"Build as many castles as you can, and a few blacksmiths to research troops. Upgrade to elite troops as soon as you can. Plenty of elite archers and champions guarding four trebs will do the trick. When you destroy everything in range simply pack up your trebs and move on. Also take advantage of any water to build fishing boats then build fish traps so you don't need farmers. aim to have 50-60 villagers at the beginning of the game to get as much resources as poss, then kill them if you need to make room for troops later in the game. build a market so you can sell food and wood for gold." - flipmode_fly

"at the beginning of the game of a random map, don't go to the next age cause all your opponents will upgrade to.Build up your force and use that to attack your opponents before you upgrade.

use rams as walls when they are full. Once they get destroyed troops will pour our and it will slow them down." - bobbobbobbob9999

"when u start off send ur scout cavalry to the enemy village and try and steal his sheep if u cant then just kill them. that will be 1 resource less for him." - Nachiket

"All I gotta say is build up your defenses, create as many infantry, cavalier, and trebuchets as you can. Then attack in full force, frontal assault them. I havent lost a battle yet, thats why they call me Kyle the Great. Hell ya, no way you can loose." - Kyle the Great

"If you are in an island terrain, make sure you get a civilization that has elite cannon galleons, mass produce these and snipe at your enemies from a distance." - jibby