What's a hammer and anvil?

[CthuluIsSpy]

I keep reading this term in the forum. It's used to describe certain units. Can anyone give an explication, plz?

 

[Lord Cedric]

Hammer and anvil isn't as much of a unit description as it is a military tactic. It describes a fast attacking unit {the hammer} pushing (or forcing) an enemy into a flanking unit {the anvil} for a quick decisive squish. In my medieval combat battles I do in real life, this is a tried and true tactic and is performed many times. The trick with this is to make sure your anvil isn't being threatened.

 

[n810]

Kinda like "Between a rock and a hard place"

Illuistration of actual tactic.
http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/detail-of-hammer-and-anvil-tactics

 

[Lord Cedric]

Thanks for the visual aid, n810. In this case, the hammer is the flanking unit and the anvil is a large group of phalanx (spearmen with sheilds). It's rather a fun tactic to do imo.. well... if you are on the attacking side! In either case, you have a stationary (anvil) and a moving unit (hammer).

 

[CthuluIsSpy]

Ok, cool thx.
So a 24 saurus regiment with spears would be an anvil, and a CoC group would be a hammer?
And am I right in thinking that a large block of expendable soldiers, solely meant to slow an advance would be a "tarpit"?