Well castle-nabbing is implicit, as it's the ultimate goal of everyone really

Not necessarily where a rush is concerned - maybe you're just hemming the guy in for later action...
Anyway - you have to know EXACTLY what you're looking ot achieve when you rush, being torn between two ideas wll probably cause both to fail on something like this

Speaking from inexperience, It seems to me from reading and considering the pros and cons of an early rush, the risk is a little too high.

Too many Valuable troops, to far from home too soon. I mean the "Posible" reward of achieving a second quick castle, or its resorces close by, is very inviting at first, but common sense tells me too much can go wrong, and its a tremendous cost so early in the game if it fails or backfires...

Am I close on this?

Well, you have a choice
You either risk being wiped out in an early conflict, but possibly getting yourself set for the rest of the game - or you wait, and play catch-up all the way

Although at your level, you can more or less hit who you like and get away with it (not kidding )

gene: close but no cookie

If done right, you have a headstart on the rest; extra resources means higher level troops earlier.

Then again, you're gonna lose a lot of them as well.

Im in the same situation in game9 i had this git send alot of 1 pop scout armies into my base and I had my troops elsewhere around the map in the beginning and now when i refresh it he has like over 12 armies in my castle !!!! 3 swordsmen 3 spearmen and 3 scouts + 2 comms that are trying to take over my bloody barracks.. all i got in there to defend at is a 8 pop scout army guarding my 71 archers in the barracks and 54 scouts enroute.. the thing that pisses me off is this guy doesnt sleep every hour he LITERALLY he attacks its really getting on my nerves.

If you let him get that far with wienie troops and no troops of your own at the location, something went wrong with scouting

I did spot him but by the time I went to engage he had snuck several 1 pop army troops past my troops from along the rough area near the bottom dark green castle passing my blocking troops... back.. i just hope i retain my castle.

In early rush need macemen!

except once u have macemen it aint early anymore lol

that depends, itīs possible to have 50 macemen VERY early in a game (turn 8 or 9) and then the attacker has serious problems.

If you have macemen by turn 8, all your neighbours are in trouble

but if u have macemen by turn 8 u have nothing ealse, ur behind on basic techs or ups and by the time u get to some1s castle its turn 11 or so and the macemen get fought back by pikemen or so and then ur introuble the rest of the game because of a bad start

actualy no the mace will deal critical blow after your scouts have wekend them you will get the castle and even if you do not get the castle in the long run it will have no effect

Macemen are easy deal with by squires and squires required less tech to get.

Really.. Squires for Maceman. Thanks. General Ming

But... Wouldnt the greatest early rush Take place far before Maceman? I mean shouldnt it happen so fast that Yours tagets Macemen are still a thought in there Daddys head?

Yes, the earliest rush should occurred before the appearance of macemen. Any battle after 10 turns you should start to expect macemen and your rush should include squires.

In turn 10 - 15 real have 25 - 40 macemen. In Tower he may stop squiers.

turn 15 u got squires and balistas or arbs, or u have no squires but u have marks, so u make massive swords and pick off with ranged

there are many ways of dealing with it but if u rush with mace u wont be too sucessful.

Marks? No possible, but ballistas & macemen is real.