The Pahlavan Cataphract units and suggestions

[The Persian Cataphract]

Ah, That's what I call a quick reply... And already so many questions answered.

Indeed, the Iranians have their certain charm. There is the type who likes elite hoplites, others who enjoy the flexibility of the Roman post-marian legionnaires, also those who appreciate the Egyptian and Hyksos warchariots, but the exclusive club for horse-lovers is just about the right club for me.

First off we haven't finished the most important of the Parthian cataphracts, the Grivinpavar (probably butchered the spelling). This guy will have full horse bard, and the best armor for himself as well. (with basket horse eyes)

The Iranian counterpart of "Clibanarius"? The Sassanids referred to their heaviest nobles generally as the Grîvâ-Panâ-Bârâ, which means neck-guard bearer, which is Sassanian Pahlavi, the newer revision of the parthian pahlavi, so you're about right (Grwînpâvâr or something like that, the Parthian Pahlavi was a little more guttural than the Neo-Persian revision) , although the usage of the term "Clibanarius" was younger than "kataphractoi". The usage of the term "klibanos" seems to appear first when Parthia captured Assyria and one of the corners of the great trade triangle (Palmyra-Hatra-Petra), Hatra. The term, jokingly referring to ovens, related to the Hatrene clibanarius, often armed with an Arab-styled bamboo-shafted lance, wearing quilted cothing over the armour, as well as the distinctive Parthian felt cap, being either coloured in the blue or pink dye. It was perhaps the usage of this heavy cavalry in the hot climes of the Near East that inspired to the usage of "clibanarius".

I'm glad that this one unit gets full barding as well as those übercool eye-baskets. Two thumbs up! The eye-basket thingies just makes the chargers look so much more ferocious. Surely, it's just probably cosmetic but those eye-basket thingies are practically essential for any cataphract enthusiast.

The Dehbed Asavara unit represents the low to mid end of the nobles, the Dehbed and their Bandaka (followers). Each cataphract had to supply his own armor and weapons, and we wanted to show a range of equpiment. That is the lowest end of the cataphracts. I have read in multiple places that, especially in the earlier days that it is unlikely that all cataphracts had full horse bard. It is very expensive to have a full horse bard, and many probably went without it.

Exactly, and that is also why I pointed out that the Dehbeds formed the bulk of cataphract cavalry. Another thing why I like the OB so far (Although the economy for the Parthians is broken as hell, it gave me a heck of a challenge) is the high upkeep of troops and considering that cataphracts are expensive to recruit and to maintain, I find the realism level of EB much of a challenging relief, opposed to RTW/BI and RTR where I could almost spam cataphracts without worrying about outrageously high upkeep. Considering the humble beginning of the Parthian empire, it would not be fair to make their campaign simple. I cannot possibly imagine the mammoth task Mithradates I took upon himself before he recaptured Media. The Dehbed cavalry is excellent, until one can afford âzat or Pahlavân cavalry.

The Pontic general is just a placeholder until the Grivinpavar model is made.

Oh, but me likey this replacement. It is true to the Achaemenian Kinsmen cavalry of Media, and to be frank, I'd find it ensaddening if I wouldn't be able to recruit this cavalry type as the Pahlava :'(

Oh well, it is not much of a loss. The Pahlavâ can still be a solid resurgent Achaemenian Empire without the javelineer Kinsmen cavalry.

Out of all placeholders you guys chose, it had to be a good cavalry type that would instantly become a hit amongst the Iranian players. *sobs*

We will have a mercanary light camel unit, no heavy camel, not enough evidnce to devout a model to it.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... *ten years later*

...ooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!

Seriously though, I do understand the lack of evidence, and that would be the later Roman countermeasures against the heavy camels, being the caltrop. It hampered the use of camelry. The usage of camelry in the Parthian empire was scarce, and almost exclusivelt used as baggage animals, yet the animals were under use for war as well. Though not as crazy as their predecessors, the Achaemenians, who even mounted entire howdahs on their backs, they did have special frontal panoplies for them.

Oh well, perhaps there is a future possibility for an addition... Maybe you're just bluffing in order to surprise the fans of the parthians (Ok, I admit, it's wishful thinking)

We will have a heavier Iranian unit, but it isn't done yet. It is not as good as a heavy hoplite of course, but better than the currenent Iranian infantry in game.

Ah, I figured. I trust that it sports the phalanx formation and basically "behaves" like the Armenian Heavy Spearman unit of the Armenians in Vanilla (As in role).

Thanks, many of the mysteries have been cleared, though I must point out that the future inclusion of an even heavier cataphract unit has made upcoming updates for EB something of a treat. Now, I know that patience is a virtue, but... I kind of want that heavy noble unit right now...

[Chester]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... *ten years later*

...ooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!

ROFL