Wolf Guard Battle Leader Tactics

Taking a Wolf Guard Battle Leader in your Space Wolves army? Then read our Wolf Guard Battle Leader tactics to get the most out of this cost effective HQ choice.

Earlier we compared the Wolf Guard Battle Leader to the Wolf Lord, showing that he was a far better choice that could save you 30pts in the process. While the Wolf Lord is ideally suited to games of Warhammer 40K that are over 2,000 points, the Wolf Guard Battle Leader seems a more sensible choice for regular or even lower point games.

So without further ado, let's run through the options available to a Wolf Guard Battle Leader:

OPTIONS:
Boltgun - Not worth it
Storm bolter - good and cheap!
Combi-weapon - also good and cheap!
Power weapon or plasma pistol - Power weapon for cheapness
Wolf claw - for 5pts more a power weapon with rerolls! Better than the power weapon.
Powerfist or Frost Weapon - Powerfist is no good, Frost weapon is a +1S power weapon.
Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield or Chainfist - All excellent, but very expensive
Runic Armour - expensive, especially when terminator armour is more cost effective.
Terminator armour - expensive, but comes with weapons and makes other weapons cheaper
Jump Pack - only if joined to Skyclaws.
Space Marine Bike - high movement, +1T. Not too expensive.
Thunderwolf Mount - gives rending and +1T and cavalry movement. Thunderwolf or bike?
Melta Bombs - sure, if you have 5pts left over
Wolftooth Necklace - Take it!
Wolf Tail Talisman - Take it!
0-2 Pet Wolves - if riding Thunderwolf
Mark of the Wulfen - Not worth taking for characters.
Saga of the Beastslayer - Brilliant value for points!
Saga of the Hunter - Tough close combat character with Outflank and Stealth. It's tempting.
Saga of Wolfkin - Boosts the stats of your Fenrisian Wolves
Saga of the Warriorborn - Awesome, but expensive.

SUMMARY

The biggest difference between the Wolf Lord and the Wolf Guard Battle Leader is their stat lines with the Wolf Lord having an additional point of Weapon Skill, Wounds and Leadership.

So I'm going to recommend pretty much the same combinations as the Wolf Lord for your Wolf Guard Battle Leader at 30pts less.

Wolf Guard Battle Leader 1: 200pts
Thunderwolf, 2 Fenrisian wolves, wolf claw, storm shield, melta bombs and Saga of the Beast Slayer
If you've got the points, a wolf tooth necklance and wolf tail talisman boosts him up to 215pts

I'm sorely tempted to give him a thunderhammer or chainfist to take out tanks, but I think this will require some playtesting to decide. Alternatively, for something more hard hitting, you can combine the +1 Strength of a Frost Blade with the +1 Strength of the Thunderwolf to achieve a total Strength of 6. Come here you Monstrous Creatures!!

This is the most gung-ho option for the Wolf Guard Battle Leader. So now for some sensible options where he will probably be a little safer by hiding in a larger unit.

Wolf Guard Battle Leader 2: 130pts
Terminator armour, combi-melta, wolf claw and saga of the beast slayer.
If you've got the points, a wolf tooth necklance and wolf tail talisman boosts him up to 145pts

For a few points more, you can swap the combi-weapon for a wolf claw and swap the left wolf claw for a Storm Shield and get a 3+ save.

Wolf Guard Battle Leader 3: 150pts
Terminator armour, wolf claw, storm shield and saga of the beast slayer.
If you've got the points, a wolf tooth necklance and wolf tail talisman boosts him up to 165pts

Finally for a few more points, he can have a Thunderhammer or a Chainfist. While this is tempting, the squad he's leading should have a powerfist or similar hard hitting weapon. In the meantime his Initiative 5 should be used to inflict lots of wounding power weapon attacks to reduce the effectiveness of a retaliating enemy in close combat.

Wolf Guard Battle Leader 4: 160pts
Terminator armour, thunderhammer, storm shield and saga of the beast slayer.
If you've got the points, a wolf tooth necklance and wolf tail talisman boosts him up to 175pts

Wolf Guard Battle Leader 5: 170pts
Space marine bike, wolf claw, storm shield, melta bombs and saga of the beast slayer.
If you've got the points, a wolf tooth necklance and wolf tail talisman boosts him up to 185pts

FINAL THOUGHTS
It's clear to see why Wolf Guard Battle Leaders are often nominated to lead the armies of the Space Wolves. It's because they do what the Wolf Lord does, but for 30pts less!

But when it comes to being cost effective, the Rune Priest and even the Wolf Priest are far better choices.