Before chariots, armies had used carts and wagons drawn by horses.
But these were, slow, clumsy vehicles with solid wheels and fixed axles.
They were used only to transport wealthy warriors to and from the battlefield, not to take part in the fighting.
Chariots changed that.
Their light carriage and spoked wheels made them fast and maneuverable,
allowing for dashing missile attacks and could even frighten undisciplined troops into a rout.
War chariots were introduced around 2000 BCE but became common only about four centuries later.
Then they revolutionized warfare.
Peoples like the Hittites in Anatolia, the Hyksos in Egypt, and the Shang in China,
all armed with chariots, overran all others and established new states ruled by chariot-driving elites.
Light chariots carried one driver and one warrior, either an archer or a spearman.
Heavier chariots, common in China, carried an additional warrior, armed with a polearm or also a bow.
Some of these vehicles had scythe-blades mounted on their wheels, which whirled around during driving, with the potential of slicing through anyone who came too near.
But despite their potential as formation-breaking devices, the vast majority of chariots were light mobile missile platforms.
Besides being effective on the battlefield, chariots were of course dashing prestige weapons, coveted by every warrior.
Chariots were eventually overtaken by true cavalry, with warriors mounted on horseback.
Horsemen could travel through rough terrain, which chariots could not.
Also heavy infantry developed solid formations of armor, shields and spears, which could withstand chariot charges,
and it was discovered that a few cheap warriors armed with javelins could seriously harm charioteers.
Still these vehicles kept being used for centuries as command platforms, in hunting and as items of prestige and power.
War Matrix - War chariot
Late Bronze Age 1600 BCE - 1100 BCE, Weapons and technology