Guys, are we talking about the very beginning of the game here? When you need to capture mines with basic resources as quickly as possible, even if it means risking everything? In that case, I don't think it's worth being stingy with troops or worrying about losses. You should focus on developing your town using the starting resources until you have a decent army. And if you need to quickly capture a mine with valuable resources, there's simply no way to do it without taking losses.