prepping for beginning expansion

[Vynd]

To give you specific advice, cpbeller, I think we need to know more about the problems you are having. What do you typically do with your starting army and/or 1st turn builds? Can you take out one or two indie provinces but then you're left with too weak of an army for more? Or are you having trouble right out of the gate? Is there some sort of pattern to how your battles, particularly your losses, go?