Attack barbs before protection is up?

[Wakeboardermike]

Can I attack barbs before my protection is up? Additionally when can I capture a city?

[Sternist]

Yes, you can attack barbs in beginners protection. You will be able to cap cities once you educate a scholar.

[Wakeboardermike]

How many of what type of unit do I need to take on the barbs?

[bobalon2000]

you probably need at most 100 units of any type.

[yllom001]

Depends on how long the world has been around, for days 1-5 you could probably send in 25 berserkers and 25 lancers for light losses

[Shekina]

What I do is just send all the zerks they give you from the resource quest and that will clear the barbarian city. Then you can use your remaining zerks and lancers to farm the city all day. You'll loose minimal amounts of troops this way while maximizing your haul.

Read this guide on scholars to learn how to cap a city. Scholar Guide

Keep in mind all this will change when Trial by Sword is released. Until then, hope this helps.