Armenian Campaign: Cataphracts or Cataphract Archers?

[Craterus]

I don't think it was ever broken, to be honest, I wouldn't worry with Cataphracts, they are an immense unit and capable of routing/killing a lot of different units.
Just don't match them up against spearmen..

[Old Celt]

Cat Archers are pretty much Cataphracts with a tad less defense and melee capability. They are still tanks. You should field both because the charge capability is much stronger for straight Cats, and this makes them better anti cavalry units. However, the defense is so high on both of these that you can very easily survive anything short of elephant attacks with Cat Archers. You can use them as heavy cavalry, just avoid frontally charging legionaries of any kind, and of course, spearmen.

Cat Archers are unbelievable units if you use them in groups of 3 or more. You need not run away from enemy cavalry with groups like that. Just turn off missile attack and ALT double click to countercharge and you will destroy any enemy cav units. I've often won battles with only 2 groups of 3 or 4 Cat Archers, exhausting their missiles and then running down whatever is left. The rest of my army sometimes didn't even engage as my Cat Archers were way out front, "taking it to them". Focus on enemy missiles first, then cav, then infantry units. If the enemy is full of heavy spearmen, use your missiles in skirmish mode and retreat behind your own infantry and foot missile units. When Cataphracts are available, 1 unit for escort of each of your Cat Archer packs is all you need, and maybe 1 in reserve with your general behind your center.

[Romeus Petrus]

I am currently in my first armenian campaign and let me just say this has been the strongest faction yet. All my armies are composed exclusively of CA. They are amazing, one of the best units in the game. 10 units of CA defeat 3-4 full roman stacks of Urban cohorts/cav and aux archers. I see no need for regular cats as armenia as your CA can more than do the job. The only real threat is the enemy's heavy cavalry and even that can be easily destroyed with some micro management with just one unit of CA vs the enemy's heavy cav, just have your CA on skirmish till they get to the edge of the map, by then the enemy has suffered some significant losses from your arrows and is tired, then just turn the skirmish mode off and charge... the enemy will rout on impact 99% of the times. I am now used to battles where the enemy loses 2-3k while my losses are in the single digits. I thought the Seleucids were strong, but.. wow armenia rocks.

[Craterus]

Parthia has CA too, right?

[Dutch_guy]

Parthia has CA too, right?

no parthia has PC, persian cavalry,
also good though

[Kraxis]

Actually the CA has a charge that is nearly as powerful as the normal cataphracts. That is the odd part of the chargebonus, it doesn't add half of what the armour does.
Test it yourself, try charging a unit of Cappadocians at a unit of Hastati for instance (make certain it is a unit that doesn't break too soon) and take note of the losses the Hastati suffer until your Cappas stand still (more or less). Then do the same with Cataphracts (make sure not to use Alt as you attack as you don't want either unit to use their secondary weapon).
The results are stunning. The Cappas are the same as the Cats, but they have a shield instead of 4 points of armour (since a shield adds the same effect to the front and left it shouldn't have had an impact). Cats inflict a lot more losses, almost 25% more. Check it out in Ludus Magna.

So keep with the CA as they will deal a serious charge to anyone. Their only problem is their cost (only initially as they are cheap otherwise) and their lack of the mace (it has a marked impact). But that should easily be dwarfed by the skirmish ability and the bows.

[Craterus]

not as good as Cataphract archers..

[cunobelinus]

weakin enemy with catprhact archers then hit them hard with cathrpacts thats bassically a hard army to beat
elephants and that would be a nearly unbeatable army other than i dont like commanding cavalry i love infratrny

[Magraev]

Well this thread made me laugh several times - sometimes people just don't have a clue

My take is to go with only CA's. The savings on building the last level of stables can be spent on a couple more.