Swords are simplky godly in the early era.
Spear untis dominate the AI army selections and a few choice sword units commited at the right time while your cav disrupts the archers can carve up Early armies in short order.
If you're playing XL, then you can even use Foot Knights for the role and it becomes stupidly easy. I find they only lose their functionality when the AI begins to tech up, as Chiv spear and later better spear/pike, tend to have enought armour that a basic sword unit just doesn't cut it. That's when you start scouring your inns for gallows and highlanders.