Putting in my two bits for the Iberian Medium Spearman. Can hold the line, recieve a cav charge, stand toe-to-toe with the Principes, encircle phalanxes AND "Fast Moving". For me, they are the perfect combination of tough and fast.

A related question however, how does one get those nifty pics that you all are posting, I should like to accumulate my favorite troops into a folder and make that my screen saver folder - oh yeah.

A sidenote, a heavy emphasis on Eastern Factions in this thread. I am assuming that this is merely a reflection of most people's preferences to play "out East". I admit, I love me some barbarian factions, but the inability to fully "develop" my civilization always causes me to return to the "civilized" factions. Thus, I will often play a fringe barbarian faction, frustration will set in, and my next campaign is inevitably a center faction. Just a sidenote.