Newbie Tactics

[kyre]

Before I ask all these questions, I've looked through the forum and the FAQ's, but if there's somewhere that already has the answer to my questions, please point me in that direction.

I've been playing Dominion II for a couple days, and can't seem to do anything succcessfully. I think I understand the basic concepts, but obviously I need some help on tactics. Generally I prefer to play strategy games pretty defensively, and I'm wondering if that's just not a good idea in this one.

Typically I play as Arco (not GE), on the Urgaia map. My Pretender is a Great Sage, with 5 Astral , 2 Earth, and 1 Nature. Dominion is 7, with +1 order, +1 productivity, and +2 magic. My fortress is a watch tower. I've played around with different setups, but so far this has been the one giving me the best (limited) success.

My problem is that if I play defensively, the AI players expand rapidly and them can overwhelm my small number of provinces. I've tried expanding quickly, after I get 6 or 7 provinces I start losing them to the AI (I am investing in the province defense up to at least 20 as soon as I can after taking them over). Here are my basic questions.

Are there other cultures/Pretenders that might be better suited to a defensive style of play?

In a typical game on Urgaia with 4 or 5 AI opponents, how quickly do you take over other provinces?

Do you leave commanders in each province after it's been conquered?

Do you build fortresses and temples in each province?

What is a typical squad size/type to take over independent provinces?

I want to build more magic using commanders in the early game, but their low leadership doesn't seem to make that practical. If I try to team a mage commander up with a regular commander, I start having gold problems from supporting two commanders per province. Which type/combination do you use?

Are there some general tactics to use so that I can "get on my feet" and establish a decent base to grow from?

Thanks in advance for any help!