I've been working on my Bronze Age armies for Hail Caesar and hit one of those familiar Bronze Age classification problems: chariot types.
Most ruleset discussions split chariots into two broad categories, usually Light and Heavy. The usual shorthand is:
Light = missile platform (harassment, javelins, archery)
Heavy = shock/melee platform (close combat, impact role)
That works well enough for Egyptian and Near Eastern systems in most cases.
The issue comes with Mycenaean chariots.
From the archaeological and iconographic evidence (including Dendra armour and weapon depictions), Mycenaean chariot crews do not appear to be missile troops in the same way as Egyptian or later Near Eastern models. Instead, they seem to be built around a close combat role, with the main warrior fighting from the chariot using a long spear.
So the question becomes:
Are Mycenaean chariots really "Light chariots" just because they are two crew, two-horse vehicles or are they functionally "Heavy" because their combat role is direct shock engagement?
In other words, should classification be based on:
vehicle/system mobility, or
battlefield function (missile vs melee role)?
Personally, I'm leaning toward function. In which case Mycenaean chariots sit much closer to a shock/heavy role, even if they appear lighter in construction and crew than 3-man Hittite-style chariots.
Interested to hear how others here handle this in their rules or armies, especially those using Hail Caesar or similar Bronze Age systems.
discovers a lost dinosaur.
