Quote Originally Posted by The Errant
Hayasdan or Armenia is primary a cavalry oriented faction. They do have the advantage of having some decent mid level infantry. Georgians and Armenian medium infantry for example.
The Nakhararakan Tiknapah are armored spearmen. Much like the Babylonian spearmen. They are a primary counter for enemy cavalry and can take a well placed charge by shock cavalry head on if they are facing the right way.
What's important is the secondary weapon.
Statwise your Royal Guard can double as both heavy speamen and swordsmen when needed. Filling a dual role as a cavalry counter and medium infantry comparable to Mardik Sooseramartik without the javelins.
Without access to any pike units, armored spearmen are the second best unit to pin an enemy unit while either HA shoot the enemy in the back, or shock cavalry charge the vulnerable flanks and rear.
You can use heavy spearmen like a phalanx. Just activate guardmode so they don't break formation. You won't get the bonuses of the RTW phalanx attribute but you don't really need it for this tactic.
You can also use them to defend settlements. Don't ever underestimate a unit of levy hoplites or even cheap spearmen holding a busted down gate while the enemy tries to attack trough all that boiling oil. With guardmode on they will hold that gate against an army. I've seen plenty of stacks die uselessly that way. Armored spearmen are even better at this.
Certainly i agree that there is a use for Armenian medium infantry. In general they dont contribute much to my engagements, because they cant keep pace with the all important cavalry and for the reasons outlined above. But even for a mostly mounted army it is important--as you suggest--to have an anvil for your hammer (pardon the cliche). Your observations about armored spearmen seem apt enough. But I would like to ask whether the tiknapah have any stats that make them particularly good for this. As far as i can tell they are basically the same as the sooseramartik with slightly better morale and armor, but no javelins. You hinted that their two weapons are a useful advantage. I have to admit that i didnt know that there was a functional difference between the types of weapons. In my experience, the two seem to fulfill essentially the same role, and when ive wanted solid heavy infantry, i usually went for mercs.
The babylonian spearmen, by the way, are really awesome. Regional troops like them are some of the coolest parts of EB.
By the way, in my previous game, i never got the noble cataphracts, in spite of having huge cities in my home region. Have they been added in the last build, or is there some special condition?