I always play as the Incas. I start every game like this:
found cuzco
move my starting quechua to cuzco (first get any huts visible)
build two quechuas
build a settler
move one quechua with the settler to found tiwanaku
build stonehenge in tiwanaku
build pyramids in cuzco
Then I build the Great Wall in whichever city is done first, then build two quechuas and a settler in tiwanaku, build another city, build two quechuas and a selttler in the new city, build another city, then stop when there is no more room. I always protect my cities with two archers, two axemen, and two spearmen and upgrade them all to the best unit I can when a war starts. I also have recently lowered my tech level so that I always have at least +1 gold every turn, so I have the money to upgrade units. I will not leave my treasury stagnant! I always found Hinduism, then Judaism and switch to org religion, and Hereditary rule from the pyramids, and build the juwish and hindu shrines to make more gold.
Oh, and in my queue with the archers, axemen and spearmen, I always go: Barracks, Axeman, Spearman, Archer, Axeman, Spearman, Archer