Quote Originally Posted by Belisario
The question about Kataphraktoi/Klibanophoroi is often a large matter of debate. In the post-Manzikert era the main source of heavy cavalry for Byzantium was the pronoia system and the mercenaries. Cavalrymen with horse armour like the soldier in the Kataphraktoi info pic were not many. However the retainers of the Byzantine rulers or generals and some units of the imperial guard perhaps were equipped in such way. You could maintain the Kataphraktoi as a 20 man BG unit or even create a BG unit called Dynatoi Oiketai (Magnates' retainers) and maintain the 40 man Kataphrakoi unit (but very expensives, only available in the Early era and two years to train).
Well that's basically how Kataphraktoi are now, a 20 man scalable unit. So I suppose, keep the name, or rename them as Dynatoi Oiketai, and leave them as they are, but increase the dependencies and costs for raising new ones.
Quote Originally Posted by Belisario
I think this unit could be preserve to represent the huge amount of Pecheneg, Cuman, Alan, Turk mercenaries in Byzantine service during the period covered by MTW. There are several terms for these soldiers who mostly fought as light horse-archers: Skythikoi for Pechenegs and Cumans, Tourkopouloi for christianised Turks, Vardariotai for an elite guard unit formed by Turks or Hungarians settled in the Vardar valley, Alanoi or Massagetoi for Alans.
Well the Steppe Horse Archers I've introduced will probably fill that role as would Alan Mercenary Cavalry. I was thinking of placing the Byzantine Cavalry on a par with the Pronoiarioi Stratiotai, but with bows and a reduced charge? If I were to do so, what sort of naming would we be looking at?