I find this start challenging for Monty. The food looks good around the starting area but lacked "powerful" commerce resources like gold/gems. I found my capital 2N-E.
My initial tech path is Animal Husbandry > Mining > BW
I met Pacal, Toku, Ragnar and Pericles along the way. I find Ragnar disturbingly near. So early expansion will be problematic. Rather than building the Oracle and peacefully expanding, which would most likely get DoWed later by Ragnar. I decided to do a jaguar choke. As a consequence, I researched IW instead of Priesthood.
I produced a warrior before worker and park it outside Ragnar's capital. It seems that his worker roading something when suddenly...
Yes! Worker steal from Ragnar. How insane is that?
Ragnar: Hey Monty, what's that flower pot hanging in your head.
Monty: The Heck! Prepare for war!
Ragnar: No, I'm just telling that my helmet looks more fashionable than yours...
Monty: Talk to the ceremonial blade, Ragnar!
After BW, I found Ragnar's copper. it has not been mined. I tried to move my warrior in the forested hill near his capital. Meanwhile he was mass building archers which slowed his expansion considerably. Ragnar's capital site is full of forests, which encouraged me to put on a woodsman 1 for my warrior (although in retrospect I should promote him with cover). I also pillaged his roads so as to slow down his movement.
Tech path is now Wheel > Fishing > Agri > Pottery > IW
Hurry... hurry... hurry... Set up an expansion south of my starting location and 2N-E of my capital. hooked up horses and chopped some forests. Reinforced with another warrior and 2 chariots. However, Ragnar was able to expand into 3 cities. But both cities are of poor quality (no/weak food resource). Although he was able to produce chariots, the absence of roads meant that I can pillage his improvements easier. I lost a warrior in the process but once IW was researched. The Jaguar warriors are ready to rock. 2nd phase of the choking process commence.
I was lucky because Ragnar did not built walls in his capital. At this point I got 4 cities and he can't do anything. He tried to send his chariots to my undefended 4th city but that was a big mistake because...
He lost his capital and his only production city. What's more I got Woodsman 3 and a GG! (Losing some jaguars in the process)
Sued for peace with Ragnar. Tech path is now Sailing > Masonry > Writing
,but next turn another jag killed the spearman,then AI kills jag with axe,I kill axe with the next jag and sabotage copper,last jag takes Nidros with just a single archer left.
