Clibanarii (Civ5)/Civilopedia

The Clibanarii were the Sassanid equivalent of the Byzantine cataphracti, although more heavily armored. Both the horse and the riders themselves were fully encased in iron mail, and were used in battle in wedges to shatter enemy infantry and archer formations. The Sassanids employed the Clibanarii primarily in their western armies, mainly against the Eastern Roman empire's forces which were more likely to engage in pitched battles than the barbarian tribesmen along the northern and eastern borders.