As I promised. A few disclaimers first:
-I apologize to anyone who tries to solve this on their own. It is possible to get a better time than 2700BC (you can get 2800BC) so you still have a chance to best this how-to
-I can't promise that this works on xbox. I did this on PS3, I don't knonw if the random seed is 100% identical, I would assume it is.
-If you don't follow the guide 100% I cant guarantee a win. The slightest changes will change the odds. For example:
Scenario A
You switch from galley production to cossack production ASAP. later this game your warrior, when attacking barbs loses 1 guy
Scenario B
You switch to cossack production a turn later after you could've done it. later this game your warrior, when attacking barbs, doesn't lose any health.
-Knowing this strat will not necessarily help with next weeks maps. There are some common tricks, but all of those have been discussed on the forum elsewhere. Its about executing those tricks and analyzing the map for the optimal route
-If there is a typo in here let me know, especially if it causes you not to win

Here it is:
4000 BC
• Set research to HBR
• Set production to galley
• Set workers to all hammers
• Move WarriorA 1S
3900 BC
• Move WarriorA 1S
3800 BC
• Move WarriorA 1SE to pop hut (gives HBR)
• DO NOT SELECT ANOTHER TECH TO RESEARCH, just back out with cancel button. Never select a research from here on out
• Switch production to Cossack
3700 BC
• MUST DO IN THIS ORDER
• Switch workers in Moscow to all gold. They will stay on gold for remainder of game
• Move WarriorA SE (gets landmark)
• Rush CossackA
• Move CossackA 2E
3600 BC
• Move CossackA 2E
• Move WarriorA 1NE
3500 BC
• Warrior attack barbs to east
• Move Cossack 2NE to pop hut (gives SettlersA)
• Move SettlersA 1SE (gets landmark) and 1E
3400 BC
• Warrior attack barbs to east to earn SettlersB
• Move SettlersB 1E and 1NE
• Move SettlersA 2SE
• Move CossackA 1SE 1E
3300 BC
• Move Cossack A 2SE
• Move SettlersA 1E 1SE to pop hut (gives 25g)
• Move SettlersB 2E
• Sell WarriorA
3200 BC
• Move SettlersB 1SE 1SW
• Move CossackA 2E
• Move SettlersA 1SE 1E
3100 BC
• Move CossackA 1NE (gets landmark) 1N
• Move SettlersA 2SE
• Move SettlersB 1SW 1S
3000 BC
• Move CossackA 2W to attack China and win
• Set Beijing workers to all gold
• Move SettlersA 1E and settle CityA
• Set workers to all gold in CityA
• Rush CossackB from CityA
• Move CossackB 2SE
• Move SettlersB 1SE and settle CityB
• Set workers to all gold in CityB
• Rush CossackC from CityB
• Move CossackC 1SE and 1E to occupy unoccupied Kyoto
• Set workers to all gold in Kyoto
2900 BC
• Sell CossackA and CossackC
• Rush CossackD from CityA
• Move CossackD 1NE 1E to attack America and win
• Move CossackB 2S
2800 BC
• Move CossackB 2SE to attack Arabia and win
• All Palaces captured
2700 BC
• Win.


As I said, 2800BC is possible, I've done it a few times (didnt register on leaderboards though :( ). It does require a fairly significant change of above strat. I challenge you to figure it out :P

Wow. Well done, and simple, once you've done all the hard work of figuring it out. I'm impressed. I certainly wasn't thinking along those lines and I'm sorry if I sounded incredulous in other threads.

I certainly can see now how trying to solve a new puzzle like this one every week can be fun, even at (or maybe especially at) a low AI level like Chieftain, a level where I normally wouldn't want to play in regular games.

By the way, I just tried this on the 360, where everything works out exactly the same way. I stopped short of winning the last battle, because I don't want to post this result as mine.

Thanks a lot for this walkthrough.

Edited to add that it's interesting that because you apparently can't sell units on the DS version, this strategy wouldn't work there (at least, not in exactly the same way, since you'd have to wait a bit longer before you can rush cossacks). There goes the idea that you can polish off your GOTW strategy on the run and then come home to win it...

Mine was slightly different. I built two horsemen out of Moscow and still got the 2700 BC. Can't figure out how to get it at 2800 BC yet.

Thats cool that there were different ways to get 2700BC. Glad to know there isn't an ULTIMATE solution to a good time (maybe for the BEST time).

Thats cool that there were different ways to get 2700BC. Glad to know there isn't an ULTIMATE solution to a good time (maybe for the BEST time).

Yeah, definitely cool that there are several ways. And so that people know that I'm not fibbing I'll give a little rundown since we are all giving out our secrets.

I followed exactly what Sigmakan posted but instead of immediately after his first horsemen left moscow changing his workers to gold I left them on production for my next horse.

I sent my horse to the goody hut in the NE and got 25 gold (not the settler that Sig got) which was enough to rush my next horse out of moscow. I then switched Moscow's production to gold. All cities from here out are set to gold to ensure that I can rush horses from every city.

First horse headed SE picking up the goody hut along the way which resulted in a settler. Then headed for America.

Second horse went directly to China.

First settler that I got from the barbarian hut followed Sigmakan's strat of settling next to Japan.

Second settler headed towards the Aztecs and settled by him. Rushed a horse and took them out for the win.

I finish in the year 2800 BC but it shows up as 2700 BC. I guess when you get a domination victory it counts as the next year rather than the one that you took out the other civs in.

The most important thing is to be sure you get the most out of all of your moves. For example:

Always move your settlers one space in the direction you are headed and then settle their city, never settle at the start of your turn. To give you and idea, if I use my horse to pop a hut on his second move which results in a settler who I move one space and start a city. I then rush a horse and move two more spaces. I have now moved 5 spaces in one turn.

Its with that idea that I think its theoretically possible to get a 2900BC win here, just cant get the gold to add up to make it happen. Had a plan to go 6 spaces in 1 turn, but just cant pull it off.

Awesome :eek:

First off, awesome job! I never thought it was possible. Missed the gold production thing...

Now to my question. How would you go about at King or higher? Whatever I do this first barb village south gives me Alphabet and not Horse Riding which I get a few turns later at the goody hut SE.

The problem is get no settlers whatsoever on king or higher. I also tried to move my first settler a few squares before starting the first city.

Anyway, there obviously is a viable strategy as there are scores around 2500 BC. Any hint greatly appreciated.

And once again awesome job for sharing your knowledge and not keeping it to you. Kudos...

Its with that idea that I think its theoretically possible to get a 2900BC win here, just cant get the gold to add up to make it happen. Had a plan to go 6 spaces in 1 turn, but just cant pull it off.

Yeah, i was trying to accomplish the same type of move involving 2 settlers, 2cities and 2 horses.

First off, awesome job! I never thought it was possible. Missed the gold production thing...

Now to my question. How would you go about at King or higher? Whatever I do this first barb village south gives me Alphabet and not Horse Riding which I get a few turns later at the goody hut SE.

The problem is get no settlers whatsoever on king or higher. I also tried to move my first settler a few squares before starting the first city.

Anyway, there obviously is a viable strategy as there are scores around 2500 BC. Any hint greatly appreciated.

And once again awesome job for sharing your knowledge and not keeping it to you. Kudos...

This is my first time being successful in figuring out how to accomplish this fast of a victory but I have not given the more difficult settings a good attempt yet. I will probably do so with next weeks game. I am pretty confident, however, that you can get settlers from barbs and huts, it's just about figuring out the patterns of the AI.

To answer my own question (brings me around 2000 bc on Deity):

1) DONT settle your settler first go E and settle right next to the barbs.
2) City on full production. Make warrior. A militia forms automatic.
3) Go NE WITH THE MILITA to the goody hut. It will give you horse riding. (after that sell it for gold)
4) On the same turn you reach the hut your warrior is finished. Wipe out the barbs on the square right east of Moscow. it only takes one movement. This gives you 40 gold which lets you rush your Horseman.
5) Set city to gold. Go straight with your horseman to Bejing. Although the Chinese warrior is strength 2,5 you will win the fight and the city every time. YOu also get auto upgraded as you defeated a stronger opponent.

6) use your first warrior to go south for the barb, and goody hut (fter that sell it for gold)

7) Once you take Bejing I have not optimised my strategy. I assume one should what for the free settler at 200 (or 250 cant remember). This shouod only take 2-3 turns. Anyway maybe someone can optimize it from here.

Cheers!

-I can't promise that this works on xbox. I did this on PS3, I don't knonw if the random seed is 100% identical, I would assume it is.

Seems quite identical, Mine's XB. Thanks for the guide, now I can see that critical concept I've been missing, getting the discovery gold .Such a simple thing, but if you walk by them it's a quite a bit of gold. Thanks for improving my game.:)

3700 BC
• MUST DO IN THIS ORDER
• Switch workers in Moscow to all gold. They will stay on gold for remainder of game
• Move WarriorA SE (gets landmark)
• Rush CossackA
• Move CossackA 2E

somewhere right there things didnt add up for me. maybe i pulled a stupid somewhere along here but i switched to all gold. moved my warrior and got the landmark (10 washingtons) and then i went to rush cossack ... but 10 dollars isnt enough to rush it. so i failed :(

Nice to see that the random seed is preserved and that people will play this game 50 times in a week just to optimize every single move. Makes the game seem so much more fun.

somewhere right there things didnt add up for me. maybe i pulled a stupid somewhere along here but i switched to all gold. moved my warrior and got the landmark (10 washingtons) and then i went to rush cossack ... but 10 dollars isnt enough to rush it. so i failed :(

I had the same problem playing on the Xbox 360. I tried it about 3 times following the instructions exactly too.

I haven't tested it, but the math works out to you being able to rush the cossack for 10 gold at that point (3 hammers invested in 4000BC, 7 hammers invested in 3900BC, 11 hammers invested in 3800BC, 15 hammers invested in 3900 BC which means you are 5 hammers short which will cost 10 gold to rush.

Are you not switching all your workers to forests right away?

I had the same problem playing on the Xbox 360. I tried it about 3 times following the instructions exactly too.

I don't know what you missed but I can tell you that the entire thing worked for me on a 360, so it should work for you too.