House Rule 1 Sergeant
Please note that this is just idea, not the exact wording of the rule
This rule is based upon several games I played without apprentice. You are hugely missing not only the spell and therefore experience, but the activation as well. As playing without apprentice is still and option for some players I thought about solutuon.
So consider this:
If the player decide to play without Apprentice, or his apprentice is not suitable for the game (mostly Badly Wounded) one member of the warband with cost 80 (or 50) or higher could be promoted to the rank of sergeant. Sergeant could be activated in Apprentice phase of the player instead of apprentice and as officer of the group, up to two soldiers could be activated as well, if they are valid for group activation. Both sergeant and soldiers comply with Group Activation rules.
Variant rule (could be done together, or each remotely)
a) sergeant will recieve +1 (or +2) to will save
b) sergeant will recieve 25xp for each game he serves as CO for the warband soldiers. Every 100XP he recieves 1 point and level up, he can spent as Wizards /except the spell of course.../
Waiting for your comments.