Turtlers and Rushers?

[Agema]

It's balance, really, isn't it?

Your main resources are gold and mages. Gold that goes into troops can't go into mages and castles. Mages that are out fighting don't do research or site searching. But rushing = territory = money & gems = more mages and castles.

If you over-rush or over-turtle, either way you'll potentially get yourself into trouble by being overextended and underdeveloped, or being too economically small. Possibly you either want to expand at someone's expense by picking on the weak or allying, so you can grow with one hand and develop with the other. Alternatively, maybe go all-out against an opponent, and then consolidate your gains for a while, and switch between development and war.