Unit Addiction

[The_Blacksmith]

It's a bit of a modern myth that you need stirrups to mount an effective charge, a saddle with a high back was the real requirement. Stirrups improved stability some what, but their real strength was that they allowed to user to stand up in the saddle, which is very useful in melee or for throwing javelins.

Regarding the OP: Thracian Peltasts and Bosporan Archers are usually pretty high on my "to get" list.

I ride horses myself and yes, i have tried riding with a lance, and its hard as hell without stirups but yeah, you're right, a seated sattle would help a great deal or leg armor, to pausible make you heavier and make you more stable is a choice too.. how ever, many medium and light cav rides with a pony sattle (a canvis or leather sattle, strapped to the horse for tight and butt padding)

* some cav like numedian cav rides without anything which im a big admirer off... the first 5-6 years riding as much as they do must make a hell of a sore butt

[moonburn]

kretikoi and thorokitai are both must have i just feel safer having them on my side since they enable me to use the rest of whatever ragtag i can gather in a more flexible way since 1st i can forçe them to come to me (kretikoi) and 2nd the thorokitai never brake

then there´s the lusotannan medium infantry besides cool haircuts and nice looking armour they can hold a batle line wich again enables me the security to manouver around and start my favourite encirclement tactic

[Africanus]

kretikoi

That's definitely my addiction.

All my armies are equipped with a unit of these suckers. Chevron them up a bit, and watch the enemy disappear!

[Cute Wolf]

Shivatir-ig Pahlavanig and Duna Asya, an army comprised solely from them can kill everything if properly micro-ed, great for nomad blitz wars

[Lazy O]

Agrianikoi Peleikephoroi Dosent matter if im in babulon by the time these were availaible.... I still recruited them :D

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Cretan and Caucasian archers for me. Almost all Cretans I have are mercenaries because I never build up the barracks in Crete.

[Arjos]

None :P
I like various rosters and different armies ^^

[Kikaz]

That's definitely my addiction.

All my armies are equipped with a unit of these suckers. Chevron them up a bit, and watch the enemy disappear!

In my Pontos campaign, I made an army with 10 Kretan Archers, 2 Sarmation Archers (that the Sarmations randomly walked over to my diplomat), and Thrakioi Peltastai and Tindonatae thrown in just for fun. Needless to say, I captured most of Greece with this army.