In wartime he was second-in-command to the tlatoani ("ruler", "king") and the tlacochcalcatl ("high general"). The tlacateccatl was always a member of the military order of the Cuachicqueh, "the shorn ones".
In times of war, he played a key leadership role as second-in-command to the monarch and senior military officer. The title of tlacateccatl was associated with members of the prestigious Cuachicqueh fighting force.