Winning the early game in base-building strategy

Most losses in strategy games like Ironhold Command happen in the first five minutes. Overcommit early and you'll never recover the resources.

Scout before you build anything aggressive. Knowing where the enemy is and what they favor lets you counter-build instead of guessing.

Keep your economy ahead of your army in the opening. A slightly slower start with a stronger base almost always outlasts a fast rush.

Then, when you do attack, hit with a mixed force that answers their units. Patience wins more matches than aggression ever did for me.