Town center (TC) Settler Micro Guide
Hotkeys:  In order to become efficient with the TC, memorizing the following 4 hotkeys is crucial.
Effect	Key
Select the town center	T
Ring town bell	B
Return to work	U
Eject garrisoned units	N
Garrisoned Settler Movement
In order to become an efficient player it is necessary to move settlers through the TC instead of around it.  This may not seem like a big deal but in the right situations, colonial time can be speed up by 1 minute.  Within the average fifteen minute game nearly two minutes of total idle settler time will be saved.
Step One:  Select the settlers desired to be moved
Step Two:  Right click the TC to garrison them
Step Three:  Left click the TC to select it
Step Four:  Right click to set a waypoint for the settlers to exit
Step Five:  Press the hotkey “N” multiply times until all the settlers have been ejected or press  Shift and click the settler button.
Memorize this pattern:
Left click
Right click
Left click
Right click
“N”
Fighting with your Settlers and Town Center
Direct TC fire on units with high siege first.  Select TC, click on chosen target.
The minimum damage the TC produces is nine damage per shot with one settler garrisoned.  The maximum damage produced is ninety damage per shot with ten through fifty settlers garrisoned.  Therefore, garrisoning more then 10 settlers in the town center is pointless when it comes to damage.
If the rush is weak or an army can adequately handle the task, then settler time is best spent gathering resources.  Simply garrison ten in the town center and let it auto attack units.  Time is better spent micromanaging actual army.  If the attack is large or caught unprepared, micromanaging settlers in and out of the town center is the best option.
Technology Upgrades:
Blunderbuss (Age Available: Discovery):  110 Food = Settlers have greater LoS, range, & Damage
Great Coat (Age Available: Discovery): 75 Food = +35% Settlers' HP
Cards:
Colonial Militia:  Grants Minutemen that may be summoned twice, +50% Town Center Damage
Pioneers:  Grants +65% Settler HP
Improved Buildings:  Grants +40% HP for all buildings
Performing the Technique:
Step 1:  Garrison all settlers
Step 2:  Allow the TC to fire
Step 3:  Eject the settlers on the side opposing the enemy soldiers (Press N)
Step 4:  Select all the settlers and assign them to a hotkey group (Ctrl + #)
Step 5:  Order ALL the settlers to fire upon the same unit (should kill it)
Step 6:  Garrison all the settlers and allow the TC to fire (choose a weak target to kill it)
Step 7:  Eject all settlers, press the assigned hotkey, fire upon the same target, and quickly garrison inside TC
Step 8:  Allow the TC to fire
Step 9:  Repeat steps 7 and 8 until the threat is eliminated
Special Tactics:  Depending on the unit fighting, switch between the following procedures:
Pikes or other non-ranged infantry units:
Garrison ten settlers and leave all the others un-garrisoned to fire upon the pikes.  If the pikes try to attack the un-garrisoned settlers, garrison the settlers then eject them on the opposite side of the pikes and repeat.  If attacked with a large group of pikes that the above pike technique cant handle then try the following: Un-garrison the settler on the side with the pikes and move the settlers close enough to attack in melee. Settlers have a stronger melee attack but watch the health of the settlers.  When it drops into the red zone, quickly eject one of the ten settlers in the town center and garrison the hurt settler.  Continue to replace the hurt settlers, if all ten in the town center are in the red, garrison more then ten in the town center.  Do not lose any settlers.
Ranged Infantry Units:
Follow the “in-and-out” technique described above.  However, leave the settlers un-garrisoned to fire upon the ranged units, if they begin to target the settler, garrison them and begin the “in-and-out” technique again.  Continue this technique then un-garrison the settlers again and leave them out until they begin to target them again. Repeat as necessary.
Cavalry:
Garrison ten settlers and leave all the others un-garrisoned to fire upon the Cavalry.  If the Cavalry try to attack you garrison the settlers then eject them on the opposite side of the Cavalry.
Artillery:
There is basically no way to attack artillery with settlers if they are at a significant range.
Abus guns and dragoons (or other ranged cavalry):
Abus guns and ranged cavalry have a weak attack against settlers.  Attack them without garrisoning, even if they begin to target the settlers.  However, watch the health of the settlers closely.  When it drops into the red zone, quickly eject one of the ten settlers in the town center and garrison the hurt settler.
Grenadiers:
Since they have area damage it will be difficult to try the above technique. Instead continually do the “in-and-out” procedure and place the settlers in melee range with grenadiers.  Use the minute men in melee mode.  Minutemen have a bonus against them.
Order of importance:
Grenadiers
Pikes
Musketeers and Janissaries
Bow and Strelet units
Cavalry
Check the siege damage of units your not sure about, the higher the siege damage the higher the priority to kill that unit first.
Scouts and Explorers:
If an explorer or scout is seen coming close to TC, garrison settlers to kill or injure.  Losing a scout or war dog is a huge loss for the opponent, it will also keep them at range so they can not closely examine the base.  Plus, the small amount of XP earned is worth the effort early in the game.
This article, "Town Center Attack!" was written by "turbo_supra" (and edited by myself) from Game Replays.org.