Quote Originally Posted by Cute Wolf View Post
Well, ap, Thraikioi Rhompaiakoi are elite and well armoured, something that save them from early death against Cataphract charges and melee weapons. Even your Pedites extraordinarii are capable to tear down the living battering ram easily, except when the Catas are quickly withdrawn and repeat their charges. But the Drapanai ad only 13 crappy defense... and if u try, 50++ out of 80 of them didn't survive the first charge, if the cats land their charges properly.

And now, going into some scientific and historical arguments, if the Cataphracts are bad at melee combats, why the latter Sassanids and Byzantines employ Clibinarii that exclusively rely on their mace as "Meat-Grinder", knowing if their enemies had faced them for years, they will just equip them with a good mace and stone.
Against AI you can set your Drapani to loose formation, they survive the impact of the charge, then set it back to tight and hack 'n slash. Of course against player this wouldn't work and in reality, I'm sure that the Drapanai would rout even before the tanks hit them.