In the description of the Chalkaspidai, it says "Vital to the success of the Pontic Chalkaspidai are light hoplites, hypaspistai, or even experience Persian light infantry....." I can't image that Pontus was able to recreate the hypaspistai as the Maks and AS did, so did they pull a Ptolemy and just make their own version, and if so, what where they like? Or is that what the Pontikoi Thorakitai are?

Also, the late Pontic Bodyguards seems like a downgrade then an upgrade. While their skin is more kickass, they lack the armguard and the upper leg armour. Did they "run out" of good heavy persian cavalrymen so to speak, so that's why they changed to using Hellens? Thanks in advance.