Kushite chariot mod

[Tyrannosaurus]

It didn't seem right to me for the Kushites in 0 A.D. to lack a chariot unit (other than the Amanirenas hero unit), considering that they're the closest thing to non-Hellenized Egyptians in the game and chariot archers are so iconic for the Nile Valley civilizations. Ergo, I created a "Noble Chariot Archer" unit that the Kushites can train from the Stable after researching Champion Chariots.

I'm posting it here on request from someone on Reddit.

kushite_chariots.zip

[Arup]

Hi! I'm that someone from reddit

@wowgetoffyourcellphone @Stan` @real_tabasco_sauce can we add this bad boy to the actual game? I think 25th dynasty is the last to use chariots in warfare, right? I can't ping the cool historian man (Geneva55 was his name right?) cus I forgot the username

[Stan`]

cc @Sundiata

 

[Sundiata]

On 4/3/2026 at 8:48 PM, Stan` said:

cc @Sundiata

Hi, guys... Apologies for my absence and late reply...

I randomly saw this post on reddit and decided to check the forum for the topic.

I'm not principally opposed to this idea. I actually like it. But of course I'm biased because I'm the one who created that chariot model in the first place. 

War chariots were certainly used to an extent.

As early as the Classic Kerma Period, prior to the Egyptian occupation, chariots appear in the iconography of Kushite rock art from Lower Nubia dated c. 1750 - 1500 BC., depicting battle scenes, such as the Kushite victory scene at Nag Kolorodna.

As early as 950 BC, after the Egyptian withdrawal from Kush, we find the earliest archaeological evidence of chariotry in the form of a horse burial from Tombos. "Stress on her ribs and spine indicate she wore a chariot harness during her active life."

Especially during the 25th Dynasty, chariotry was important. King Piye for example mentions mounting a chariot during his conquest of Egypt. In his Great Triumphal stele, it is written:

"Off sailed His Majesty northward to the harbor of the Hare Nome.

His Majesty’s coming forth from the cabin of (his) bark,

and mounting on a chariot.

The awesomeness of His Majesty reached the Asiatics,

every heart trembling at him."

"The remains of 24 horses in four graves were found at el-Kurru, with each group consisting of a team for a four-horse chariot. These horses were adorned with decorative and ornate trappings, such as silver plume holders, amulets, and multiple strands of beads. These horses were associated with the four Twenty-Fifth Dynasty Napatan kings: Piankhi (r. 743–712 BC), Shabaka (r. 712–698 BC), Shebitka (r.698–690 BC) and Tanwetamani (r.664–653 BC)."

The actual chariots were unfortunately not, or barely preserved on account of the wood rotting away. But chariots are repeatedly depicted in reliefs of the 25th Dynasty, the Napatan period and the Meroitic period. The latest depiction of a chariot in Kushite art that I'm familiar with is a relief carved into the walls of temple M250, which is associated with battle scenes. It's located in Meroë, and dated to the 1st century BC, Meroitic period:  

 

Unfortunately, most of my visual references are stored on my old laptop which broke down and I currently don't have access to it. 

But fortunately, Isaac Samuel wrote a wonderful and well sourced article on the horsemen and charioteers from the kingdom of Kush:

https://www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/the-knights-of-ancient-nubia-horsemen 

[Arup]

basically, it's a yes from the historical side of the discussion. alright, I'm creating a issue for it