GUIDE · UNIT STRATEGY
Cataphract anti-infantry deployment
Cataphract: Cataphracts specialize in fighting infantry and fill a different role from ordinary Knight-line cavalry. Their value rises when the opponent relies on durable infantry, while their full potential depends on the upgrades available later in the game.
Overview
Cataphract: Cataphracts specialize in fighting infantry and fill a different role from ordinary Knight-line cavalry. Their value rises when the opponent relies on durable infantry, while their full potential depends on the upgrades available later in the game.
Plan and execution
Scout the opponent’s production before committing to a Castle and Cataphract investment. Use the cavalry to engage infantry formations and support a separate mobile line that can handle targets the Cataphracts do not counter efficiently. In the Imperial Age, complete the relevant Cataphract upgrades before making them the center of a large push.
Risks and adaptation
Their high investment and limited early economy make an unsupported Castle Age switch risky. Low pierce armor and weaker general-purpose pressure mean they should not replace the Knight line automatically; change plans if the opponent is building strong cavalry or ranged counters.
- Focus
- Byzantine cavalry role
- Signature / category
- Plan and execution
- Release / context
- Age of Empires II system
- Region
- Unit strategy
- Classification
- Unit strategies