Cataphracts historically accurate?

[Dave Strider]

First off, I said gulp because I expected people to be calling me a n00b because I think that Cataphracts are actually right.

Second, Are cataphracts one of the only things that CA got right?

I mean, look at this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataphract
See the pic on the right? Compare it with this:


How.Freaky.Is.That.

[athanaric]

Historically accurate? In Vanilla RTW??

The RTW Vanilla cataphracts aren't as bad as some other units, but there are better renderings in the mods. Remember that RTW depicts early Parthians, whereas the picture supposedly depicts a Sassanid guy.

I assume you wanted to say "I wanna play Europa Barbarorum or RTR, but don't have the links"?

[|Sith| Max]

Or maybe he realized all that matters is MP
"An anonymous 6th century Roman military treatise also proposed one exotic experimental unit of scythed chariots with cataphract lancers mounted on the chariot's horses, though there is no evidence that this unit ever materialised."
HELL YEAH! WWAnt WANT WANT!!!

[roam]

Or maybe he realized all that matters is MP
"An anonymous 6th century Roman military treatise also proposed one exotic experimental unit of scythed chariots with cataphract lancers mounted on the chariot's horses, though there is no evidence that this unit ever materialised."
HELL YEAH! WWAnt WANT WANT!!!

well this seems a perfect point to put forward my new ideas for units in RTW!

I present: The Roamiot and Roamvolution!

Roamiot: A scythed chariot, pulled by 4 horses to make it uber fast with lancers in it and archers riding the horses. The perfect way to go Roaming!

Roamvolution: We put Cannons on the back of our horses so the driver can shoot using teh 1337 device! Oh and we have longer scythes...ummm yh

In fact i've invented a whole new faction Roaming Eagles!




Note: This probably counts as spam. If you are unhappy with my conduct please direct all complaints to Eagle for encouraging me. Thanks.

[Dave Strider]

Yeah, I thought someone would like that

MP matters alot, yes

[|Sith| Max]

Mmm yes. It absolutely does.

[Cornelius Plautus]

From what I can tell, the unit is accurate... for Barbarian Invasion. Earlier Cataphracts probably looked nothing like that; their armor was probably less polished and their horses probably looked different. Most of Rome: Total War is accurate, but not for the time period it is trying to portray. What else do you expect from anything mainstream?

[Julius Barca the Great]

From what I can tell, the unit is accurate... for Barbarian Invasion. Earlier Cataphracts probably looked nothing like that; their armor was probably less polished and their horses probably looked different. Most of Rome: Total War is accurate, but not for the time period it is trying to portray. What else do you expect from anything mainstream?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the accounts of the Battle of Carrhae, isn't it implied that the cataphracts had highly polished armour?
Or is Carrhae late enough to surpass the "earlier" qualification?

[Cornelius Plautus]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the accounts of the Battle of Carrhae, isn't it implied that the cataphracts had highly polished armour?
Or is Carrhae late enough to surpass the "earlier" qualification?

Yes, that's a bit later. I mean the 276 BC starting point of the game.

[Julius Barca the Great]

Yes, that's a bit later. I mean the 276 BC starting point of the game.

Ah, makes sense. I wasn't sure.

[Hader]

Yes cataphracts are fairly accurate, but for one....its RTW vanilla. Nuff said.

And your source is wikipedia. Even if just a picture...nothing impressive.

[|Sith| Max]

I think they were just trying to field more pwnage units. Without cata RTW would not be as fun

[Dave Strider]

It might be either, I really don't know, it just scared me how close the comparison was.

[leseras]

the Scythians, Assyrians, Sarmatians, Parthian dynasties, Achaemenid Empire, Sakas, Armenia, Seleucids, Pergamenes, the Sassanid Empire, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. Thats what the article said, yay for parthia

[Delta21]

Cataphracts ftw....I don't see why sassanid cataphracts wouldn't look like parthian ones...after all this elite lancer military unit should have had a long tradition in the middle-east considering its succes...and don't forget that the sassanids descend from the parthian kingdom.

[Warhammster]

They got them right except for one minor detail, historically the Romans effectively countered the cataphracts by using slingers, try doing that in the game...

[roam]

They got them right except for one minor detail, historically the Romans effectively countered the cataphracts by using slingers, try doing that in the game...

how does that work?

[leseras]

They got them right except for one minor detail, historically the Romans effectively countered the cataphracts by using slingers, try doing that in the game...

I think you phrased it wrongly. Try doing that in the game...if you want to get slaughtered.

[Warhammster]

I think you phrased it wrongly. Try doing that in the game...if you want to get slaughtered.

Yep that's right, I thought my smiley would make that clear to all but maybe not

[Dave Strider]

I understood the meaning.

The only reason that wouldn't work is that you would to have your slingers behind your infantry...Slingers can only fire straight forward, thus killing your troops.