2026 Proposed Amendment - Scythed Chariots

[LawrenceG]

Reading the xenophon account
1) Cyrus sent the cav
2) Cyrus sent the infantry
3) Cyrus sent the camel
4) Cyrus sent the scythed chariot

In that order.

No.

1) Cyrus and his cavalry went first
2) Camels advanced on the other flank, but had a disruptive effect at a great distance before reaching contact.
3a) Cyrus' infantry advance
3b) Artagerses and his "men" fell upon the enemy and at the same moment the chariots charged on left and right.
(we can't tell the order of 3a and 3b)
4) Artagerses cavalry follow up the chariots.

[Rino]

Reading the xenophon account
1) Cyrus sent the cav
2) Cyrus sent the infantry
3) Cyrus sent the camel
4) Cyrus sent the scythed chariot

In that order.

No.

1) Cyrus and his cavalry went first
2) Camels advanced on the other flank, but had a disruptive effect at a great distance before reaching contact.
3a) Cyrus' infantry advance
3b) Artagerses and his "men" fell upon the enemy and at the same moment the chariots charged on left and right.
(we can't tell the order of 3a and 3b)
4) Artagerses cavalry follow up the chariots.

= scythed chariot not front line

[Jilu]

"At the end of any turn in which another friendly UG is closer to enemy rear table edge than the scythed chariots, the scythed chariot unit is withdrawn and removed from the table."

Makes things complicated, as the player cannot even use sugs to outflank or simply screen other parts of the batle line, before  the chariots  advance. thus the chariots must move forwards first and if the sugs doublemove the chariots  might get eliminated.
If the command with the chariots cannot advance due to cards then the whole army cannot advance.

If you want to compel the player to put the chariots forward have the chariots deploy forward 4 MU or 5 MU from the enemy deployment line.

i understand the aim is to avoid using them as reserve. It is more historical, or perhaps gives more the feeling of historical situations.
But then why allow other unhistorical deployments? one can then go to a more Reg-like deployement restriction as a whole.
but that is me ranting.


Also this colorful unit will dissapear, and sadly so as it is a fun type of unit.
Perhaps bolster them to average, unprotected, tribal instead of making a new rule.
it then becomes more combat effective at impact, less so at melee, it will mostly go forwards and will be vunerable to shooting.

[lionheartrjc]

If you want to compel the player to put the chariots forward have the chariots deploy forward 4 MU or 5 MU from the enemy deployment line.

i understand the aim is to avoid using them as reserve.

Tested the idea of deploying the chariots forward.  Just became an effective technique to prevent the enemy double-moving forward.  Also didn't prevent the chariots being wheeled round and moved to a reserve position.  Created many more issues than it solved.

Do you think they will disappear as they will not be worth the points value, or because the restriction makes the unusable?

[nikgaukroger]

There was this alternative option you mentioned:

The other possibility would be "At the end of any turn in which another friendly UG is closer to enemy rear table edge than the scythed chariots and within 10 BW, the scythed chariot unit is withdrawn and removed from the table."

Would mean that it does not restrict a whole battleline.

[Jilu]

Do you think they will disappear as they will not be worth the points value, or because the restriction makes the unusable?

I think both reasons will see them unused

[lionheartrjc]

There was this alternative option you mentioned:

The other possibility would be "At the end of any turn in which another friendly UG is closer to enemy rear table edge than the scythed chariots and within 10 BW, the scythed chariot unit is withdrawn and removed from the table."

Would mean that it does not restrict a whole battleline.

This is the current proposed amendment.

[nikgaukroger]

Of course it is - I confused myself somehow 

[AntiokosIII]

Ok, someone take pity on me as mentally impaired. Someone found a tabletop use for a nearly useless but colorful troop type, and that's...bad.Could you clarify for us idiots? I sincerely doubt that scythed chariots or indeed expendabes of any sort have turned many games around.The only use I ever found for them was using a cattle stampede to slow down enemy foot in the center while my Timurids pushed on the flanks with real troops. It bought perhaps 1-2 turns and did me little good.

Expendable units are in the game for the 'cool' factor.As a mobile reserve they are about as bad as it gets. Let's stop clutching our pearls over unhistorical play, which is very common, and let people play the game as they wish.