Chaos Lord

Chaos Lords are the most powerful of the Champions of Chaos who often serve as the leaders of many Chaos Space Marines warbands and other forces. They are not necessarily those who rose through the ranks properly in a hierarchical fashion, but are often those most blessed by the Chaos Gods or simply the most powerful or charismatic individuals among the Forces of Chaos. The greatest of the Champions of Chaos become Chaos Lords and are often granted hideous mutations and physical alterations by the Ruinous Powers to further their cause. Chaos Lords are so powerful as to be able to bind the other Forces of Chaos to their will, although this often brings a dangerous position as advancement among the Forces of Chaos is commonly achieved through the death or murder of another Chaos Lord or Champion. Some Chaos Lords lead through brute strength, others through cunning and some are maniacs bent solely on self-aggrandisement. Others are truly worshipers of Chaos and possess a zealous dedication to the Dark Gods.

Chaos Champions often bear upon their flesh the Mark of one of the four Chaos Gods or of Chaos Undivided. Champions of Khorne are bezerk savages and value physical strength and combat over cunning and strategy. Tzeentch's Champions are often very knowledgeable and many of them are Chaos Sorcerers. The Champions of Nurgle are the most distorted and physically corrupted of Chaos' followers, their bodies dulled from the constant pain of the diseases they bear, enabling them to endure physical injury with little trauma. Slaaneshi Champions are often individuals who seek the most intense pleasures possible and are physically the fastest warriors of Chaos due to their hyper-sensitive minds.

Sorcerer Lords
In Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition, there was a different structure for Chaos Space Marines commanders. Either they were psykers or not, and the rank of Chaos Lieutenant existed as a second-in-command. Since the release of Warhammer 40,000 4th Edition, however, Chaos Sorcerers have been moved to a role more resembling that of the Loyalist Space Marines' Librarians rather than possessing variable amounts of psychic abilities. Sorcerer Lords were Chaos Lords with psychic powers and were often followers of Tzeentch, the Chnager of Ways.