[shatner]

I really liked the concept expressed in this guide so I decided to try it out. I'm enjoying the game but I'm having some problems. I'm playing a single player CBM game and the first opponent I really clashed with was Mariginon. I have found their forces to be really difficult to overcome with their high moral, high protection, long reach weapons and heavy evocations (even fire flies can be painful over the course of a protracted combat). Now, I am a beginner through and through so I am wondering what the expert response would be. My forces tend to be 20 - 40 bakemono archer set to fire archers, 30 - 60 bakemono warriors set to attack closest (unless there are casters to buff them, in which case it'll be hold and attack closest) and in front of all of that are some kappas or indies with shields to soak arrows, set to hold and attack closest. When possible I have sorcerers to cast Strength of Giants and Legions of Steel before throwing spells at the enemy.

The other big problem I have been having is a crisis of cash. I have Order 3, Luck 3 and Magic 1 (all other scales are neutral) with random events set to rare. Getting armies of goblins led by a Shuten-doji and maybe including a sorcerer for buffs has me strapped for cash. I have been unable to justify building additional forts except in the swamp adjacent to my capital (it's funny how many troops even a swamp can churn out... when you have the cash) because my empire is in a constant state of flux as I skirmish and clash with Mariginon (and to a lesser extent, R'Lyeh and Pangaea). I have recently captured Mariginon's capital but even with that I'm still looking at an income of roughly 850 gold and an upkeep of roughly 350 gold. With funds like that, I am not sure how I am supposed to be financing my expansion while building fortifications AND popping sorcerers and the like. Again, any tips would be appreciated.