What Monsters should I fight?

That's a good question.

(quick link to wiki with monsters listed MONSTERS )
Also you can see a list like this at any time in game.
Click on help, help tab, scroll down to you see "Fighting (raid)" there is a chart in there.
(if want to see the in game tut in browser click here TUTORIAL )

This is written for the new people starting out. Or maybe for the ones that could use some help.
Answer to the big question. "What Monsters to go after"
Without knowing what troops you have or what ever. I will just start from ground and go up.
And if starting at ground going up best easiest cheapest thing to recruit is .....
AXE THROWERS!!!
Yes the famous axe throwers. Gotta love them.
Will save debate on them for another post.

One thing to understand is what types of damage there is. And what types of armor there is.
For damage there is normal, brunt, piercing, siege.
And for armor you have light, medium, heavy, fortified.
Its very important to know what damage type does best damage to what type of armor.
Broke down its.
Normal vs Light
Brunt vs Medium
Piercing vs Heavy
Siege vs Fortified

With knowing that its best to send what damage type you have against the mob with that type of armor it fits best with. Why? Well for starters you can send less troops to kill more monsters. That is good for few reasons. The less troops you need to kill the more attack xp you get. Also the more you can kill the more rep you get. Sometimes its better to send more than you need (I like to refer to it as over kill) is to bring back more resources. The mob will always have more food/gold that the normal amount of troops you send can carry back. Want more resources? Send more troops to carry more back. (also raise wagon in lab)

There is also some monsters that troops are better with, get a bonus, and some monsters they don't do so good with, get a - bonus.
You can look HERE for the bonus chart. (scroll down)

The basic ones to know are.
Axe Throwers get +75 to Gargoyles, and -75 to Witch
Bowmen get +75 to Black Widows, and -75 to Goblins

Ever go after witch with axe throwers when all going good and get wiped and think "OMFG what happen???"
Or go after goblins thinking easy pickins with bowmen and get smeared. Well that's why. The -75 bonus.
Not only is Gargoyles medium, with axemen being brunt there is already good there. They get the bonus.
Same with bowmen to black widows, piercing to heavy. Starting to see why good to know damage types and armor types?

Next thing to know is number.
You need to know how many monsters you are up against. Breaks down as follows.
Few 4-8, Several 9-15, Pack 17-30, Lots 31-60, Horde 61-130, Throng 131-250, Swarm 251-500, Zounds 501-1000, Legions 1001-2000, Innumerable 2000-4000, Overwhelming >4000
Starting out you will look for Few. Then move up to Several, Pack, Lots. So on.
Quick note on sending spy's. Don't bother sending spy's until you are doing Overwhelming. You know how many is going to be in the number groups under that. Just send enough troops to kill the max number.
Say we are using ratio of 4 x 1. Going after Pack 17-30. We send in 120. Aim for enough troops to take out highest number in that number group. And all good. When get big enough to take on overwhelming, hmm ya send a spy. They can go from 4k all way up to few million.

Ok back to main question. What monsters to go after.
First start out you got just militia till city grows. So you will go after Few of Goblin. Looking on chart it has weakest on top, going down to strongest. The number in (here) is how many militia to send. Goblin has (4). So you know best to use the 4 to 1 ratio. Ok first raid, found a Few Goblins, sending in 32 militia. All good!
I would stick with goblins using militia till have archery built. Then use all resources to pump out axe throwers. Next in line of monsters to kill with axe throwers. With axe throwers being brunt we look for monsters with medium armor best. So list would be goblin, orc, gargoyle, butcher.
Can tell you one thing. Don't bother with butcher at first. Just ... don't

I would go real slow and move up as you feel more comfortable. Going by how many troops you have, and using the BUFFER method.
Start off with lower numbers of goblins. Get bored of them and taking out real easy. Move up to Orc's. Doing them good. Move up to Gargoyle's. I would lower the number I do with each one as I move up. For example your doing Lots of Goblin's just fine. And want to try orc's. I would go after Pack with same amount you sent to the goblin lots. If do them fine then try Lots of Orc. Main idea here is to take it easy and slow. Its much better to win by over kill than it is to wipe.

I highly recommend the using melee as buffers, and range (axe throwers, bowmen) as your damage starting out. Don't bother making a whole bunch of melee at first. Later maybe. But starting out don't waste your resources or time.

Ok quick wrap up.
Mobs weakest to strongest are.
Goblin, prawn, orc, fire beast, gorgon, lizard, witch, gargoyle, black widow, vampire, butcher, demon, fallen, cyclops, troll, reaper.
For Butcher and up. Don't even try it till you got a real good size army. Cyclops, troll, and reaper are fortified armor. So don't even go after them without having ballista's, or cats on your side.

How I did it when first started game on server 2. The monsters I went through was goblin, orc, gargoyle, black widow. I didn't even touch rest till had few cities and army built up. As of writing this on server 1 I have over 1 million rep. Only troop ever made was axe thrower, militia, and spy's. Main monster killed is gargoyle. Have killed others when couldn't find a gargoyle number wanted.
I have over 30 hours till my first bowmen is born.

LINK TO MONSTERS ON WIKI

Last tips. Go slow, take your time. ALWAYS use buffers. And have fun.

Questions ask me in game, on here, post.

Gamesmen

Good point about the ALWAYS use buffers

Learned that the hard way against Overwhelming +3 Black Widows.
Even having just a Hussar and Militia will make sure your other ranks will get a round untouched. However, if you're hasty, you lose units isntead...