beating 'difficult AI'

[Nerfix]

Learn to use the semiabusive tactics and strategies like clamming, wrathing squads and supercombatants.

[NTJedi]

Here are some tips:

1) Play on larger size maps... you'll have more time to secure your kingdom.

2) Don't play maps with Ermor as the AI until you feel ready for a good challenge... he provides the greatest challenge compared with other AIs. At least for early and middle game times.

3) Province Defense will greatly decrease the chances of them attacking.

4) Search for bottle-neck points on the map and hold them.

5) Vine Ogres(nature), Enliven Statues(earth), Pale Riders(death), and Bind Fiend(blood) are just a few of great summoning spells which will bring you stronger armies.

[magnate]

I find this too. The trick is to do a lot of scouting, and expand so that you only meet AIs when you choose to. That way you can pick them off one by one. This is why crowded maps are so much harder (try playing vs all 16 AIs on the Desert Eye map!). Admittedly they will eventually reach you later on in the game, but by then you should be able to sustain war on two fronts. If you are ever fighting three at a time then you have expanded wrongly or are simply not quick enough at sieging and finishing them off. Are you taking their castles first or last, or not thinking about it? My advice is always take the castle(s) first, then they are easy to mop up. Watch out for a killed pretender reappearing at his castle gates though!

CC

[FrankTrollman]

Clamming probably isn't going to help in that instance. Clamming starts paying off in gems after 15 turns if you have a dedicated hammer (counting the cost of the hammer it takes 18 whole turns of making clams before a profit is realized). It takes 21 turns to make a profit without one.

So if your problem is that you are getting nailed in the early mid-game, long-term economic strategies are meaningless.

-Frank

[Endoperez]

Also, try different game options. Higher level of independents slows the computer players down more tha they do you, and you can use that extra research to finish an enemy faster/to keep the others at bay.