srad
King
Both plans share the idea of beelining and getting some techs later by means of tech trade, but... which plan is better?
My idea was to improve the Cows while avoiding the "useless" religious techs and the "expensive" BW tech.
Good question; my thoughts:
What is necessary for barb defense? Are warriors sufficient (fogbusting; how near is the AI)? AH can provide chariots but Axes are way better against aggressive barb archers

BW enables slavery; whipping can help if there is enough food and can also help if an 'emergency' whip for defense is necessary.
BW enables chopping -> more initial hammers, could be crucial on deity.
AH reveals horses (and Chariots with TW) and enables improvements of animal tiles.
Conclusion? I would tend to go for BW if there are not a lot of tiles that need AH improvements.