Hi again,

I am getting better and trying to put into practice some of the tips in threads such as the ALCs and the various cookbooks. In the Nobles Bullpen thread, blitzkrieg1980 suggested I try Alexander for his PHI/AGG and his early UU and UB.

I started a new game tonight and now seek advice - I am playing Epic, Continents, Temperate.

This is my start area and resources etc.
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/8738/civ4screenshot0009mh3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Turn Summary: I started a Work boat (for Clams), started Mining, moved Scouts S and met Isabella on turn 2!

Damn I thought, she's close - Maybe I can axe her!

Turn 3 popped Pottery from a tribal village. :goodjob:

Turn 8 met Mansa Musa

Turn 9 started Agriculture research

Turn 11 Buddism FIDL

Turn 19 Finished Boat, started Worker, started BW research.

Turn 20 Met Willam van Oranje

Turn 21 Hinduism FIDL (the Dutch)

Turn 23 Met Ragnar :rolleyes:

Turn 31 Finished Worker, started Warrior

Turn 33 BW complete, Started AH research - got the whip out
Copper appears in Athens

Turn 35 Popped Mysticism from a Tribal hut

Turn 36 Started settler, whipped warrior

Turn 40 completed farm in Athens moved worker to Copper

Turn 43 AH complete - stared Archery research
Horses pop 1 square SW of my cultural border...

Turn 46 Mansa Musa converts to slavery

Turn 48 Mine complete - start road to Athens

Turn 50 Archery complete (start Writing but that can change)

Turn 51 Settler complete - start Barracks.

So my questions are:

Where should the Settler go?
Should I continue with Writing research or go with something else?
Should I Axe rush Isabella or Ragnar?
Should I continue with the barracks (copper not available til road is done - so no axemen yet).

Is it better to have to pop grow (back up to 3) in 4 turns and the barracks take 14, or have the pop grow in 8 and have the barracks in 4 turns? My instinct says option 2. All I need to MM is move the white circle from the clams (4F 2C) to the mine (6P) as the mine is on a 2 hammer hill - the other white circle stays on the corn (6F 1C).

Diplomatically Ragnar is the worst enemy of everyone.

On the map above, Isabella is S of me the area with the blacked out L with copper 1 sq to her east.

Ragnar is to the N - you can see the purple rice.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help.

This is not an axe rush situation, this is a build a lot of settlers situation. No Rax, just invest hammers in a Granary or Axes until size.. 4? maybe? Whenever you can build a setttler in a decent time.

Where to settle?

The game is suggesting 1S of the horses which will give me three freshwater grasslands for farms but no hammer tiles OR 2S1E of the Eastern copper on the lake which would share the 1 of the clams with London and give more copper and a nana.

I'm drawn by the wheat, wine and copper to the NW, but if I settle there I have no irrigation for the wheat ever and I miss the fish and clams. If I go for the fish, clams and wheat, Copper is not in the BFC (although it will partially block Ragnar).

Everything West of the Horses is Jungle and I am hoping that is a peninsula I can back fill.

I have no idea what it East - I suspect the Dutch and/or the Malinese.

Are you saying I don't have to worry about Isabella or Ragnar?

I dont see Isabella on the map... meeting on turn 2 suggest very close... Ragnar is that lila rice to the North ? It's definitely to far too rush

From what i see i am with Quotey - there is a lot of good land around you. Plant a few good cities (grabing places that have nice ressources + good food situation first.) If you can chocke of Ragnar and/or Isabella from expanding its fine, but dont settle to Aggressively vs. Ragnar - he's esily annoyed.

Isabella is about 9 squares to the S - the blacked out L shape in the middle of the Pigs, copper, gold and corn.

An early rush?? Why are you building a barracks?? Its not needed really. You have a copper resource and lots of food to whip/build axes. Barbs will help training troops up. Numbers alone should win the city.

I would head up north to RHS of lake for the copper. (3square east 2 north of Athens securing banana too. Then you have 2 axemen making cities. (No food resources i know) The plus to securing the second copper it takes you towards the Ai just above you and you can start pumping axes.

You do have fish, clams and corn or copper and clams on the other side of the lake and lots of forest to chop. Although producing 1-2 workboats will slow an axe rush down.

Anyway I think you have much exploring to do anyway.