Trivializing Breaking Bandits

Breaking Bandits is considered one of the slowest quests because of how the No Stone optional prevents players from building defenses, aging up to age 4, or researching armory upgrades. However, with Empire Consumables, the quest can even be done in under 7 minutes. Hypothetically it can be done in under 6 but no proof has been made of such a feat yet. The reason this quest is a prime farming candidate is because it is one of the few quests with a guaranteed Legendary. Here is how I clear the quest in co-op with Empire Consumables.

General information:
To unlock this quest, do the quests We Killed These Guys Already, then the quest Why Does it have to be Bandits?
The map is randomized each time, but there will always be three triremes, one middle island base, and one top island base.
The enemy priests have the staff of hermes, so they will convert infantry very quickly.
The defending enemy units in each base are two ballista, six priests, some toxotes, and some infantry.
Enemy chieftains cannot be converted.

Recommended Setups:
Tank Infantry: Zahhak (Hanuman for Indians) for /Minos or Aeneas Shield/Actaeon Cloth or Sesotris Cuirass/Medal of Lycurgus
Siege: Khnum or Ra's Ram/Ishtar Plating/Delian Wheels
Woad Raiders: Zahhak's or Legendary Whirlwind Axe/Aoifa's Vengeful War Horn/Vercingetorix's Copper-Ore Warpaint
Priests: Staff of the Ice King or Exceptional Empyrean Staff

Recommended Advisors:
Infantry/Solo: Weylin or Odysseus/Herakleides or Lycurgus or Davcina or Bhima/Mehrab or Leonidas or Havard
Rams: Weylin/Combutis or Amunet/Ligeia, Titus, or Seneb
Woads: Weylin/Herakleides/Pamphilos

Recommended Roles per civ
Greeks - Tank, can also siege if not doing 8x
Egypt - Siege
Persia - Siege, can also tank with Sparabara if not doing 8x
Celts - Siege with Woads
Romans - Siege
Babylon - Tank with Shield Bearers
Norse - Tank with Harjars
Indians - Tank with Bhima Gadas

Strategy:
Both players rush age 3 as soon as possible. Before reaching age 3 the infantry player starts building large quantities of tanky infantry, otherwise eco, build houses, and prepare a dock and make merchant transports. When reaching age 3 the infantry player continues training infantry, but also trains priests for converting the ballistae. The other player builds siege workshops (or barracks for Celts) and trains battering rams (woad raiders for Celts). All the while both players keep researching key tech when relevant. Around the 3 or 3 and a half minute mark the assault begins on the central island.

When both players land on the bottom of the first island, one player will buff both players' units with Strength of the Empire. The infantry player makes sure their units are being attacked while the siege player prioritizes the nearby wall first, then the fortresses, then the town center. The Infantry player meanwhile prioritizes the enemy priests, and converts the enemy ballistae. When the ballistae are converted, they will prove valuable in your assault. Finish clearing all enemy defenses on the central island, then start preparing for the assault on the topmost island.

The strategy for the topmost island is largely the same, but because it is an open base, the walls should not be attacked. When landing, have the other player buff the armies, use the ballista for aid against the swarms of enemy forces.

 

Non-EP Consumable Co-op Strategy:


The strategy is just starving the AI by sniping their buildings and villagers with arrow ships. It is highly recommended that civs that have Range on their Champion upgrade are paired with civs that lack one, with the lower range boats covering units and buildings near the coastline.

After starving them enough, start assaulting their base with your best units, preferably with some rams and other anti-building units. The middle base may be completely snipeable with 56 range arrow ships, so the top base is generally the more important base for a land assault. Forward build production when possible. Like with the consumable strategy, deal with the Ballistae and Priests ASAP.

Courtesy of JadenWolper for the idea.

Civs with +Range upgrade:
Greeks
Egypt
Persia
Babylon
Romans

Civs without +Range upgrade:
Celts
Norse
Indians

Recommended Advisors:
Age 1 can be whatever.
Age 2 should be whatever strengthens your land assault.
Age 3 should be Ammon for effective sniping. Otherwise you cannot reach much of the buildings the enemy has.

Recommended Arrow Ship gear:
Bow of the Master Hunter
Arrows of the Piercing Frost (Delian Preceptor Arrows if lacking Frost)
Runic Heavy Iron Armoring
Hadad's Remarkable Hull