What your favorite nation in EB and what is your strategy?

[Lixus]

i am currently fighting the ptolomaioi with the carthaginians.all the cities in North africa( incl. Eygpt), Greece, italy, spain, the south of gaul, Sicily and the cities of Sidon and Jerusalem are under my control. i have 3 huge armies in region arround Sidon. Each with a backbone off 8 Elite African Pikeman. I easely won against the Ptolemaic Elite Phalanx and the Epeirote Elite Phalanx, I wonder if the Elite African Pikeman is the strongest Makedonia style phalanx in the EB world. I did not jet faced the phalanx units off the Selukid neither thoose off Makedonia. So my question is are their phalanx units stronger and wat may i expect of the factions further to the east. Do i stick with phalanx tactics against them?