Germany has many problems, but one of the good things is the certain certainties. Most of the time, for example you will be rushed. Why? Because Germany is slow and has weak age 2 units. That's why I came up with this, a nice little way for Germany to defend themselves.

The goal of this strat is to beat your enemy's rush by using outlaws. The best outlaws used for this are Pistoleros (musketeer kinda guys) and Renegados (skirms without hit-and-run). Comancheros are only good against cavalry and artillery (which noone uses to rush) and pirates are strong against cavalry (see comancheros). pirates also loose to rodeleros, and in that case you're better of using pistoleros.

As a result of this, you can't use this strat on maps without either of these two outlaws. Those maps are (thank you Cyclohexane):

- Caribbean (Pirate)
- Hispaniola (Pirate)
- Patagonia (Pirate, Comanchero)
- Saguenay (Pirate, Comanchero)

On these maps, you will have to find another way out of the misery called German colonial. Now, on to the strat(NOTE: Only use this strat when you know you're being rushed. You don't want to beat fortress units with outlaws.):

Necessary cards:
-2 Settler Wagons (I)
-Palatine Settlements +2 Uhlans(II)
-3 Settler Wagons +2 Uhlans(II)
-9 Crossbowmen +2 Uhlans(II)
-Minimum level: 40 (for quartermaster politician)

Reccommended cards:
-Fencing School
-Dance Halls
-5 Uhlan
-Some nice age 3 military shipments, including mercs

Build order

Age I:
- gather crates, hunt animals, ship 2 SW when possible. Age up with 6/7 vills (and 5 SWs).
- While aging, put all SWs on gold, half the vills on wood, keep the rest on food. Age up with 400 wood. Build as many houses as you can get.

Age II:
- Ship Palatine Settlements as soon as you arrive. send your wood vills to collect the crates and build 2 more houses and a saloon (behind your TC).
-Continue to make settlers.
-If the enemy comes early, use minutemen to fight them off. Garrison some vills, but keep your Settler Wagons out collecting gold (somewhere out of sight preferably).
-When your saloon is up, have 5 vills on food, 3 on wood, and the rest on gold. use the food to buy non-stop vills.
-Buy some outlaws. preferably more. Use them to fight off the enemy.
-When your next shipment arrives, you can choose between 3 SW (when things are going easy and you want to boost your eco), or 9 xbows (when you need some extra military.

And you're off! If all things went well, you should now have some decent defense force. Because of the pistolero's musk-like nature you might even want to go on a counter-offensive! You can also ship fencing school for making those outlaws come faster (due to one saloon build limit), 5 Uhlans against abus guns.

Or you can age up and use your spare gold for merc shipments, or even buying them from the saloon!

I hope this has been a nice read, and that it helps all you German players on this forum (not many, I think). And remember: Nothing gives a better laugh then outlaws in a Western showdown with crossbowmen!

EDIT: Recorded game available!

[This message has been edited by Mediolanus (edited 02-08-2007 @ 05:21 AM).]