@Maxwell: Just woke up but I'll clack out an explanation before I get to my errands. Picking up on the medievalish vibe you were putting out is what made me want to throw levies into the mix, seeing as unlike today it wasn't an option of last resort. On the assumption that most of these people are serfs, working and living on land they don't own they really are the picture of expendable. It's winter after all, plenty of time to get new farmer before the crops are ready to plant again. And like you said, most would be required to own and practice in the use of a bow or some other form of weapon--so it wouldn't even cost their vassals a copper to pad out the ranks with them. Also keep in mind that if they're taking mostly men that earn their daily bread at quarries, mills, fields and other menial professions they're both physically fit and easily replaced. 

Pike formations are devastating. Partly in how quickly men can be taught to use them properly compared to swords and partly from how quickly and cheaply these men and weapons could be fielded. They were the bane of horsemen and great at protecting any soldiers positioned behind them. And protecting is the key, as it is much harder to replace a career soldier ((especially I would think in a setting where they develop superhuman combat prowess)) that a vassal has housed, fed and trained for quite some time, than just another serf.

Still, if you'd rather I bump them up to armsmen I'll happily oblige you. Just let me go out and scratch off my grocery list first.