Circassian Armoured Cavalry are a type of heavy cavalry in Empire: Total War. They are available to the Ottoman Empire with the Elite Units of the East DLC.
Description[]
Medieval cavalry in chainmail may look hopelessly old fashioned, but it is a foolish enemy who underestimates these men.
These cavalrymen may look like they have ridden out of a storybook, or be fighting Crusader knights, but they are superb horsemen and can deliver a shocking charge against an unwary enemy. If this does not break a foe’s line, they can then fight in melee with their sabres until they do win! Armour and weight, however, do not help much when facing the cannons’ blast or when trying to break into a well-formed infantry square.
The people of the Caucasus Mountains have a long tradition of producing beautiful women and brave and skilled fighters. Circassian ladies were highly regarded for their looks, intelligence, and spirit, and were considered very desirable concubines by the Ottomans. Circassian men had centuries of experience of fighting invaders and each other. They were also extremely set in their ways: they produced fine and beautiful weapons and armour in, as might be expected, somewhat conservative and traditionalist designs. Armoured cavalrymen from the Caucasus were in Russian service as well as in the Ottoman army, and were rightly regarded as an asset, not an archaic burden.
General Information[]
Circassian Armoured Cavalry are similar to cuirassiers in that they may be recruited in unlimited number and have excellent defensive capabilities; however, they have superior statistics, are more expensive, and can only be trained in Anatolia. They also require higher-tier training facilities than cuirassiers, restricting them to the later game.
The closest equivalent for the Ottoman Empire to these units are the Sipahis, which also boast superb defensive values while possessing a formidable charge, but are less suitable for prolonged melee combat.