with a powerful attack, this is a very good ability to have.
Sardonyx has gotten some mixed press because of his cost, but I think you have the right of it. Unlike Talos, which takes a lot of setup, this thing comes down in the middle of the board on turn 2 for a Necro or Warlock. Unstoppable is ridiculous and justifies the price. The poison attack is lousy, but spreading finite life and piercing +2 is no joke. I believe the key to using him well, as you mention, is to just go straight to the dome and forget about other creatures. He will be such a distraction between the high health, sweeping attack, and hindering that your mage can either step back and play D or support Sardonyx with reanimate effects or combat tricks if the enemy isn't pressuring you. If he dies, who cares? The real cards to look out for, in my opinion, are stall tactics like Block, Fumble, and Reverse Damage; if these fire off, then you end up sustaining 2 damage, opponent rebuilds his mana base, and you get in no damage. That would be terrible.
Morning Star is an excellent addition to the game. It's dirt cheap and a repeatable counter to frustrating defenses. Combined with a good buff, this will hammer the Forcemaster better than most equipment.
Why the heck wasn't Ballista in this set? I can't think of a more appropriate card for the Warlord, especially given that Akiro's Hammer is so inefficient! Hope we see it soon.
