Hello, as I mainly play with French (that's just because I highly admire Napoleon), I decided to write down the strategy I use with the most success, after smoothing it almost perfectly from the mathematical point of view.
Beginning - Age I
1. 2CbD on most near hunt; the other 3CbD must gather the food crates (each on a separate crate). After clicking to train first CbD - ASAP -, move 2 of those 3CbD to wood crate, collect it and build a market immediately, then put them to the nearest tree. Gather all crates with that left CbD, but leave 50 coin on the floor (you will gather that later) and move that CbD on nearest tree (so 3CbD gather wood, the rest gather food).
2. as soon as you make 50w, research Hunting Dogs.
3. as soon as you make 100w, switch those 3CbD to food and exactly in the same moment, build with a CbD that's gathering food 1xHouse.
4. research Gang Saw just before clicking to train 14th CbD.
5. age with the politician that gives you 400w.
*try to gather from maximum 3 dead animals at this point, so you won't waste food later.
Transition: I-II
1. just after you hit to age up, move 11CbD to wood (the goal is to gather 450w); you should use 1/2 of those 3CbD that are gathering food for hearding purposes.
2. send hero to TP (preferably the one closer to your opponent, but not the closest!)
3. as soon as you make 250w, build that TP (it important to have the hero in position)
4. as soon as you make 75w research Placer Mines.
5. gather more 125w.
6. you should be almost aged up; switch 9 out of 11CbD to coin, then the 2 left sent close to TC, to gather the incoming 400w.
Age II ~ 4:30
1. send 4CbD Card
2. start gathering the 400w
3. build a Stable - ASAP - with 2CbD that are gathering food; then back to food; after stable is build, train 5xHussar in one batch; your 3rd shipment should be available now, send 3xHussar Card.
4. build 2xHouse with 1CbD that is gathering food; then back to food.
5. as soon as you gather 125c, switch 4 of those 9CbD that are gathering coin to food.
*step 3, 4 & 5 should be done in the same time (as possible).
6. your CbD should be gathering LIKE THIS: 9 on food -6 on coin, then 12f-8c, then 15+f-10c. (you get to those numbers as evenly distributed as you can get)
7. by 6:30 you should have 8xHussars (they usually come simultaneously if training and sending the shipment is done at the same time);
IMPORTANT! Those 8xHussars are essential for your success. Now, the mathematics makes room for skill, concentration and ability to multitask. You MUST raid your opponent. Try picking as many of his villagers as possible without loosing any hussar. Dance around his base, don't let him think of attacking you home, make him chase your hussars around his base with his army (if he has any). It is essential that you are the opressor.
8. send your 4th shipment as soon as it comes, 700 coin Card; after it comes, send 3/4 of those 10CbD gathering coin to get that 700c, and the rest send to food. (it is YOUR duty to see how much food and coin you have and MANAGE to distribute those CbD from the coin mine as good as possible to make 1200f and 1000c for age upsimultaneously).
9. you should have 25CbD before clicking to age up with the FAST politician.
Transition: II-III
1. your CbD should be gathering like so: 2-wood (these 2 have to be as close to TC as possible), 13-coin ,10 -food.
Age III ~ 8:30
1. send 700 wood Card (you will gather this with those 2CbD from wood).
2. queue 1xDragoon, when almost finished, make it 5.
3. build a Barrack and 4-5 houses.
4. queue 1xSkirmisher, when almost finished, make it 5.
5. preserve the gathering ratio: put 3CbD to gather wood, and even the rest between food and coin (having 2/3/4 more on coin).
6. next shipment must be 2 cannons Card.
*continue to train skirms and dragoons (3:2).
If the enemy does not manage to attack you (because of those Hussars who hopefully are still alive and doing some harrasing), you should have, by 13:00 an army like this: 20-25-30 skirms, 20 dragoons and 2 cannons. (I personally did manage to get 30-20-2 in 13 min)
From this point, the game pass off differently, depending on skill and tactic. My deck often contains 1000w, just 2 economic cards (the one with 15% food from mills, hunts, etc. and the one with 20% coin from mines & plantations), the 2 factories, some of the military upgrade cards (the TEAM one's are a must) and the rest is filled up with military units, mostly skirms + cuirassiers/dragoons.
*CbD should be trained without interruption, the whole game! (hotkey T then V is really usefull)
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As most of you probably noticed, I didn't mentioned anything done with your hero and scout. That is because I consider this to be the "side" game. Any resource you may obtain through it can be very useful in getting thing done more quickly (eg. finding 120w; you substract that from the 450w goal, and it remains just 330w to gather, so you can move CbD more quickly to food/coin, shaving off 120/(0.63*3)seconds of gathering wood.).
Also, I sometimes age up to Colonial with 13 CbD, when I feel like those Hussars should come somehow quicker (often when playing against a player whom I suspect might be rushing or be agressive).
1. 2CbD on most near hunt; the other 3CbD must gather the food crates (each on a separate crate). After clicking to train first CbD - ASAP -, move 2 of those 3CbD to wood crate, collect it and build a market immediately, then put them to the nearest tree. Gather all crates with that left CbD, but leave 50 coin on the floor (you will gather that later) and move that CbD on nearest tree (so 3CbD gather wood, the rest gather food).
2. as soon as you make 50w, research Hunting Dogs.
3. as soon as you make 100w, switch those 3CbD to food and exactly in the same moment, build with a CbD that's gathering food 1xHouse.
4. research Gang Saw just before clicking to train 14th CbD.
5. age with the politician that gives you 400w.
*
1. just after you hit to age up, move 11CbD to wood (the goal is to gather 450w); you should use 1/2 of those 3CbD that are gathering food for hearding purposes.
2. send hero to TP (preferably the one closer to your opponent, but not the closest!)
3. as soon as you make 250w, build that TP (it important to have the hero in position)
4. as soon as you make 75w research Placer Mines.
5. gather more 125w.
6. you should be almost aged up; switch 9 out of 11CbD to coin, then the 2 left sent close to TC, to gather the incoming 400w.
1. send 4CbD Card
2. start gathering the 400w
3. build a Stable - ASAP - with 2CbD that are gathering food; then back to food; after stable is build, train 5xHussar in one batch; your 3rd shipment should be available now, send 3xHussar Card.
4. build 2xHouse with 1CbD that is gathering food; then back to food.
5. as soon as you gather 125c, switch 4 of those 9CbD that are gathering coin to food.
*
6. your CbD should be gathering LIKE THIS: 9 on food -6 on coin, then 12f-8c, then 15+f-10c. (you get to those numbers as evenly distributed as you can get)
7. by 6:30 you should have 8xHussars (they usually come simultaneously if training and sending the shipment is done at the same time);
8. send your 4th shipment as soon as it comes, 700 coin Card; after it comes, send 3/4 of those 10CbD gathering coin to get that 700c, and the rest send to food. (it is YOUR duty to see how much food and coin you have and MANAGE to distribute those CbD from the coin mine as good as possible to make 1200f and 1000c for age up
9. you should have 25CbD before clicking to age up with the FAST politician.
1. your CbD should be gathering like so: 2-wood (these 2 have to be as close to TC as possible), 13-coin ,10 -food.
1. send 700 wood Card (you will gather this with those 2CbD from wood).
2. queue 1xDragoon, when almost finished, make it 5.
3. build a Barrack and 4-5 houses.
4. queue 1xSkirmisher, when almost finished, make it 5.
5. preserve the gathering ratio: put 3CbD to gather wood, and even the rest between food and coin (having 2/3/4 more on coin).
6. next shipment must be 2 cannons Card.
*continue to train skirms and dragoons (3:2).
If the enemy does not manage to attack you (because of those Hussars who hopefully are still alive and doing some harrasing), you should have, by 13:00 an army like this: 20-25-30 skirms, 20 dragoons and 2 cannons. (I personally did manage to get 30-20-2 in 13 min)
From this point, the game pass off differently, depending on skill and tactic. My deck often contains 1000w, just 2 economic cards (the one with 15% food from mills, hunts, etc. and the one with 20% coin from mines & plantations), the 2 factories, some of the military upgrade cards (the TEAM one's are a must) and the rest is filled up with military units, mostly skirms + cuirassiers/dragoons.
*CbD should be trained without interruption, the whole game! (hotkey T then V is really usefull)
----------------------------------------
As most of you probably noticed, I didn't mentioned anything done with your hero and scout. That is because I consider this to be the "side" game. Any resource you may obtain through it can be very useful in getting thing done more quickly (eg. finding 120w; you substract that from the 450w goal, and it remains just 330w to gather, so you can move CbD more quickly to food/coin, shaving off 120/(0.63*3)seconds of gathering wood.).
Also, I sometimes age up to Colonial with 13 CbD, when I feel like those Hussars should come somehow quicker (often when playing against a player whom I suspect might be rushing or be agressive).
[This message has been edited by stefavut (edited 01-04-2018 @ 06:02 AM).]