So you want to know how to beat those pansy, light footed, arrogant Eldar do you? Tired of being star cannoned? Or perhaps that Mind War has killed your commander once too many? Well since I play Eldar myself I'm going to let you in on a few things which always ruins my day.

1. They are expensive

The Eldar are expensive. Except for the Guardians most of their elite troops are just too darn expensive. The Banshee is 16 points, the Fire Dragon 17 and the 'feared' Dark Reaper is 37. What this basically means is the basic eldar army should only be as many as a Space Marine army, unless your opponent fields a lot of guardians which is really just ablative armour and not much of a threat until they can get close.

Their vehicles are also expensive. The much talked about Wave Serpent is 110 points basic. What this all means is that you'll probably outnumber the Eldar most of the time.

2. The Eldar have light armour

Except for a few units, most Eldar just can't take too much punishment. Most have a save of 4+ for Aspect Warriors and 5+ for Guardians. Their most heavily armored vehicle has an armored value of 12 only.

Thus there are numerous weapons that can just ruin an Eldar player's day. Missile launchers and even Flamers can kill droves of the Eldar. Do remember that the Eldar are just toughness 3 and Orks can make short work of them if they can get close.

3. The Eldar are Specialists

Aspect Warriors have an optimized role on the Battlefield. Learn these roles well and then counter-act them with your own strategies. If its a close combat aspect don't assault it just shoot it then. A lot of times Eldar players will have a Banshee squad that excels in hacking at your precious troops. I usually just flamer the unit or heavy bolter it to death rather than try and win in close combat.

4. The Eldar are fast

The Eldar have very fast vehicles. But luckily he usually doesn't have that many of them. So even though they are fast, you may be able to predict where he is going. For example the Wave serpent carrying Fire Dragons will most likely go towards your most precious tank.

Also, the Eldar player will use the Crystal Targeting Matrix to enable him to shoot at you while on the move and you won't be able to shoot back. In such cases you'll have to get as close to him as fast as possible and deny him the cover he is hiding in.

Another note to this is that Eldar need maneuvering room. So pick your deployment zone carefully and move your troops such that the Eldar will be exposed no matter where he goes and has to risk coming out in the open.

5. Weapons to use against them

When fighting Eldar try to always have an indirect Fire weapon that you can use against him. Whirlwinds, Basilisks even mortars are highly effective against his troops. The basic Missile Launcher is a good all around weapon against the Eldar so you may want to pack a lot of these.

When deploying your troops with heavy weapons always try to pick some cover and the best LOS for them. Put your tanks in cover or Hull down. This way they won't easily be to destroyed in case the Eldar gets first turn.

6. The Wraithlord

This unit deserves special note, most players are awed by this mighty machine of destruction and are scared of them. Well here's a simple suggestion, IGNORE IT. If you can't kill it then just ignore it and kill the greater part of the Eldar Army. It is pretty slow so it should be predictable what it will be doing. You can always sacrifice some cheap unit to tie up the wraithlord if you'd like, but all in all just move around the thing, and don't let your heavy weapons get tied up on shooting it because that's what the Eldar player wants you to do.

7. The Farseer and Avatar

The Avatar may look fearsome but it is slow and has no range attacks. It can easily be killed by Assault Cannons and other heavy weapons. All-in-all I would say just avoid it because its not worth the trouble.

The Farseer, I must say is NOT a combat unit. Inspite of its abilities, it is really a support unit for the army. However, its abilities are annoying. If you get a chance to kill the character then do so, otherwise ignore him too.

In Summary

Don't let the Eldar player frustrate you. Eldar may be shooty but they can't take that much punishment. I would say concentrate your force and charge right in. Get the Eldar to play your game and he wont be able to fight back effectively. Concentrate on the mission at hand and not on individual units because that's what the Eldar wants you to do. Be aggressive. These strategies are not fool proof though because there are yet too many factors involved but I hope it can get you a working framework of what to do.