Dao Liao Élite

thumb|left|The pre-update Cataphract thumb|left|The pre-Definitive Edition Cataphract Cataphracts are anti-infantry cavalry units with low pierce armor and attack, but resist anti-cavalry attacks. All these qualities make them very distinct from the Knight line. As such, despite both being heavy cavalry, they play different and often complementary roles. Cataphracts in the Castle Age are mostly seen only against Native American civilizations, Goths, and Hindustanis, which rely on archer-resistant infantry. Byzantines do not have any bonuses to get a Castle up earlier than most civilizations, and the high cost also limits their usage in the Castle Age. Cataphracts really need their Imperial Age upgrades to shine. Due to its trample damage, overall good statistics, and attack bonus against infantry, the Post-Imperial Elite Cataphract is a very well-rounded unit. Particularly Elite Cataphracts are effective against almost all units which have an attack bonus against mounted units, such as Camel Riders or Mamelukes, since they have an innate resistance (+12/+16 (Elite) armor) to anti-cavalry attack bonuses. The attack bonus of Mamelukes (9, 12 for Elite) is nullified, as well as the one of Camel Riders (9), only Heavy and Imperial Camel Riders (18) are left with a small bonus. Halberdiers, however, are still a threat to them and much more cost effective, even though their immense attack bonus of 32 against cavalry is halved. Care must be taken against Mamelukes, because even if the latter's attack bonus is negated, it possesses enough speed and range to hit-and-run Cataphracts. Even a fully upgraded Elite Cataphract only has moderate attack (14), but their +18 attack bonus against infantry (with Logistica researched) and resistance against bonus damage make it a very potent combatant. Since they also do trample damage and attack very fast, they can even compete with heavy cavalry in mass battles, although that should be avoided. Players should do their utmost to avoid unnecessary casualties with Cataphracts, as they are expensive to produce and their upgrades are extremely costly as well. === Counters === Before elaborating on the counters, it is worth noting that all counters of Cataphracts can be countered by either Halberdiers or Skirmishers, both of which the Byzantines have for a steep discount. ==== Halberdiers ==== Though Halberdiers do not deal as much bonus damage to Cataphracts as they do to other cavalry, they are still a moderately good choice in early Imperial Age to counter Cataphracts due to the ease of massing them as they do not require Castles to produce, and they are far cheaper to upgrade than Cataphracts due to the high costs of the Elite Cataphract and Logistica technologies. In the late game, Halberdiers are a gold-efficient counter due to costing no gold. They are, however, not cost efficient with equal total resources invested, and before a Byzantines opponent has run out of gold, Elite Cataphracts win handily vs Halberdiers despite the difference in cost. It is always advisable to send large groups of Halberdiers, since Cataphracts have a very high damage bonus against all kinds of infantry and will easily win in one on one combat. The groups of Halberdiers should be managed carefully since sending them into battle sporadically and sparsely will lead to little or no effect. While dueling, each hit of a Cataphract deals a damage of as much as 29 Hit points to a Halberdier if both units are fully upgraded, which is very fortunate for the Halberdiers, since it allows them to survive the second hit with 2 hit points and strike a second time themselves. Not even the Sicilian or Japanese Halberdiers with their respective bonuses can stand up against Elite Cataphracts. However, Bohemian and Dravidian Halberdiers do better than regular Halberdiers due to their extra bonus damage and Wootz Steel unique technology, respectively. Halberdiers of civilizations that lack Plate Mail Armor (like the Goths), however, struggle even more against Cataphracts, since they have one less armor and die with the second hit already. That means, in one-on-one combat, a fully upgraded Cataphract survives with 129/150 hit points left. Kamayuks fare poorly against Cataphracts, dealing only 7 damage per hit and losing even more distinctly. In one-on-one combat, the Cataphract wins with 136 hit points left. Even in mass battles, despite being able to use their range, Kamayuks do not stand a chance. The Kamayuk's stacking potential works against them, since Cataphracts with Logistica have trample damage, and devastate them. Similarly, Temple Guards do poorly against Cataphracts, with a Cataphract having 106 hitpoints left in one-on-one combat. Viking Pikemen do much better than regular Pikemen, but in no way substitute the Halberdier. ==== Heavy cavalry ==== This is probably one of the best tactics to engage Cataphracts, if enough food and gold is available. Since the Byzantines do not have Blast Furnace and Bloodlines for their Cataphracts, Paladins can tackle a Cataphract army and even go on the offensive without too much trouble. Even though Cataphracts deal trample damage, the Paladins are superior even in mass battles. Fully upgraded Paladins have 18 attack and 180 hit points against 14 attack, 150 hit points, and 5 pure damage as trample damage on the Elite Cataphract's side. Fully upgraded Persian Savars only have 165 hit points and 18 attack, but have an additional point of melee armor. Even fully upgraded Cavaliers (such as those of the Berbers, Chinese, or Turks) defeat Cataphracts in one-on-one battle, but lose in mass battles due to the trample damage. Naturally, the other unique heavy cavalry units like War Elephants, Leiciai, Coustilliers, Keshiks, Boyars, Monaspas (when massed), as well as Battle Elephants, do not have too much trouble facing Cataphracts, though Cataphracts can easily run away from any elephant units. Gurjara Camel Riders are an exception to the camel unit rule. They are able to quite easily defeat Elite Cataphracts with a moderate amount of hit points left, thanks to their extra bonus damage and their unique technologies reducing their food cost by 25% and granting +4 melee armor. This combination allows them to fare even better with equal resources, while also countering the discounted Byzantine Camel Riders. ==== Ranged units ==== The Cataphract is among the weakest non-ranged cavalry units when it comes to pierce armor. As a logical consequence, they take high damage from archer units and defensive structures. Groups of Arbalesters and Heavy Cavalry Archers, or other unique archer units usually kill Cataphracts without too many casualties when they are properly managed. 30 Arbalesters are needed to kill a fully upgraded Elite Cataphract in one arrow volley - half of the resistance of an ordinary Paladin, which is 60 shots. Even Elite Skirmishers deal 2 damage and can be used when gold is scarce. Genoese Crossbowmen perform well against them purely because of their pierce attack, since their bonus attack against cavalry is absorbed by the Cataphract. They still do a good job against them, thanks to their sufficient pierce attack. Their drawbacks (compared to Italian Arbalesters) are slow production - since they require a Castle - and a disadvantage of 1 range. The Composite Bowman is even more threatening than other archer units due to the attack that ignores their pierce armor. As a result, 19 Composite Bowmen can kill one in just one volley. Blackwood Archers with Curare can also devastate Cataphracts due to dealing damage over time. However, Cataphracts still possess the speed, health, and attack to threaten these units, so the ranged units should be massed (ideally in groups of at least 30) and/or protected with aforementioned heavy cavalry or Halberdiers before being sent to face the Cataphracts. This is even more important after the Logistica technology, because the trample damage of Cataphracts can be very effective against crowded low-hit-point units like archers. ==== Monks ==== Due to the high cost and value on the battlefield of Cataphracts, they are likely to become a prime target for enemy Monks. It is also unlikely that a Byzantine player is able to afford Heresy or Faith easily due to the extremely high gold costs of Logistica, the Elite Cataphract upgrade, and the Cataphracts themselves. Cataphracts also require at least four strikes to kill a Monk with Sanctity, making it unlikely a lone Cataphract can take out a lone Monk before being converted. ==== Samurai ==== Despite the Cataphract's bonus damage against infantry, Samurai are still a cost effective counter to Cataphracts due to their own bonus damage (+10/+12 (Elite) vs ), even in Post-Imperial Age with Logistica researched. This was not the case before update 81058, as Samurai cost initially, and Elite Cataphracts would win against Elite Samurai every time, even accounting for equal resources invested. With update 81058, however, their cost was reduced to , allowing Elite Samurai to trade slightly more cost-efficiently against fully upgraded Elite Cataphracts, winning by a small margin. In the late game, Samurai cost far less gold (30) than Cataphracts (75) and therefore trade extremely well. However, in update 141935, the food cost of the Samurai was further reduced to , and they receive +1 attack and increased speed when charging at enemy units, so currently Elite Samurais can beat Elite Cataphracts cost-effectively while forcing melee fights. ==== Liao Dao ==== Though not as effective as the Samurai, the Liao Dao can be a very threatening infantry against Cataphracts, as the bleeding damage can dramatically reduce the Cataphract's hit points, resulting in a very similar damage output as Halberdiers against other cavalry. In the Castle Age, and especially after researching Lamellar Armor, Liao Daos can defeat Cataphracts cost-effectively. In the Imperial Age, Elite Liao Daos can still go against Elite Cataphracts effectively, but after Logistica, this isn't the case anymore.