Need help with playing against the AI!

Alright, fine. But that was a long time ago, and I wasn't even very good at the game back then, so the losses were significant. Nevertheless, it was still Winge, not some Ossir.

are artifacts that reduce the initiative and luck of the enemy hero even necessary?

You're asking! Of course, they are. We take the Staff of the Underworld and the Cursed Ring. And don't forget to learn Luck with the Soldier skill and Deadly Luck. But the best thing is to equip a full set of Dwarven artifacts. Ugh... I think that's all.