Really stuck on this. I've seen the other threads, but the crazy and insane challenges are all mixed up. Any specific tips for Crazy? I can't seem to expand and defend bonuses at the same time. how much does starting position affect success? is it better to go for small or large bonuses first? Do you ever send a set of armies behind enemy lines to wreak havoc, or just expand from your own territory? Please help!

Not necessarily a most-efficient method (53 turns), but if you're just looking to do it to see how impossible lvl 3 is, then you might try this: try gaming the AI system.

The AI doesn't seem to be able to attack you if you have more armies than it at the start of a turn, and it can't seem to help but attack you if you leave an area undefended. You can use that to force it into undesirable positions. Also, if it's busy with another enemy somewhere else, you can break through their lines and claim the AI's entire infrastructure without them noticing.

I restarted until I was in africa, and then defended africa for awhile, just building up armies. The worst thing you can do is unbalance the other teams before you're strong enough to fight both of them at the same time, because any tipping of the balance will result in one team very quickly claiming a large part of the world. Always try to attack the stronger of the two teams for your expansion.

When they stop increasing their armies on your borders, that means they're having trouble elsewhere. I took that as a sign to attack the other team in SA and Antarctica. Conquer continent, solidify continent, repeat.

I've had my best games for Crazy when starting in Africa. Usually when AI is not swarming the area in the early turns of the game(or if I am able to knock them out super quick).

Africa is a good start, but my best game started in Asia, China specifically. This challenge is really all about luck, I only ran into one AI team while I was taking over Asia, then I was too strong for the rest because they had been fighting each other.

Thanks! Finally got it in 40 turns, starting in Africa. whew! Don't think I'll even try for Insane.

My best time on crazy is 22 rounds. When playing the AI, your best bet is to hit them in the mouth as soon as you see them. For best results start in a bonus area you can take in 2-3 rounds to get off to a quick start. Utilize choke points and relentlessly attack AI when you can.