It's simple to be honest, if you are new growing quickly isn't that hard. Go to "world chat" and ask for volley, then use the gold you receive and buy as many 3.75 million gold strong attack buildings. Join a big clan, clans such as Resistance Rising, and SPQR. Attack as much as you can and use the money you get from the epic battle to upgrade your buildings to level 3. Continue to explore lands, once you have bought all 25 lowlands fill 10 lands with guilds and upgrade them to level 4. After you have done this, begin to replace the 3.75 million gold soldier buildings with 130 million gold equal attack and defense buildings and precede to upgrade them to level 3. This should take no more than a month and you will surpass others who started before you. After you finish this plan explore the high lands and build as you wish.
Oh and In the op when he says attack he means the people in clan chat, those are the people you are supposed to attack because they pay the best.
Bad 1)You forgot about allies, and how ******* important they are. 2)You forgot about hitting people off the battle list. 3)Forgot about bbcodes.