Unit Browser for RTR: Imperium Surrectum

Short description

The Suebian freemen cavalry has no fear of any saddle-cloth using weaklings. And no matter how many they are, the Suebians will hunt them like goats.

Description

Even if the sources do not quite specify from which social group these cavalrymen were drawn, their numbers and equipment show that they must have been wealthy freemen. They cannot simply classified as light or heavy cavalry, but were very flexible and performed both roles with great skills. Surprisingly, despite their complete lack of armor, the Romans ranked Germanic cavalry as among the best cavalry of the ancient world, and often considered them the very best cavalry to serve in Roman armies. In other words, Germanic cavalry performs way above the sum of its parts.

These men are what cavalry have nightmares about. Sources make it very clear that even without the support of the Hundredmen, Germanic cavalry were still superior cavalry killers. When facing heavier cavalry, their method was to quickly dismount, dive under the belly of enemy horses and stab them from underneath, bringing down both horse and rider. Essentially, their counter-cavalry capabilities should be the main strength of Germanic armies.

According to Caesar, the Suebian horsemen were particularly eager to engage enemy cavalry. Especially if said enemies used saddle-cloth, since the Suebian considered such trappings to be the mark of effeminate weaklings. Such was the fury that the very sight of saddle-cloth inspired in the Suebians, that Suebian cavalry was immediately struck with a compulsive urge to charge and tear their weakling users out of their cushioned saddles. Regardless of by how much the saddle-cloth using cavalry outnumbered them, the Suebians would charge recklessly at them, in full confidence that their victory was assured.