I both disagree and agree at the same time. A guide should be merely a guide which you use to guide you, i stated that on my first post on this topic, However it does matter depending on location, if you have 7 barbs in your 15x15 on start up and your wasting your time on some guide that is telling you to build heavily on the resources, then you are hurting your self. However i do agree that no matter where you are you can achieve top 50.
Uhm, i did say that the very start when you (and obviously in most cases your surroundings) are under protection is when slight changes are needed:
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Even the very start when you are under protection, the amount of greys in my area for example have never really bothered me that much to change my starting priorities 180°, it has a few changes every now and then obviously, but nothing drastic.
I'd even go as far and say that the time under protection is the only stage where there are any slight changes...
Now obviously focusing on your spears is much more productive, in fact i do believe that farming with spears even up to ~3h out one way thanks to the lack of greys in your 'own area' is more productive than any build you can have with mines (assuming that the hauls are at least half full or so).
Hence, why i believe that there is rarely if ever a need to focus on mines other than perhaps the 4/3/1 set or 5/4/1 which one you prefer, no matter your starting area.
And i never mentioned a guide, its your own experience from the past worlds that basically makes you build the same things in the same order (for example, my build up from 100 to 3000 has been pretty much the same for the last 5 worlds without me even realizing it until later on, only difference being the timing of the HQ rush, which will depend on your activity).
If i would have to say a guide, i'd probably go for the most 'standard' one, which is:
Res pits 1/1/1
Statue 1
Paladin
HQ 3
Barracks 1
40 spears
WH 2
Market 1
Wood/Clay/Iron 4/3/1
HQ 5
Smithy 2
12 axes
100 spears
HQ 10
Smithy 5
Barracks 5
Stables 1
5-10 scouts
WH 6-7
Stables 3
Light cavalry 96.
There are, as always few variables depending on your location, like market 2-3, elevated wood or clay (if your farms seriously lack those resources), but otherwise it rarely fails/needs a major makeover.
Lots of people like comparing their startups with others to refine them. But alot of guides are just that - guides, as it will always depend on your surroundings. Like if you happen to land near a certain Random tribe or something 