Research: the best foot unit

[TinCow]

I have recently acquired Chosen Archer Warbands in large numbers in my Dacian campaign... and I am amazed at how good these things are. After examining their stats in more detail, I am wondering if perhaps they are the best foot unit in the game. They are probably the best foot archers out there (Long Range and a higher missile attack than even Creshian Archers) and their ability to actually engage in melee is massive.

10 Attack / 11 Defense / 5 Charge / 12 Missile

Compare this to:
Hastati - 7 Attack / 14 Defense / 2 Charge / 11 Missile
Principes - 7 Attack / 16 Defense / 2 Charge / 11 Missile
Triarii - 7 Attack / 17 Defense / 7 Charge
Early Legionary Cohort - 9 Attack / 17 Defense / 4 Charge / 13 Missile
Legionary Cohort - 9 Attack / 22 Defense / 4 Charge / 13 Missile

While all of these units have a higher defense, they will take significant casualties from the long-range Chosen Archer missiles well before they reach melee. Add to that the higher attack and charge than ALL of them (except Triarii charge) and Chosen Archers will kill faster as well. This doesn't even take into account the bonus for woods and snow (probably applied in a good 2/3 - 3/4 of the battles fought in Europe). Praetorian and Urban Cohorts have a high enough attack to probably beat them, but both of these units take two turns to produce.

So... essentially we have the best archer unit in the game which can also beat everything but the most elite Roman (and Greek) foot units in melee combat. Is there another unit that could possibly be more useful?

[edit]
Just noticed Pharoah's Bowmen, which beat Chosen Archers on Missile and Defense. However, they are weaker on attack and charge, they take two turns to train and their maintinance fee is almost twice as high. That raises another benefit of Chosen Archers, a relatively low upkeep fee. They essentially cost the same as Auxilia and Hastatii and are far cheaper than even the basic Early Legionary Cohort, let alone the very expensive elite units of the other factions.