Querétaro zerg rush

In this guide I present a flexible rush that is not an all-in (we are looking at you Baja California). The deck presented is tuned for insurgentes opener in age 2 into a Yucatan transition. However, the deck can be adapted to work with a regular age 4. Multiple variants are presented at the bottom of this guide.

Game plan :

Reach age 2 fast then use the power of Querétaro's haciendas to massively increase your population space. You will be able to quickly mass cheap but population-inefficient units to apply a big pressure on your opponent.

Opening :

• Perform a standard market opening. Build a market, research hunting dogs, chop wood for a house.
• Priority on food and wood treasures. As soon as you have enough wood to build a house focus only on food treasures.
• Send 2vils+Hacienda first. Place the hacienda ahead of your base to secure a forward hunt. Be aggressive.
• Age up at 14 villagers with Querétaro.

Transition :

• Set your military waypoint to your forward hacienda. Ship the hacienda wagon as soon as your second shipment is available.
• Chop enough wood and coin for steel traps and a house. Then everyone back to food.
• Use your second hacienda wagon to secure a hunt close to your your base but ourside your TC's reach.

Age 2 :

• Gather your XP crates and ship Querétaro Hacienda. You will need the population space very soon.
• Research steel traps at the market. You absolutely need this upgrade to sustain your production.
• Build a barrack forward with your military wagon. Plant your flag next to it to speed up the process.
• Train 10 insurgentes. While they train, scout the enemy's base. You went to see what they are training.
• Secure natural resources near your main base with your 3rd hacienda.

Branching paths :

• Your fourth shipment is dictated by your enemy's response.
  • If he trains musket infantry or super melee infantry (doppelsöldner, samurai etc.) ship salteadores
  • If he trains light infantry ship the chinacos
  • If he turtles hard (town militia, outposts in base etc.) ship 700w to build a cathedral, research placer mines and seize the trade line. Set up your economy to go age 3. Contain and delay with you insurgentes.
  • If he does not react, punish him with a shipment of insurgentes. Burn his colony down !
• If not sent already, your fifth shipment should be 700w. To maintain your stream of shipment, aim for a cathedral or (if possible) the trade line. What you do with the rest of the wood depends on how your early pressure is faring and how your enemy is trying to counter you.

Notes :

The deck is optimised to a move to yucatan if you run out of natural resources (hence the lack of age 4 cards) with an eventual transition to the maya state. See below for more balanced variants. The card mexican mint (i.e budget royal mint) can be replaced by 1000c for more tempo but less long term eco.

Variants :

• Allow a viable age 4 : Remove all the card marked with an "X" from the deck. Replace them by the two factories, plan de Ayutla (converts your insurgente into revolutionaries in age 4, bypassing their lack of upgrade), cavalry combat, and two heavy canons.
• Water play : Start from the age 4 variant described above. Replace 10 insurgentes with the 2 sloop and the 6 soldados with the frigate.
• Outlaw opening : Start from the featured deck. Remove all the card marked with an "X" from the deck. Replace them with the two factories, cantinas (outlaw pop reduction), silversmith, and advanced saloon. 
  • In transition macro for a house and placer mines instead of steel traps.
  • After that put most villagers on coin and a few to maintain willager production.
  • Use your military wagon to create a forward saloon instead of a barracks and train Cuatreros.
  • Ship advanced saloon and buy wood at the market if you need more housing.