Been so excited for this guy even since he was announced. Happy to see that he turned out to be pretty solid. Technically a 4/7 if he commits to a planet with your opponents warlord for his first attack due to his ability. His signature squad is solid all around. However, I don't think Ragnar or his Squad are as good as Mr. Cato and his sig squad. But, Ragnar does introduce a new way to play that I'm sure alot of players (myself included) will enjoy playing. 4/5

Have to agree with Zilvake, this Warlord plays very differently from Cato. 

The way Space Marines are designed and the awesome effect of Drop Pods means Cato probably is better overall if you would want to run a pure Space Marine deck. However Ragnar seems better equiped for allied cards aswell, basicly granting you a free Burn effect (worth 1 resource at least) if you can predict your opponent's movements. 

Overall 4/5.

I'm of the opinion that Ragnar is one of the two strongest Warlords in the game right now (the other being Kith), and has displaced Cato into third place.

2/7 is a surprisingly big step up from 2/6 in terms of resilience. 1:0 Ragnar

Chosen are slightly better than Sentinels in usefulness, but not 1 cost better. Sentinels better for their cost, and a lower cost curve is really really beneficial to Space Marines, who are overloaded on quality on the 3-cost point. 2:0 Ragnar.

Tempest Blade is better than Frostfang. 2:1

Stronghold is better than Warcamp. 2:2

The tiebreaker is a tough one, but awesome though Fury of Sicarius is, Blackmane's Hunt is much much better. 2 less cost, an effect that is just as often useful. 3:2 Ragnar.

Obviously the above is a little simplistic, but games played are also telling me a similar story: I'm about 75% win on Cato, and over 90% for Ragnar.

I'm of the opinion that Ragnar is one of the two strongest Warlords in the game right now (the other being Kith), and has displaced Cato into third place.

 

2/7 is a surprisingly big step up from 2/6 in terms of resilience. 1:0 Ragnar

Chosen are slightly better than Sentinels in usefulness, but not 1 cost better. Sentinels better for their cost, and a lower cost curve is really really beneficial to Space Marines, who are overloaded on quality on the 3-cost point. 2:0 Ragnar.

Tempest Blade is better than Frostfang. 2:1

Stronghold is better than Warcamp. 2:2

The tiebreaker is a tough one, but awesome though Fury of Sicarius is, Blackmane's Hunt is much much better. 2 less cost, an effect that is just as often useful. 3:2 Ragnar.

 

Obviously the above is a little simplistic, but games played are also telling me a similar story: I'm about 75% win on Cato, and over 90% for Ragnar.

I don't think he is the best Warlord but I do think that SM are in a fantastic position right now and the meta only calls for 1-2 drops currently (because there is no way to punish it in a grand scale) which makes Ragnar even more powerfull.

I do fully agree he is very powerfull (hence the 4/5 rating) but I do think that his signature Army card is what really grands him some fantastic play (much like Cato). As I feel that his Support is great for him, same with his Event and Attachment but these are all geared towards the lategame which currently is also a place where Cato can really shine.

I do feel that Cato requires much more skill to play well as Ragnar would. Mainly because the Chosen can either make or brake the deal. I also feel that the most powerfull cards available to Space Marines (Drop Pod, Eager Cadet and Exterminatus) favour Cato with the exception of Exterminatus.

We will see what the future will bring. For sure Ragnar can now also be seen as a 5/5 Warlord because the meta is so centered around 1-2 drops which he happens to outright destroy if he fights their Warlord at the same planet, this ability is extremly powerfull.

he's one of the best warlords but the only 2 problems with him is that his signature cards kinda suck, mostly his units and cato is just better (more reliable, easier)

he's one of the best warlords but the only 2 problems with him is that his signature cards kinda suck, mostly his units and cato is just better (more reliable, easier)

Blackmane's Sentinels are actually quite fantastic. Well-rounded stats, the Space Wolves trait that is becoming more important with each new pack, and a reaction that enables them to contest command at distant planets and threaten any planet Ragnar chooses to assault.

It's the attachment and the support that are rather lackluster. Both are situational and quite expensive.

Exactly. The Sentinels are his strong point: never underestimate the effect of replacing 4x 2-cost with 4x 3-cost on your deck's resource curve, especially in a faction like Space Marines when so many of the units you want to choose cost 3 as well. Its often the difference between passing in deploy while your opponent is still going, and timing out at the same time. Also, of course, its also often the difference between winning a single planet's command struggle or not.

Let's not forget as well that the Sentinels are great at their primary role - standing ready till you need them. Often you'll have the situation where you think "well, my Warlord can take this battle/command on his own unless their Warlord turns up." Ragnar helps directly with his ping damage taking out a unit (or just hammering the enemy Warlord), and these units help as well, bringing along extra command icons and fighting power.

If it were just Warlord + 4 units, I'd pick Ragnar over Cato every time. The Events, they're about even. Its in the attachment and support that Cato makes up lost ground: not that Ragnar's ones are bad, more that Cato's ones are excellent.

Overall, the cardpool meta determines which is stronger at any given time.

At time of my last post, I felt Ragnar was stronger than Cato. In the current cardpool meta, I think Cato has edged ahead.