prepping for beginning expansion

[Vynd]

Well cpbeller, I think you have already learned the lesson that independent's with heavy cav can be a tough fight. I generally avoid those guys early in the game.

I've never played Golden Age Arco but I have looked at it some and I do seem to remember it needing a goodly amount of resources. Which is unfrotunate, because it does sound like you have low resources in your capital. Part of your difficulties this game may be bad luck in your starting location. But I am also guessing that you took a fort with a low admin value and/or scale settings that diminished your resources, neither of which sounds like a good idea with Golden Age Arco.

So what I am saying is: With a different nation and/or more congenial settings, you would probably be having an easier time of it with the Independents.

As for how to arrange your battle formations, that depends entirely on what you're bringing to the table and what you expect to be fighting. The best general advice I can think of right now is:

Put cheap, expendable, units in front of your best troops to soak up early arrow fire, lances, and nasty stuff like that.

All other things being equal, large Groups of units are less likely to rout than small units. Also, if you have powerful units with not-so-good morale (chariots?), you can put one of the chariots in a group with higher morale units to make the chariot less likely to run away than if it was in an all-chariot group.

Hold and Attack Rear is often a good order to use with flying troops like Wind Riders.