Which faction provides the biggest test?

[williamsiddell]

Perhaps the devs acknowledgement that they often used lead shot in place of stones

Rhodians are flagged as using 'bullet' most of the rest stone (stone-chuckers as you put it). The point I was trying to make is that the devs seem to be saying lead shot (bullet) was AP historically, but it's not implemented as such in RTW' Is it in EB?

you could just recruit some merc hoplites

I haven't seen any around Parthia or I would. Most of the mercs seem to be area dependent - not so for merc hoplites?