Comments by "DynamicWorlds" (@dynamicworlds1) on "Cataphracts VS Medieval Knights" video.

I no longer have the source, but I remember reading that the late Roman cataphracts used their long-hafted maces to strike spear shafts, further opening up a path for the wedge to basically just trot unstoppingly over any infantry unit in front of it. (And of course we can infer that even if you survived a mace-blow to the head due to your helmet, if you were knocked over or significantly stunned, it meant almost death by trampling) On top of that, the empire was already incorporating archers into their infantry formations to great effect: warbows at close range shooting at distracted infantry who needed to worry about not opening their guard to the infantry in front of them protecting said archers (to say nothing about the potential of targeting anyone who spoke up to give orders) We can assume the mixed archers in the cataphract units served a similar purpose while also providing some way to retaliate against ranged attackers. Knights may have been shock troops, but cataphracts are a juggernaut you can send right through enemy lines toward the enemy's commanders. I'll take the one not hard countered by a disciplined pike block any day.
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@wolfremus2521 and how did that work out for them?
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