He just wants to make sure his opponent cannot get the relics because with the warrior monks of the Rus. They can quickly go out and snag those relics.

Akinji destroy horse archers. They absolutely melt them even with Boyar's Fortitude.

You could go for a barracks and look to torch down the hunting cabins. That strat has had employment previously, especially during the pro scouts meta.

Here's what you do if you're the Ottoman player: you just make one or two combat ships and prevent [the Rus player] from coming onto the water, and then flee to central island; you've got your transport, just migrate out.