Mercenary Yuezhi Cataphracts

Description

The Kushan Cataphract is a heavy ranged cavalry unit. The cataphracts (κατάφρακτος Kataphraktos (plural: κατάφρακτοι Kataphraktoi), literally meaning "armored" or "completely enclosed") is a rather generic term for very heavily armored cavalry used in the Antiquity. The main kind of cataphract, among them the Kushan Cataphract, is a mix of horse archers and lancers; they need protection but also speed, so they didn't wear the heaviest armour. The other kind were cataphracts armed with a lance for the impact and who used a blunt weapon or a sword once in melee, they wore the heaviest armour. The Kushan Cataphract wear a scale armour which covers his entire body, and a scale made helmet which leaves the whole face free except for the forehead. His horse his similarly covered with scale, but to make it lighter, the head and the neck are left bare, as well as the legs and the back. The rider uses a kontos for the charge, a four-meter-long lance wielded with both hands. His main weapon is a composite bow, which is smaller than other contemporary bows but as powerful. His quiver is marked with the tamga of his clan, which is an abstract symbol which differentiates each clan and tribe.