How should Roman Clibinarii be depicted?

**HuangCaesar** · January 09, 2015, 02:48 AM

How should Roman Clibinarii/Cataphracts be depicted? The most powerful heavy cav in the game or should that be the Sassanids? Or not even close to the most powerful heavy cav? Because having both super infantry which they already have and now an elite cavalry arm would make Rome OP.(like in BI)

Were Late Roman Cataphracts mainly recruited from Sarmatians who got Roman citizenship?(Auxiliary/Legion difference was gone by this point) Or were they just a bunch of citizens mixed across the empire who joined the Cataphracts corps? How capable were they compared to Rome's barbarian foedereti soldiers?(Alans and Gothic allies for example attatched to Roman Army)

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · January 09, 2015, 07:37 AM

It really depended. Alans didn't begin to compose the professional Roman catafract corps until Goar defected at Bazas in 414 and defeated the Goths. Under Aetius they were the backbone of the Gallic field army, serving as professional Roman military regiments.

Other than this though, Roman catafractarii and clibanarii were probably the best cavalry on the planet, next to some of the Sassanid regiments. They were professional soldiers, unlike many cataphracts of the time, and had the best training and equipment in the world. I'd argue only the professional Sassanid regiments and Aetius' Romanized Alans were better.

**Scythion** · January 09, 2015, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by Magister Militum Flavius Aetius

Other than this though, Roman catafractarii and clibanarii were probably the best cavalry on the planet

Oh the boasting...

**HuangCaesar** · January 09, 2015, 11:34 AM

Aetius's Alans were Romanized? i thought they were just foedereti allies?

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · January 09, 2015, 01:47 PM

Most people think that but if you look at the terms of their settlement, they aren't settled until 440 and 442, and are in both cases settled not under a Foedus, but as military veterans.

**HuangCaesar** · January 09, 2015, 03:12 PM

So they were citizens?

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · January 09, 2015, 06:06 PM

You didn't have to be a Citizen to be in the professional Roman army anymore. I don't think they obtained Roman citizenship, though.

**Lanciarius_90** · January 09, 2015, 07:47 PM

I think Eastern Empire Cataphracts deserve to be better than those on west, because they will constantly face Sassanids and their heavy raider in battle.

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · January 09, 2015, 09:33 PM

Well IMO I'd like to see sort of a specialization, where the East has better Clibanarii (armored rider and horse) and the West has better Catafractarii (armored rider only).

Overall though, the Sassies should definitely have the best Super-Heavy cavalry.