[Edratman]

50% gold/50% resources/easy magic research/9 indies and 25 to 30 provinces per player is a good way to address magic balance/early rush tactics. This alters the ratio of resources allocated to mages/troops, slows down initial expansion/rushes by powerful troops and/or blesses and provides enough space so that the playing fields are pretty much level when you encounter neighbors.

You also have to rethink your scales because bad scales are even more of a penalty and selling everything out for a 9 F/W bless is a major buden now.