— Thomas of Argos, 16th century Greek mercenary in English pay Recruited from Venetian colonies throughout Greece and the Balkans, Heavy Stradiots are amongst some of the most powerful units in the game, forming the backbone of Venice's late-game cavalry force. Unlike the Balkan Stradiots which are trained by the Byzantines, Hungarians and Sicilians, Heavy Stradiots wear more armour: a plumed helmet, a breastplate and a stouter Turkish-styled shield — as well as a sexy panther skin harness for the horse! despite the flashy accoutrements, however, heavy units would best well be wary of the Heavy Stradiots — in addition to having better armour compared to normal Balkan Stradiots, they also are capable of causing splash damage, making them highly deadly foes.