The chariot was introduced to the battlefield during the Xia dynasty and Shang dynasty. Until the end of the Chun Qiu period. It says that each nation in the conflict has more than 4000 chariots in its arsenal.

In Myth of Empire, players can build a mono-shaft chariot driven by two horses. This is a very powerful three-man war machine. So, what caused the downfall of this particular weapon in history?

Chariot's structure

Chariots in ancient times are usually made of wood. Some key components are built with metals. It can be divided into two categories based on its design purpose: defense and attack. Attack chariots are used to charge into enemy lines, defense chariots are used to carry heavy siege weapons and other assets. Attack type usually has a mono shaft and two wheels. A horizontal stick is used to link the gap between the horses and the chariot. Spikes and blades are attached to the sides of both wheels to damage enemies.

Chariot crew configuration

One chariot can carry 3 warriors and each of them has specific tasks in the chariot.

The left warrior is the chariot commander, they are always equipped with ranged weapons like bows and crossbows. They attack the enemies and also command the crew. The right warrior usually carries long melee weapons like spears and dagger-axes. They are very important when it gets to close-quarter combat. The one in the middle is the driver, who usually carries a sword and controls the horses in front of the chariot.

In the Myth of Empires, a mono-shaft chariot also has three positions. Middle warriors control the direction. The other two warriors can both shoot arrows or use spears to cause damage to the enemy.

Characteristics of the chariot

During the Chun Qiu period. The political and cultural center is located the downstream of Huang He river. These terrains are usually flat, and most of the battles have happened here. Plus the army during that time is mainly infantrymen. The huge impact force of the chariot played a very important role here. At the beginning of a battle, chariots usually charge in advance. During the charge, the left warriors who carry bows aim at the enemy lines to cause the first wave of damage. After that, the chariot will open a gap in the enemy line that let the infantry enter.

There is only one way to stop your enemies’chariots on the battlefield. Use your chariots to clash against them. Therefore, the number of chariots a country owed can reflect its strength of it. Even the chariot is powerful but it still has its limits. For example, It will be useless in the jungle, forest, or muddy areas. The agility and mobility are very weak when against cavalry. Also, skilled chariot crews are very rare, it takes a lot of time and effort to train elite chariot operators. Due to the main material used in a chariot being wood, maintenance of this weapon could be very time-consuming and expensive. At the end of the Zhan Guo period, strong crossbows and turrets are used more often in the war, which causes even more damage to the chariots.