The gigir UU slaps, having a unit that applies suppression in the ancient era is so strong it really can't be stopped until the medieval era or classical era spearman UUs. I didn't think about it much but the EQ outpost replacement healing is very helpful for open field skirmishes since you get so much HP per turn.

I do think that other chariot replacements are pretty bad because of their awkward spot on the teach tree in the ancient era, but the gigir has the punch to stay very relevant. It would be nice to see the Zhou UU get some sort of buff because its pretty underwhelming. Lower production cost would be nice.

there is a lot to say about the Zhou war cart
The strength bonus on the troops is an interesting idea, and would still make it relevant for the next era? I'm not sure in terms of balance, but thematically for the classical era it works.
Also their huge wheel allowed them to ride on rough and steep terrain.
More notable, but after seeing a reportage on this cart, the role of the archer was much more important than the spearman on this cart. They were 3 men on it, but in the instance of humankind, having a second archer chariot with that bonus, would be an interesting shaningan

RedSirus wrote:

Yeah, I never really tried the Hittites until their Battuta-buff (bonus on occupation, bonus on outposts) and I agree, their Gigir is pretty sweet.  Chariots are pretty strong all around, and I dread facing them whenever Independent Peoples use them against me (though IPs get them far earlier than actual Empires do, I agree, so I don't use them myself).

By the numbers, the Zhou chariots are tied with the Gigir as the second highest Combat Strength for an Ancient Era Unit (behind the Egyptians, phew!), and their potential +3CS on high Stability could make them particularly dangerous except for their lateness in the era, as you say; that power lets them (barely) "keep up" into the Classical Era, 

In the real world, the Zhou chariots were apparently used as mobile commanders' platforms as well as for direct battle; I don't think we'll see a change to the unit any time soon, but as long as we're brainstorming ideas, I think it might be neat if the presence of the Zhou chariot granted a +1 or +2 (non-stacking) bonus on all units in your army if your empire's stability is high.

I think this is a great idea, +1 or +2 is a noticeable power boost in the ancient era. It would interesting also given Narcisse's comment if the Zhou UU got the cliff climber trait. It would look silly in game and wouldn't make much sense unless you had the background knowledge, but I think it would be a fun change from a gameplay perspective