Pre-Turn: Take a long time to look around the map. Change Entremont from market to cavalry and rush; change Alesia from courthouse to cavalry (no barracks but it will only be fighting spears). I was even tempted to change the Military Academy at Tokyo to cavalry wasting 287 shields but couldnt quite bring myself to do that. Cash rush cavalry at Tikal and Lugdunum and upgrade a couple of samurai.
India is the immediate target but Im not quite so sure about Persia. Presumably they have knights? It would be nice to pinch a few towns but we dont have any defence in the former English towns. Still our crusader army is there so Ill get it in position while the cavalry heal and send some backup troops that way.
5BCC Domination is the target and we currently have 55% area, 71% pop.
Hit Enter.
IBT Longbow from Jaipur kills our samurai.
English build Brighton right across our main route north

Grrr.
7 cavalry produced
Turn 1 560 AD: Area now at 56%. Move workers to start building a new route through the mountains to avoid Brighton. Move cavalry towards the front.
Attack on Jaipur: Veteran sam vs pike won, no damage
Elite sam vs spear won, no damage, and we have a new leader
Jaipur falls. Also take out a nearby warrior and longbow.
Attack on Bangalore: Cav vs spear won, promoted and takes town
Attack on Karachi: Cav vs war elephant lost
Cav vs spear won and promoted
Cav vs spear lost
Cav vs spear won
A miss click costs me the chance to take Karachi this turn
IBT lost a samurai to a war elephant
Indians reinforce Karachi
Tokyo: Military Academy => samurai (I realise too late that if I had created an army immediately I could have changed the MA to Pentagon).
Turn 2 570 AD: 57%. Lost two more cavs against Karachi war elephants, bring up the samurai army. Cannons are on the way but slowed by lack of roads. More samurai approach Delhi.
Turn 3 580AD: 58%. 3rd attack on Karachi. Samurai army beats 2 war elephants and a pike and takes town. Roads now connected through to Madras, rush barracks. Postpone attack on Delhi to promote samurai next turn.
Turn 4 590AD: 59%. Upgrade 14 samurai in Madras. I start a second front and declare on Persia. The backup cavalry force is now starting to reach London. The crusader army and cannons move into Persian territory.
IBT Persia send out Ancient Cavalry
Turn 5 600 AD: 61%. Cav army attacks Chittagong, takes out 2 spears and a longbow and captures town.
Meanwhile the horde of cavalry is ready to move out of Madras for their Delhi assault, but first there is a longbow in the way. I attack with the only elite and get another leader
The new army takes out the first three pikes but Delhi is well defended and I lose 4 cavalry and several more retreat before the city is taken, and we now own the Oracle.
The Indian capital moves to Bombay but doesnt last long there. The samurai army is now healed and leads the way. It takes out a pike but I lose 2 cavalry killing the remaining 2 spears. We capture Bombay.
Turn 6 610 AD: 64%. Switch to the eastern front and attack Pasargadae. 10 cannons take 6 hp off the defenders and the town is taken without loss. We now have the Statue of Zeus.
Turn 7 620AD: 65%. The backup cavalry force after winding its way through the mountains finally reaches Persia in time to contribute to the war effort.
Attack on Antioch: Cav vs AC win
Cav vs pike win
Cav vs pike win
Cav vs pike win
Cav vs immortal - win and Antioch captured.
Back in India the samurai army captures Kolhapur.
Move troops on Calcutta and Dacca but they wont be needed.
IBT We win
I made a few mistakes this time but those two leaders more than made up for it. Luck beats skill every time! I did learn a lot from this game. The early build-up to those first five cities was impressive and paved the way for an easy win in the end. Thanks guys.
Final Save