Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I decided to start Imperial Guard and I am frequently playing against my friends who are experienced DE/Eldar players. I was wondering if anyone can give me a good IG list that is good for taking out these armies so I can be up to par with them. There are no limitations to what I can buy, and we mostly play 1500s. I am afraid of going too mech because the DE have a ton of dark lances, and I would appreciate any strategies that are included to get past this.

Here's the basic DE list that he sent to me:

HQ
Asdrubael vect 240
Dais of Destruction

Troops
10 Kalabite Warriors 90
+Sybarite 10
+Phantasm Grenade 20
+Agoniser 20
+Splinter Cannon 10
+Dedicated transport
Raider 60
+Flicker Fields 10
+Splinter Racks 10
+Night Shields 10

10 Kalabite Warriors 90
+Sybarite 10
+Phantasm Grenades 20
+Agoniser 20
+Splinter Cannon 10
+Dedicated Transport
Raider 60
+Flicker fields 10
+Splinter Racks 10
+Night Shields 10

9 Wyches 90
+1 hydra gauntlet 10
+Haywire grenades 20
+Hekatrix 10
+Phantasm grenade 10
+Agoniser 20
+Blast Pistol 15
+Dedicated Transport
Raider (Dais of destruction) 200

Heavy Support
Ravager 105
+Disintegrator Cannons
+Night Shields 10
+Flicker Fields 10

Void Raven Bomber 145
+4 Monoscythe Missiles 40

(This list was meant to be against Space Marines, so his new list would be slightly different with Dark Lances)

Thank you, I would really appreciate some help.

I disagree with your analysis about his dark lances. He really has very little anti-tank as compared to his anti-infantry. I play de and the following units make me cry:

Hydras. They ignore the flat out cover save on the de skimmers. They take 4 tl shots. Statistically 3 of them hit. You can safely bet on one pen, but more likely you'll get 2 results. They perform better in low points games (because you have to dedicate a hs slot to them, and more than one shooting at a skimmer is usually overkill).

Primaris psyker. I've not seen many lists that use it, but 2d6 str6 shots hammer the skimmers and the troops alike. Insta-gibs archons. In a chimera. Usually with veterans.

Chimeras. Av12 spam ruins the advantage gained from lance weapons.

Tactic: stand at the back of the table, blast away with the hydras. Make him want to come to you. When he does, counter attack with the chimeras.

Those are the ways that guard players tend to ruin my day. Not sure about how well the same works against eldar.

Let us know if you're dead set on playing on foot so we can provide more guided advice

I dont know much about IG however I have a similar looking DE army, but mine is more girly..

Biggest problem I find is how glass cannon the DE are.. If you can pop the transports early, then its a world of hurt. high armour saves on an open topped vehicle.. Its generally a massacre!

One of my favorite little tactics against mech is having squads of wytches with haywire grenades getting into the enemies firing lines in the first turn.. and I notice he has some.. I`d be worried about that transport.

Generally I`d suggest you feild some Mid to high str weapons to get rid of his vehicles..and some Large Blast Templates to get rid of those pesky troops..

grimgunman wrote:I decided to start Imperial Guard and I am frequently playing against my friends who are experienced DE/Eldar players. I was wondering if anyone can give me a good IG list that is good for taking out these armies so I can be up to par with them. There are no limitations to what I can buy, and we mostly play 1500s. I am afraid of going too mech because the DE have a ton of dark lances, and I would appreciate any strategies that are included to get past this.

Here's the basic DE list that he sent to me:

HQ
Asdrubael vect 240
Dais of Destruction

Troops
10 Kalabite Warriors 90
+Sybarite 10
+Phantasm Grenade 20
+Agoniser 20
+Splinter Cannon 10
+Dedicated transport
Raider 60
+Flicker Fields 10
+Splinter Racks 10
+Night Shields 10

10 Kalabite Warriors 90
+Sybarite 10
+Phantasm Grenades 20
+Agoniser 20
+Splinter Cannon 10
+Dedicated Transport
Raider 60
+Flicker fields 10
+Splinter Racks 10
+Night Shields 10

9 Wyches 90
+1 hydra gauntlet 10
+Haywire grenades 20
+Hekatrix 10
+Phantasm grenade 10
+Agoniser 20
+Blast Pistol 15
+Dedicated Transport
Raider (Dais of destruction) 200

Heavy Support
Ravager 105
+Disintegrator Cannons
+Night Shields 10
+Flicker Fields 10

Void Raven Bomber 145
+4 Monoscythe Missiles 40

(This list was meant to be against Space Marines, so his new list would be slightly different with Dark Lances)

Thank you, I would really appreciate some help.

That is a pretty awful DE list and should be easy to table quickly.

I would suicide a squad of melta vets on the dias as it is half his AT and his nastiest squad right there. For the rest I would have more melta vets and maybe even flamer vets in Vendettas. You can outshoot him and outmove him. Chimeras are also very good against DE. Basically take lots of AV10-12 and keep all your troops inside transports unless you can really bring something down.

A hellhound with a multi melta is quite effective. Can take out transports and will instakill any exposed troops he has out. Eldar/DE troops will almost never be found out of cover, and a singe shot from the flame cannon can wipe a whole squad.

Also, don't bother with any CC upgrades, Either army will murder you in assault, so it is better to let them wipe a unit and shoot them to death next turn.

Really aaron? wow...lol this is a very old list anyway

dakka Punishers ruin their AV10 transports

Mech Guard would own D.E any day of the week if used by two experienced players. You just need everything to be mounted in Chimeras, then take a unit of CCS with plasmas, mifx of Veterans with meltas and plasmas, two Vendettas, then Hydras. Job done and good by D.E. Oh, hull heavy flamers! With that setup you will give them a serious run for their money and have extremely strong chances against D.E.

I'd normally hesitate to call it a foregone conclusion like mercer has, but that is one of the worst Dark Eldar lists I've ever seen.

DE vs. IG can be a tough matchup, but that list pretty much doomed from the start. Bring two pairs of hydras and a manticore and your work is half done already. If you're really scared of that Dais, a vendetta will handle it nicely.

mercer wrote:Mech Guard would own D.E any day of the week if used by two experienced players. You just need everything to be mounted in Chimeras, then take a unit of CCS with plasmas, mifx of Veterans with meltas and plasmas, two Vendettas, then Hydras. Job done and good by D.E. Oh, hull heavy flamers! With that setup you will give them a serious run for their money and have extremely strong chances against D.E.

That's a bit over confident, don't you think?


Hydras are pretty good against Dark Eldar and Regular Eldar vehicles, especially when thier Auto Cannons ignore flat out cover saves. The one catch the Hydras do have is that they must remain stationary to fire both Auto Cannons. Another option is taking an Exterminator or two, for that movable Heavy 4 Twin-Linked Auto Cannon Turret.

Vendettas aren't bad (though I loathe them), but two might be excessive. A Hellhound or Flamer Vets would do wonders when the squishy bits fall out of their transports.

But don't take plasmas against T3 Elves. There's really no reason to waste points when the majority of DE units have one wound. Plus nuking yourself to kill a single-wound T3 Eldar might seem a bit humorous at times.

I wouldn't take a Manticore. DE vehicles are too fast and you often waste the rockets for a single vehicle.

But Meltas, Flamers, and AutoCannons should be the bane of any DE player...

Maybe the thought is you could use the plasma to help take out the light transports, you might want to but the bolter sponsons on the vendettas, move 6" and 3 tl lc then 6 hb shots against their tin foil vehicles, then again I take pot shots with anything that can give me any result at all

For the points, heavy bolter sponsons on vendettas are of frankly hilariously low value.
I'd love to see what sort of list meant you can't find a better use for those points.

As for Imperial Guard fighting the posted Dark Eldar list...
...it is probably the single worst Dark Eldar list I have ever seen seriously put forth. If you can't take the vast majority of that down in two turns with mechanized Imperial Guard, you are simply beyond anyone's ability to help.

A few quick hints: Never bring Punishers or those other stupid Leman Russ variants that don't do their job as well as artillery or Hydras.
In fact, never bring punishers, ever, for any reason. It takes an EXCEPTIONALLY narrow target profile for them to even begin to match their points in Hydras, discounting the hydras having a lot better surviveability, reliability, and absurdly much longer range. There's basically no reason anyone should ever take a Punisher Leman Russ unless they physically lack the models to use as Hydras.

3x2 Hydras, enough chimeras to blot out the sun, some vendettas for flavor, and against that hilarious abomination of a Dark Eldar list you would have to be exceptionally poor or exceptionally unlucky to lose.

KplKeegan wrote:

mercer wrote:Mech Guard would own D.E any day of the week if used by two experienced players. You just need everything to be mounted in Chimeras, then take a unit of CCS with plasmas, mifx of Veterans with meltas and plasmas, two Vendettas, then Hydras. Job done and good by D.E. Oh, hull heavy flamers! With that setup you will give them a serious run for their money and have extremely strong chances against D.E.

That's a bit over confident, don't you think?


Hydras are pretty good against Dark Eldar and Regular Eldar vehicles, especially when thier Auto Cannons ignore flat out cover saves. The one catch the Hydras do have is that they must remain stationary to fire both Auto Cannons. Another option is taking an Exterminator or two, for that movable Heavy 4 Twin-Linked Auto Cannon Turret.

Vendettas aren't bad (though I loathe them), but two might be excessive. A Hellhound or Flamer Vets would do wonders when the squishy bits fall out of their transports.

But don't take plasmas against T3 Elves. There's really no reason to waste points when the majority of DE units have one wound. Plus nuking yourself to kill a single-wound T3 Eldar might seem a bit humorous at times.

I wouldn't take a Manticore. DE vehicles are too fast and you often waste the rockets for a single vehicle.

But Meltas, Flamers, and AutoCannons should be the bane of any DE player...

No, not really over confident. Just stating facts. You ever played against mech Guard and your opponent's having equal or slightly less skill? Guard can just sit there and blow up vehicles easily, everything they have can hurt D.E.

The plasma isn't for infantry either, it's vehicles...if S7 autocannons work then so does plasma. Plus it can I.D mutl wound models.

What mercer says is correct. Melta isn't especially effective against AV10 open-topped vehicles. Better to rapid fire and just get more rolls on the damage table. You'll have much better luck getting through flickerfields and cover saves, too.

And heavy bolter sponsons are among the worst investments you can possibly make on a vendetta. There isn't a target in the game that justifies both S5 and S9 firepower, and wound wrapping can actually make those AP4 wounds counter-productive against MEQ and TEQ.

Manticores are actually necessary for dealing with DE, for precisely one reason: Grotesques. These nasty little buggers are T5 FNP diversified 3W models. Without some kind of S10 firepower, there's no real way to get rid of them before they start dealing numerous S6 hits to your rear armor.

Manticores end that problem. Decisively. That they're occasionally useful elsewhere is of secondary interest.

IG codex counters eldar and dark eldar badly, so Its an experience issue.