Scythed Chariots

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Hey RTW MP players,

I've often heard unhappiness and outrage over the overuse of chariot archers and horse archers, not least in my own tourney. Those are understandable. Put them on skirmisher mode, cantabrian circle, and then they are almost undefeatable. But I have never heard any complaints about scythed chariots. I would just like to hear the opinion of everyone, so is this "silence" about scythed chariots because of:

1. They are perfectly fine because they don't have a skirmirsher mode nor missiles
2. They are acceptable, but too many of them are still too annoying
3. They are as bad as or worse than the chariot archers and horse archers

[Doctor]

I can't vote yet since I do not have the right amount of posts, but I find scythed chariots to be terrible at best. For they come with an easily applied remedy called fire arrows, which cause them to rout easily. I just don't find them to be a threat compared to Egyptian chariot archers.

[Made-in-the-uk]

depends, if your against a faction with archers theyre pretty weak, against a faction without archers theyre pretty awesome.

[Xavier Dragnesi]

In accordance with Made-in-the-Uk's comment, add on the condition that there are 3 archers in your army to face the chariots.

[Made-in-the-uk]

you can get them to run amok with one archer in about 3 volleys, sycthes suck if theres archers (or pigs )

[Doctor]

Sometimes your opponent will have 2 or 3 units, so when one runs amok they will run into each other cause the rest to run amok. Even slingers can get them to run amok after a few volleys.

[Legio]

In a test of mine, ine single unit of Carthaginian peasants killed around one and a half units of scythed chariots before routing.
It was 1 peasants against 3 chariot units.

[Made-in-the-uk]

well in an online battle 4 scyhed chazzas ripped up 4 armenian legeionaires then the archers got em to run amok

[General Nuisance esq]

Scythies are fine to use because unlike chariot archers they are very beatable

If you are using scythies you MUST win the archer war as their big enemy is that most common of units archers (on fire arrow mode) scythies really do rout very quickly to fire arrows

Used properly they can be deadly against infrantry and cavalry and if they rout behind enemy lines they continue to cause havoc, but they are a high risk strategy

Chariot archers on their own cause havoc
Scythies need enemy archers neutralised before they cause havoc

[GeneralChaos]

Scythed chariots fit into the rock/paper/scissors mold where they have effective counters, whereas barbarian warlords and egyptian chariots have no real counters.

Scythed chariots can do quite a bit of damage, but they run amok fairly easily. The other chariots (ones which cannot go amok) have no real weakness unless they charge right into a phalanx.

Also, I never knew that pigs could incite them, but it makes sense... Hmmm..

[Al Merko]

I think its not fair that scythed chariots run amok but egyptian/britans don't. There is no logic in that. Do those chariots use some special breed of horses? Alien like I guess.

But obviously CA finds Easterns stupid:
Scythed chariot driver: Hi I am looking for some horses for my chariot.
Horse merchant: Ooo, Amok horse is for you then. They are uber cool!
Scythed chariot driver: Thx man!

You get the idea.

[_TubbZ_]

Pigs don't Amok Scythies...

They are very powerful units and if you can get rid of the enemy counters or even catch them un aware then scythies are good. But they take alot of patience to use properly, just like other amok one hit wonder units.

[Oman]

Yeah, i love scythed chars. So deadly, yet so fragile. A few volleys of arrows or stones can decimate them, but if they get in amongst enemy horses they usually win you the game.

[Made-in-the-uk]

if you leave scythies on their own out of archers range they run amok because theyre scared of being alone

[Xavier Dragnesi]

Never seen that happen.

[Selifator]

I say bring them. They are a random weapon and add to the chaos of battle. Blood for the blood god!

[Doctor]

I just used them in a battle online a few minutes ago and I have somewhat a change of heart(I still won't use them often). They can be useful for flanking, but the window to use them tends to be a small one. Archers first have to be neutralized and if you do then you can use them, but chances are the battle has almost come to it's climax.

I say bring them. They are a random weapon and add to the chaos of battle. Blood for the blood god!

But carnage is always a good thing

[Legio]

Well in vanilla I do not like them. But in SPQR they are gods, two units of armenian scythed chariots routed eight thracian militia hoplites

[Eccentric]

I use em for one thing, slaughtering cavalry!
keep em back away from archers, if your opponent is aggressive he'll make a move with his cavalry soon, giving you a chance to nail em, remember, they are suidcide(sp?) machines, if you see that you can destroy his cavalry even if it means death for your chariots in the process, go for it, if your enemy doesn't have cavalry, then they(enemy) are screwed anyway , no seriously though you should have some cavalry your self so they probably would be screwed
if he isn't aggressive, then you move your inf and archers and start the normal(boring) archer vs archer thing, and whittle down his archers and missile units. oh, and on a side note, they pwn all other chariots, cause when they rout, they do extra damage (to my experience anyways)
also they are great for their fear affect, when an opponent sees your chariots running amok, he'll probably be much more worried then if they aren't lol.

EDIT: Almost every battle is used them in, all of them were routing, running amok, and almost all dead very quickly, but by then, so was my opponent

[Doctor]

EDIT: Almost every battle is used them in, all of them were routing, running amok, and almost all dead very quickly, but by then, so was my opponent

Yah they have a knack for death, whether your opponents or your own.