best anvil unit for vc

[mr_gosh_the_return]

Hello,

I'm finally updating my vampire counts to 8th ed and I was wondering what to add next. I was thinking of either getting a hoard of either grave guard or crypt ghouls, which is the better choice for an anvil unit? I concede to those more experienced than me. If there are better anvil units in the book, let me know.

[Malorian]

Why not both. You need core and grave guard are a solid choice to add past that.

[SteelTitan]

Yeah, exactly. Take your 650 points of Core (assuming you play 2500 point games), throw in 40 Grave Guard (great weapons obviously), 6 Crypt Horrors and see what else you can fit in after you choose your characters. That's what my plan is once I switch back to my infantry-approach.

[Scarr, Invisible One]

Big unit of Zombies that is being healed is a rather good anvil.

[TheOneHawk]

No, Zombies are a tarpit, not an anvil. They'll last forever but they bleed so much combat res that you won't want to bring a hammer in.

[Askari]

Crypt Horrors surely. They do ... some damage and are so tough they'll hardly ever suffer a wound. Pretty cheap, pointswise, for what you get too.

Zombies are a horrible anvil.

[mr_gosh_the_return]

Thanks guys. i'm discovering how fragile skelies and ghouls are relative to other armies I've experienced. I'm also finding that the special choice I've been using (Grave Guard with Great Weapons) need to really be taken in big numbers to do anything at all. Crypt ghouls and zombies may be the way forward

[datalink7]

Black Knights actually make a good anvil as well, believe it or not. 2+ Armor Save with T4 makes them last a while.

[Askari]

Black Knights actually make a good anvil as well, believe it or not. 2+ Armor Save with T4 makes them last a while.

Indeed, although their cost can be a deterrant, they can also perform admirably as a hammer.

[madival]

would ethereal be a great anvil? few things can actually hurt them. a unit of 5 wraiths would wreck a unit without magic items.

[Soundwave]

Crypt horrors make better flankers a big unit of grave guard with shields for sustainability make excellent anvils.Keep your chief invocation caster nearby with a corpse cart.Without great weapons they will receive the always strikes first bonus.

[Askari]

Without great weapons they will receive the always strikes first bonus.

They'd also be a rubbish investment :P Never used Crypt Horrors as a flanking unit, surely Black Knights, Terrorgheists and Varghulfs are better at that, being faster and capable of more damage. No, I disagree, Crypt Horrors are super anvils, incredibly hard to kill and reasonably well-costed so your other units can flank instead.

[Wesser]

Skeletons a very credible with a fear bomb build. Ok so you'll have to expend a vampire to do it, but suddenly your core can do something instead of just being chaff.

Just today my unit of 60 spear skeletons overpowered a unit of 60 High elf spearmen with commander.

[Scarr, Invisible One]

Yeah, I kinda forgot the difference here. Crypt Horrors are the best then.