Saka Cataphracts
Heavy Cavalry(0.6.7)Side / Back
Short description
Expensive, elite heavy cavalry, that use a combination of weapons to take on almost any enemy.
Description
Many writers over the years have become lost in the complicated mire of steppe politics, which may look innocent to an outsider, but are a grim matter of life and death to all those involved. Some write of the Scythians and the Saka as one and the same, but these men know nothing of the proud Saka!
The Sakans were one of the largest tribes in Scythia, and it was this ability on the front line of the Scythian war machine, that led to historians believing them to simply be 'Scythians'. As wealth flowed into the swelling coffers of Scythia from raids in lands to the South, the Saka took much of this for themselves, giving their leaders extremely high status. Like the other nobles in Scythia, they took an esteemed place on the front line as an extremely effective heavy cavalry force.
In the language of the ancient Persians, who classed all Scythian tribes as 'Sakai' of some kind, the true Saka were known as 'Saka tigraxauda' - Saka with pointy hats. This referred to their elaborate parade uniforms, but on the battlefield they were far more pragmatic. Strong, riveted armour plates cover them and their horses, which may not look elegant, but are effective: if one plate breaks, the rest of the armour stays just as strong, although the lack of any elegance can lead to gaps in the armour in areas such as the knee, groin, armpit and neck. Even so, these troops can make foes flee by their sheer presence, and the combination of lances and clubs they wield will loosen the bowel of anyone they encounter! As if that wasn't enough, they also carry swords, in those days the mark of a wealthy man.