Maybe I haven´t give them enough chance to prove their usefulness, always going for Mirkwood instead
I´m not a big fan of deleting Lorien-spearmen instead implementing Woodsmen in the Beorninger Hut from a gameplay-perspective. This would weaken Lorien a lot against early rider-rushes. If your not able to defend a Beorninger hut or didn´t have the opportunity to get one early one you would be totally screwed outside the base loosing zhe dominance on the map completely to your opponent.
A good example of this would be Isengart , which has kind of the same problem early on, but can cope with it focussing on Lvl2-Urukpits or Wargriders. Lorien literally would have no way to compete but using risky hit-and-run-tactics, which again can be easily answered with riders.
I actually see no need in implementing good armoured Mirkwood-spearmen. This wood actually give Lorien a cheaper version of better spears causing the opposite of what was intended...
In my oppinion Palace Guards can be deleted as recruitable unit without substitution. The Mirkwood-outpost would still be one of the most important and powerfull outposts in the game.
I also would be totally fine with the Lorien-Spearmen being the only recruitable unit of regular spearmen, if they are usefull enough.
The
Defenders of Celebrant/Guardians of Cerith Amroth (can´t decide which name I like more) could be an heroic unit as the Guardians of Caras Galadhon which allows the player to have a very strong but expensive spearunit without having any focus on heavy spears at all.
I could imagine an ability of them guarding a building while being invisible and than getting an atack boost when enemies arrive.
This would give the player another spearunit, but only very limitted and focussed on defense...