As far as I know, swordmasters are the only ones who have insane crit levels. They also sport great dodge levels, but god help you if they get hit a few times. They're pretty risky, but they can also be really fun. I'd definitely use them, but I'd never put them in to much danger since one pinch of bad luck could cost you the unit's life, and you'd either have to restart the level or move on without them.
To be honest, I really love the flying units since they can easily pass over obstacles and water, unlike every other unit. It's fairly easy to keep them away from archers anyway, and keep in mind that you can swoop in to attack a unit, and with your leftover move spaces, you can move away after you attack. That works with all mounted units. It should be the same in this game as the other ones I played.
Also keep in mind that archers cannot attack in direct contact with other units unless they have a crossbow (which I've only seen in FE Wii) so if you have your paladin use a bow in his turn, you won't be able to un-equip it after you use it until your next turn, so most of the enemy's units are going to attack your paladin in direct combat and your paladin won't be able to do s*** back to them. It can get a bit frustrating, which is why I rarely ever use bows with my horsemen.
