Regarding the lion, I don't know that it's a problem. It's a powerful piece close to the enemy, but it's limited because it can only move two squares at a time. I think it's a balanced piece because of this, but if you think it needs to go, we'll save it for a version with just powerful pieces.
I could go with the RC/SC piece as well. The gold cannon doesn't do much anyway and I've found that it often gets in the way rather than helping, but the lance/RC is often useful.