heavy cavalry engaging heavy cavalry

[Urselius]

The Nikephorian wedge would have had its flanks guarded by other cavalry (not as heavily armoured as the klibanophoroi) in more normal formations of linear ranks. It is interesting that later Medieval western European heavy cavalry (Hundred Years War - Wars of the Roses periods) often seem to have charged with lancers in the centre flanked by swordsmen, so the multiply-armed formation was not a purely Byzantine affair. Men armed with long lances cannot change the direction of attack easily or defend themselves from an attack to their flank, so it made sense for the flankers to be armed with swords as they could react more quickly to changing threats.

The Byzantine wedge formation cannot have charged at much more than a trot, it probably acted as a steamroller. When the Normans and other Westerners fought the Byzantines at the time of Alexios Komneos (1081-1118) their heavy cavalry outclassed the Byzantine kataphraktoi in virtually every encounter. It was probably their charge 'en haie' (like a hedge) in two ranks at high speed, with couched lances, that was their edge. The moral effects of this sort of attack on cavalry used to slower-speed charges must have been very great.