Never played against Eldar before, might be going up against them soon, and looking for some pointers..

This is my list, I don't have much more than this so variation is limited, all I have extra is another Russ Company + 3 extras Russ's, enough transports to turn one of those Infantry companies into a Mech Inf, enough Basilisks and Hydras for a battery of each.. so any input, tactics that would help to play against Eldar in this game and the future would be much appreciated!

Thnx!

REGIMENTAL HQ - 650
Supreme Commander, 12 Infantry, 7 Chimera
+Griffon Battery (3 Griffons)
+Hydra

MECHANISED INFANTRY COMPANY - 550
Commander, 12 Infantry, 7 Chimera
+Hydra
+2 Ogryns
+2x Chimera

INFANTRY COMPANY - 350
Commander, 12 Infantry
+Fire Support Platoon (4 Fire Support)

INFANTRY COMPANY - 400
Commander, 12 Infantry
+Fire Support Platoon (4 Fire Support)
+2 Ogryns

TANK COMPANY - 700
9x Leman Russ
Vanquisher
+Hydra

ROUGH RIDER PLATOON - 150
6 Rough Riders

ROUGH RIDER PLATOON - 150
6 Rough Riders

ROUGH RIDER PLATOON - 150
6 Rough Riders

ROUGH RIDER PLATOON - 150
6 Rough Riders

SENTINEL SQUADRON - 100
4 Sentinels

REAVER CLASS TITAN - 650

Well, rough riders are useless vs skimmers - so limited targets especially if he likes jet bikes.

Leman russ are also pretty poor - if you want baseline defence Baneblades are superior.

You have very little AA.

You also lack anti WE capability - what if he is a fan of engines of vaul?

I would strip out the Leman Russ, Griffons and 2 lots of Rough riders. Those 1100 points would get a formation of vultures (brillant against Eldar and can start game on overwatch, hit and run against them!), formation of Hydra, formation of thunderbolts and a company of Baneblades. Alternatively make another 100 points saving and get 3 single shadowswords.

I would also consider swapping the reaver for 3 single warhounds.

you want to be able to lay alot of BMs (cripples Eldar), have enough AT for taking out Falcons and the like, AA (ground and air, as TRC suggested) and second the idea of warhounds. Essentially, Eldar win through maneuver and tactical flexibility - take that away and they struggle badly.

I must disagree on the Rough Riders being useless against skimmers. While skimmers can bound over terrain they are not allowed to ignore enemy ZOCs.

As already stated the Eldar depend on maneuver to win battles, and Rough Riders being scouts they can easily mess up an Eldar Armies ability to maneuver. Maybe a cheap way to get in the Eldars way and a cheap scarifice at only 150pts.

I have used my Rough Riders in many battles against Eldar and have frustrated many an Eldar player by using them to deny them an area to quickly move through, make clipping attacks against really important formations next to impossible to pull off cleanly, and as the ever popular trip wire. All effective tactics to use against Eldar.

Otherwise good advice has already been given that I cannot add to.

Jaldon

_________________
I know a dead parrot when I see one and I'm looking at one right now.
Tyranid AC

Indeed, to add to Jaldon's post, two interwoven*** Rough Rider formations can be a very usefull barrier rather than just a trip-wire

*** deploy the two formations roughly in line one behind the other, with the units of one very close but outside intermingled distance from the units of the other, and spread out to make use of cover etc.

Also read up on Jaldon's really excellent 'paper' on building and using E:A armies, especially the part about creating 'commands' of 2-4 formations to be used for particular purposes, and consider the primary and secondary purposes you intend for each of the various parts of the army.

To expound on my point so I am not misunderstood it basically goes like this.

Trip Wire: Place the Rough Riders 5-10cms in front of an Infantry Company. If the Eldar close assault the Rough Riders the Eldar fall into the FF support range of the Infantry Company. If the Eldar FF assault the Rough Riders then the Rough Riders will probably get driven off but the Eldar are now exposed to the Infantry Companies fire if they don't pull way back.

Road Block: The Rough Riders fan out to cover a decent frontage to contain the Eldar movements, this works really well in areas where the Eldar have only expensive formations available to fight with. The Eldar either have to waste an activation to remove the Rough Rides, or try to work around them. In both cases you are limiting the Eldars ability to maneuver.

Cover: Place the Rough Riders to cover the exposed flanks of larger formations, and in depth this time, their 10cm ZOC will pretty much negate any chance the Eldar have of pulling off an effective clipping attack on that larger formation. Again they must spend an activation to remove the Rough Riders before they can proceed.

The Imperial Guard has a pretty slim chance of even being equal in activations to the Eldar, much less getting ahead of them, at the start. I am most defintely turning the Rough Riders into 150 point sacraficial lambs being led out to the slaughter, but for a purpose. If their sacrifice leads to the Eldar wasting the activation of a more expensive formation to remove the Rough Riders AND the Imperial player already has a plan in his pocket on how to exploit that move then the Rough Riders have NOT been wasted.

My basic plan is to use the Rough Riders as a forward screen, initially, to prevent the Eldar from easily hammering my larger formations as they advance. This often allows my Companies to get into positions where the Eldar are boxed in and unable to freely maneuver. Now they have to try and pound their way through my companies to get back their freedom of maneuver. Any survivng Rough Riders then drop into 'Road Block' or 'Cover' modes while the rest of the army boxes the Eldar in even more. Basically you are forcing the Eldar to fight your style of Imperial Guard slugfest battle, which they do not excel at. While not a for sure win, it does put the IG in a better position to win.

Jaldon

_________________
I know a dead parrot when I see one and I'm looking at one right now.
Tyranid AC