Tips and/or suggestions for starting game

[Saxon]

True, Ulm is very much classic heavy infantry, so it makes more intuitive sense to a new player. Also, the units are pretty durable and are more forgiving. Just stay away from a blood strategy, they are tricky for even experienced folks. Think of blood as that interesting class you can take after you pass first year!

If you take Ulm and are winning, make sure you start experimenting with magic later in the game. It is critical to many of the other races, so experiment with it a bit when it is safe. Ulm is not great in this area, but you can still learn from it.