[Epic] Titans and Eldar (was: Titans and CC (a new theory...))

From: <duckrvr_at_...>
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 08:59:59 -0600

At 10:39 PM 3/11/97 -0500, you wrote:

>> Any tactics anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated.
>
>I don't think you have a problem here. Sounds to me like you've got a
>good duel of strategy/counterstrategy going (that's what the game is all
>about). Soundz to me like you pretty well know your options.

I agree.

>1 Use terrain.

yep.

>2 Pack your army together.

I dont' know if this is necessary. I still maintain that about 6 stands can
screen a titan from a force large enough to damage it. Take your figs out
and lay them on a table just to see howmuch you can block with a single
detachment. Besides, those bikes, while not doing anything if you lose
initiative, will cause the enemy great consternation when you win.

> the only thing you need
> to do is ask the question "what is hurting me more, the
> artillery or the jet bikes?".

Yeah, pretty much. If you thawk his artillery, then you don't have to worry
about clustering your troops to save the titan. This makes the thawk
assault a good offensive/defensive measure. Get the VPs AND free up units
to protect your titan.

>3 Judging from what you said about your force composition, I don't
> think there is anything wrong with it. From my limited
> experience (fought eldar lots, but only with orks), the keys to
> beating them are speed and numbers.

I disagree here. The eldar have the speed and numbers. Don't try to out
eldar the eldar. As an eldar player, my biggest problems have been morale,
and opponents who successfully concentrate their forces. If you spread out
he can swarm part of your force, then swarm what's left. If you concentrate
on 1/2 to 2/3 of the board (depending on board size, force size, etc.) it
makes it much harder to pick off isolated units (which the eldar are good
at). About morale, target the units that have weak morale, e.g. hit the
vehicles (morale 3) instead of the aspect warriors (morale 2). Eldar
vehicles don't have great saves, so anyone can kill them, and without the
support from them you can mop up the infantry later.

> I personally don't even
> field titans against them since eldar have so many ways of pulping
> them.

I would also suggest not taking titans vs. eldar. personally, I love
nothing better than when an opponent shows up with them. They are big
targets worth lots of VP, and, especially early in the game, it is easy to
arrange those "quick kill" combos.

>4 Another thing that pays when fighting eldar (again, I don't know
> how well this translates to non-ork armies) is aggression. It is
> far better to be fast and furious than slow and cautious. The
> eldar armies I generally face are like assassins, they are good at
> killing the hell out of one unit, but they have trouble killing
> large numbers of units in a single turn.

While this is true, charging across the board like a madman is a recipe for
destruction against the eldar. Let me explain: Turn 1: Eldar advances or
charges falcons loaded with aspect warriors (largely cc troops) to reach
midboard. A few falcons get shot down, but not many, because you are trying
to take territory also. Bikes hide if eldar lose initiative, or pounce if
they win. Turn 2: Falcons on first fire, or advance if they can be overrun.
The aspects enter close combat and sell themselves dearly, or (if shooty
types) go on first fire and sell themselves dearly. Either way it weakens
and slows your assault. Bikes pick off any straggling units. Turn 3: Your
rag tag remnants finally enter close assault with units not intended for it
(falcons, etc). Meanwhile, his bikes hit your vulnerable support weapons
(if they haven't already) or steal objective you have charged past, and you
are still close combatting his troops on first fire.

This all assumes a fairly normal force selection. If he knows you are
coming with a close assault army, just don't bother playing. Hand him the
dice, tell him he wins, and pick a new force. This close assault force is
basically a chaos type army, and I've never lost with Eldar vs. Chaos.

> If he hasn't beaten you by turn three, you
> will probobly beat him.

This is true, but you will probably have too much stuff broken to deny him
the points, especially, if you don't drop troops along the way to secure
objectives.

> The other thing
> about being very agressive is that it forces the eldar to make
> adjustments, forcing him to react to you, and thereby creating the
> opportunity for him to make mistakes.

While this is true, the eldar are the premier army IMHO for reacting to
opponents moves and rapidly correcting mistakes.

>5 What you want to avoid, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion, btw) is
> spreading your forces out and getting caught in small scattered
> detatchment vs detatchment fights. The very elite and
> speedy pointy-heads will generally win this sort of battle.
> In a fight against the eldar you want *all* your homeboyz around.

yup.

>Like I said, these are the tactics I use with orks against eldar, and they
>have served me quite well. They do require you to field a "orky" style
>army (lots of assault troops, less shooty stuff), and if you don't want
>want that sort of army, then, of course, these tactics won't help much.

I can't imagine that some eldar player hasn't taken you to school yet. Of
course, with the "green wave" concept you may just be able to put too many
figs on the field. I don't think the more costly and valuable marines can
pull off the "500 million screaming chinamen" force. Besides, you seem to
be missing the point that the eldar have lots of stuff to slow down
attackers (waveserpents, doomweavers, etc) while they continue to whittle
away your forces.

>David the verbose

Not to be confused with . . .

Tempest the argumentative (aka Tempest in a Teapot to those of a literary bent)
Received on Wed Mar 12 1997 - 14:59:59 UTC