Ok... You gotta something first: I'm used to play 1v2 vs any players on the zone of so (only a few players (top 20 maybe can't be played 1v2: pplz like _Cloud_S_, _doh_gg_ (aka Gamble_god= he left ror for good 2 days ago tho :-(), _mentos_rage, _dream_star...Those are a few names that can't be played 1v2 and that I'd gave me problems in 1v1...only to name a few. 1v2 isn't the same as 1v1: remember this: the team of 2 guys (even if they aren't experts) has 2 TC to start with and therefore more real villies so as I'm alone, I need to outboom (usually not a big problem) both of you and make a fast brz (hard but...I pray for a forest by or near my TC ;P...if not, I'll tool both to death).
1-) I usually dock before 4:30 as Shangs (3:45 in good games) with a Granary and a Pit by forest running: I'm speaking for a Berries start...not SF.
2-) The best combo army in the game (for brz) IS: Cavs-Cams-CA...LIKE IT OR NOT. Don't reply to say I'm wrong...Compies beats CA, true but who cares: my Cavs with full upgrades (+4, +4) and Nobility beats 'em with CA and Cams backing up. CA beats hoppers, broad swordmens and all those slow units. CA beats Cavs, Cams, Char is you KNOW how to dance with 'em. Example: OoC_Stalin is considered the BEST conti player right now and he won the last 1v1 large-conti tourny: I played him the game after his big win and I beating him big time on the dancing so don't tell me dancing dosn't work vs good players: I use dancing vs every players and always worked. Cams beats Cavs. Cavs and Cams beats StS. StS and Compies are slowwwwwwwww (I used to be a Minos player but got boredointless). Shangs is the "fastest" civ to tool-brz and got a full tech tree in both ages with double HP walls: THE BEST RUSH CIV BY FARRRRRRR: like it or not...You still have to be able to use 'em correctly. Chariots: never use 'em...as simple as that: they blows...Maybe only Scyths and this is if you don't have other units to do: chariots simply blows.3-) I ALWAYS make a forward base and I put this on the ennemy (when I'm using a civ with CA and when I'm gonig for a brz rush and when I already boomed to over 50 villies): 2 stables and 3 archeries ON the ennemy (by his town) and ready to crack army non-stop and full-upgraded soon after (make army before upgrade ;P upgrades without army sux) and soon after, the guy my me is overhelm by my eco and army and say "gg" or run...I simply follow to the next guy and go for villies only: tell me what he's gonna do with houses, TCs, buildings for army if he got no ressources to use? Usually, when I boom and brz rush after, my Town (or at least my woodies and goldies) is/are walled while I'm brzing. I'm also almost all walled in at minute 8:30 or so with houses walls and that stuff. I add walls tiles only to feel safer ;P
4-) As I explained above, I'll say it in other words: don't waste time on dead wood...WHO CARES! The guy is 'bout to say GG cuz he don't have any villies left and nothing to build with (ressources) so just go on the next victim ;P Of course, in a 1v1, simply make 2-3 sts by his town while running after his villies with your army 5-) I ALWAYS find a way to wall my whole town or at least my woodies and goldies: this is why I keep winning vs tool rushers and fast brz rushers while I go with 13:30-14:30 brz and over 50 villies...The only secret: WALL is the most important thing before minute 15.
6-) If I plan to go for CA and Cams-Cavs, I make goldmining as soon as I click brz and then I make woodcutting right after. Well, this is mostly on Conti or Medit: on hills, I usually make only woodcutting since I'm usually brzed 1 minute before the 2nd guy gets there (when I brz fast on hills). On Hills, I go for CA only in many occasions: and I make a huge boom at the same time.
7-) Why do you wanna Iron? I iron only if I have over 100 villies or I'm 'bout to hit 100: if not, lemme tell ya this: a 90 villies eco and BIG brz army BEATS ANY 45-50 eco and small and very shitty iron army: there is NO WAY a 50 villies eco who's iron (and lost 1k of food and 800 gold to iron) can make units that cost more ressources than brz units and keep the pace of a 100 villies brz eco: NO WAY IN HELL: YOU CAN BE AS GOOD AS YOU WANNA BE, YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO. I usally laugh at someone that goes iron in a game vs me only cuz he knows I got his 2 others pards and he goes iron to get a big unit: he usually say GG 2 mins after or while gonig Iron: Then, he say: "I was almost iron"...and start using the number 19 taunt. I reply: "who cares, u got spanked by someone who's brz and over 100 villies and got enough shit to send the whole zone to Iron Then I say GG and I resign before him so he feels good BTW, when I started palying this game before I stop for over 1 year, I was gonig ALWAYS Iron with Hittos under 21 minutes (on highland...it was in AoE days) and I wasn,t using any water on any maps. I was gonig Iorn and I was boomnig like mad (over 140 villies) and I was getting HCats, Eles (no armored at this time) and Eles Archs with ALL upgrades...Why? I tought Iron units (maybe only 2 eles at minute 24) would beat the 50 CA of my ennemy while I had 3-4 villies left. Also, at this time, I rememebr saying to a guy: "wtf, u cheated! No way u can Brz under 13:00 each damn games".
Now, I know how they used to do that and I'm also willing to help any players who wanna improve his game: this goes from coop to any other kind of help but lemme remind you this: only way you'll improve isn,t by checking someone (coop): nobody showed me how to boom (and I'm not a copycat as Wedsaz said in and earlier post 'bout me) and I "invented" my own way to boom and it works pretty well not cuz it's the best but that's the one that suits me the best (not the same). The same apply to toolnig fast, brzing fast, Iron fast, Iron sling (Iron time under 14:00 minutes that u make in teams games while your pards tribs the right ressources at the right time...a bit harder than it looks like). If you wanna improve your game, ask an expert to play him 1v1 (not a joke) and try to understand why u got spanked and how he was able to and ask him what you should have done to maybe "hoping" to win. I played Blitzerieg_Coming (he post often on this forum) recently: he came into my room and asked for 1v1, I accepted. We played and after the game, he asked me what he should have done and what he has done well: I tried to help him out.
BTW, if any of ya wants good URL's with some good strats, just give a reply to this message and I'll post some. Readong a few strats and trying 'em is good: adapting 'em to your style of play is even better.