hypaspistai vs. peltastai makedonioki

[seienchin]

Early hypaspitai were light troops, only in later times they were the heavy armoured kings guard. They are mentioned a few times.
To the sword question,
Sometimes I think its just random. The mauretanian skirmisher infantry has 0.225 lethality swords making them incredible powerfull, and the Indian longbowman with 0.225 plus ap are just insane, they win 1:1 melee with roman troops.