GO FOR IT, NEWBIE!!!

Thank you for your answers! This is really helpful information for me. Here are a few more questions: 1) What are the advantages of Shakti? Wouldn't Gunnar be a better choice? 2) Which heroes and which factions are best suited for different map sizes? (e.g., XL, L, M) On M and S, I understand that mages are the best choice, is that correct? On XL, are attackers and logistics the best choice? I'm not 100% sure.