Actually during beta it was shown that in the early game traders are much more deadly. Since they have decreased build times, and they have control of RO. On the flip side a Warlord has meager means to acquire RO. If they train the skill at 3% per rank the most they will ever acquire is 27%, where as by rank 2 a trader is at 30%.

A trader will always be able to produce ships faster than the warlord and be able to zerg rush them. Where as a warlord needs to focus on powerful ships that take some time to build. Mind you if they have a couple of planet killers in their fleet even a zerg army might not do too much. Get behind their lines and the warlord would be in trouble.