The cyclops is a solid SC chasis for sure, and give you access to the very much needed earth 2 without needing to trade. Howeever, i like the flexibility of flying SC chasis. It's a great raiding tool and a great defensive anti-raiding tool, plus makes it much much easier to go back to labs to upgrade gear or to change it to tailor-made your resistances versus a certain oponent.
I happen to like Growth 3 with every nation that has old age, specially those with fire magic. I hate when a mage dies, even if Marignon ones are cheap enough to be replaced without problem. You can afford it with Heat 3, which is a tough hit, but a perfectly possible one. Sometimes it is even a possitive scale, like when you face Uttgarde or Caelum
Darkness clearly is a I-win-Button. Even if you can only cast it with summonable commanders, it is worth naming it.
I guess i will try a few more the Men-at-arms then, since you both have given possitive feedback about them. I dont like slow moving armies for some reason, and i tend to discard every unit with strat move 1 for that reason. Even very good units as the Hoplite Driads from LA pangaea are out of my tactic book for that reason. Will try this one a bit more though.