3975 BC: Settled 3S, training a workboat and researching hunting
( Hunting's not a popular pick, I know, but here it will speed up my animal husbandry research, let me get camps going on all that ivory, and lead to archery as my first military upgrade)
3775 BC: Researching animal husbandry and a meeting with an archer belonging to Willem van Oranje apparently coming from the SE
3575 BC: A goodie hut gives me a scout definitely a nice bonus
3400 BC: Start researching archery Willems archer has already fended off a Barbarian warrior for me. Horses are located a little way east of Washington excellent news. I appear to be on a largish peninsula, so Im tempted to try to block it off early and ensure I have plenty of land
3225 BC: Located Willems city. This is looking less like a largish peninsula and more like a smallish island. I may have to try to switch to a rush strategy. Time to check Willems UU. Ah yes, the East Indiaman. Good for a map like this, but no immediate help to him.
3175 BC: A chariot->horse archer rush? I suppose it could work. Finish archery, start researching the wheel.
2900 BC: Start researching horseback riding
2800 BC: Settler underway in Washington. Ill put him down just W of the horses. Not the ideal spot but I need those nags fast.
2475 BC: Willem adopts slavery not good news. Lets hope hes short on copper.
1975 BC: HBR done, two barracks built and horses hooked up for both my cities. Time to belatedly get started on the mining research path.
1850 BC: Looks like the espionage points have built up enough to give me a view of Willems tech path and hes nearly done with Monotheism. Great news, and heres hoping he sticks to the religious techs.
1800 BC: Start on bronze working
1750 BC: Willem has founded Judaism for me. Very kind of him.
1425 BC: BW done, time for IW. Looks like Willem has bronze next to his 2nd city. Bugger. Oh well, maybe some pillaging is in order.
1325 BC: Hmm, a worker within striking distance inside Willems borders. I was planning to build up a little more but this could be too tempting. Im well ahead on the power graph
I guess its go time!
1300 BC: Turns out Willems 2nd city isnt next to the copper its on it. That can be remedied, however. Burn! Theres an axeman and an archer in Amsterdam. Fortunately I prepared a chariot for just such an eventuality.
1125 BC: Amsterdam is mine! But Willem survives somewhere, and thats not acceptable.
875 BC: IW, finally! Time to get rid of that jungle. Meanwhile, the Hague has been located, and soon it will fall.
865 BC: The Dutch are gone, and the island is mine. The only city I chose to keep was Amsterdam, the others were not worth the cost. As an added bonus, I have a 13 XP horse archer to help me qualify for a Heroic Epic. Hmm, looks like the city on the copper that I eliminated so blithely was the holy city. Oops. Nevermind, I still have Judaism in Amsterdam, and Ill survive without the extra cash. Time to get this economy going and do some serious expansion.
Turns out Amsterdam had Stonehenge, which will make my life easier no time wasted building monuments to pop borders. Training pottery.
320 BC: An encounter with Boudica is a somewhat unwelcome surprise I guess Im not as isolated as I thought. While I appreciate that tech trading opportunities, Im behind on expansion and dont want well-armed settling parties invading my lands.
185 BC: Monty drops by to say hi with a work boat. Fortunately, the obnoxious Aztec is willing to offer me a useful trade, and appreciates the fact that relative beaker totals are much in his favour.
80 BC: Boudicas borders are in sight just off my east coast. Cant say Im too comfortable about that. At least I know shes lagging well behind Monty in tech, and as shes Hindu and hes Buddhist, they wont be getting along too well either.
40 AD: State of the Union: Im lagging well behind my neighbours on tech, but my land looks good, and I think Ill be able to hang on to it. Monty the Mexican worries me though. What tech do I need in order to train Rednecks in Pickups to patrol my southern border?