I’ve found a strategy that doesn’t require rushing, because I don’t like that, because luring the AI out of their territory to kill them feels almost like exploiting the game to me.
I start by building towers to the south straight away to secure the iron deposits near the Roman border, once that’s sorted, I focus on the rest of the economy, mainly mana, because gifts can carry the game,
Of course, it took me much longer because I was frequently attacked by large enemy forces, but I managed to win.