Macedonian cavalry are armoured spear-armed horsemen capable of delivering a decisive blow. They wear armour and carry swords but do not have shields, so they are not necessarily at their best in prolonged close combat. However, when used to repeatedly charge enemy units they can have a tremendous cumulative effect.
The Macedonians have a fine tradition of horsemanship, unlike their southerly Greek neighbours, a legacy of having a large land-owning aristocracy who could affort to keep horses, unlike the farm-owning society of Greece that produced hoplites.