Age of Empires II GameSpot Preview

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Cataphract

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The cataphract was a unit in the original Age of Empires. It was the ultimate cavalry unit - strong, well-armored, and fast. In Age of Empires II, the ultimate cavalry unit is the awesome paladin unit. But the cataphract still remains as the Byzantine unique unit. Although it is not stronger than the paladin, it is an excellent unit for charging into enemy ranks of archers, siege weapons, and swordsmen.

What makes the cataphract special is its bonus against infantry. The unupgraded cataphract has a large bonus against all infantry troops. Prior to final playbalancing, that bonus was +5. The upgraded cataphract had a +8 bonus. However, these two stats probably have been changed in the latest round of balancing, although the general idea is to make the cataphract an infantry-killer. Thus, it is the best Byzantine troop to take on marauding Viking berserks and Goth huskarls, although the paladin might be better overall.

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click to enlarge.
The cataphract is built at the castle and is best against archers, siege weapons, and swordsmen. It is weak against pikemen and camels. Ensemble Studios provides these comments:

"The Byzantine army carried on many of the military traditions of the old Roman Empire into the Middle Ages. This was a professional force that was well trained and well led. Officers studied tactics and command. The army was organized into formal units that maintained their own traditions for centuries. The best units in the Byzantine army were partially armored cavalrymen called cataphracts. They fought with several weapons, including the bow and sword. With plains to the east and north of their empire, the cataphract was ideally suited for combat against the unarmored cavalries of their enemies. The Byzantine army went into decline partially because it lost the plains of Anatolia, from which it had drawn both horses and cavalrymen for service."

Next: Strengths and Weaknesses