Large map, dense/plenty etc. 10+ AI, Ridic / Ridic setting.
The key: get your sov the combat spell which requires disciple in water/death. (I forget what it's called... 2 casting time, does damage based on caster level to all enemies unless they resist) Then once level 9+, just nuke every army and city with 1 cast of this spell.
How I did it:
Enchanter / master scout / civics / warriors / no ranged attack (rush 2 early spearmen to accompany the sov for fast leveling and clearing for fast settlements)
Tarth blood (for easy leveling early game. Late game lets you cast the spell quickly)
Wealthy / (the talent which is +10% exp and +2 spell mastery / level) / the unique staff (+ 25% spell damage, even tho +3 mana per kill isnt working) / Death apprentice / Water apprentice / Clumsy
Warlock
You start with + 75% spell damage. Obviously go path of the mage. Get water to disciple level and stop. Assuming no great options like + % spell damage and -% spell cost, keep leveling death magic. You want to get all the way to sacrifice, which will refill your mana very quickly as you capture enemy cities. Pit of madness will also prove helpful. If none of these options, get + %spell resistance. This is to make it harder for counterspells. Grab %experience as fall back.
Build path: Rush a pair of shield/club guys to escort your sovereign. Then build scrying pool. Build / rush pioneers for the fertile land. For enchantments: meditation / inspiration (+ research)
Research path: Leatherworking so you can rush a new unit with leathers to replace one of your escorts (who WILL die), then mounts. Use your second hero to grab the freebies while your sov fights and levels. After mounts, use your second hero to buy a horse and go to the sov. Trade the horse and goodies to the sov, have second hero walk back to main and park. You probably won't hire anybody the rest of the game. Research up to roads in civ tech, then research all the hero line for the + move enchantment and the titan's walk spell (your friend late game). After this it doesn't matter, but might as well work on warfare.
Early game you rush pioneers wherever is fertile, but keep an eye out for horses tile. You want to outpost / build on this to get mounts for your two unit escorts for the sov (don't use heros while the sov is leveling -- dilutes hero exp) ASAP. horses + master scouts should keep you constantly fighting. Once you hit level 4-6 and mana costs come down, look for strong/deadly armies with units with low HP. You can beat "Strong" armies with your "weak" group using the wail spell and shadowbolt.
Once you hit level ~10, you're doing ~90 damage per unit all at once and they rarely resist. Steamroll FTW, titan's walk back if you need to defend. Sacrifice/meditation on every enemy city to keep your mana up.
Water mage is an ok choice for the spell drain spell. You can use it on elementals and pick up ~60 easy mana with 2 casts if you are starved.
When they fix the +3 mana per kill on the staff, I'll try it on insane.
