Just to spark some discussion, what do you guys think are the best 5 anvil units in the game? Units that can take the pounding and can be counted on to stick around.
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Kingdoms of men pikemen do well. Defense 4+; phalanx and ensnare make for a good defensive unit.
@ 140 points it’s a steal for a regiment, at horde level they get expensive, but can be counted to stick around.
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Rhordia Dogs of War - as above but de5!
Naiad ensnarers - ensnare plus 4+ regen is a bitch to chew through in combat
Ax legions - stupid nerve at de5
Earth elementals
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Hehe, you’re right.
That said, I would say that an important part of an effective anvil is cost and unlocks. While there is no denying the dogs of war are much tankier than the pike horde, they are a) also 40 points more expensive and b) irregular. (Edit: this doesn’t seem to be the case. Just in my mind…) As unlocks are really valueable in both armies, I’d value the pikes higher than the dogs in this regard. 
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The Dogs are Regular, but do take the point about the cost, plus you can’t given them an artifact 
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There are too many lists to familiar with all the options and one could probably gather data and produce a hard number. I’ll just go with the tough stuff that I know though.
Shout out to the shadow-hulk. De 5+ -/20 and stealthy takes a lot of hits. I’ve had several war engines take the whole game to bring one down. The terror is tough in a grind too, but vulnerable to good hit rolls.
Steel behemoths can probably take more hits though, especially with the iron resolve and inspiring that comes with the Golloch’s Fury upgrade.
From what I’ve faced, a horde of naiads ensarers stands out in my memory as difficult to get through.
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I am fond of Lower Abyssal Hordes. Defense 4, Nerve 20/22, and Regen 5+. When you add the Sacrificial Imp, it costs 205pts. Forces my opponent to devote a lot of resources to deal with it, freeing up my units for shenanigans.
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