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This article is about the Chinese unit in Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon. For other units of the same name, see Cataphract.

The Cataphract is heavy cavalry unit available to the Chinese Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon. It is unique among other cavalry units as it is effective against infantry units.

Strengths and weaknesses[]

Strong against
  • Infantry
  • Archers
  • Siege weapons
Weak against
  • Anti-Cavalry Infantry (Less of a threat than normally)
  • Anti-Cavalry Cavalry

God Bonuses and Upgrades[]

General[]

Nü Wa reduces Food and Gold cost by 10%

Strategy[]

At first sight it's easy to dismiss this unit's utility, as its speed is mediocre for a cavalryman, while also having the lowest attack of Heroic Age cavalry, lower even than the Raiding Cavalry's. It also costs much gold.

However, certain quirks compensate for its seemingly unremarkable stats, making this unit one of the most cost-efficient cavalry. To begin, they have the most hack armor out of cavalry, which combined with their neat HP, can make them hard to tackle with some anti-cavalry, such as Hoplites, especially in late stages, as with Dragon Scales, their hack armor exceedes 50%, making them take approximately half damage from all melee attacks. One can also choose Chongli's Stirrup instead, granting a substantial +25% HP rise, that still manages to make Cataphracts a hard-to-beat unit.

Also, they are the only cavalry units to counter infantry Units, as they have a bonus against them; this combined with their high hack armor, low population cost and still neat speed means they are an excellent counter against enemy Infantry, including units such as Hoplites and Ulfsarks, while also being a threat to enemy archers. Of course, anti-cavalry cavalry, such as Camelry are a formidable counter, as well as massed archers, so it is highly recommended to accompany Cataphracts with Mounted Archers and War Chariots, to assist against cavalry and archers respectively.

Changelog[]

Tale of the Dragon[]

  • Initially, Cataphracts have 120 hit points and 20% pierce armor, deal 300% damage to all infantry, and have no bonus against siege weapons. After patch 2.7, they have 110 hit points and 15% pierce armor, damage against Norse infantry (including heroes) is reduced to 250%, and they do double damage to siege weapons.

History[]

The Shi Jing first mentions armored horses in the 10th century BC, but heavy cavalry hit their peak in China during the Han Dynasty. These heavy shock cavalry used long lances to shred through more poorly equipped mass-infantry formations made up of peasants wielding cheap axes and spears. They are among the first truly professional soldiers in Chinese history.
—In-game history section

Trivia[]

  • Armored horses (鎧馬 kǎimǎ) became the major shock-troops of Chinese armies, not during the Hàn (漢) dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), but during the 4th century CE, when the Chinese emulated tactics employed by northern steppe nomads, such as the Xianbei (鮮卑), ancestors, through the Shiwei, of Mongols and Tatars.
  • A Greek version of the Cataphract existed in the Scenario Editor since the original release, planned to be the unique soldier unit for Hades, replaced by the Gastraphetes very late in development. In comparison, the Chinese Cataphract is cheaper and costs less population, but also has less hit points and a weaker attack (though with a higher bonus against infantry), while armor is shifted more towards hack, a sensible change for an anti-infantry unit.

Gallery[]

Units in Age of Mythology
Common
Non-military Fishingshipgreekicon Fishing Ship · Transportgreekicon Transport Ship · DonkeyCaravan Caravan (Donkey · Camel · Ox · Llama · Yak)
Myth units TitanGreekIconTitanEgyptianIconTitanNorseIconTitanAtlanteanIconTitanChineseIcon Titan
GreekPortrait Greeks
Non-military AoM Villager Greek Icon Villager · Kataskoposicon Kataskopos
Infantry Hopliteiconaom Hoplite · Hypaspisticon Hypaspist · MyrmidonIcon Myrmidon (Zeus· MilitiaIcon Militia (Poseidon)
Archer Toxotesicon Toxotes · Aompeltasticon Peltast · GastraphetesIcon Gastraphetes (Hades)
Cavalry AoMHippikonIcon Hippikon · AoMProdromosIcon Prodromos · HetairoiIcon Hetairoi (Poseidon)
Siege AoMCatapultIcon Petrobolos · Helepolisicon Helepolis
Ships Triremeicon Trireme · Pentekontericon Pentekonter · Juggernauticon Juggernaut
Heroes JasonIcon Jason · TheseusIcon Theseus · AjaxIcon Ajax · OdysseusIcon Odysseus · HippolytaIcon Hippolyta · ChironIcon Chiron · PhysicianIcon Hippocrates · HeraclesIcon Heracles · AtalantaIcon Atalanta · AchillesIcon Achilles · BellephoronIcon Bellerophon · PolyphemusIcon Polyphemus · TheArgoIcon The Argo · PerseusIcon Perseus
Myth units PegasusIcon Pegasus · HippocampusIcon Hippocampus · CentaurIcon Centaur · MinotaurIcon Minotaur · CyclopsIcon Cyclops · NemeanLionIcon Nemean Lion · HydraIcon Hydra · ScyllaIcon Scylla · ManticoreIcon Manticore · ColossusIcon Colossus · MedusaIcon Medusa · CarcinosIcon Carcinos · ChimeraIcon Chimera
Other ShadeIcon Hades Shade
EgyptianPortrait Egyptians
Non-military Aomlaborericon Laborer
Infantry Aomspearmanicon Spearman · Aomaxemanicon Axeman · Aommercicon Mercenary · Khopesh Swordsman Icon Khopesh Swordsman
Archer Aomslingericon Slinger · AoMChariotArcherIcon Chariot Archer
Cavalry AoMCamelryIcon Camelry · Aomwarelephanticon War Elephant · AoMMercenaryCavalryIcon Mercenary Cavalry
Siege AoMCatapultIcon Catapult · Aomsiegetowericon Siege Tower
Ships Kebeniticon Kebenit · Ramminggalleyicon Ramming Galley · Warbargeicon War Barge
Heroes Pharaoh Icon Pharaoh · AoM Priest Icon Priest · SonOfOsirisIcon Son of Osiris
Myth units AnubiteIcon Anubite · PlagueOfSerpentsIcon Serpent / PlagueOfSerpentsIcon Sea Snake · SphinxIcon Sphinx · WadjetIcon Wadjet · PetsuchosIcon Petsuchos · RocIcon Roc · ScarabIcon Scarab · LeviathanIcon Leviathan · ScorpionManIcon Scorpion Man · MinionIcon Minion · PhoenixIcon Phoenix · WarTurtleIcon War Turtle · AvengerIcon Avenger · MummyIcon Mummy
NorsePortrait Norse
Non-military Gatherericon Gatherer · Dwarficon Dwarf · Ox cart Ox Cart
Infantry Ulfsarkicon Ulfsark · Aomthrowingaxemenicon Throwing Axeman · Aomhuskarlicon Huskarl
Archer Bogsveigir icon Bogsveigir
Cavalry AoMRaidingCavalryIcon Raiding Cavalry · Jarlicon Jarl
Siege Portableramicon Portable Ram · Ballistaicon Ballista
Ships Longboaticon Longboat · Drakkaricon Drakkar · AoMDragonshipIcon Dragon Ship
Heroes Hersiricon Hersir · Hero of Ragnarok Icon Hero of Ragnarok
Myth units RavenIcon Raven · TrollIcon Troll · ValkyrieIcon Valkyrie · EinherjarIcon Einherjar · Kraken-icon Kraken · MountainGiantIcon Mountain Giant · WalkingWoodsIcon Walking Tree · Frostgiant-icon Frost Giant · BattleBoarIcon Battle Boar · JormundElverIcon Jormund Elver · FimbulwinterIcon Fimbulwinter Wolf · FenrisWolfBroodIcon Fenris Wolf Brood · FireGiantIcon Fire Giant · NidhoggIcon Nidhogg
AtlanteanPortrait Atlanteans
Non-military Citizen icon Citizen · Oracleicon Oracle
Infantry Murmilloicon Murmillo · Katapeltesicon Katapeltes · Destroyer icon Destroyer · Fanatic icon Fanatic
Archer Arcus icon Arcus · Turmaicon Turma
Cavalry Contarius icon Contarius
Siege Cheiroballistaicon Cheiroballista · Firesiphonicon Fire Siphon · Atlantean Onager Icon Onager
Ships AoMBiremeIcon Bireme · Atlanteanfireshipicon Fireship · Siegebiremeicon Siege Bireme
Myth units AutomatonIcon Automaton · PrometheanIcon Promethean (PrometheanIcon Offspring· CaladriaIcon Caladria · ServantIcon Servant · CarnivoraIcon Carnivora · NereidIcon Nereid · SatyrIcon Satyr · StymphaliaBirdIcon Stymphalian Bird · DryadIcon Dryad · BehemothIcon Behemoth · HekaGigantesIcon Heka Gigantes · ManOWarIcon Man O' War · ArgusIcon Argus · Lampades Lampades · TartarianSpawnIcon Tartarian Spawn
ChinesePortrait Chinese
Non-military PeasantIcon Peasant
Infantry Chinese Halberdier Icon Halberdier
Archer Chu Ko Nu Icon Chu Ko Nu · Mounted Archer Icon Mounted Archer
Cavalry CataphractIcon Cataphract · General Icon General · Scout Cavalry Icon Scout Cavalry · War Chariot Icon War Chariot
Siege Fire Lance Icon Fire Lance · Sitting Tiger Icon Sitting Tiger
Ships Junk Icon Junk · Fire Ship Chinese Icon Fire Ship · Siege Junk Icon Siege Junk
Heroes AoM Monk Icon Monk · Immortal Icon Immortal
Myth units QilinIcon Qilin · MonkeyKingIcon Monkey King · TotDTerracottaWarriorIcon Terracotta Warrior · WarSalamanderIcon War Salamander · Special-c-jiangshi-icon Jiangshi · Special-c-pixiu-icon Pixiu · Special-c-azure-dragon-icon Azure Dragon · Special-c-dragon-turtle-icon Dragon Turtle · Special-c-vermilion-bird-icon Vermilion Bird · TotDWhiteTigerIcon White Tiger · Special-c-earth-dragon-icon Earth Dragon
Other (non-campaign exclusive)
Cheat units Bella icon Bella · Hippo icon Flying Purple Hippo · Aomaxemanicon Forkboy · BrownBear icon Lazer Bear · ChickenIcon Methane Chicken · WalkingWoodsIcon Walking Berry Bush
Animals Hour of Alpacas Alfred · Wolf icon Arctic Wolf · Aurochs icon Aurochs · Baboon icon Baboon · Boar icon Boar · BrownBear icon Brown Bear · Caribou Caribou · ChickenIcon Chicken · CowAOM Cow · Crocodile icon Crocodile · Crane icon Crowned Crane · Deer icon Deer · DuckAoM icon Duck · AoM Hawk Icon Bird: Eagle, Hawk, Parrot, and Vulture · ElephantAOMicon (Indian) Elephant · Elk icon Elk · GazelleAOMicon Gazelle · LionAOMicon Golden Lion · Giraffe icon Giraffe · GoatAOM Goat · AoM Vulture Icon Harpy · Hippo icon Hippopotamus · Hyena icon Hyena · LionAOMicon Lion · LizardAoM icon Lizard · Monkey icon Monkey · PandaAoM icon Panda Bear · Pig icon Pig · PolarBearIcon Polar Bear · RamAoM icon Ram · Monkey icon Relic Monkey · Rhinoceros icon Rhinoceros · ShadeIcon Shade (RM) · Ulfsarkicon Skraeling · TigerAoM icon Tiger · Walrus icon Walrus · WaterBuffalo Water Buffalo · Wolf icon Wolf · YakiconAoM Yak · Zebra icon Zebra
Scenario Editor AchillesIcon Cataphract · Wolf icon Dog · AoM Vulture Icon Harpy · Triremeicon Monkey Raft · FenrisWolfBroodIcon Ornlu · Krios icon Regent · Transportegypticon Raft · Elk icon Reindeer · MountainGiantIcon Santa · Immortal Icon Servant Chinese · AoM Vulture Icon Vulture
Cut content GreekPortrait Greeks: Oxybeles
EgyptianPortrait Egyptians: Chariot · Gaiassa
NorsePortrait Norse: Heavy Cavalry · AlVsEb1 Hirdman · Knarr · Light Cavalry
ChinesePortrait Chinese: Guandao Pikeman · Meteor Hammer · Rocket Artillery
Nature: Unicorn · Wild Camel · Nubian Goats · Wild Horse · Shore Fish · Anchovies · Musk Ox
Hidden ApepIcon Apep · Bondi Icon Bondi · MinotaurIcon Golem · Griffon Icon Griffon · Revealer · CyclopsIcon Trollkarien · Living Statue William Walrus
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