The Absolutely Best Heavy Cavalry in EB...

[The Persian Cataphract]

Because as weird as it might sound this appears to be the case. I recently play-tested a custom-game with the Late Parthian Bodyguards, and the Bactrian Bodyguard. Of course, given the AI's inability to switch to secondary weaponry, I expected to win.

I didn't. I lost against the Hetairoi Kataphraktoi, using swords, while they were still using lances. They massacred me. They would butcher me totally, while all the swords would earn me was maybe two, three or at most four kills. This included the fact that I was the one charging the formation. I mean let that soak in for a moment, they massacre me with lances while I get to barely scratch them with a sword.That is a very serious problem, which is very tied to mechanics. This is also why a lower-grade Parthian cataphract such as the mace-bearers also will win in any fight against the Grivpanvar, when in the player's hands. Try it yourself. I tried this against the Armenian and Sacae bodyguards too (Losing each battle too), and switched roles even by playing them. Their secondary weapons work like they should. A unit like this would clearly appear to be unintentionally under-powered, without any chance of winning through tactical mastery. Of course unless we let the tug with lances looking like complete idiots

In fact, it has little to nothing to do with the swords that these units should be effective against armour, even though there are arguments for such a proposition (Such as if a rather short-lengthed Kopis can affect armour, why not a gigantic sword with a superior reach?). They carried around maces and axes as well, and due to game-engine limitations we must settle for two weapons. That is not exactly what hallmarks a unit-type known for its striking power. The problem is that with such high armour ratings, side-arms without the AP attribute increasingly become worthless, which translates into stupidity. All of the game's five high-end cataphracts should be comparably strong. This means that if the player has the advantage he should even be able to use Late Saka Bodyguard against Hetairoi Kataphraktoi and emerge victorious. Turn this around, and it's equally true.

I do have an alternative suggestion which may sound less baffling, but potentially make even less sense. Because the Grivpanvar champions already are the game's only recruitable high-end cataphract, with a fixed figure of men, they can do without AP-attribute because the Pahlavân already sit on what is arguably the strongest asset in the game. The Late Parthian Bodyguard though needs this. Of course taking lethality into account (Kopis has a normal value of 0.11, while the arming sword has a whopping value of 0.225), it might need to be adjusted accordingly though still taking into account the weapon's characteristics (A range of between 0.17 - 0.2 would appear suitable especially considering the weapon's reach and given tactical flexibility). I think it's no more than a fair proposal until something more elaborate can be devised for the cataphracts in EB2.