War Chariot
CavalryBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
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War Chariot
CastleThe coach's briefing
Commander, the War Chariot is Shu's mobile ranged platform. With 6 range and 8 attack, it's essentially a mounted crossbowman. At 0.9 speed it's slower than cavalry archers, but the high damage output compensates. Use War Chariots for ranged harassment and kiting. They excel against slow infantry and siege.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
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Your coach names the counters during the match — not once the game is over.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
Mobile ranged cavalry platform
Tactical Playbook
Ranged Harassment
6 range allows hit-and-run tactics. Kite infantry and siege while dealing consistent damage.
Anti-Infantry
High damage output shreds slow infantry. Champions and Halberdiers can't catch you.
Siege Sniper
Use mobility to position behind enemy lines and snipe siege weapons.
Critical Point
Expensive at 65F/90G. Skirmishers counter you hard. Avoid massed anti-archer units.
Understanding The Stats
War Chariots are expensive but powerful ranged cavalry. They dominate open maps where mobility matters.
Ranged Attack
High damage for a ranged unit
Good Range
Outranges most units
Decent HP
Can take some hits before falling
Slower Speed
Slower than cavalry archers but still mobile
Coach's Tip
65 HP with no armor is fragile. Stay at max range and never let enemies close the gap.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| No damage bonus: this unit deals the same damage to every target. | |
Armor Classes
Cavalry
Takes heavy bonus damage from Pikemen/Halberdiers and Camels.
Unique Unit
Vulnerable to units with bonus damage vs this class.
Key Upgrades
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The War Chariot is the Shu unique Siege Cavalry, a 65-food/90-gold ranged unit with 65 HP, 8 attack, 0/5 armor, 6 range, 0.9 speed and 8 line of sight. The official help describes rapid fire, a long reload, a barrage mode with more area and less accuracy, and no attack at close range. Its strong category is Ranged Soldiers; its weak categories are Cavalry and Siege Weapons. The game places it with Shu, not the broader beta availability written in the derived unit record. This is a specialist siege body: valuable when it keeps distance, fragile when a fight becomes a normal melee engagement.
History & balance
The War Chariot gives Shu a siege identity that moves with the cavalry roster. Its two firing modes create a clear design choice: focused fire for a priority target, or barrage when the opponent is grouped and accuracy matters less. The official help also preserves a hard boundary by removing close-range attacks and imposing a long reload. Shu bonuses to Siege Weapons and Siege Warships moving faster, plus the civilization's ranged-and-siege identity, make the Chariot part of a coordinated army rather than a lone raider. It is a pressure unit whose design asks the player to manage distance, mode and reload instead of simply issuing an attack command.
In pro play
Use War Chariots behind a screen and choose the firing mode before the fight. Focus Fire is the safe default for a priority unit; Barrage fits several targets on one approach when lower accuracy is acceptable. Six range and 0.9 speed give room to work, but the long reload means every volley needs a purpose. Shu can pair Chariots with Spearman-line units that hold Cavalry away, then reposition after each firing cycle. Avoid narrow chases and never let the Chariots become the front line. Their best timing is a prepared attack against ranged armies or fixed positions where the opponent cannot immediately reach the firing body.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is answering War Chariots with Archers and letting rapid fire dictate the trade. The official help gives the categories: strong versus Ranged Soldiers, weak versus Cavalry and Siege Weapons. Pikemen have +22 versus Cavalry and Camel Riders +9, so both can close on the mounted body and punish its inability to attack at close range. Mangonels and Onagers add the siege answer when Chariots clump. Approach from several angles, force a reload and commit. If you keep losing to War Chariots without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.