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Hi Dakka!

I'm a fairly new IG player, so my friend and I joined an escalation league recently to get some more play time. So far I've played 8 battles and won 5 of them . I've played against Tau, SM Salamanders, Orks, and normal marines. We are now on week eight, which is 1500 pts and no restrictions. This weekend I'm planning to play one of the better players in the league who runs an Eldar army. I've heard multiple times that Eldar is the shenanigans army, and they have a ton of tricks up their sleeve that can potentially nerf your usual strategies.
I was wondering if you guys had any advice for playing the Eldar. Here's a list of all the models that I have:

MODELS
- Primaris Psycher
- Master of Ordnance
- Marbo
-2 x Command Squads (CCS or PCS)
-4 x Infantry Squads (Inf or Vets)
- Commissar
-5 x Heavy Weapons Squads (Any variants)
- Chimera w/ Multilaser
-3 x Sentinels (Any variants)
- Hellhound Tank (Any variants)
-2 x Leman Russ (Any Variants)
- Griffon/Basilisk/Hydra (1 chassis that can be any of these)

That is all that I have so far, so my options are a bit more limited for a 1500 pt battle. Here's the list I ran last weekend that won against Tau:

LIST
80pts - CCS w/ Master of Ordnance

65pts - Marbo

35pts - PCS w/ Vox
190pts - 30 Man Combined Squad w/ vox & Commissar
105pts - Lacannon HWS
105pts - Lacannon HWS
105pts - Lacannon HWS
140pts - Vets w/ 3 x GL's in a Chimera

115pts - 3 Scout Sentinels: 2 AC & 1 MLaser
120pts - Devil Dog (Melta Cannon variant)

165pts - Leman Russ Demolisher
200pts - Leman Russ Punisher w/ HB Sponsons
75pts - Hydra Flak Tank

1500 Points Total

Do you guys think this list will be effective against the Eldar? What changes could I make to be more effective against them. Any input is appreciated

Thanks

autocannons would b a better bet vs eldar (over the lascannons), str7 will do a good enough job vs av12 but the more saves you force his vehicles to take, the better chance you have at blowing them up.

Against eldar, your biggest concern are wave serpents. On one hand, mass autocannons can glance them to death, but on the other hand, lascannons are more likely to crack them open. Eldar on foot can die to mass lasguns just fine. Melta weapons are meh against eldar armor. They are generally too fast to catch, and if an eldar serpent is in danger, it can simply leave the serpent shield up. If you are up against a wraithlord/wraithknight, you NEED lascannons to punch through it.

Your master of ordance is OK, but not that critical. However, your company commander will make or break your victory. Use Fire on my target! or Bring it down! against eldar wave serpents. One will twin link your guns, ensuring you hit, and the latter will help break through cover saves. I would also give your company command squad a lascannon, as they are BS4 and will make good use of it. Consider giving them the regimental standard and/or a chimera as well. Being able to re roll all Ld tests(including orders) is nice, and better than a vox network.

Marbo is always good. Your PCS does not need a vox if you take the regimental standard on the CCS. Just use these as scrubs and a source of first rank fire second rank fire if any eldar get close.

Instead of putting the lascannons in heavy weapon teams, only take 1-2 heavy weapon teams and put some guns in your combined squads. Eldar can spam S6 like it is going out of style, and will quickly/easily instakill your heavy weapon teams. Hidden in the blob, they get orders and blob protection, plus the commissar.

If you can scrape some points(demote some autocannons to lascannons, a good mix of both) promote your commissar to a lord commissar. You basically get 2 commissars but better. Carapace if you can afford.

By playing your scout sentinels right, you could outflank them and get rear armor on serpents, so you would only need multilasers. Accept that these will die but hopefully get a lot of shots off, so go cheap and shooty.

The devil dog is not very useful against eldar armor, but the hellhound is very useful against eldar. S6 ap4 torrent will roast eldar infantry with ease, and it can still damage tanks if need be. Take a multi melta in the hull and now you have an all purpose tank hunter.

The demolisher is only useful against eldar if you expect to see wraithguard. Against wraithguard, a LRBT will do, so if you expect wraithguard save points with an LRBT. Use the long ranged gun to stay away from eldar AT like lances.
An exterminator with a hull lascannon would cost the same as a demolisher and provide a lot more S7 dakka to help with wave serpents and wraiths.

A punsiher is a bit meh against eldar. It can massacre infantry, but it can't touch Av12(all eldar tanks are 12/12/10) and wraith units will laugh it off. It has to be close enough for eldar AT to simply nuke it. I would go with an exterminator or LRBT to spend points elsewhere.

The hydra is good, use this first and formost against any wave serpents, then any other tanks. With twin linked shooting and the ability to ignore jink, this will serve you well.

Awesome! Thanks guys

Dr. Serling: This is a super in-depth analysis and I appreciate it! I know for a fact that he has at least one Wraithknight and a couple of Wave serpents, as well as Eldrad, a jetbike Farseer and lots of infantry.

Consider giving them the regimental standard and/or a chimera as well. Being able to re roll all Ld tests(including orders) is nice, and better than a vox network.

I don't know if the rules for the Regimental Standard have been changed since the 5th, but I thought that it only allowed you to reroll failed morale and pinning tests within 12" but not leadership tests. Are you sure that it has this effect?

Which of the 5 pt weapon upgrades (GL/Flamer/Sniper) do you guys think works best overall against eldar?

I'll rearrange my list a bit

I THINK the standard allows re rolls for failed orders, but I am not 100 percent sure. Either way, it helps to have that re roll for things like psychic leadership tests, pinning checks, fear checks etc. That said, if you have a lord commissar in your blob you now test for orders on Ld10, which is pretty sweet. Even if you fail, he just makes a brain slushy out of one of your peons, then they try again! (Not sure if he will cap a dude for failing orders...)

If your command squad is camping back in the gunline, the standard is still probably better than a special weapon.

GL is overall meh, decent against eldar troops, and has potential to hurt rear armor, but not great. Snipers mesh well with your command squad if you take a lascannon, and will serve well against the wraithknight. Flamers are by far the best weapon-eldar hate fire and with a flamer+mass lasguns you are all but unassaultable. Flamers for the blob squad with spare points, sniper or 2 to compliment your company command heavy weapon, probably 4 flamers, 4 snipers or naked for the PCS.

Something I forgot to add would be a bolter+power fist build for the commissar. Eldar will strike first against you anyways, and the fist can't benefit from the pistol so might as well have the extra shot in close/overwatch. Also, carapace armor since your Lord would be your warlord(Ld10 over Ld9 for the Company commander). Another thing would be to take plasma guns on your vets. Bs4 is a terrible thing to waste, and plasma will help cut through wraith and bikes, as well as threaten armor in mass. You can go melta if your hurting for points, but do spring for the good guns on the vets.

If he's got a Wraithknight, Sniper rifles are A very effective choices over the other two. If this player is doing the normal Eldar List, you won't be assaulted by anything S: 4 can hurt, and the Grenade Launcher would pointless. The Sniper rifle is going to shred that Wraithknight though, who's primary line of defense is its insane toughness stat.

IMO I'd drop Marbo. He's got some cool tricks but against the Eldar there's not much for him to go after. He cant really pop tanks, and he won't be as effective against the knights as an equivalent amount of Ratlings or plain old Snipers would.

Despite his usually Grade A advice, I'm going to disagree with Dr. Serling. The Devil Dog will rip Wave Serpents to ribbons. S: 8 vs. AV: 12 means you only need a 4+ to crack it, (On two dice, don't strain yourself.) And AP: 1 means a 4+ makes the tank explode. Plus, it's a fast tank, so it can compete with their speed, as well as being able to small blast away almost everything else in the codex unfortunate enough to find itself under that template. I'd still mount the multi melta, but the Hellhound doesn't compete with the Devil Dog.

Now for general firsttimeagainsttheEldar advice, if you here him say "Fire Prism" or "Wraithknight" and point at a model, kill it and kill it fast. Those will soupify Leman Russ' faster than you can say 'oops'. And (obviously) watch out for Wave Serpents. A lot of TL'd shots at strength 6 and 7 will be produced by these and they will hurt. A lot.

All that considered, you should be able to compete, and best of luck to you.

 Dr. Serling wrote:
I THINK the standard allows re rolls for failed orders, but I am not 100 percent sure. Either way, it helps to have that re roll for things like psychic leadership tests, pinning checks, fear checks etc. That said, if you have a lord commissar in your blob you now test for orders on Ld10, which is pretty sweet. Even if you fail, he just makes a brain slushy out of one of your peons, then they try again! (Not sure if he will cap a dude for failing orders...)

If your command squad is camping back in the gunline, the standard is still probably better than a special weapon.

GL is overall meh, decent against eldar troops, and has potential to hurt rear armor, but not great. Snipers mesh well with your command squad if you take a lascannon, and will serve well against the wraithknight. Flamers are by far the best weapon-eldar hate fire and with a flamer+mass lasguns you are all but unassaultable. Flamers for the blob squad with spare points, sniper or 2 to compliment your company command heavy weapon, probably 4 flamers, 4 snipers or naked for the PCS.

Something I forgot to add would be a bolter+power fist build for the commissar. Eldar will strike first against you anyways, and the fist can't benefit from the pistol so might as well have the extra shot in close/overwatch. Also, carapace armor since your Lord would be your warlord(Ld10 over Ld9 for the Company commander). Another thing would be to take plasma guns on your vets. Bs4 is a terrible thing to waste, and plasma will help cut through wraith and bikes, as well as threaten armor in mass. You can go melta if your hurting for points, but do spring for the good guns on the vets.

No the standard bearer allows you to reroll failed moral test, not leadership tests.

Dr Sterling: Cool, I'll look into it Thanks

Will: Awesome advice! Thank you. I revised my list a bit. What do you guys think?

110pts - CCS w/ Master of Ordnance, LC, 2xSnipers
70pts - Primaris Psycher


50pts - PCS w/ Vox, 3xSnipers
220pts - 30 Man Combined Squad: vox, 3xAC, Commissar
105pts - Lascannon HWS
75pts - Autocannon HWS
75pts - Autocannon HWS
170pts - Plasma Vets in a Chimera

105pts - 3 Scout Sentinels: 3xML
130pts - Devil Dog w/ MM

150pts - Leman Russ Battle Cannon
165pts - Leman Russ Exterminator, LC
75pts - Hydra Flak Tank

1500 Points Total

Ah! I was wrong about the standard...I learned that in game from some certain IG players in my meta. Looks like I will have to educate them on how things work....

A primaris psyker can be fairly useful if you go biomancy, or telepathy, but eldar more or less won't care. I still think a lord commissar would be better, but the primaris psyker is not bad. Consider a vox for the CCS, so you can re roll tests for their orders(Bring it down and fire on my target being critical for a blob) The rest is looking good.

Be careful of that wraithknight, if used properly he is not a gun boat, he is a combat monster. I promise you if it charges a squad, at least half the squad is pulp before you even swing, and if he is paying big points for the thing (Sun cannon and shield) it may be your worst nightmare. Throw squads that do not have commisars in its way if it gets close to you. It will kill all of the squad in the sweep, but at least you can shoot him next turn, rather than having some uppity commissar forcing your poor little guardsmen to fight basically a robot zombie. It will kill a unit every turn starting turn 2. Feed it snacks or it will chow down on your important stuff.