/!\ This strat requires a map with 2 or more available Trading posts. /!\
Walkthrough:
Age I
• type “HI GL HF”, a must as respectful N3O-member!
• Use 4 vills on starting food crates, 2 on hunt, leave the extra 100 wood
• Build your village near the 2nd hunt and fatten your goat.
• Split your Monk and his disciple and scout as much as possible
- only take free or easy food treasures
- spot as many treasures and hunts / explore enemy base
• First card is the Trade Empire (ships a TP rickshaw and makes TPs 20% cheaper and 33% stronger) Take the closest TP asap.
• Start aging when you have 800 food, usually with 14 vills. Build the White Pagoda Wonder with 4 vills!
• You should have at least 100 wood from starting crates, chop until you get 200 wood and build a 2nd TP. Put a few vills on gold, rest stays on food for vill production.
• Ship the Holy Refuge (ships a Monastery rickshaw, makes upgrades 50% cheaper) and research the first tech (Training forms) Also check which Mercs will be available in III.
• New vills go on gold
Age II
• Research the 2nd Tech in the Monastery (The Five precepts) and train some more disciples.
• Treasure hunt !! Your Monk and his disciples are OP now, there is no treasure you can’t take – gotha get em all !!
• Ship 700 wood – upgrade the trade route (Stage coach) and build 1 more village. If there is a 3rd TP available, take it, otherwise build a War Academy (if you don’t expect to be rushed, you can build a Consulate instead or build a market and do some upgrades) Set the TP’s on gold.
Tricky Part – Pick your right path to victory.
• If you are being rushed, you will need to fend it off using all u got. Always have 10 disciples and don’t be afraid to build some outlaws (from Monastery)!! They are cheap and strong – and TP’s provide enough gold to build them. Usually you will ship 8 Chu Ko Nu’s and 700 food/gold
• If you are not under pressure, ship 700 food or gold and go to Fortress using the Porcelain Tower. Spam Mercs (2 TPs + Porcelain Tower = 3 banks!) and ship military units (10 Arquebusiers, 11 Changdao’s…) Train the right unit batch from your War Academy (arquebusier/changdao is probably the best)
• HELP – I got sucky Mercs
… No worries, if you are not under huge pressure, age up with the Summer Palace to age III, this gives you 1000 food. Ship 1000 gold in age III and go straight to Industrial, using the Porcelain Tower (= a Factory !!) You have the infinite 2 Flying Crows shipment and 17 arquebusiers/18 Changdao’s. Your Monk and disciples are so OP they will make Chuck Norris look like a n00b 
Some Stats:
After the 2 monastery techs + the White Pagoda age up:
Disciples
In age II: 140 HP – 17 attack (+ critical hits and cloning)
In Age III: 167 HP – 21 attack
In Age IV: 202 HP – 25 attack
For 80 food
Monk
In Age II: 1125 HP (+225 HP if you ship “Snatch the Pebble")
In Age III: 1575 HP
In Age IV: 2250 HP
Flying Crows deal 285 damage with area 5 in age IV
Random Notes:
- The asian civs can train Mamelukes, Elmeti’s and Lil’ bombards in age III unlike the European civs.
- Consulate: Ally with the Brits if you need strong musketeers and a 10% HP boost to land units or pick the Russians, they offer a Fort in age III (good for map controle) and helps you booming (vills train faster). In age IV you get a Factory – yay.
- Asians have the best market upgrades, don’t neglect it!
- If playing vs a civ with strong HI (like japan) – have “atonement” shipment in your deck, this will unlock the Iron Troops in the Monastery. It’s also useful if you have to rely on outlaws early on (makes your outlaws 2 pop cheaper).
- Eco balance: you have 2 TP’s and the Porcelain Tower that can produce whatever you need, it takes just 1 click to switch to another resource, keep it in mind!
- Most people expect China to rush, this helps you reaching age III fairly safe.
- When on the offence, build hand mortars and protect them while slowly advancing. They have 34 range, 38 LOS and take down buildings and falconets in no time.
- Disciples PWN
Deck:
Good Maps:
Araucania: has at least 3 easy TPs and offers Pistolero's (good in combo with disciples) - long maps makes FF'ing easier, many treasures, most should be yours
Borneo: 2 TP's close to your TC and Dacoit as good outlaw (good with disciples) - some great treasures (145 wood)
Carolina: 2 or 3 TP's, pistolero's and starting crates help to get the TP faster & upgraded. OK treasures
Deccan: Many TP's, Dacoits, extra crates and plenty treasures
Great Lakes: Many TP's but no only renegado (skirm) which is not so useful for china
Himalayas: TP road is in the middle, so defend it well, dacoits available
New England: Good TP road, but needs to be defended, but no great outlaws
Patagonia: 3 TP's behind TC is excellent
Saguenay: Map changes often, but starting with a free village rox, saves you 200 wood = 2 TP real fast, nice treasures
Sonora: 3 TP's at least and pistolero's olé
Texas: is by default a great map for FF / FI and TP is good too
Yellow River: lot's of TP's and blind monks as nice outlaws (2.5x bonus vs vills !!!)
Yucatan: 2nd TP is in the middle of map, but there are Pistolero's and OP treasures (lots of gold so easy to FF)
Yukon: TP's, Pistolero's and OP treasures
Hope you like!
I__CHAOS__I
