Getting rid of an obstacle to Nic's further goals, who also knows the one way to kill him, would be a great reason to try and murder Harry.

Well, one way, at least.

The noose can only help him if it stays on. A big enough explosion or bullet to completely destroy his neck and knock the noose off, and he's done for. Which means he's probably got more to fear from Marcone's hired vengeance and their tendency to use overkill-level firepower in at least the short to medium term.

I don't think I can agree- every time I see opinions that Nicky and the Nickelheads are secretly out to save Earth and humanity (especially as justification for their depravity), I am strongly reminded of C. S. Lewis' quote regarding Screwtape: "My readers are advised to remember that the Devil is a liar; not everything that Screwtape says should be assumed to be true, even from his own viewpoint. There is wishful thinking in Hell as well as on earth."

I believe Deirdre was sincere about describing their purpose to 'save the world' mostly because it would have been a stupid lie to entirely make up. There was never any chance that would deceive Harry into second-guessing whether they might be justified after all, and she had to have known that. She was flaunting that she knew something he didn't, not trying to talk him over to their side.

Many of the Fallen and the willingly collaborating Denarians probably do subscribe to the wishful thinking that their tactics are justified by brutal utilitarianism, and ruling the remainder will be their just reward for having preserved something from the even worse Outsider-pocalypse. But they can be delusional about the ends justifying the means or the disease being worse than their cure without being technically liars.

Besides Luccio had a good take on the Warlocks position (upstairs) and where the rest of the people are (downstairs) so evacuating them and avoiding causalities was possible IMO, also I think it is implied that the Wardens have a certain immunity when fulfilling their duties, they definitely don't get beheaded if a Warlock dies resisting arrest.

For one thing, I don't think she was anywhere near confident that there was nobody else out of sight on the second floor.

I dug it. It's a little predictable (No more than you'd expect from a prequel story.)  Luccio is a bad ass, I always love getting another creature featured

The idea of using something as a horse that's, mythologically speaking, a close cousin to Jenny Greenteeth was just ... disturbing...

Better materials means not needing maintenance as often, sure (in which case maybe Luccio was doing the maintenance, and her incapacitation hasn't been an issue for the few surviving veteran wardens because the few surviving veterans of the old guard simply haven't hit the required service deadlines on their blades yet).

But soul linkages would probably fall under the same reason it would be a terrible idea for Harry to use soulfire in crafting - if an adversary ever gets hold of the blade, its owner is screwed.

Partly though, I think it might just be considered disrespectful of the active duty wardens to continue using the blade after retirement (sort of like how military members have a protocol against wearing their uniforms after discharge).

Has there been any indicators that McCoy has a 'warden' sword?  he works with the Wardens and helps direct them, but I've never seen him in a gray cloak, aside from CI, but I don't think that was a warden cloak.  And 'most' wardens don't have off the shelf swords, they had been specifically made by Luccio for the individuals while she still had the ability to make them.

Never seen on page, which is why it was news that this short confirmed he had been a warden.

The swords are enchanted items, which means they need maintenance. That's probably on the user, after Luccio initially made them - perhaps like some of the foci Harry has given up on, Eb simply used his time on other pursuits since leaving the Wardens.

Personally, I like the idea of the Winter mantle being used to supplement his staff.  He could use ice to form edges along four feet of its length, leaving him a two foot handle for his ice sword-staff.  Not to mention he could use ice to make it a spear, or even a sickle.

And just think of all the Game of Thrones pop culture references about White Walker ice weapons ...

I have a theory that the Blackstaff can removed ALL black magic taint from it's user.  Even taint that was gained prior to the Blackstaff's acquisition.
Therefore, it's possible that Eb did some horrendeous things before acquiring the BS, and the BS cleaned him up aftwards.

I'm not sure I buy that Eb was walking around with the taint of having caused hundreds of deaths on him for eighty-odd years between New Madrid and gaining the Blackstaff, apparently as captain of the Wardens for a chunk of that time, and nobody would have noticed something wrong with him.

Although given the WOJ that the Blackstaff chooses his or her own successor, it's possible they'd be heavily biased in favour of one of their own apprentices as the person best trusted to use it responsibly. I wonder if the collection of journals is not just a chain of masters and apprentices, but Blackstaffs and their chosen successors? In that case, New Madrid might have been an act of Ebenezar's predecessor, or the predecessor loaned a trusted apprentice the artifact for one-time use for some compelling reason.