"Cardaces; a troop type, or a corps ?" Topic

I read an interesting article a while back by Jeff Jonas on Cardaces at:
link

From that, I`m wondering if Cardaces were a corps ( abody on infantry of mixed types based on the Greek model of a phalanx, rather than essentially being spearmen or medium infantry peltasts.
This seems to be what the article suggests to me anyhow…

If these were organised along the lines of a Greek phalanx, then the command as a whole might have the following ratio for heavy, medium and light missile troops: 4:2:1

The grand total of 40,000 "Cardaces" present at the battle of Issus for example would equate to 5.5 phalanxes which each may have had the theoretical strength of 4,096 spearmen, 2,048 peltasts and 1,024 missile troops.
These would be equal to; 22,320 spears 11,160 Peltasts 5,580 missile troops; a total of 39,060.

Cardaces are a troop type whose purpose was to perplex wargamers 2400 years after their use, and to give scholars something to write about.

And even non scholars (such as myself) to write about…

It is a confusing term. I tend to align with the Kardakes being "mercenaries", which were originally Kurds and other hillmen from Asia Minor areas… so my guess that explains why there could be different armaments…

Just as Cretans denote archers in later armies--- but when one looks closely they could also be javelinmen.

Similarly Lykians-- known as excellent peltasts could also be arraigned in phalanxes, so even though listed as Lykians- they could be something else.

And even further we know there were light and heavy divisions of the Hypaspists corps, which may have been actually divided by age- and swiftness of foot…

The whole concept of the early Roman legion was a combined arms force. Maccabean formations were described as being part javelinmen and spearmen.

All of these granular divisions don't help gamers put their armies together, since we want things to be singular-- based on mutually exclusive troop types.

So the Kardakes (Cardaces) will continue to vex us, especially since at Issus the Persian numbers are inflated, and there is no detail given to whether Alexander charged through Kardaka spearmen or peltasts-- and constructions of the battleline other than Arrian seem to support that there were light troops to the hills--- which could have been peltast types.

But as Mr. Smith just pointed out--- all the above was just something to write about.

I think that supporting troops; peltasts and missile troops are overlooked in their part in the functioning of the phalanx as a whole.
It seems to make sense to me that anyone wanting to imitate Greek fighting methods at this time would do so at all levels, as each body may be separated from the rest of the line and would therefore require supporting troops.