Rhomphaiaphorae are the greatest of all time.

[Garbad]

65ish melee attack, 40 charge, 26 weapon damage and 50 armor? It really doesn't matter who I fight, I insta rout them. NO other infantry need apply.

[KAM 2150]

65 melee attack? I guess after max rank and tech upgrades ; P Highest melee attack value in DeI is 40 without buffs.

[2-D Ron]

Rhomphaiaphorae? Sounds sexy!

[ThatWhichThinks]

They are pretty good on the charge, and the elites have decent armor, as you mention, but unless their charge is really successful they get destroyed in a prolonged frontal melee against hoplites.

I haven't played Dacians or Odrysians that much, but I have used the lighter AoR falx/sica units as Makedon. They are really useful as charging or flanking troops, but I have found it absolutely essential to cycle them out when they get even a little bit tired. I would put them in front of my pike line, charge them in, rack up some kills, and pull back as the pikes advanced, then maybe send them around the sides to flank with the light infantry. If I didn't pull them out, they usually started getting butchered after a few minutes.

[Garbad]

So far I've used them like this:

10x rhompers
5x javcav
4x high damage skirmishers
1x arty

On approach, they get somewhat mauled by missile troops, then the rhompers charge. Nothing withstands the initial shock, and when they have depth I flank in with my cav. Unlike roman style, I win or lose in the first 2 minutes. And when I win, I win big (rarely more than 10% losses).

[dahooscarl]

A counter charge from cavalry or javelin armed melee troops can be rhompia troops Achilles heel. That's how I started to beat them. Even tier 1 javelin cavalry as Macedonia can tear up the basic units. Haven't had to fight too many of the armored ones. Guess I've been lucky.