The Zhànche Units are special to the Zhou. Unlocked by the Wheel technology in the Ancient Era.
Class and Specialty[]
- Heavy Cavalry
- Fast, hard-hitting mounted Unit able to charge enemies. Receives bonus Combat Strength (+3) if attacking non-adjacent enemies. Unable to climb Fortifications.
- Mandate of Heaven
- Bonus Combat Strength (+3) when Stability is high.
Upgrades into[]
| Culture | Unit | Era | Technology | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carthaginians | War Elephant | Classical Era | Mounted Warfare | 360 |
| Goths | Gothic Cavalry | Classical Era | Mounted Warfare | 90 |
| all | Knights | Medieval Era | Chivalry | 800 |
Trivia[]
- "Zhànche" (戰車) literally means "War Carts" or "War Vehicles" in Chinese; it is the ancient Chinese name of chariots.
Encyclopedia entry[]
Zhànche are horse towed vehicles carrying a crew of two, and help commanders observe and control the battlefield.
In East Asia, the domestication of horses goes back to the fourth millennium BCE. Probably brought to China via Mongolia, horses were first used as draft animals before techniques were developed to break horses in for riding. The oldest chariots discovered in eastern China dated from 1200 BCE, two centuries before the advent of the Zhou Dynasty. The wheels had 18 to 28 spokes and were reinforced with bronze parts. Similarly to those used in the Near East, these were pulled by two horses and carried a team of two people. However, they were first and foremost an instrument of command rather than a vehicle for attacking the enemy. The height and speed they provided made it possible to obtain information and send orders across the battlefield quickly.[1]
- ↑ In-game encyclopedia