Spoilerized the pic.
Would it be possible to post a walk-thru of that? I wanna see how it was accomplished so early. I find myself taking city after city after city... but there seem to be millions of them and I don't grab 'em all before the late 1800s at least.
Yep, sure, although it's already 3 months ago.
I settled in place, and founded four cities before spamming axes. I got
extremely lucky, as Cathy only started producing archers by the start of the war, so I managed to capture one city defended by a warrior. So : axerush Russia.
Then I started building axes and swords, and took on Rome. Do this ASAP. Unlike on the Earth 18 scenario, they do not have iron in Italy, and they will have to go to Turkey to get it. (There might be another one in the area north-west of Greece, not sure. I surely remember pillaging something there, but it might have been a copper mine.Still, it was not hooked up at the end of the war, another streak of luck

)
So, take over Rome with your Russian veterans before they get Praetorians while teching construction. Take the hill cities when you get construction.
Keep peacefully expanding in Russia, and build an army of Berserkers and Trebs. I attacked Egypt in 500 AD and killed them by 900 AD.
Then you just start taking over whoever is in the Persian regio (usually India) with those same Berserkers - Trebuchets. Beeline for MT - Gunpowder - Rifling. Cavs can beat everything, really. Infantries are not really required.
I did play on Noble, by the way.