I think I'm still having problems with things adding up here wedsaz. Please Help. (Damn why I am nice these last two days)
Lets assume (we both do a lot of that) that the Minoan fast-boom accomplished a 13:00 Bronze, meanwhile lost all FB's and is left with say 12 original villas made in Stone, and 2 made in Tool/Bronze. I will "assume" that 1 is the forward and you will assign 3-4 to gold. That leaves 8-9 woodies upon Bronzing and some might/will have to farm.
Lets also assume you are playing Dave. I have played with Dave several times in the past week, as well as many times over the past six months. He has grasped the booming concept incredibly well. Dave's average when I play with him is Hittite 38-42 villa boom in Stone with a ratio of 23-25 woodies, 2 forwards, and 12-16 fbs. He Tools between 12:00 and 13:00. He is very aggressive on the sea and will have your fb's gone guarenteed by 14:00 latest. Most common for him is to do a stable and 3 archery ranges in Tool/early Bronze. He will have Tool Archer protection, along with a Scout or two for exploring your forward base.
Also assume at 13:00 you begin impie upgrade as you are losing your sea econ. You are left with 800-1000 food. I will also assume your one forward builder will build a barracks, stable, and archery range at a forward base. I think that you will need 3-4 archery ranges immediately booming compies. You will need goldmining and an extra 2-3 villas on gold.
Now I am having a hard time seeing a good scenerio for the Minoan here. Very few woodies and gold miners specifically. You need wood for archery ranges to mass a fast army of impies/compies. You will need wood also for the compie upgrades, a Gov Center, and more TC's. I don't think you can mass enough wood to build a decent forward base and boom from more TC's immediately. Your window of opportunity is slammed shut at 16:00 when his CA's will definately be in all over your villies.
I really see a best case scenerio of him losing 12-15 woodies before 15:00, just in time for you to lose the same. I have attacked Dave's woodies on more than one occassion and know he will send them running upon the first hint of danger. He is left with 12-15 real villagers, 12-15 fbs, 6-8 Scout Ships/War Galleys to protect coast, 1000+ food and wood. I think you would be lucky to have 3-4 villagers live, and be left with an army of 8-10 compies max, no gold miners or gold, and very little wood to rebuild.
From here Dave will spread with 3-4 TC's, build several Seige Workshops and more stables and archery ranges. His econ woud simply run you over.
Questions:
1) How are you going to deal with the wood shortage in early Bronze? What are the priorities - Econ or Army? Do you do 3 ranges and no gov center/TC? Are you going to begin farming when your FB's are dead or rely on your stockpile of food to win the game?
2) In your estimation how many gold miners do you need to feed an army of compies or compies/cavalry?
3) Do you feel you are working against this "window" that the Zone players feel you will be "ran over" by 15:00-16:00.
4) How many Compies and/or Cav can be massed by 14:00-15:00?
5) Will you try to attack his forward base if you find it before he Bronzes? If so, is it a priority over stopping his land econ?
6) Do you have any good "run and hide" strats for Minoan players when they haven't defeated their opponent by 15:00?
Can you survive the Blitzkrieg?