I am kind of new, but not to much. I was playing skirmish last night on hard. When I first started I immetiatly built a farm, a plantation, and a factory(Also I was playing the english, and i was Spainish). Then I built base defenses. I made a wall on the north side and lined it with towers. Almost right after I finished my last block house, I was attacked by a realitively large force.I lost. So before doing it again, I thought about it, then i started again. The same as last time. First thing I do is send all of my villigers to chop trees. Then first shipment I got a town center wagon. Then 3 mins. into the game,I load up all of my men, settlers and sheep, into a ship. I sent the ship to the island that is off of the coast. I collected the treasures, and built a new town center. From there i built a very good economic strong hold on this island.On the side closest to the enemy i built 1 fort and 13 block houses ( Ihave extenseive fortifacation). Then I got spies. After stuiding there set up, and collecting massive amounts of resourses, I sent 2 villigers to the shore. I built 2 barracks were my old town center once stood. There was a fort on the trade route with I figured about 75 units, about 12 of then were cannons, and then 20of them were indian seige mech. So i figured 150 mussketers would win. Wrong. I didnt even kill 1/2 of them, or hurtthe fort. By this time they had attempted to take the island, and they failed, very badly. So I re-evaluated my attack. i realized that they had 80% of there villigers open to attack, and there forces were a distance away, and they were all slow moving. So Built 25 swordsman and 25 hussars. I sent them to kill villigers. Killed 40 of them before there army even got there. i did this same thing about 5 times untill there was no town center, and there was about 3 villigers. Then I had only one thing standing in my way, The fort. It was by this time surronded by 20 cannons and 30 Indians Seige mechs. and a number of men. this is when i truly shined. I sent in a group of 50 men into there, when they ingauged, i slowly reatreated, they followed into the open land near my barracks. In the mean time i hade a ship off of shore wit 20 cannons. I sent them in to take out the fort. there army didnt have time to protect there fort, they were killing my men. So after the fort was dead, i move into the villige with the cannons. I destroyed them. So all that was left of the civilization was there army of about 50, no cannons.So i sent waves of troops untill they collapsed.
I would love to here about your stratigies and great victories, or battles. Thax.