Royal banquet FI

African civs cannot revolt. that does not mean they cannot pull off incredibly strong timings at the 12 minutes mark.

Game plan :

After a regular FF, ship 8 semi fattened zebu cattle before jumping to industrial and start a royal banquet to generate tons of influence. Use this influence to build a deathball of native units.

Age I :

Early mountain monastery opening. All villagers on food, sell one cattle at the market for 150 wood. Research village dogs and build a house. Your first shipment is Trinity. When it arrives, sell one more cattle for 170 wood and build a mountain monastery. Task the abun to collect coin+influence until you have 110 influence banked. Then switch to coin gathering only.

If your map fatures roaming herdables, they are your absolue priority. The more you get the more potent your timing becomes. Treasure focus on livestock, coin (to build zebu cattles) and food (faster age up). Whenever you have 100c in bank, buy a zebu cattle.

Age up at 16/20 with the habesha (camp wagon+300coin). In transition gather 175 wood (selective breeding+snares in age 2), then back to food.

Age II :

Collect the coin, build the monastery with the wagon, and research snares. The camp wagon can be used to build a camp (greed) or a tower (safe). Ship 700c immediately and macro for age 3 with the jesuits. You will have excess coin so purchase zebu cattle with the excess coin.

In transition ship Fasilides castle (palace wagon+300 influence). Build the palace defensively. The influence can be used to purchase the fast age up at the monastery or train levy tropps to defend against an agression. Collect 175 wood in transition for placer mines and a house. Villagers back on food. You might need to grab a 3rd hunt.

Age III :

Collect your XP crates quickly to get a shipment. Send the 8 semi fattened zebu, followed by 1000c. Macro for age 4 with the somali.

Important ! Stop buying cows at the 8min mark (2min before you click royal banquet). At this point buy wood with you coin or bank the coin to rebuild your cheptel after the banquet.

In transition, put all but 4 vils on monasteries and switch to 50% influence mode. Start training conquistadores.

When your age up is 90% complete, research royal banquet. Aim for at least 2k influence from it.

Age IV :

Ship the 22 somali darood immediately. Use the banked gold to train zebus. Keep training conquistadores at the forteress. Once the shipment arrives, push.

Your darood somali have low damage but 24 range and can snipe falconets while resisting falconnet shots.

Follow up :

Use unit shipments to keep up the pressure. Two sebastopol mortars is great to add siege. Tabot can recharge your monasteries for more influence. Be aware that you have a limited window to inflict damage before you run out of influence. If that happens, you can 

• Triple TC boom for cheap by buying palace wagon from your TC before pivoting to a conventional army.
• Ally with natives and ship native treaties. You are already allied with Somali and Jesuits. This is your last trump card.
• Buy military upgrades to switch to a conventional army without booming. Use Karrayyu pastoralism and sell the fattened cattle for wood and coin.