Scythe Chariot

Age: Iron
Train at: Stable
Prerequisite: Nobility
Upgrade cost: 1200 wood, 800 Gold
Special: High resistance to conversion; double attack against Priests. Scythed wheels damage adjacent enemy units.

Unit Name	LOS	HP	Move	ROF	Range	Damage	Cost
Scythe Chariot	4	120	2	1.5	0	9 Normal	40f, 60w

The Scythe Chariot is an upgrade of the Chariot. It has more hit points, more attack strength, and more armor.

Toolworking, Metalworking, and Metallurgy increase attack strength. Leather Armor, Scale Armor, and Chain Mail increase armor.

Chariots went out of favor by the beginning of the last millennium BC in favor of cavalry.

But they did not disappear completely. Some armies continued to use them and they remained a symbol of prestige. To make chariots more effective and fearsome, scythe blades were attached to the axles. As the chariot moved, the blades rotated through the air. A foot soldier facing an oncoming Scythe Chariot faced the prospect of being ridden down by the horse, shot by an arrow, stabbed by the soldier on board, or hacked by the blades to the side. This could be a terrifying weapon against broken troops trying to flee. Against steady veteran troops, however, the Scythe Chariot was still a chariot with inherent weaknesses. If the horses could be wounded, the chariot faltered. The Persians attempted to use Scythe Chariots against Alexander the Great, but the weapon made little impression on the disciplined phalanxes.

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