Ok my setup of game ussualy is:
dence monsters, many wildlands, map whatever you like, monster dificulty expert/hard, AI dificulty expert (no bonuses best algorithms).
Sovereign: mage - summoner or air fire mage, defender - beastmaster or armorer with life magic, assasin - dodge build mele weapons death magic for blind and graveseal for permanent crit. I always taking lucky trait, others are optional to your needs.
Setle first city 4/3/2, if no such spot CTRL N. Buff mana and opression, if second hero has earth change mana to hammers. First city ALWAYS conclave. your knoweledge goes up from 1 to 3 imediatley and gets 1 more from study after.
Research: the one with study first, then restoration or rush whatever. Then leather and upgrade army to leather. After setling dont forget to get taxes to none it will save lots of building turns. for begining. After theese grab mages and wargs, you can fit trading somwhere between for roads. Thats it. Everything else is already optional to your style.
Go hunt mites, 2 packed spiders, brown bears or something similar threath level. Loot goodies first it might get you some armor or weapons which might make you very differnt from what you are at the start. Make weak quest imediately. If you get Baco use it for scouting its awsome.
At turn 30 you have to have 2 city or to be about settling it. Dont make pionier at beggining let your first city hit lvl 2 first (for conclave). Your first building should be cleric (+2 fame) it will give you next hero after finishing it, other 1 fame you will get from mites or goodies.
Never had problems with AI while playing this way. Only few times some of them got to war and they had a lot of regret realy fast. Playing large map with 5 - 6 AI's ussualy. Dont sign economic treaties if they above you, they will use those roads against you. Sell horses and wargs excess for gildar, iron either. Buy crystal, trade techs as many as possible even for money. Get money for non agression with all possible AI. Get trade treaties imediately it might net around 6 gildar per turn realy early with low tax rate and will get better relations. Use paridens and altars shops for books and quest scrolls. Tarth and ythrill will always be badasses so just spit on them. Gilden also always paranoic so dont count on him much. Kraxis will always have worst trade rates so trade with him on worst case.
Keep few mages on border cities. Race with AI for resouces, cut it from building spots with outposts, dont let him expand. You can buy from them wargs and horses, it will give mounted advantage becouse they wot have such units. Leather research is key for your first units it gives 6 def in comparisson to none. Diference is hudge trust me. Dont pick exp traits till 10 lvl. Better get some key skills which will be usefull on any battle only then go for exp. try get air for Tutelage asap, tireles march either. Dont stack heroes never ever. Dodge is nice but its enough to let one hit trough and you dead. Defence is for loong time, however stacked dodge is bloody good especialy with blind together (for units and heroes).
Have 1 army close to home with secondary (probably air buffer or healer, or tank). Go explore the world then with sovereign.
Thats it. You can simply warstomp AI while using RAZE button every 2s turn basically with your main army (few tanks, sovereigh and some mages, because they pierce armor better than archers).
I suggest to do first try with defender (armorer spec, lucky trait, and whatever you like else) + 2 lvl life and pick air from your heroes or paridens books). Teke procipinees crown, hardy trait and whatever else you like and go try it. You can fix defenders first aid spell either, its written on forums how to do it.
