Discovery Age:
2 villagers immediately to hunting.
3 villagers unpack food crates (shift-click 2 of them to hunting).
Ship '3 Villagers' as your first card.
Age with 14-15 villagers using the 'Chief' (400 Wood).
Transition to Colonial:
Shift 1-4 villagers to gold (depending on your current gold reserves). Aim to have ~250 by age-up.
Shift 1 villager to wood.
If hunting is scarce (you should be herding towards TC as normal) ship 9 bison second card.
Use your Warchief to scout the enemy. You are looking for things like forward villagers, where the enemy has his villagers, and how many on each resource.
When the enemy reaches Colonial Age (before or after you do), scout to check their age-up politician and to see what military building(s) they make.
Colonial Age:
Collect the 400 wood, build a corral as soon as possible with 4 villagers.
Ship '4 Axe Riders' as your next card.
Make either Axe Riders (if you scouted a barracks or artillery foundry) or Bow Riders (if you scouted a stable). If building Bow Riders, shift more villagers to gold as needed.
Build either a warhut to cover a vulnerable gathering spot, or a market for the hunting/mining upgrades. If you build a warhut, plan on building the market and researching these two upgrades as wood supplies allow.
Have your warchief ready at the TC when the 4 axe riders arrive. Send these units to the enemy base to raid. Reinforce this army with your 5 new units from the corral when they arrive.
If your enemy built a stable first, use your Bow Riders to hunt down enemy cavalry, raid villagers, and guard their stable (in that order of priority). Retreat and repeat the process if fended off with the proper counter unit.
If your enemy built a barracks first, use your Axe Riders to run down ranged infantry, raid villagers, and destroy any unprotected buildings (in that order of priority). Retreat and repeat the process if fended off with the proper counter unit (be careful to stay out of melee range of heavy infantry).
Produce additional Axe Riders or Bow Riders as needed or desired.
Do not have more than 2 villagers on wood, it is slowest gathered and is not needed at the moment.
As needed, ship any of the following cards: '15 Bison' (if hunting is running low), '700 Wood' (if you need Cetans to counter ranged cavalry or a growing mass of Musketeers) '700 Gold' (the preferred shipment, as this assumes you have enough safe hunting and have been keeping their military small), or 'Cavalry Damage'.
Age-up with the 'Wise Woman' (12 Bison, 20% Hunting Bonus). Age-up time varies, but generally falls between 9 and 14 minutes to reach Fortress age. Note that constant villager production is assumed throughout this strategy.
Transition to Fortress:
Shift your villagers as needed between food and gold to produce Rifle Riders & Wakina Rifles once aged.
Continue to raid and generally harass the enemy with your cavalry. Produce more military units as resources allow.
If you produced Cetans with the '700 Wood' shipment, try to lure the enemy's Musketeers or Ranged cavalry into their ranged fire. Make sure that the Cetans are not alone and vulnerable to a cavalry charge.
Your 1-2 villagers on wood will have collected enough for an additional corral, or warhut, or a market and upgrades (if not already upgraded).
As an option, if you did not already send the '700 Wood' card, you can ship it in preparation for an additional TC. This is sent in optimal conditions, where you have a shipment to spare and aren't under pressure to ship '5 Rifle Riders' once aged.
Fortress Age:
Produce Rifle Riders. These units counter heavy infantry, heavy cavalry, and artillery, so you are likely to have a use for them. In most cases, your enemy has produced a defensive force of heavy infantry to fend off your raids.
Produce Wakina Rifles. Wakina Rifles cover the one hole in your otherwise cavalry-based army, which is light cavalry. They also help to counter Musketeer-type units which can damage your Rifle Riders (since they have melee resistance and equal range before Caracole from 'New Ways')
As needed, ship any of the following cards: '5 Rifle Riders' (usually sent as first card in fortress to counter the enemy army), '9 Wakina', '1000 Wood' (for a TC or two, more corrals/warhuts), 'Cavalry Combat', or any of the 'Support' cards listed below (as gold supplies allow). Also ship Bison as needed.
If your enemy has remained in Colonial and built a heavy infantry defense, use your new Rifle Riders and Wakina Rifles to kill their defending units. Keep your Axe Riders ready if they have ranged infantry support. If their army is defeated, raid as much as possible and destroy any undefended buildings.
If your enemy has gone to Fortress, be prepared to use your Rifle Riders and/or Axe Riders to destroy any artillery they may have. Rifle Riders work particularly well at this as they can counter at range, and also counter the heavy infantry which often guards them. Your Warchief can also counter artillery well with the firepit's 'Big Button' upgrade (+900% damage versus artillery).
Begin to shift some villagers to wood as needed. Research 2 upgrades for wood chopping at the market. Build a Plantation when you can afford to even if it is not needed, as it contains a 25% damage 'Big Button' upgrade for your Wakina Rifles and Rifle Riders.
Final Preparations:
Boom from your 3 TC's (get 3 if not already built).
Continue to raid with your cavalry where/when relatively safe to do so.
Send additional Bison cards as needed until you have no more.
Build a plantation and farm as wood reserves allow, even if not yet needed. You can upgrade your gathering further and they contain 'Big Button' upgrades. The plantation upgrade is particularly useful to you.
Invest in a firepit and place 5-20 villagers on it (depending on your current food reserves). Have your firepit first on Fertility Dance to help expand your economy.
Once you have reached your population limit, prepare for assault. Switch your firepit to 'Attack Dance' during battles, and 'Siege Dance' when sieging buildings. When neither attacking or sieging, switch to Fertility Dance or move the villagers off of the firepit (to nearby plantations or farms, for example).
Note that your Axe Riders and Wakina Rifles have higher siege damage than normal units in their class. If your enemy is making extensive use of cavalry, consider also producing and upgrading War Clubs (your highest siege unit per population).
Consider sending the two shipments to boost your teepee's, as they often prove useful. They can be used for defense, or optimally, dotted around the outskirts of the enemy base to boost your units in likely combat areas.
If game time reaches 28 minutes, save up food for your TC's 'Big Button' tech which will ship in 10 Dog Soldiers.
Go to Industrial age if needed. Do not remain too long in Fortress if your opponent has reached Industrial. Also, Industrial upgrades help during the final push (but isn't usually necissary).
2 villagers immediately to hunting.
3 villagers unpack food crates (shift-click 2 of them to hunting).
Ship '3 Villagers' as your first card.
Age with 14-15 villagers using the 'Chief' (400 Wood).
Transition to Colonial:
Shift 1-4 villagers to gold (depending on your current gold reserves). Aim to have ~250 by age-up.
Shift 1 villager to wood.
If hunting is scarce (you should be herding towards TC as normal) ship 9 bison second card.
Use your Warchief to scout the enemy. You are looking for things like forward villagers, where the enemy has his villagers, and how many on each resource.
When the enemy reaches Colonial Age (before or after you do), scout to check their age-up politician and to see what military building(s) they make.
Colonial Age:
Collect the 400 wood, build a corral as soon as possible with 4 villagers.
Ship '4 Axe Riders' as your next card.
Make either Axe Riders (if you scouted a barracks or artillery foundry) or Bow Riders (if you scouted a stable). If building Bow Riders, shift more villagers to gold as needed.
Build either a warhut to cover a vulnerable gathering spot, or a market for the hunting/mining upgrades. If you build a warhut, plan on building the market and researching these two upgrades as wood supplies allow.
Have your warchief ready at the TC when the 4 axe riders arrive. Send these units to the enemy base to raid. Reinforce this army with your 5 new units from the corral when they arrive.
If your enemy built a stable first, use your Bow Riders to hunt down enemy cavalry, raid villagers, and guard their stable (in that order of priority). Retreat and repeat the process if fended off with the proper counter unit.
If your enemy built a barracks first, use your Axe Riders to run down ranged infantry, raid villagers, and destroy any unprotected buildings (in that order of priority). Retreat and repeat the process if fended off with the proper counter unit (be careful to stay out of melee range of heavy infantry).
Produce additional Axe Riders or Bow Riders as needed or desired.
Do not have more than 2 villagers on wood, it is slowest gathered and is not needed at the moment.
As needed, ship any of the following cards: '15 Bison' (if hunting is running low), '700 Wood' (if you need Cetans to counter ranged cavalry or a growing mass of Musketeers) '700 Gold' (the preferred shipment, as this assumes you have enough safe hunting and have been keeping their military small), or 'Cavalry Damage'.
Age-up with the 'Wise Woman' (12 Bison, 20% Hunting Bonus). Age-up time varies, but generally falls between 9 and 14 minutes to reach Fortress age. Note that constant villager production is assumed throughout this strategy.
Transition to Fortress:
Shift your villagers as needed between food and gold to produce Rifle Riders & Wakina Rifles once aged.
Continue to raid and generally harass the enemy with your cavalry. Produce more military units as resources allow.
If you produced Cetans with the '700 Wood' shipment, try to lure the enemy's Musketeers or Ranged cavalry into their ranged fire. Make sure that the Cetans are not alone and vulnerable to a cavalry charge.
Your 1-2 villagers on wood will have collected enough for an additional corral, or warhut, or a market and upgrades (if not already upgraded).
As an option, if you did not already send the '700 Wood' card, you can ship it in preparation for an additional TC. This is sent in optimal conditions, where you have a shipment to spare and aren't under pressure to ship '5 Rifle Riders' once aged.
Fortress Age:
Produce Rifle Riders. These units counter heavy infantry, heavy cavalry, and artillery, so you are likely to have a use for them. In most cases, your enemy has produced a defensive force of heavy infantry to fend off your raids.
Produce Wakina Rifles. Wakina Rifles cover the one hole in your otherwise cavalry-based army, which is light cavalry. They also help to counter Musketeer-type units which can damage your Rifle Riders (since they have melee resistance and equal range before Caracole from 'New Ways')
As needed, ship any of the following cards: '5 Rifle Riders' (usually sent as first card in fortress to counter the enemy army), '9 Wakina', '1000 Wood' (for a TC or two, more corrals/warhuts), 'Cavalry Combat', or any of the 'Support' cards listed below (as gold supplies allow). Also ship Bison as needed.
If your enemy has remained in Colonial and built a heavy infantry defense, use your new Rifle Riders and Wakina Rifles to kill their defending units. Keep your Axe Riders ready if they have ranged infantry support. If their army is defeated, raid as much as possible and destroy any undefended buildings.
If your enemy has gone to Fortress, be prepared to use your Rifle Riders and/or Axe Riders to destroy any artillery they may have. Rifle Riders work particularly well at this as they can counter at range, and also counter the heavy infantry which often guards them. Your Warchief can also counter artillery well with the firepit's 'Big Button' upgrade (+900% damage versus artillery).
Begin to shift some villagers to wood as needed. Research 2 upgrades for wood chopping at the market. Build a Plantation when you can afford to even if it is not needed, as it contains a 25% damage 'Big Button' upgrade for your Wakina Rifles and Rifle Riders.
Final Preparations:
Boom from your 3 TC's (get 3 if not already built).
Continue to raid with your cavalry where/when relatively safe to do so.
Send additional Bison cards as needed until you have no more.
Build a plantation and farm as wood reserves allow, even if not yet needed. You can upgrade your gathering further and they contain 'Big Button' upgrades. The plantation upgrade is particularly useful to you.
Invest in a firepit and place 5-20 villagers on it (depending on your current food reserves). Have your firepit first on Fertility Dance to help expand your economy.
Once you have reached your population limit, prepare for assault. Switch your firepit to 'Attack Dance' during battles, and 'Siege Dance' when sieging buildings. When neither attacking or sieging, switch to Fertility Dance or move the villagers off of the firepit (to nearby plantations or farms, for example).
Note that your Axe Riders and Wakina Rifles have higher siege damage than normal units in their class. If your enemy is making extensive use of cavalry, consider also producing and upgrading War Clubs (your highest siege unit per population).
Consider sending the two shipments to boost your teepee's, as they often prove useful. They can be used for defense, or optimally, dotted around the outskirts of the enemy base to boost your units in likely combat areas.
If game time reaches 28 minutes, save up food for your TC's 'Big Button' tech which will ship in 10 Dog Soldiers.
Go to Industrial age if needed. Do not remain too long in Fortress if your opponent has reached Industrial. Also, Industrial upgrades help during the final push (but isn't usually necissary).