Companion body guard aren't too bad if you use a reasonable pike unit and have a load of other stuff to hit them in the back with. Parthian late bodyguard are the killer, fought a battle with two units of them. With a little experience they have a defence rating of 40! Full unit of pike men fighting in a town who couldn't be out flanked were reduced to 14 guys, and only because I had another unit behind that lost 100 men, and only because I hit the enemy in the back with elite spear men and silver shields. It took so long for them to die, never have the battle timer on, you'll never make it. Thankfully they have crappy attack though, gives you plenty of time to manoeuvre around them, they will probably be easier to handle in open terrain Also note that they aren't very late, the only generals that don't have them are the 1st generation ones. I'd hate to face a unit of over 100.