2.5/5 stars. Rounded up. The rules are mildly below average - Kor Phaeron is not a full Astartes after all.
Background.
Rounding out the Word Bearers wide selection of HQ's is the Father figure of Lorgar himself. Kor Phaeron was too old to be fully elevated to an Astartes, but this didn't stop Lorgar and co from gene crafting him into an almost Astartes and gifting him some specialist equipment so that he could take his place by Lorgar's side.
Strengths.
Kor Phaeron is an ideal choice to put in an army alongside Lorgar. When done they both gain WS+1 and hatred of everything. This is brilliant. However if Kor is in the army but not the warlord he gets Ld-1 for his trouble.
His warlord trait allows his to chant some weird stuff that affect the people and enemies around him. He gets to choose one of two modes per turn. The first option is to force pinning tests in a large bubble around him -- this is terrific and he should be built for this kind of play. The second grants fearless to his unit but damages WS and BS by 1 pip -- this is a purely defensive strategy and shouldn't be used unless there's no other choice, or an enemy is very weak (perhaps rad grenade affected?). He also comes with It Will Not Die and feel no pain which will help keep him alive a little bit longer, but that leads me directly on to his weaknesses.
Weaknesses.
His stat line is weak for a First Captain and Praetor, reflective that he is not a full Astartes. With S=T=3, he certainly is vulnerable. But his claws provide reliable AP2 and shredding, whilst his armour gives an invulnerable of 3+ in the shooting phase to try to keep him alive. He will die readily in a challenge though, so beware.
Overall.
Worth playing alongside Lorgar for the resonant boost to both of them. As a praetor, he is weak, but still viable in low points value games. There are better choices in higher points values, so I think the only 2 scenarios I would take him are with Lorgar, or low points games to be honest. He is fluffy though, and can work with a bit of tactical acumen by getting the pinning chant done at the opportune moment.
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