Impart Wisdom on this Newb Please

[Pug]

Hello People:

Well, I'm new to DOM II ... been playing a few days or so and I think I have the basic concepts down pretty good. Just a few questions I need help with please:

1. Is it correct to say crafted items only enhance stats on commanders only?

2. Am I a wimp or playing incorrectly if I tend to keep all my commanders in back?

3. Does the AI always go a big land grab? It seems #Provinces is a key AI strategy. How do Human players do this w/o spreading too thin and leaving everything unprotected? Or should I even bother to worry about this. I tend to expand area methodically while ensuring some defenses are created or available.


Thanks for the help, Mike