Finally had a good game with Toku

[vicawoo]

Vica, my "settler first" strategy is something of a misnomer. It basically calls for settling on a plains hill with a 3food tile in the first circle. grassland cows, corn, grass pigs, grass rice, flood plains, oasis. So it isn't super demanding. You actuallu build a warrior first. It will be finished on exactly the same turn as you grow to size 2.

If you settle on plains/hill, it's often faster to not grow.

 

[CivCorpse]

If you settle on plains/hill, it's often faster to not grow.

Witha 3 tile in the first circle you gorw at the same rate that you build a warrior. This provides you an escort for your settler. Otherwise it would be "bear food first" rather than "settler first"
Secondly by growing first you can whip your first worker to get him to work faster to make up for lost time.