Originating from either Mesopotamia or the steppes of Eurasia around the 3rd millennium BC, the battle-wagon quickly gained favour on the battlefields of Anatolia and Achaea due to its deadly efficiency on open ground. The carriage always drawn by two horses, required one dedicated charioteer, leaving the other warriors on board free to strike at ground units with spears or fire at them using composite bows. The chariot's intimidating size, as well as its high speed and manoeuvrability, made it both the tank and the armoured personnel carrier of its day.