Lvl11 1890AD on hard (went through 10/11 in the same combat) died with his boots on at approx 140 when my lines were broken in 1930.

This is just impossible! How do you do it? I was doing fine with an axeman, when suddenly I realised after upgrading it to a maceman that it loses XP's by doing so. So how do you even get a level 10 unit at all?!? Cos it doesn't have 100 XP's by far by the time any unit becomes obsolete...

Matrix, just check my 1912 Rifleboy and you'll see it is far from obsolete where it sits:
- Hill, forest, fort, fortify bonus = +125%
- Woodsman III, Guerilla III = +100% and 2 first strikes
- Drill IV = 6 first strikes

So base = 14, + 225% defense = 45,5. Before it is being hit the 6 first strikes do a nice job.

Then at level 15 it became an additional:
- Combat II = +20%
- Ambush, Pich and formation = +25% vs. a lot of units

Which means an attacking Modern Armor is first hit by 6 * (14 + 45%) = 20.3, then has to fight against a defense of 45,5. :)

I doubt you can promote a Spearman to a level where it can stop a Tank btw but you could give it a try. ;)

I see. But that means you can only achieve this with a defensive unit. I thought it would be better to just go out on quests and destroy everything on it's path. Perhaps it's better to keep your enemies alive and thriving, as long as you do so better.

1911 AD at easiest/'straight' difficulty level.

http://www.straland.com/images/cdz/M...ghtMatrix2.jpg

Some golden age, all nicely circling the Mausolleum of Mausollos [:D]:
http://www.straland.com/images/cdz/M...ghtMatrix1.jpg

http://www.straland.com/tmp/MonkStra...eyondSwordSave

I know nobody has tried this challenge since 2008. I was looking for something to do and I like challenges like this in general. Also I don't think I've ever made a level 10 unit even with a GG, so why not try. Since nobody had completed it at Emperor difficulty and because it's the closest to the difficulty level I normally play I took the Wise Guy save and played it through.

Completed on first play-through. Got a level 10 Cho-Ko-Nu in the year 1660 AD. I think playing on an easier diff level might make for a later time.

I scouted with my initial archers, trying to meet everyone so they'd declare war on me. They won't send troops if they're not at war. They might not send troops anyway if they're far away, but it didn't hurt.

I had an issue of my defensive positions being too strong so that units would approach but when I moved onto the Fort tile to defend they would leave because of their odds. I took to standing outside the fort, and eventually I chopped that forest to give myself less defense.

I used a Cho-Ko-Nu unit with Drill IV to minimize damage taken when in battle. Defending gets you a lot more XP just because you can defend against any number of units but you can only attack 1. I usually used a catapult to weaken the attacking forces, then when they'd attack my CKN killed them all and a Medic healed him quickly. All of my GGs I settled in my capitol so that by the end my troops were coming out with 15 or 17 XP.

I built a ton of wonders and every GP after the first GS who built an Academy was settled.

Here's a picture of my city at the end and a picture of my Level 10 Cho-Ko-Nu.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/a...enShot1094.jpg

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/a...enShot1095.jpg

1540 AD on Emperor

https://i.imgur.com/BGtbn7h.png

After an aborted, bashful go with rifles on easy, I realized there wouldn't be enough SoD's to just sit and wait for XP to float in. My plan was to go out, heckle neighbors but leave their city defense stacks alive by 1 unit. That way they reinforce, I get to attack again, etc.

Oracled machinery, rushed 2 raiding parties of 3 ChuKoNus at the neighbors to attack anything I could get a grip on. Gave them reinforcements ASAP with a few Chu's and tons of trebs. On to steel for cannons and the rest is history.

Initial 3 were promoted 1 drill, 1 healer (march asap), 1 strength (march asap). I almost made those initial stacks 2 Chus, 1 spear and 1 axe, but was afraid they'd steal from the lead Chu XP on defense. The AI seldom attacked my stacks early on and I only lost Chu's to very large stacks and/or elephants. The high-XP french raiders got wiped that way. The lead Chu in Ethiopia made it by the skin of its teeth once: there were 3 AIs' stacks right before cannons got in, I cornered them in the mountains and they lashed out trying to escape.

Now, I cheated. Sorry. There was a reload early on where one of my protective, lvl 3 archers got killed in a forest by a barb warrior. That was just bullshit. He's the loser that died from french elephants, which is serendipitous. Still, doesn't deserve to go on the leaderboard.

If I do it again, I'll send a spy or 2 ASAP to meet and taunt all 7 AIs in the hopes they'll come knocking. Other than that, the Chu did surprisingly great.

While waiting for the next pitboss, I felt like a simple OCC so I came back here for the emperor file and rushed for conquest.

https://i.imgur.com/1PGSfjF.png

Unfortunately, Pacal decided to be a little pest. No way to reach him, no way to win.

https://i.imgur.com/ryVBKW7.png

I guess the game was rigged from the start.