Which of heavy units was 'the tank of ancient times'?

[Antiochus]

Which of heavy units was 'the tank of ancient times'?

There are 3 amazing Hellenistic / eastern units:

1. Scythed chariots:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

2. Armored elephants:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

3. Cataphracts:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

What is 'the tank of ancient times' for you?

[PROMETHEUS ts]

Elephants .

[Sar1n]

Anyone who played RS 2.5 will tell you it's the elephants.

[Sun Tsu]

And what about Siege equipement ? like balista ? Those are more 'tanklike' then elephants...

[Lookerz]

Elephants Panzers without hesitation.

[Caelifer_1991]

All of them.

[CheesyFreak]

i think elephants, they where already hard enough to kill without armor in ancient times.

[TheCzech]

Elephants

[PlPs]

of course Scythed chariots. they were terrible. if you read something about Battle of the River Amnias you'll understand me.

Btw, this Scythed chariot isn't Hellenistic but persian

[karamazovmm]

for me phalanx, its simple the tank job is to fight other tanks, and to pin the enemy for higher mobility units to surround and do the killing

[Antiochus]

No balistas, catapultas. Baliasta and catapulta are weapons like cannons - artillery.
Tanks were panzers, mobile units like these 3 units fro poll.

In this time scythed chariots were Hellenistic, because Persian country didn't exist.
Scythed chariots were in Seleucid, Ptolemaic and Pontian armies. There 3 countries were Hellenistic, not Persian.

[Little Legionaire]

Cataphracts!

Excellent combination of firepower, mobility and armor elements. As a heavy mobile platform Cataphract heavy cavalry doctrince achieved far more success than any unit. Lasted and evolved for centuries till the Napoleons Cuirassiers.

Elephants are unstable and costly, chariots are vulnerable and hard to control in different terrain conditions but the Cataphracts are like somehow very successful Soviet T34 tank of their time.

[Sar1n]

Elephants are heavy tanks. Big, mean things to spearhead an assault, requiring specialized equipment to deal with quickly, but often far too expensive and impractical.

Cataphracts are medium tanks. Versatile and effective, but not so hard to eliminate once robbed of their mobility.

Chariots are....light tanks I guess. Scary enough for a common infantryman, but with obvious weaknesses that decent commander can exploit to eliminate them.

[karamazovmm]

my point is you guys dont know the role of mbt in asymmetrical warfare, which is the current one. So phalanx and hoplites are the tanks

[ignaciospain1]

This one:

[ROYAL SIPHAI]

Armoured Elephants were tanks of their time. Crushing humans into tomato juice. Impaling asses with their tusks.

[CheesyFreak]

Armoured Elephants were tanks of their time. Crushing humans into tomato juice. Impaling asses with their tusks.

yeah they where real badASSES, no pun intended

[Spitjaw]

Posted this in another thread already buy here it is again:
Heleoplis or "Taker of Cities".
Gigantic siege tower with iron plating, 16 catapults and a crew of 3400! If thats not a tank then nothing is. Father of Antigonas II Gonatas used it, theres hoping that Macedon can use it in-game!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helepolis

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

Cataphract Elephant Chariot Berserkers:

[Nicatores]

Cataphract Elephant Chariot Berserkers:

You kid, but there actually was Elephant Chariots in the Seleucid army at the Daphnae parade 166BC.