Has anybody in history found a counter to the Hammer-and-Anvil?

[Prussian to the Iron]

I was mowing over my most recent Paintball tactics in my head, along with my recent tactics in EB, and I have deducted that I looooove the Hammer and Anvil tactic.

What I'm wondering is if anybody has ever discovered a real effective counter to this tried-and-true tactic? I know Alexander used this to great effect, and I dont think I ever heard of a real defeat when he used this tactic, even at a river.

anyone?

[Hooahguy]

Hammer and anvil? In paintball?
Easy!
when the hammer part of the plan comes into action, bend part of your forces back to move with the hammer to then envelop the hammer.

[Centurion1]

In acient times? Counter hammer strike. As well as hit and run tactics so the hammer has nowhere to fall.

In our modern warfare without set piece battles the hammer anvil tactic is obsolete large scale because force redistribution is lighning fast.

[HoreTore]

In acient times? Counter hammer strike. As well as hit and run tactics so the hammer has nowhere to fall.

In our modern warfare without set piece battles the hammer anvil tactic is obsolete large scale because force redistribution is lighning fast.

You mean like how we never establish a fire-base and then send some forces to sneak around the flank and catch the enemy in a cross-fire....?

[Prussian to the Iron]

you mean like this?


1.XXXXXXXXX-Anvil-XXXXXXXXX
EEEEEEEEEE-Enemy-EEEEEEEEE

HHHHHHHH-Hammer-HHHHHHH



2.XXXXXXXXX-Anvil-XXXXXXXXX
EEEEEEEEEE-Enemy-EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
HHHHHHHH-Hammer-HHHHHHH EEE
EEEEE-Counter-Hammer-EEEEEEEEEEE



??


and as odd as it sounds, yeah, it worked fairly well in paintball, just instead of melee, suppressing fire is used to pin down the enemy, while a quiet, small flanking action takes place. being unnoticed is vital to the flanking, as their position can be easily called out and stopped in the open. but once they crawl up the flank and get behind the enemy, as long as they get up to the very back and make sure nobody is behind them, they can easily hit the backs of the exposed enemy, pinned down.


i actually did this in a 2v2, which was interesting. you know you have a kickass plan when two 15 yr olds beat an active duty marine and a retired marine, and that only due to a genetic condition, who is still working for NCIS.

[Hooahguy]

Yes, something like that, but I have my ambushing force set up before they can actually hit me from behind, so my decoy force wont have to deal with enemy from behind and in front. So my men are set somewhere to the far left/right.
It works because they arent expecting a counter to the all-mighty hammer and anvil.

[Megas Methuselah]

you mean like this?


1.XXXXXXXXX-Anvil-XXXXXXXXX
EEEEEEEEEE-Enemy-EEEEEEEEE

HHHHHHHH-Hammer-HHHHHHH



2.XXXXXXXXX-Anvil-XXXXXXXXX
EEEEEEEEEE-Enemy-EEEEEEEEEEEEEE
HHHHHHHH-Hammer-HHHHHHH EEE
EEEEE-Counter-Hammer-EEEEEEEEEEE



??

Yes, something like that

[Prussian to the Iron]

which makes sense; after several google pages, I've yet to find a historical occurence where it was ever defeated.

[Megas Methuselah]

Yeah, even the Canadians couldn't counter it. A battle-ready flying column was routed by a Cree and Assiniboine force less than 1/4 of its size.

Stupid idiots.